Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S3 Ep120: Episode 120: Horror Stories from the realms of our worst nightmares

Episode Date: April 9, 2023

To get 20% off sitewide at www.exploreroam.com and use the code ‘Dungeon’ at check-out. Tonight’s first terrifying tale is ‘I Think I Went on a Date with a Demon’, a wonderful story JackGreeneOnAir, kindly shared with me via Dr. Crepen’s Vault and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission:  https://www.reddit.com/user/JackGreeneOnAir/ Today’s second phenomenal tale of terror is ‘I Went Camping with My Wife… But Now I Can’t Leave the Woods’, an original work by PostMortem33, kindly shared directly with me via my sub-reddit and narrated here for you all with the author’s kind permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/PostMortem33/ Today’s penultimate phenomenal story is ‘The Curse of Dark Mountain’, an original work by Aqibali1993, kindly shared directly with me for the express purpose of having me exclusively narrate it here for you all. https://www.reddit.com/user/Aqibali1993/ Today’s final tale of the fantastical and the macabre is ‘Yellow Leaves’, an original story by AsAfterlife, submitted via my sub-reddit and narrated here for you all with the author’s express permission. https://www.reddit.com/user/AsAfterlife/

Think about your health for a second. Are your eyes the first thing that come to mind? Probably not. But our eyes go through a lot. From squinting at screens to driving at night. That's why regular eye exams matter. And at Specsavers, they come with an OCT 3D eye health scan, which helps optometrists detect conditions at early stages.

We believe OCT scans are so important they're included with every standard eye exam. Book an eye exam at Spexsavers.cavers.ca.ca. Eye exams are provided by independent optometrists. Visit Spexsavers.com to learn more. Welcome to Dr. Creepen's dungeon. The worst thing about nightmares is that they can be very frightening and can cause intense feelings of fear, anxiety and even terror. Nightmares can be vivid and very real, often waking the person up in a state of panic or distress. In some cases, the content of the nightmare can be so disturbing that it can affect the person's mood and behavior for days or even weeks after the event.

Nightmares can also disrupt sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and other negative health consequences. Additionally, recurring nightmares can be a symptom of underlying psychological or emotional issues. It may require professional intervention to address, as we may see in tonight's terrifying four stories. Now, as ever before we begin, a word of caution. Tonight's tales may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing Then let's Begin

So This is it, huh? I pondered As I tried my best to find the stars in the night sky Saturated with the light pollution I tried my best But I couldn't see past the various lights Of my college campus

It was around midnight And I was sneaking on top of a nearby building To enjoy a quick cigarette or two In order to make my shift at work go by Just a little faster Throughout high school, I was a pretty good student, popular with a bunch of different crowds, and a star athlete. I ended up going to a prestigious college with a scholarship for track.

I did what every other successful kid from high school did, became a pre-met. The school started to get tougher and tougher. A star student, full of potential, slowly became mediocre. And a torn meniscus ended my track career and the scholarship. I picked up a few bad habits. Cigarettes, booze, weed, you know the drill. The grades started to slip as well, and when I realized that it takes a lot more

than an A in high school chemistry to become an orthopedic surgeon, three years into my four-year degree, academic probation forced me to drop out of school. Now, as a 24-year-old with no degree and too many bills to ignore, I decided to take up my old job as a campus security girl.

The job wasn't too bad. It gave me all the hours I needed, and all I had to do was walk students home from their late-night study sessions. Between calls, I'd find myself either playing DOTA with my co-workers in the back office or smoking on the roof of Tate Hall. My smoke break was interrupted by a call from work, and I had some walking to do.

The call came from one of the main college libraries. This library was shared with the medical college. I used to spend a ton of time there studying before I dropped out. A few minutes later I came face to face with my caller. Hi, this is Jake from 815 Catwalk. Our mascot was a cat. Hey Jake, I'm Sasha, she greeted, as if we were old friends. Sasha looked like she belonged in a sorority.

She wore a white, flowery sundress and some flip-flops. Her earrings and necklace were matching with shiny gold and opal. They sparkled under the surrounding street lights. She was attractive, no getting around it. And the sundress complimented her figure well. But it wasn't the first time I encountered her type on the job, so I limited the drooling. We chatted as we walked from the library over to her apartment,

a 20-minute stroll which would land us at the very edge of my walking perimeter. Normally this distance would have been annoying to walk, but for some reason I didn't mind it at all, with Sasha's company. A few minutes in, Sasha piped up. So, what's your story, Jake? She asked as she confidently

strolled past me. I wasn't sure what to say. I wish I'd had an interesting or witty way to respond, but I felt that telling her about my life would bore her to sleep or just make her feel sorry for me. But for whatever reason,

I decided to be honest with her. My story is of the mid-20s, knowledge dropout. I was just wondering where it all went wrong. I was embarrassed to notice that I might have put more emotion into that statement than I realized because I felt a slight lump in my throat when I finished. Sasha slowed her pace until we were walking side by side. Despite the fact that most people would be really uncomfortable hearing all of the woes of a stranger, she didn't seem to be bothered. I even thought I saw the faintest trace of a grin on her face. After a few more seconds, She poured out a flask from her backpack and said, I'll drink to that. Before accepting the unmarked silver flask,

I asked in surprise. What class is that for? Well, she replied. I just kept it on me for after I submitted my final paper. A little celebratory shock, she juggled. I felt the alcohol burn my throat and coat my belly with warmth, so I conceded and took a large swig. So, what class was the paper for?

