hide and seek

chapter 2

The sun had just begun its slow descent behind the trees, casting the sky in an eerie shade of orange as the group stood at the edge of Crestview’s forgotten landmark—the Damon house.

It loomed before them like a silent predator, shrouded in decay and shadow. The windows, long cracked and blackened, seemed to stare back at them like hollow eyes. Vines twisted up the sides of the building, crawling like veins beneath its crumbling exterior. The front gate, rusted and bent, creaked under the weight of the evening breeze, though the air was otherwise unnervingly still.

Phillip walked slightly ahead of the others, his flashlight held in a loose grip. Beside him, Margot lingered, her eyes tracing the ground as they made their way toward the front steps. She glanced at Phillip from the corner of her eye, her heart betraying her normally calm exterior with a quickening beat.

He didn’t notice.

Phillip’s focus was elsewhere, on the oppressive air around them. It was stifling, hotter than it should’ve been this time of night. Sweat clung to his skin, and it wasn’t just from the anxiety building in his chest. The closer they got to the house, the more the temperature rose, like they were walking into a furnace.

Margot took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. She didn’t believe in any of this. The supernatural, demons, ghosts—it was all nonsense to her. Still, there was something unnerving about the place. It wasn’t just the heat. It was the way the shadows seemed to move even when there was no wind. It was the silence that pressed in on them, thick and suffocating.

“Hot as hell out here,” Billy muttered, wiping the back of his neck with his hand. “Anyone else feel that?”

“Yeah,” Phillip replied, his voice low, as he stared up at the house. “It feels… wrong.”

“More like a sauna than a haunted house,” Alex said, though the usual cockiness in his voice was absent now. He glanced at the others, trying to shake off the unease creeping up his spine.

Dorian closed her eyes for a moment, her face paling. “It’s not just the heat.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “There’s something else.”

Lisa rolled her eyes but kept close to the group as they approached the front door, its wood warped and splintered, a gaping c***k running down its center. She chuckled nervously. “Great. Now we’re all going to roast *and* get possessed.”

Mary crossed her arms tightly over her chest, gripping her flashlight like a lifeline. “We shouldn’t be here. This place feels… evil.”

But Margot remained silent. Despite the heat and the oppressive atmosphere, she kept her face calm. *It’s just a house. Just an old, abandoned house.* Still, she couldn’t shake the sensation gnawing at her stomach. It wasn’t fear of the house—it was something else. She found herself stealing glances at Phillip, watching the way his brow furrowed in concern, the way his jaw clenched as if he was battling with himself.

She hadn’t planned to have a crush on Phillip. It had crept up on her slowly over the past year, a quiet, growing ache that she tried to bury beneath layers of practicality and indifference. Phillip was always kind to her, always easy to talk to, but he never seemed to notice the way she looked at him, or the fact that she went out of her way to be near him.

And now, in this cursed place, her heart beat a little faster, and it wasn’t just because of the house.

“Everyone ready?” Alex’s voice broke through her thoughts, snapping her back to the present.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Phillip muttered, stepping toward the door.

As he pushed the door open with a loud groan, a rush of air hit them—hotter than before, like stepping into a furnace. The inside of the house was dark, the air thick and oppressive. Dust particles floated in the beam of their flashlights, swirling lazily like something alive.

"Feels like we just walked into hell itself," Billy said, his voice strained.

Margot clenched her jaw, determined to shake off the growing unease. *Atheist or not*, she couldn’t deny that this place felt… wrong.

As they stepped inside, the floor creaked beneath their feet, each step echoing ominously. The walls were covered in old, peeling wallpaper, yellowed with age, and the ceiling sagged in places. There was a faint, metallic scent in the air—like rust. Or blood.

And then, just as they reached the main hall, the door slammed shut behind them with a deafening bang.

Everyone jumped.

“What the hell?” Lisa spun around, eyes wide as she shone her flashlight at the door. It was closed, firmly. No one had touched it.

"Must’ve been the wind," Alex said, though his voice sounded less sure than usual.

“There’s no wind in here,” Dorian whispered, her eyes narrowing.

Suddenly, Margot felt something cold brush past her arm. She froze, her skin prickling, and glanced around, but there was nothing. Just shadows.

But the house had gone still again. Too still. The oppressive heat was still there, but now, it was accompanied by something else. A low, distant sound. Like a faint hum… or whisper.

Mary crossed herself instinctively, her face pale as she stepped closer to Phillip. "We should leave."

Phillip looked down at her, then at the others. He wasn’t sure why, but something about the house held him in place. It wasn’t just fear. It was something deeper, something pulling him in.

But before anyone could speak, there was a loud *thud* from upstairs. A heavy, deliberate sound. It echoed through the hall, and the group froze.

“Did anyone else hear that?” Billy asked, his voice shaky.

“Yeah…” Phillip’s voice was barely audible.

Another thud, louder this time, like something heavy being dragged across the floor.

Margot’s heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her face neutral. She wasn’t going to let the others see her panic. She didn’t believe in ghosts or demons, but whatever was making that noise was real enough to make her skin crawl.

“We need to go upstairs,” Alex said, his voice tight but determined.

Phillip hesitated, glancing at Margot. Her face was unreadable, as usual, but something in her eyes caught his attention—something vulnerable, fleeting. He felt a strange pull toward her, like he needed to say something, do something to reassure her. But the words didn’t come.

Instead, he just nodded. “Let’s check it out.”

And with that, they headed for the staircase, the heavy air pressing down on them, the house seeming to come alive with every step they took.

But somewhere deep inside, Phillip couldn’t shake the feeling that the house had been waiting for them.

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