It was a dark and stormy night when the travelling salesman arrived at the small, isolated town. He was exhausted from driving for hours on end, and all he wanted was a warm bed to rest his weary head.
As he made his way through the deserted streets, he noticed that the houses were old and dilapidated, with broken windows and creaky doors. The air was thick with an eerie silence that sent shivers down his spine.
Just as he was about to give up hope of finding somewhere to stay, he stumbled upon a large, imposing mansion at the edge of town. It looked like it had been abandoned for years, but the salesman decided to take his chances and knock on the door.
To his surprise, the door swung open with a loud creak, revealing a shadowy figure standing in the doorway.
“Welcome,” the figure said in a low, gravelly voice. “Please come in.”
The salesman hesitated for a moment, but then stepped inside. The interior of the mansion was just as spooky as the exterior, with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and dust covering every surface.
As he followed the figure down a long, winding hallway, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. The figure led him to a dimly lit room at the end of the hallway and gestured for him to sit down.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the figure said. “I will go and fetch some refreshments.”
Left alone in the room, the salesman began to feel uneasy. He tried to shake it off by looking around the room, but his eyes kept being drawn to a large portrait hanging on the wall.
It was a family portrait, featuring a man, woman, and two children. They all looked so happy and content, but there was something about their eyes that made the salesman feel like they were watching him.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the hallway. The figure reappeared, carrying a tray of food and drink. The salesman eagerly accepted, hoping that it would calm his nerves.
But instead of feeling better, he began to feel sick. His head started spinning, and he felt like he was going to pass out. As he struggled to stay conscious, he could hear the figure’s low laughter echoing through the room.
The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the family portrait on the wall. Only this time, their eyes were glowing an eerie shade of red.
When he woke up, he was in a dark basement surrounded by cobwebs and rats. He tried to scream for help but quickly realized that no one would hear him.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. The salesman had given up hope of ever escaping when he heard a faint sound from upstairs.
It was his family’s voices calling out to him, begging him to come back home. And suddenly, his will to live was reignited.
With all his strength, he broke free from his chains and climbed up the stairs. When he burst through the door, he saw his family standing before him, smiling and welcoming him home.
But as he embraced them, their faces began to twist and contort into grotesque shapes. They were no longer his family; they were monsters wearing their skin like a disguise.
The salesman screamed in horror as they descended upon him, tearing him apart limb by limb.
And as his lifeless body lay on the ground, the mansion echoed with their laughter – a chilling reminder that nothing is more terrifying than a family who loves each other…to death.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Staby. Publisher: Cyber.