What's your story, Sasha? I asked, mockingly. I was still a little self-conscious about exposing myself to her like that. She ignored my second question. It was for my class on the history of martial arts, an analysis of Tang Ta, origin application in military training. After mentioning this,

I noticed that her figure was more than attractive. It was also athletic. and energetic, like she could play professional tennis. So, um, you're a martial arts master or something? I inquired. Sasha laughed. It was just the only lib-ed-class that filled my history and art requirements at the same time. Despite that, I was still a bit curious why someone with some martial arts knowledge

and such a confidence stride would even need me to walk with her. I just jotted up to the fact that it was late and campus could hide some pretty sketchy people. Sasha and I kept chatting as we continued our wall. It was actually a lot of fun. I felt a genuine connection with her. However, since I was still working, I figured it would be a bad idea to ask her for a number.

It would be inappropriate to hit on a client, and I didn't want to lose the only job that would take me. As we neared her apartment, I was already starting to miss her, a stranger who I'd known for less than 30 minutes. "'Hey, Jake,' she asked a little nervously. "'I'm pretty much done with classes for this semester, "'so I was going to head on a bike ride if you wanted to join me.

"'You could borrow my roommate's bike.' "'I was ecstatic. "'I never thought someone so out of my league would be into me like that. "'The only problem was I was still on the job. "'Um, yeah, I'm down,' I said in thinly veiled excitement. "'The only problem is I'm still warm. working and probably won't be off for an hour or so. Well, I could wait for a bit. Just knock when you get here. Sasha smiled with genuine enthusiasm. Oh, the rest of my shift crept by slower than it

ever had before. After a few more walks, I sprinted home to change out of my uniform and grab my bike. A few minutes later, I arrived at Sasha's apartment and went to knock on her door. A few seconds later Sasha greeted me with a big heart, likely due to the buzz she probably had, and I helped her carry her bike out of the apartment. As I felt the cool night air flowed through my hair, I forgot all about my problems for just a second. So I was thinking we could try to bike to Falcon Hill so we can see the stars. Sasha said loudly as she'd already started biking was further away from me than I realized. Oh, yeah, sure, I said quickly, as I was a lot of knocked out of my trance. I spent a lot of time at Falcon Hill. That was where my friends and I

would spend many nights hanging out and smoking weed back when I was in college. It had just occurred to me that my interest in my schoolwork was most likely stolen by these late nights at Falcon Hill. The hill was about ten miles away. Way further than I was usually comfortable biking this late with, but such as seemed determined. I was too infatuated not to join her. I pedaled quickly to catch up. The streetlights that surrounded her apartment quickly disappeared into the pitch black night. The glow of our bike lights felt like the only thing saving us from being absorbed completely into the darkness. We silently peddled for what seemed like ours.

The only sound I could hear was from our bikes as we pedal forward. The silence was eerie. A spring night like this one should have been filled with the sounds of trees, bugs, cars or literally anything. It was like light wasn't the only thing disappearing from existence. Sounds were too. The surrounding landscape felt more like a void

than an actual space in the world. As if nothingness was daring us to venture into it. I started to get really nervous. Who was Sasha? Why was she so warm and friendly to me? Did she really find a 24-year-old rent-a cop cool or attractive enough to invite to hang out? Is she part of some cult that prays on lonely men who probably won't be missed?

Hey, Sasha, called her. What are you seeing me? I couldn't believe I'd just said that. It was like the filter between my thoughts and words had just vanished. As she turned to face me, I noticed Sasha's face lost the warmth I'd seen before. I couldn't read the expression on my face. I honestly could barely recognise it. It was as if a really skilled artist

had drawn a model of her Almost like her but a bit Off This was freaky as hell And my mind went right back into kidnapping and cults Sasha ignored my question We just kept biking in silence Sasha

I inquired A little more concerned and probably fear in my voice now I was getting a really bad feeling about her My body started to to feel a little heavy and I began to grow light headaches. It felt like a physical manifestation of my anxiety. I decided that this would be my excuse to turn around and race back home. Hey, Sasha, I think I'm going to turn back round, I called. I don't feel so well and I should probably get some rest. As I reached for the break on my bike, I realised I couldn't move. My feet

kept peddling and I was able to steer the bike, but that was it. It was like I was in a trance, and this is when I really started to panic. Sasha, what the fuck's going on? I screamed. It felt like my body was an autopilot. All it could do was the bare minimum to stop me falling off my bike. As I looked around, searching for anything that could help me, I noticed it. The patterns. It felt like the trees that I could see were. vibrating in place ever so slightly. That's when it hit me. Sasha, what was in that flas?

I trembled. I'm sure if I was even speaking out loud or not. Sasha turned around again. She spoke this time. I just couldn't understand a word she was saying. It came out sounding mangled and twisted, and a face also seemed to warp and shift around as she talked, like a reflection in a fun house mirror.

