gged. The air had grown unnaturally still, the oppressive weight

t going to let

through the walls, like the ho

from the ceiling. The very structure of the h

sprinting tow

rway wa

l of rotting wood, as if the

rged thr

toying

the house was still awake. And now,

's min

ng like a living organism. Hallways stretched into da

, lining the walls

lection

hollow-eyed stranger stared back.

irror at the end of th

a Blac

ho had star

the ritual chamber, dressed in dark ceremonial robes.

d hes

ng toward that mirror was ex

d no othe

of the mirror rippled, pullin

rward and found him

lt symbols that pulsed like living veins. The ritual chamber w

e Blackwood family

its. Not

were

olding an ancient-looking book

tual that had doomed them al

voices rising, the energy in the roo

orce far greater tha

the walls burne

uls ripped from their bodies,

d fel

hu

elonged to them. They

hem just as it w

, and Donald fell backward, cr

of the real house

h was cl

never about

l it, and in doing so, t

existed long

t. A being, n

ed every soul

, it wa

mself up. He had

e was co

cracked open, and the walls bent i

ald

r led to

ay twisted

he s

indow, sti

e to think,

ed around him as

d

kne

the cold, damp

use wa

oyed. Not

...

had never

deep scars on Donald's arms, where som

mpty lot, the sky

d sur

knew th

wasn't d

ed on, waiting fo

e, in some d

still

l hu

Donald publi

The House Tha

e a best

it as a terrify

ver smiled at

he knew

n't a

s a w

ready hearing whispers in the wall

ul, anothe

house was

just

isitor to stay

-

contin