After scribbling down my latest note, I was left with a puzzle: "The truth is revealed to the inept and death to the…" I needed that last word. Maybe it would make all this nonsense make sense. Or maybe it would just be the punchline to the world's worst joke.
I wandered through the house, retracing my steps. Every room looked the same, but something felt off. I stepped into a room I was sure I'd already explored, but the air was different—thicker, colder, like the house was holding its breath. On the desk, the Bible was open to a new page. The words "lost souls" were underlined.
I read the full message aloud, my voice echoing in the silence: "The truth is revealed to the inept and death to the lost souls."
The moment the words left my mouth, everything went black. The candles snuffed out, my camera's night vision died, even the faint glow from my phone vanished. I was swallowed by darkness so complete it felt like a physical weight pressing down on me.
My body froze. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. It was as if I'd been hit by a tidal wave of ice, every nerve in my body screaming in protest. I tried to will myself to move, to scream, to do anything, but I was trapped in my own skin.
Time lost all meaning. Minutes, hours—who knew? All I could do was wait, helpless, as the darkness pressed in. Then, from somewhere deep in the house, I heard it: heavy, thunderous footsteps. Each one made the floor tremble, the walls shudder. Something massive was coming.
The footsteps grew louder, closer, until the ground itself seemed to jump with every step. My heart hammered in my chest, desperate to escape. The door exploded open with a deafening crash, and in the brief flash of light, I saw it—a monstrous, bull-headed creature, towering and muscular, its eyes burning with rage.
The beast snorted, a guttural, animalistic sound that rattled my bones. "MOOOOOOO!" it bellowed, the sound echoing through the house like a death sentence.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I managed to whisper, panic finally breaking through my usual bitterness.
The creature lumbered toward me, its breath hot and foul on my face. I could move again, but only just. Before I could react, it swung a massive fist and sent me flying through the air, crashing through walls and furniture like a ragdoll. I slammed into the farthest wall of the house, pain exploding through my body.
"Son of a—!" I screamed, every inch of me throbbing with agony. "This is not worth fifty grand! Not even close!"
Somewhere behind me, the beast let out another furious roar, like a bull about to charge a matador. I forced myself to my feet, adrenaline drowning out the pain. The creature charged, horns lowered, but I dove to the left just in time. Its horns smashed into the wall, getting stuck for a moment.
"Ha! Take that, you oversized steak!" I gasped, scrambling to my feet.
I bolted for the front door, slamming into it with my shoulder. It didn't budge. I kicked, punched, even tried to pry it open with a broken chair leg. Nothing. The door might as well have been made of solid steel.
Behind me, I heard the beast wrench itself free, the sound of splintering wood and cracking stone filling the air. I sprinted down the hallway, ducking into a bedroom. The window was my only hope. I threw it open, ready to jump—only to freeze. Instead of the ground, I was staring out into empty space, the ground impossibly far below, like I was suddenly on the hundredth floor of a skyscraper.
"What the hell?!" I shouted, panic rising. "This isn't possible!"
No time to think. The beast was coming. I squeezed out onto the narrow ledge outside the window, pressing myself flat against the wall. My heart pounded as I inched along, praying the creature wouldn't see me. Inside, I could hear it rampaging, smashing furniture, roaring in frustration.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the destruction stopped. Silence settled over the house. I waited, barely daring to breathe. When I was sure the coast was clear, I slipped back through another window, collapsing onto the floor inside.
Everything was spinning. Nothing made sense. What the hell was happening in this place?