Well, eventually we ended up at Falcon Hill. I regained some motor function and was able to throw myself off the bike as Sasha did the same. I landed on the ground, hard. It was still pitch black except for the two sets of bike lights, sending beams of light in four random directions. I got up off the ground in a day's stupor. The darkness itself seemed to vibrate the same way the trees had earlier. my eyes regained focus as they caught some movement a few metres in front of me Sasha said something else again I had no idea what it was but

she was looking right at me and talking so must have been me she was addressing I can't understand you I screamed as I pounded the grassy clearing I was in hysterics at this point Sasha stopped talking in motion for me to follow her she then turned around and slowly started to move away from the area lit our bikes. When I say she was moving, I don't mean walking. She was gliding away, her entire body slightly raised off the ground. I saw her white dress and long dark hair blowing in the slight breeze as she glided away from me, and I noticed something about her. Every fiber of my being

wanted to run in the opposite direction. The same force that kept me on the bike, though, forced me me into a slow crawl forwards trailing Sasha by a few meters. My mind filled with dread as all of the remaining light drowned in the darkness. Sasha stopped and I kept crawling until I was only a foot or two away from her. I could hardly see her in the darkness as I looked up and I could barely make out an expression on her face, but it looked like sadness. Sasha looked tight. Her eyes were baggy and had a hollow, sunken looked. to them. As my eyes met her, she began to methodically repeat the same few words to me. And the words made no sense at first, but I slowly began to piece it together.

Can you see the stars? She whispered. I looked up past her eyes and gazed into the blackest sky I'd ever seen in my life. It was not a single star in sight, no moon, nothing. No, I stammered. I'd been to this same hill for years, dozens of times while hanging out with my friends. This spot was miles away from the city and was usually filled with an ocean of starlight. Now it was empty.

Of course you can't, Sasha said softly as she looked at me. She wasn't looking into my eyes anymore. Her gaze moved slightly up. upward to my forehead. There's too much light pollution in the sky. I don't remember what happened after that. I woke up several hours later to a bright, sunny day. The pitch dark that had filled my vision last night was replaced by the lush greens of the forest in a cloudless sky.

The fuck was that? I muttered to myself as I got up and looked around. Sasha and her bike were both missing. I had no idea if she was even real or if it was all. real if it was all some horrific drug trip. All of the events of the previous night, especially Sasha's final words, circled through my head as I walked my bike and began the ride back home. I chose to take a different path to my apartment to avoid getting close to Sasha's. If she was real, I never wanted to see her again. As I peddled near the cement steps of my apartment

complex. I was struck with the meaning of Sasha's words last night. Quickly turned around and biked straight to the same library I'd met her. It was time to go back to school. Now, my dear friends, let's talk about sex for a minute, specifically a company we've discovered called explore rome.com. And there's a case that most of us want more, better sex, so why is it it's so hard to talk about it when it's such a basic human need. Be the one that's inquisitive and solve the mystery of what feels good to you. Wearing a condom is something everyone has an opinion on,

but as a form of contraception and stopping SDI, it's second to none, apart from abstinence, which we wouldn't recommend. The issue many people have is the balance of pleasure and safety. Or now, you no longer need to worry. Rome, that's spelled R-O-E-M, not like the city, have an innovative range of sex-positive products, including condoms that are super durable, but also so thin, it feels like you're in your own skin. The perfect balance between strength and sensation. To make the most of using condoms, it's important to find the right fit.

Rome condoms come in a range from slim fit to large, as well as feeling amazing all Rome products. including the super silky, not sticky lube, are natural, vegan and sustainable. The contoms contain 40% less packaging than competitors, so while having great sex, you can feel great about supporting the planet. The packaging arrives in super-discreet boxes, so no need to worry about your neighbours or housemates giving you that look. Still not for you. Oh, did you know that STIs are on the rise like never before?

Don't be left caught out. So, to get 20% off sitewide at Explorerome.com, use the code dungeon at checkout. That's 20% off at Explorerome.com with the code dungeon at checkout. I went camping with my wife, but now I can't leave the woods. What was supposed to be a nice night in the woods

eventually turned into a nightmare. My wife and I were going to set up our tent. and have a lovely time there, surrounded by nature. Oh, little did I know. Things would take an unexpected turn. I hadn't seen Christine in two months, because she'd been contracted to restore some historical buildings in South America, mainly Argentina and Uruguay,

so we couldn't have been happier to spend some quality time together. I'm a police officer, and we live in Eli, a small town that's easy to miss in northern Minnesota, near the beautiful Shagawa Lake. We'd started packing and I was double-checking to see we didn't forget anything. Christine was so excited to go kayaking. She loved doing it on her days off and she was clearly missing it after all this time away. Ethan, I can't wait.

Come on, are you done? Let's go already, she said, the rays of the sun reflecting from her blonde hair. I missed you so much, Christine, I told her, gently caressing her face. On the way there we stopped at a decrepit gas station to fuel up and buy some diet chips and soda behind the counter there was this odd-looking guy He had a big mole on his nose He was sweating non-stop The cap on his head was soaked

And he had a twitching eye that was smaller than the other one On the left side of his face he had a big burn It looked like someone had punished him for something bad he'd done By placing a hot iron on his cheek As we were taking a turn to enter the road leading to the woods, the scenery changed its colour from the monotonous asphalt grey of the highway to the enchanting green of the lively forest. It seemed like time was passing in a different fashion here, and the trees looked very old,

standing tall, the test of time. We arrived just in time to catch a few more hours of daylight and decided to set up camp by the lake. We started unpacking, got our tent in the lake. into place and the kite was ready to go and Christine was as happy as a kid watching the ice cream truck on a sunny day. We chilled for another half an hour while listening to the sweet sound of birds singing and waves hitting the shore. After that we took a small hike and reached an open area filled with green grass and tall trees.

