hide and seek

chapter 4

The attic had turned into a nightmare. The oppressive heat swirled around them, stifling and burning, as if the house itself was trying to consume them. The whispers in the air grew louder, rising into a cacophony of voices that scratched at their ears, filling their minds with dread.

Then, suddenly, the thing making the sound appeared.

It slithered out from the far corner of the attic, emerging from the darkness like a living shadow, twisted and unnatural. At first, it was just a vague shape, blacker than the surrounding shadows, but as it moved closer, their flashlights caught glimpses of it—and what they saw froze them in place.

It was tall, too tall, its form unnaturally elongated, hunched over with long, gnarled limbs that dragged on the floor. Its skin was a sickly gray, pulled tight over bones that jutted out at odd angles, as though its body had been stretched and broken. Its face—if it could even be called a face—was a hollow, contorted mask of flesh, with empty, black holes where eyes should have been. Its mouth hung open, far too wide, revealing rows of jagged, broken teeth, and a low, guttural growl rumbled from its throat, vibrating through the air.

The creature’s head jerked unnaturally, tilting from side to side as if it was trying to *listen* to them, its eyeless sockets scanning the room in search of prey.

“Oh my God,” Lisa whispered, her voice shaking as she stepped back, her eyes wide with terror.

Phillip’s heart pounded in his chest, his breath caught in his throat as he stood frozen, his mind screaming at him to move, to *run*, but his legs refused to obey.

Margot was the first to break the silence. “We need to go. Now.”

As if her voice triggered something, the creature let out a horrifying screech, its head snapping in their direction. Without warning, it lunged forward, its limbs twisting and contorting as it moved faster than any of them could have imagined.

The door to the attic, which had been sealed tight moments ago, suddenly burst open with a loud bang, and the group didn’t need any more encouragement. They bolted for the exit, their hearts racing, fear driving them forward as the creature gave chase, its long, gnarled limbs dragging behind it with a sickening scrape.

Phillip reached the stairs first, practically leaping down them, the others right behind him. The narrow hallway below was suffocating, and the house seemed to shift around them, the walls stretching, twisting, as if the Damon house itself was alive, reshaping its interior to trap them.

“Keep running!” Alex shouted from somewhere behind, his voice tight with panic. “Don’t stop!”

The house groaned and shifted beneath their feet, the floorboards creaking loudly, as though something beneath the wood was moving, crawling. The walls seemed to stretch endlessly, turning the familiar layout into a maze of confusion. Rooms they had passed earlier no longer appeared where they should have been. The hallway grew longer and darker with every step, and the oppressive heat continued to bear down on them, suffocating them as they ran.

Margot’s heart raced as she sprinted down the hallway, her chest burning from the effort. She could hear the creature’s jagged, scraping limbs behind them, getting closer. She risked a glance over her shoulder and immediately regretted it—the creature was right there, moving faster than should have been possible, its eyeless face fixed on them, its gnarled limbs reaching out like claws.

Ahead of them, the front door finally came into view—small and distant, like a pinprick of hope in the endless darkness of the house. “There!” Phillip shouted, his voice hoarse.

But as they ran toward it, the house shifted again, the door seeming to slide further away. The walls groaned and cracked, stretching out like some twisted nightmare.

Lisa’s breath hitched as she stumbled, her foot catching on the uneven floor. “I—I can’t—” she gasped, but Phillip grabbed her arm, pulling her up.

“We’re almost there!” Phillip shouted, though he didn’t believe it himself.

The door remained stubbornly distant, as though the house was toying with them. The creature’s screech echoed behind them, louder now, closer. It was gaining on them.

They were running out of time.

Billy, Alex, Dorian, and Mary were ahead now, reaching the door as it finally came into focus. One by one, they burst through it, gasping as the cool night air hit their faces. They were out.

But not all of them.

Phillip, Margot, and Lisa were still inside, the creature closing in. The heat was unbearable now, waves of it crashing over them, stealing their breath. The hallway stretched impossibly long in front of them, the door barely in sight, but they pushed forward, their legs screaming in protest, fear driving them.

Margot’s lungs burned, and her legs felt like lead, but she kept going, her mind focused on one thing: escape. But the creature was fast—too fast. She could hear it now, its jagged teeth gnashing, its growl vibrating in the air like a death rattle.

The front door was just ahead—only a few more steps.

But as they reached it, the creature lunged.

Lisa screamed as she felt its icy, skeletal hand brush against her ankle, yanking her back just as Phillip and Margot burst through the door and tumbled onto the porch.

Phillip spun around, his heart in his throat as he reached for Lisa, his hand outstretched. But it was too late.

Lisa was dragged back into the house, her screams echoing through the air as the door slammed shut behind her with a deafening bang.

“No!” Phillip shouted, pounding on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. His breath came in ragged gasps as he stared at the closed door, the realization sinking in. Lisa was gone. The house had taken her.

Margot sat on the ground beside him, her face pale, her body trembling. She stared at the door in shock, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. *They had been so close.*

The others stood in the yard, wide-eyed and pale, their breath coming in sharp gasps as they watched from a distance. No one said a word. The house loomed behind them, silent now, but alive with the knowledge that it had claimed one of them.

Phillip turned to Margot, his voice a hoarse whisper. “We have to go back in.”

But Margot shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “We can’t. It’s too late.”

Phillip looked back at the house, his heart heavy with guilt and fear. The creature was still in there, waiting, watching. And Lisa… she was lost to the darkness.

For now.

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