The forest was too quiet. The wolves' howls echoed in the distance, carried by the full moon's light, but here, near the old house, silence pressed down like a heavy blanket.
The house stood crooked, broken, and wrong. Its roof sagged, its windows covered in webs, its walls black with rot. Yet it didn't look dead. It felt awake, like it had been waiting.
On the front door hung a cracked wooden sign. The words, written in faded paint, still sent chills down Steve's spine:
"Welcome to the Game of Nightmares."
Tom forced a nervous laugh. "What the hell… Is this supposed to be funny?"
Maya hugged herself. "This doesn't look funny. This looks cursed."
Alisa's eyes darted to the shadows. "We should go back. Now. This place feels wrong."
But the door creaked open on its own.
The group froze.
The inside was pitch dark, and the smell hit them immediately — damp wood, mold, and something rotten, like meat left to decay.
"Okay," Maya said quickly, backing away. "Nope. Absolutely not. I'm not going in there."
Tom tried to grin, but his lips trembled. "Maybe it's just the wind…?"
Steve's heart pounded. He remembered the whispers from his dreams, calling his name. Save us. His breath caught. "If we want answers, we have to go in."
Liam, calm as ever, stepped closer to the door. "He's right. The things happening in this city… they started here. If we don't face it, it won't stop."
Maya stared at him like he was insane. "Are you listening to yourselves? A sign literally said Game of Nightmares!"
Before anyone could argue, a voice came from inside. A child's voice, broken and cold.
"Come… play…"
The sound crawled under their skin.
Tom went pale. "Oh God… did you hear that?"
Steve's legs moved on their own. He stepped across the doorway. The air inside hit him like ice. A second later, the door slammed shut, trapping them all inside.
Inside the House
The hallway stretched long and narrow, the floor groaning beneath their steps. Broken picture frames lined the walls. Steve glanced at them — families once lived here, but every single face had been scratched out with something sharp.
Maya clung to Alisa's arm. "I hate this. I hate this so much."
Steve swallowed hard. "Stay close."
The lights above flickered weakly. A shadow darted across the wall — but no one was there.
Alisa's grip on Steve's sleeve tightened. "Tell me you saw that."
He nodded slowly.
Then laughter echoed through the hall. A child's laughter. High-pitched, cracked, and cruel.
"Welcome to my game," the voice said.
The house shook, dust falling from the ceiling. Words burned themselves into the wall ahead, glowing red like fresh blood:
RULE ONE: Once you enter, you cannot leave.RULE TWO: Survive until dawn.RULE THREE: If you lose, you stay forever.
Tom's lips moved but no words came out. Finally, he stammered, "This… this isn't real. This can't be real."
Maya's eyes filled with tears. "We're trapped. Oh God, we're trapped."
Steve clenched his fists. "Then we survive. That's the only way out."
The First Room
Two doors waited at the end of the hall. One smeared with a bloody handprint, the other painted black.
Tom whispered, "So… door number one or two?"
Liam walked forward without hesitation. "The handprint. That's where it wants us to go. Which means it's the truth we need to face."
Maya grabbed his arm. "Are you insane? That's blood!"
But Liam had already pushed the door open.
The room inside looked like a ruined classroom. Broken desks scattered across the floor, glass shattered everywhere. On the blackboard, words had been scratched over and over:
HELP US. HELP US. HELP US.
Maya's knees shook. "No… no no no…"
Then, all at once, the desks screeched across the floor, dragging into a circle around the group.
The chalk moved by itself, scraping against the board. New words appeared:
RULE FOUR: Play fair… or bleed.
Steve's throat went dry.
Then she appeared.
A girl in a white dress, sitting on the teacher's desk, her face hidden by long black hair. She swung her legs like a child. A soft sob escaped her lips.
Maya whispered, "Oh God… she's crying."
The girl's shoulders shook, her sobs louder now. Then suddenly, she stopped. Her head snapped up.
"Shhh…"
The sound cut through them like a knife.
Her face twisted, mouth stretching too wide, her eyes nothing but black voids. She crawled off the desk, body bending wrong, steps jerky and broken, moving toward them.
"Run!" Steve shouted.
They crashed through the circle of desks, wood splintering. The girl's hand clawed at Tom's shirt, ripping the fabric, but he tore free with a scream.
They bolted back into the hallway. The door slammed behind them, sealing shut.
Panting, hearts racing, they stood in silence.
Finally, Steve said, his voice low, "This isn't just a haunted house. It's a trap. A game."
Liam nodded grimly. "And we've already started playing."
Steve suddenly dropped to his knees, clutching his head. The whispers returned — louder, sharper.
"Steve… save us… save us…"
The others stared, panicked.
"Steve? What's wrong?" Alisa asked.
He looked up, sweat dripping down his face. "It's them. The missing students. They're here. Trapped in this game."
Before they could react, the hallway lights went out.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
Then the voice came again, louder than ever.
"Round One is over. Round Two begins now."