Oh Ethan, this is fabulous. Look at this place. The forest looks alive. Let's sit on that mossy ledge over there just for a bit. Then we can go kayaking. Christine said, absolutely impressed with this place. She looked like she really needed this trip. Yeah, honey, this is great. I'm enjoying it so much. I said, inhaling the fresh air of the woods. The lake was perfect for our adventure. We started paddling and Christine was really enjoying it. But all of a sudden, a sense of dread came over me and I saw some shadows moving behind the trees. I decided to ignore them. They were probably just some animals. We arrived back at camp. It was around 8pm, so we had another hour to cook dinner and watch the sunset. The view over the lake was fantastic. Christine really enjoyed the

food and before we knew it night had come. We sat outside the tent on a blanket watching the starry sky. Everything was exactly as it should be. Christine was smiling at me and we were so happy. We even saw a falling star, so we both wished for something. Then we started making love. Her blue eyes were lit up with desire. Needless to say, it felt really passionate. The mild breeze made the leaves rustle and our hearts were beating faster than ever. We then fell asleep in a lover's embrace. I woke up in the middle of the night, all sweaty and thirsty. Christine was missing.

Scared, I started screaming her name. Christine, where are you? Chris! I yelled in desperation. My screams lost in the vastness of the night. Nothing came back. I got dressed quickly, grabbed a flashlight and went to search for my wife. being a police officer I never lose my calm in tough

situations like these but now it was really tough because I love her and she is missing I ran like crazy for what seemed like hours but she was nowhere to be found I didn't know what was going on

so I kept searching and searching ultimately I decided to go back to the tent just to find it had been ravished like it had been attacked by some wild beast What's happening here? Hey, is someone there? Christine, where are you?

I screamed until my throat was raw. As I was looking around to see if I could find anything, I saw a tree with a wooden pentagram tied to it and blood dripping. A piece of her nightgown was on the ground. I quickly went to the car to get my gun and started looking for Christine again. I needed to kill whatever was holding her. captive. Well, the tires had been slashed and the windows were broken. Fortunately, the gun was well hidden and whatever or whoever had thrashed our tents and car didn't manage to get it. I was running

low on battery, so I was really glad to find my extra one lying on the floor. Luckily, it wasn't damaged. Enraged and dejected, I started going through the woods and every branch seemed to point that I should move forward. The stars above were my only guide as I went deeper, not knowing what I would find. I had a branch cracking behind me, turned around quickly, but there was no one there. After that, I had a cry for help. Ethan, hurry up. They have me, please, hurry. I started following the sound of her voice, until I reached an open area in the woods, or if I had a found what looked like a church. It was the same area that we'd seen earlier in the day, but how was that possible? Right beside that mossy log, this wooden church appeared. It was painted

black with a light coming from inside it, while the thick fog was enshrouding it. It was surrounded by a metallic fence, the front gates opened wide, while the hinges were creaking under the light of the moon. The building looked ancient, like it was over a thousand years old. It seemed not of this world, and more so it looked evil. It looked like a place where nightmares come to life, and pain was its favourite meal. I was watching cautiously from behind the trees and couldn't believe my eyes. Last time I was in this area, there was nothing here, So it must have been built recently, but how and why did it look so old? How was it built so fast?

Impossible. Had I been lured here? What was I to find when I snuck in? I decided to approach this building carefully with small steps. I went to the left side of the building, keeping my grip firm on the gun. I raised my head a little, just to look inside where I saw some sort of. of a gathering. I noticed hooded people chanting and raising their hands to the ceiling.

They had a live lamb placed on a stone. Their leader approached it and began an incantation. Mother Fioria, take this offering as a gift from us to you. Oh, unholy goddess of chaos and destruction. Protect us and let us live to do your bidding. Then she cut its neck open and blood started. started painting the altar. She then called one of the people in the group. They both removed the hoods from their heads. And as I looked in despair, not understanding anything at all anymore. I saw my wife talking with the guy from the gas station. I recognized him by the burn on his face. Christine was wearing a crown of branches on her head and some sort of makeup that was dripping down from her face. On her forehead, a half-moon was painting. with the blood of the land my loving wife began to berate her followers as my heart shattered into a million pieces

she wants human sacrifice and she wants it fast her patience is wearing thin that's why i came here with him you were supposed to catch him while he was sleeping why did you fail why i put something in his drink to make him sleep longer. You had one job to do. Take some men with you and go fight him fast. Go now, my wife said, enraged at the utter failure of her men. And then, out of nowhere, I saw my wife floating in mid-air. She was possessed by some unknown entity, probably this furious goddess. Her eyes rolled back and turned white, as she said in an unholy voice, while throwing the dead lamb against a wall. I'm hungry. I'm hungry. I need to eat. Bring him to me.

