Short Stories

The Unknown Game

Eren is never sure of himself. He never trusts his own decisions, and he relies on the opinions of others to guide what he does next. Eren isn't sure of a lot of things, but there has always been one thing that he has known and carried with him throughout his life.

Ghosts are not real. And nothing anyone ever said could change that. It is scientifically impossible for ghosts to exist, and he wanted to prove it. So, when his friends dared him to spend an entire night in the 'most haunted house in this part of the country,' he couldn't resist. That evening, just as the sun was about to fall and create a beautiful orange glow across everything on the ground below, he dragged his night bag filled with his clothing and a video camera over to Wolfsong Manor and prepared for his night.

The young boy let out a scoff as he entered the home, unimpressed by the usual haunted mansion characteristics that greeted him. "Way to try too hard," he muttered, hauling his bag up the winding staircase that was in desperate need of a repair and past multiple cobweb ridden portraits of the late Wolfsong family. The hair on the back of his neck rose each time he took a step up the stairs, locking eyes with each one of the family members. Eren sighed, allowing his teeth to chatter senselessly.

"I'll never survive a night in this place, it's bloody freezing," was his excuse to himself.

It wasn't long before Eren reached the top of the stairs. A dusty, repulsive smell assaulted his senses, and his free hand shot up to cage his mouth and nose in a protective manner. His eyes crinkled in disgust, eyebrows furrowing as he slowly lowered his hand. If he didn't know better, he would've thought the family was still inside rather than six feet deep in the backyard.

Each step on the antique wood underneath his feet seemed louder than the last, the sound bouncing around the long velvet-coated hallway he was now travelling down. He wiggled each rusted metal doorknob along the way, each one stubbornly resisting his attempts to enter any of the rooms. He let out an annoyed huff as he reached the end of the long corridor, reaching a hand out and placing it on the last knob, this one ice cold. This door was much more detailed, as intricate designs were etched into the wood seemingly by hand. He swept a thumb carefully over some of the designs, mesmerized by the artwork.

His trance-like state didn't last for long, as it was soon broken by a high pitched creaking sound from behind him. A gasp escaped Eren's lips as he whipped his head around to search for the source of the sound. He was met by the sight of an empty hallway, darkening with time as the sun continued to fall from the sky. The same orange glow he had admired all of his life was now like a fire behind him as it streamed through the windows. It's an old house, he thought to himself. Old houses creak. Everyone knows that.

Eren let out a chuckle, twisting the final doorknob and giving a silent cheer when the door swung open. The sight of a large ornate bedroom was a welcoming view to the boy, and he clambered into the room and dropped his bag on the ground. He then followed suit with the bag, dropping to his knees and yanking the zipper open. His hands found the small family camcorder inside, shrouded in various pieces of clothing to protect it during the initial trip to the house. Eren unwrapped the last shirt from around the camera, eyes scanning the room for a place to put it.

He decided on the rickety old dresser tucked away in the back corner of the room. He stood and took a few long strides across the room to reach it, switching the camera on and flipping the screen around so he could see where the camera was pointing.

Just as he got it into place, a shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps formed all along his arms and he quickly rubbed his hands up and down them to warm himself. He reached out a hand and flipped the screen back around after pressing the button to record.