I wake up with a pounding headache, my mouth feeling like a desert. Sunlight streams through the blinds, cruelly emphasizing the pain in my temples. The room spins as I try to sit up, clutching my head in agony. Memories of last night’s wild party flood back, haze and fragments of conversations drifting through the fog of my hangover.
Dragging myself out of bed, I stumble towards the bathroom, my footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. The walls of my new flat are adorned with peeling wallpaper, the faded floral pattern mocking my throbbing head. It was supposed to be a fresh start, a new beginning in this unfamiliar city. Little did I know the horrors that awaited me within these walls.
As I splash cold water on my face, a shiver runs down my spine. The mirror’s reflection seems distorted, shadows dancing in the corners of my vision. But it’s just the hangover, I tell myself, trying to shake off the creeping unease.
The flat had seemed perfect when I found it online – spacious, affordable, and in a quiet neighborhood. But now, as I gaze around the barren living room, I sense something sinister lurking beneath the surface. A chill hangs heavy in the air, prickling my skin with invisible fingers.
Ignoring the warning signs, I decide to explore the rest of the flat. Each room has its own eerie ambiance. The kitchen is dimly lit, with flickering fluorescent lights that cast eerie shadows on the cracked linoleum floor. The bedroom feels suffocating, as if some unseen presence is watching my every move.
But it’s when I enter what appears to be a study that an overwhelming sense of dread consumes me. The walls are covered in bookshelves – dusty tomes stacked haphazardly, their titles illegible in the dim light. I reach out to touch one of them, and a jolt of electricity shoots up my arm, forcing me to recoil in pain.
Something is not right here. The flat, once so promising, now feels like a prison. I consider leaving, finding a new place to shelter from the horrors that seem to be seeping through the walls. But a morbid curiosity keeps me rooted in this nightmare.
Days turn into weeks, and the nightmares intensify. Strange occurrences become a daily routine. Objects move on their own, whispers echo through the halls at night, and shadows seem to take on a life of their own. Sleep eludes me as I lie awake, haunted by visions that blur the line between reality and fantasy.
In my waking moments, I become obsessed with uncovering the secrets of this flat. I scour the internet, searching for any information on its previous occupants. My efforts are rewarded when I stumble upon a news article about a gruesome murder that occurred here years ago. The article reveals that the flat had been the site of a series of ritualistic killings, its walls stained with innocent blood.
Armed with this knowledge, I dig deeper into the flat’s dark history. I learn of an ancient evil that is said to reside within these very walls – a malevolent force that feeds on fear and despair. Its victims are driven to madness, their souls forever trapped within the confines of this cursed dwelling.
The more I uncover, the more I realize that I am not alone in this battle against the supernatural. Others have fallen victim to the flat’s dark influence, their lives consumed by its insidious power. But there is hope. Legends speak of a ritual that can banish the evil and free its tormented souls.
With newfound determination, I gather the necessary materials for the ritual – ancient symbols, candles, and a book of incantations. I prepare myself mentally for the battle ahead, bracing for whatever horrors may be unleashed in the process.
As dusk falls, I find myself standing in the heart of the flat, surrounded by flickering candlelight. The air crackles with energy as I chant the incantations, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and resolve. Shadows dance on the walls, twisting and contorting in response to my desperate plea.
Suddenly, the ground beneath me trembles, and the room fills with a blinding light. Whispers turn into screams, echoing through the halls. The walls shake violently, threatening to collapse around me. But I stand my ground, refusing to succumb to the terror that surrounds me.
And then, as quickly as it began, it ends. Silence descends upon the flat, broken only by the sound of my pounding heart. I take a tentative step forward, disbelief warring with relief within me.
The curse has been broken. The evil banished. And as I leave the flat for the last time, a weight lifts from my shoulders. The nightmare is over, and I am free. But I will never forget the horrors I endured within those walls – a reminder that even in the mundane, darkness can lurk, waiting to ensnare its unsuspecting victims.
As I walk away from the flat, I can’t help but glance back one last time. The windows stare back at me, their empty gaze haunting my memories. And though I have escaped its clutches, a part of me knows that this story is far from over. For others will come, drawn by the allure of a fresh start, unaware of the darkness that lies in wait. And so, the cycle continues, and the flat claims its next victim.
Author: Opney. Illustrator: Stab. Publisher: Cyber.