Then she quickly came back to her senses, as my skin prickled with horror. My time with the force had taught me to be strong in situations like this, so I kept my composure. I heard a cracking behind me. As I turned, I saw one of the cultists trying to attack me. I blocked him, punched him in the face, and choked him, eventually killing him. Then I dragged the body back to the woods, stole his clothes,

so I could dress up like one of them. My battery's running low. Reception's pretty bad, but, well, I can't make any phone course from here, so I'm hiding behind a tree, thinking of what I should do next. Now that I can't leave the woods, I must find out what's happening and who my wife really is. Part 2. Nightmares exist in reality too, and I know it because I'm living in one right now. I've been hiding in a hole under a tree with this dead guy lying beside me, but I managed to keep

my composure. It started raining, so I needed to take shelter somewhere. I stole the clothes off of the guy I killed and wanted to go inside and search the church, although I knew it was dangerous. But, well, I... had to take my chances. Time stand still here, it seems, because it's been night for the past 24 hours. I saw the trees hunching over the church like they were drawn to it as it started transforming. It seemed alive. It even grew four towers, each on every extremity.

This is a place of evil, of ill will. I can feel it in my gut. The obsidian towers look right. like they were guarding the evil inside, watching carefully for any trespasses. Their goddess was hungry and in need of a sacrifice. Well, I'll sacrifice them all right, I remember thinking to myself. Being a cop has you dealing with tough situations, but not with anything like this, not when it involves a supernatural. My plan was to take them down one by one, as I only counted ten hooded figures inside the church and then of course there's my wife but i didn't want to think of anything of that sort my glocks mag had

had 17 bullets in it so it should have been enough i never miss a shot and i always aim for the head they were leaving the church as i saw them splitting into three groups i noticed that one of them was coming towards me i quickly took the dead guy who i had dressed in my clothes and put him on the trail and waited to see if they'd fall for it. They had flashlights, and as they approached, one of them yelled, There's something lying on the ground. They all came quickly, and as they rotated the body face up, another one said, wait, but this is...

They turned as they heard me stepping on a branch while sneaking up behind them, and I slowly whispered, Hey, you fucks, say goodbye. Like I said, I never miss. Three headshots. Seven more to go and I only wished that the last one standing was the guy from the gas station, so I could question and rough him up a bit before putting a bullet in his head. They must have heard the shots, so I decided to go hide under the tree again.

And I waited, silently, watching and hearing everything around and above me as the second group came to see what had happened. He came from there. Get your gun, Anthony. The voice said as one of a set of footsteps started running frantically. I heard a door creaking open and then closing. I let them pass me, and then I slowly emerged from under the tree. I think I saw him run that way.

I said while they turned around, and before they even got a chance to see who I was, I dropped them all. Poor Anthony forgot to put bullets inside the chamber. which was a pity. One extra gun would have been useful. Four more lunatics to go. I took all the bodies and piled them under the tree. As I was moving towards the church,

I had a crack to my right. And then a cultist asked me, Hey, I heard gunshots. Are you all right? Did you find him? This man, she's starting to get impatient. She needs food, otherwise she can't leave the black church, he said to me. fear breathing from his mouth.

Yep, I found him. You're talking to him. I replied while turning to face him and noticing that there were two of them standing one next to the other. Don't make a move. This thing is loaded. As they both collapsed to the ground. I heard another one yelling behind me,

and as I turned he hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat. An immense wave of pain passed through me, and I fell out to the ground. I saw the guy getting ready to hit me once more, but I avoided the bat as he hit the soil beside me. I drew my gun and put three bullets in his chest. As I looked at his face, I saw that this was not the guy from the gas station. Blood started staining his clothes, and he was gasping for what was the last breath of his life. I wanted to find gas station guy quickly before entering the church. I decided to take a number of his clothes. I decided to take a

another look around and I saw that a shack had appeared just a few feet away from it. I went inside only to find dead rabbits, hogs, birds, snakes and other small insects lying on a wooden table. The walls were filled with sickles, machetes and very sharp knives. They were probably using them for hunting and gutting the animals. Probably they would have done the same to me if they caught me sleeping. I heard someone coming. But before I could reach my gun, I heard him say you got them but you forgot about me take your gun from the holster and place it on the ground and turn towards me slowly the man said oh i finally had him where i wanted all right take it slow you got me look look i'm putting it down i said as i was checking the table for a sharp

knife i could use to slit his throat as i turned around I could see that his face was now burned on the right side as well. Damn, you're one ugly son of a bitch. I said again, making fun of him. I wanted him to lose his nerve, so I could attack him. The mother shot me in the shoulder, and I yard in pain as I saw him grinning from his yellow, ugly teeth. You bastard, why did you do that?

I asked him again, the pain becoming unbearable, and the blood would not stop flowing. I got this second burn because of you, you son of a bitch. Because you didn't stay asleep so we could get you. Mother Furia punished me. She always punishes us when we fail a task. But I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, you won't be.

Wait until she finds out you killed all her followers. Oh boy. At least she'll be well fed. She'll decorate the walls of her church with your blood. The burnt guy said, still pointing the gun at me. Not entirely sure if he'd pop another bullied in me. I then asked him about my wife, and he told me that she's been furious,

devoted follower, since her childhood. All the women her family were. Things were going pretty good up until I decided to start this fuss, he said. She ate men from Christine's family, as she did with her father, grandfather, and probably that's how she survives. it's a sacrifice they have to make it's been like this for hundreds of years when there's no more men to eat from one family furia takes the form of the last leader moves on to fight another one and then another one so on

i was the last man in my family and so i had to stop her if not should go on and destroy another family and should be doing this forever i have to kill this guy and then Christine, well, if fury doesn't kill me first, strong wind came howling in the shack. As the man turned, I took my chance and severed his hand with a machete. As he started screaming, I slid his throat and watched him die right before my eyes, gurgling on his blood. As his hand landed on the ground, the gun came off,

