BY : Ilovefreaksgirls
ππππ:
A remote, dilapidated cabin deep in the woods, surrounded by an air of isolation and decay. The cabin includes an old playhouse in the backyard that has been abandoned for decades.
Upon arriving, Y/N finds the cabin in disrepair but habitable. The playhouse, however, is overgrown with weeds and covered in dust. Intrigued by its eerie appearance, she decides to clean it up a bit, hoping to restore it for possible future use. Strange occurrences begin almost immediately: the air grows colder near the playhouse, and she hears faint, childlike laughter echoing through the night.
Y/N discovers old newspaper clippings and a diary hidden in the cabin's attic, detailing a series of brutal murders that occurred decades ago in the area. The diary belonged to a child who lived in the cabin and mentioned a "game" that took place in the playhouse, hinting at something sinister.
After a harrowing struggle, Y/N manages to complete the ritual, and the malevolent forces are temporarily subdued. Exhausted and traumatized, she leaves the cabin, only to discover that the playhouse remains as a grim reminder of the horrors she faced. Although the spirits have been driven away, the playhouse's dark history still lingers, leaving Y/N with a chilling sense of unresolved dread.
The story ends with Y/N driving away from the cabin, glancing back to see the playhouse standing silent and ominous against the backdrop of the woods, hinting that the dark presence might not be entirely gone.
There will be a plot twist
Antique store owner Liz brings home a Victorian taxidermy hound from auction, unwittingly unleashing dark forces on her wife and son.
*****
Nat Loman has finally married the love of her life, Liz, and is getting used to her role as stepmother to Liz's 5-year-old son, Liam. The Loman family runs a bustling antique business so they attend a sale where a striking, black taxidermied hound is up for auction. Liz picks it up for the business, but it ends up being stored in their home, where Nat notices strange things occurring. She quickly discovers the past residents had died violently. Then she hears from a friend about the myth of "the devil's dog", a hound that perches in the shadows, tearing families apart from the inside. Soon, people around the Lomans are dying, and Liz is changing, darkening. It's up to Nat to save the woman she loves from the darkness closing in, and to save Liam from danger no matter what she has to sacrifice.
[[Winner of the 2018 Wattys "Hidden Gems" category]]
[[word count: 60,000-70,000 words]]