and luckily enough, the bullet flew right by my ear. You... You'll die all. horrible death, he said as he fell to the ground, his blood quickly absorbed by the soil, meaning that Furia was feeding. I took a knife and decided to take the bullet out because it didn't go through. Oh, the pain was excruciating, but I managed to get it cleaned up. I took his gun only to see one bullet remaining, so I got the gunpowder out and quarterized

the wound. My survival instinct to save my life. I got my gun and decided to take it. go inside Furious Church. The full moon in the sky became a half-bloody moon. I figured that that meant evil was rising. Silently, I opened a side door, and the view inside was grotesque. The walls were decorated with dead animals, pinned to the walls with nails, as if someone got angry when failing the taxidermy exam. Strange drawings were depicted on the walls, showing a female figure eating the flesh of men and painting her face with their blood. The last part of the ritual

showed antlers growing from furious temples. She was floating in the air, her eyes all white, and branches were embracing her as blood was dripping down from her mouth. On her forehead, a half-moon was depicted. This means that when I first saw Christine floating in the air, I saw one of furious forms, and the thought of seeing her final one, chilled, me to the bone. I only have five more bullets in the chamber. I decided to go and look for her, and I saw a small hatch leading to the basement. I took the stairs down, and at the other end of the room, I saw Christine praying and silently

chanting to one of Furia's wooden statues. The final step creaked, and as Christine turned, she saw my face and let out a shriek. She started running towards me, so I quickly went. went back upstairs, closed the hatch, and now I'm hiding behind a wooden bench. I hear Christine breaking the hatch door. Ethan, my love, come out, please, I need to eat, she's saying, oblivious of the life we had before. Except of course, that's not Christine anymore. Part three, her heart was pounding at that moment. It's how I managed to say lucid amidst all this insanity. I knew then very well what I had to do with her.

Christine or Furia needed to be killed. My mind and soul were inundated with pain and sorrow at the thought, because I was absolutely certain that I will never understand what's happened here, or will I ever receive any sort of explanation. She started screaming my name, obsessively. But I could hear Furia taking over her, as Christine's voice was changing, emanating sounds from beyond this plane of existence.

Her voice sounded like it was letting out all the agony, despair and inconsolable grief of all the men she'd devoured throughout time. Ethan, if you don't come out right this instant, you will suffer a slow and violent death. The distorting sound of her voice filling the room inside the church, fine, so be it, I will devour you. She went on, ravenous. I started gnashing my teeth as the wretchedness inside took over what little love I had for the woman who was once my wife.

But Christine wasn't there anymore. Furia had taken over her completely, throwing the wooden benches all over the place while searching for me. I took the pistol behind my back and got out before she would have gotten to me. Okay, I'm coming out. I give up. I can't win this fight anyway. I said, trying to stall her a bit and think about my next move. This was a fight for my own life now.

It was either her or me. It was survival of the fittest. She was laughing uncontrollably as if it was a single most ardent pleasure of her life. Her appearance was monstrous. She looked exactly like she was depicted on the walls. Her eyes were all white. Antlers were coming out from her temples. Twigs and branches were embracing her. The half-moon on her forehead was carved into her skin, blood falling down her cheeks and painting

them to look like rivers on a man. There you are, my love. Now I want you to play hard to get with me a little, okay? She said, probably enjoying the thrill of the hunt and adrenaline rush that you feel when you shoot and kill the prey. Then I noticed the animals on the walls starting freeing themselves and falling down. They came to life and squirming, they started rising up. Their mutilated bodies, eyes dangling from their sockets and flesh hanging from their bones, were an absolute horror to behold. I squished a possum with my foot, blood and gut sticking on my boot. I then decided to take a piece of loose wooden plank that was sitting behind one of the benches and proceeded to kill them one by one. The last animal standing was a wolf. Its lower jaw was missing, the tongue was

dangling in the air, and saliva was dropping on the floor. It charged me, but when it tried to jump, I hid it so hard that I decapitated it. Oh, Ethan, it's all fun and games, but my hunger is growing stronger. So, come here, she said, floating in the air as she came to me, trying to grab me. I moved to the side and hit her with the plank. Christine, this is not you. Stop it, please. I said, still trying to cling on to whatever was left inside. Christine is gone forever. Come here. Don't make this harder than it has to be, she yelled. I started running towards the exit, but she placed herself in front of the door. I was trapped. So I was trapped.

I had to find something else to escape from there alive. Then I wanted to go towards the hatchdor, but to no avail she was faster than me. She was also more and more erratic and enraged. Her hunger was making her do irrational things. She started throwing the benches everywhere. She even raised the dead animals and threw them on me, leaving me covered in animal guts and blood.

Then she smacked me so hard out of nowhere she threw me across the room into a wall. I started coughing. My eye was cut and bleeding. She came towards me again. I need to eat. I'm hungry, she said as she grabbed my throat, choking me. Please, stop, please stop.

You're killing me, Christine. I begged as a final plea, hoping maybe, just maybe, things could work out after all and we could go back home to live our happy life together. She then started sinking her teeth into my already damaged shoulder, blood painting her lips a bright shade of red. I watched her with tears in my eyes. Before she could even get to bite my throat and kill me, I slowly took the gun from behind my back and shot her in the stomach.

What did you do? She said, coughing up blood and looking at me with teary eyes. Her own blood was mending with mine. You killed me, she said, but now in Christine's voice. As she gave her final breath, I took her lifeless body and placed it on the grass outside the church and watched her lying there, as if she was finally freed from her demons. There was one more thing that needed to be done. I went back to the shed and took a canister of gas, soaked the church in gasoline and set it ablaze. A purple incandescent flame

took over the church And while it was burning bright It let out screams of agony I went back to stay with Christine Looking at the burning church And contemplating my past life Knowing things will never be the same And not knowing if I will fully recover

As the fire was slowly extinguished I saw the sun rising up in the sky A brand new day was upon me I placed the gun under my chin and closed my eyes, contemplating if I should use the last bullet in the chamber. I was about to pull the trigger. I heard a voice from the distance. Ethan, put it down, it's not worth it, man. Put it down, please.

We'll figure this out. The voice said gravely, trying to save me. I opened my eyes and turned to see my colleague and two other police officers, pointing their guns at me. As I put the gun down, he said to me, Good job, Ethan. Can you please run me through what the hell happened here so I can understand why you killed her? She was running a cult, Jim.

I killed them, all 11. One of them's in the shed behind the church, and I stuffed the other ones in a hole under the tree over there. I said, replying to his question as best I could. She was in league with these crazy people. they tried feeding me to their goddess. I said, realizing that this sounded like utter madness.

Ethan, there's no church, and there's no shed. Just that dead char guy lying on the ground. He said, looking at me like I was crazy. Did you burn something over there? He asked me, pointing to where the church used to be. It burned down. That's why it's not there. You can only see the ashes, I said to him.

It was something evil, Jim. I think not of this world and it possessed Christine. Her family's been worshipping this Fourier goddess for God knows how many generations. He then gave me a blanket to warm myself and told me, It's been a tough night, Jim. Thanks for coming. Why'd you come so fast? I asked him with an expressionless face.

What do you mean one night, buddy? You've been gone a week. That's why we have the searchbook. party here. Come on, let's get you fixed. You're bleeding and you're in shock. He said, trying to be as helpful and respectful as he could be. So that's probably why the sun never came up. I was trapped in some sort of place where time was nonexistent. I remember, thinking to myself, after they called an ambulance and took the bodies out of the hole, I took them to the camping site and told the whole story from start to finish. I went to the hospital for three days and now I'm

home recovering. I've been placed under medical supervision for 60 days, but at least I'll be fine, and I stopped Fourier from ever doing harm again. I still miss Christine sometimes. But given that we lived in a house of life, I'm sure that I'll get to get on with my life and be happy again. One day. Hey, Ontario.

Come on down to BedMGMGF Casino and check out our newest exclusive. The price is right, fortune pick. Don't miss out. Play exciting casino games based on the iconic game show. Only at BetMGM. Access to the Price is Right Fortune Pick is only available at BetMGM Casino. BetMGMGM and GameSense remind you to play responsibly. 19 plus to wager, Ontario only.

Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. I woke to the sound of my alarm blaring like an annoying silent. I slapped the snooze button. to shut it up. I'd always slept in since being made redundant from my job a few years ago,

which eventually resulted in my losing my house and my marriage. The sky was still dark blue outside from what I could tell by the small gap in my curtain, so it didn't hurt to get a few more hours of shutter. As I tried to drift off to sleep again, the buzzing of my phone forced my eyes wide open, and it had a groan of discomfort as I slid my hand under the pillow to grab it. I wondered who could be calling me at this time since no one, well, no one really did anymore. Jenny's name popped up on the caller ID.

Why would she be calling me at this time? She had never once called me since we've signed the papers to call it quits on our marriage. Hello? I called out, holding the cool metal surface to my ear. It's me, Jenny, she answered in a somber tone. Brian, it's Ellie. She's gone missing. What? I sat up, fully awake now. How? A few days ago, she went hiking with her friends and never returned, she whimpered. What? You never thought about telling me this sooner.

If you called the police, I questioned her. It's as if she didn't even care enough to tell me all this had happened. Yes, they've been searching everywhere. They asked me to call anyone who might have taken her if she'd run away from home. I've not seen her. You should have told me this earlier. Did she say where she was going? I wanted to tell you this, but I know how much you really hated that place. They went hiking in the woods near your father's old house.

As soon as she mentioned that house, my heart sank like a rock in the ocean. The hairs on my neck became erect, and a cold shiver trembled throughout my body. I finished before slamming down the phone. Harrison Manor, my family's ancestral home, since the founding of the gold mine on Dark Mountain. From what little I could remember, my grandfather Jeremy had passed it down to my father, Thomas, as he passed away. I fucking hated the place. the creaky doors rambling floorboards and that weird aura surrounding the place it just stank of death my mother had died in that damn place for what few accounts i could find she had apparently fallen off the bedroom balcony straight on to the hard concrete floor underneath

tragic accident they called it but i knew exactly what went on there the footsteps you'd hear at night pacing through the hallways and the creepy whispered from the corner of the room. That place sent shivers down my spine. Took my mother's death at the hands of that cursed house for my father to realize we needed to hirtail it out of there. I vividly remember my father trying to shove me awake. Brian, Brian, get up now. We need to get out of here.

My father shouted whilst continually yanking me backwards and forwards. A strange woman's voice maliciously laughed in the hallway. jolting me awake as soon as I realized it was my mother's voice. But how could that be? I asked myself. We'd just buried her two months earlier. The next thing I remembered was my father's tight grip around my petite arms before he tossed me onto his shoulder, covering my face with a towel before sprinting faster than an athlete

down the curved wooden stairs to the ground floor. As he made his way down, the bed sheet had fallen just seconds before he got through the front door of the house. Enough time to see the silhouette of a woman. I still have nightmares to this day about them gleaming crimson eyes that peered deep into my soul. All these years I've kept my distance from that damned atrocity of a house, but now the time had come for me to face my fears. I had no choice but to go back there. My daughter's life depended on it. I picked my phone up and scroll through my list of contacts. I pressed the screen on my father's number and called him.

The call went straight to the payment service. I had missed my payment. I hung up the phone before jumping out of bed and made my way to the rest room. I rushed to get changed into warm clothing. The mountain had always been a cold and damp place, regardless of the season. I left the apartment on an empty stomach,

ignoring the piles of final notice letters and unlocked my old beater of a car before twisting the key to start her arm. The fuel light lit up and flashed. After topping up her tank with the last ten dollars I had left in my wallet, set off towards my ancestral home. The tip of the mountain peaked above the heads of the nearby trees, getting bigger as I neared the dmented clutches of its grounds. I arrived at the dilapidated dirt path that led towards the old town.

it had been abandoned for more than half a century since the eventual demise of that curse of mine my feet dug through the layers of decomposed leaves which had almost turned to soil it had once been neatly kept by mr wilson the care-taker i remember my father at once told me the story of how he lost his eye in a mining accident the pickaxe had slipped out of his hand and ended up bouncing off the wall so hard it landed in his eye socket leaving him blinded for the remainder of his life I'd only seen him a couple of times as a child. His tall, slender body, wrinkly skin and that intimidating leather eye patch he always wore. My grandfather Thomas felt sorry for the man and gave him the job of taking care of the manor. When the other miners abandoned the village after the mine ran dry of precious ore, he stayed behind and worked without pay, owing him a lifetime of servitude. The unnatural fog that had always surrounded this damn mountain,

began to surround me as I neared the heart of the lonely village. It became so dense I couldn't see further than a few metres in front of me. Ellie! I called out at the top of my voice, only to hear the echo bounce back. Ellie! I shouted once more. There was still no response. I turned to shout once more when I noticed a small silhouette of a child. I ran towards it, but it disappeared before I could catch it. "'Hello!' I called out. "'You can come out. I'm not here to hurt you.

"'I was just looking for my daughter, Ellie. "'Hello!' "'Hello.' "'I noticed a small pathway in the ground. "'I followed it until I reached a set of old rusty gates "'which led me into the graveyard next to the old church. "'The graves of my ancestors and deceased townsfolk were scattered around me. "'I reached the thick wooden doors of the monastery

"'which had been left open. "'Once abandoned, the town had been in the town, subjected to the occasional looting by low lives. Nature had crawled inside through all the nooks and crannies to reclaim the land which it had once ruled. Nothing but a cold darkness blanketed the once warm interior of the chapel. I grabbed my lighter and lit one of the old lanterns and to see if it would still ignite. Luckily, there were enough fumes in the relic to give me a viable lightsaw in the corner of the nave. child's figure hid behind the altar.

Hello? I called out. The child peaked from the side, watching me as I approach. It's all right. I won't hurt you, I softly said in the nicest tone I could muster. What's your name? The child moved away from the altar until there was nothing light for me to see. It was a young boy, younger than ten years of age by the looks of him. I thought you was a one-eyed man, he whimpered. He couldn't have meant the caretaker.

It must have been decades since his death. He was a wrinkly old man when I was a little boy in the 1960s. No. Why would you say that? He's been dead for years. Come here, young man. The boy moved closer. Once in the light of the lantern, I noticed his cold blue skin. What are you doing here? Where are your parents? They asked, determined to know what this little boy was doing out here in the middle of nowhere.

My name's Timothy, he said, looking down before I noticed a tear rolled down his cheek. My mother was killed by the one-eyed man. He's been trying to get me ever since. Everyone knew the mines had been abandoned due to the fact that they'd been run dry, and not a soul had called this town their home in over 40 years. Something was off about this whole situation. You kept mentioning this one-eyed man. I've told you, he's been dead for many years now.

There's no way you could still be alive after all these years. You're wrong. I saw him the other day. He was carrying a girl on his shoulder back to Lord Harrison's house. What? Did you see what the little girl looked like? My daughter went missing around here a few days ago. What did the girl look like?

I asked, dropping down to my knees to go. grab the boy's arms. The cold, dreadful feeling erupted in my hands as a cold energy froze the tips of my fingers to a point where I thought they'd fall off. I winched them back before I noticed the boy had vanished. I looked around to try and find him, but to no avail. Hello? I called out. Where have you got? The words echoed a few times until nothing but the deafening silence filled my ears. The earth just happened. The path led me back to town where I followed the old cobblestone road

to the great wooden doors of my ancestral home. I pushed to open them, but they were welded shut, and without the key, I needed to find another way in. But luckily the time I'd spent here as a child did not go without adventure. The nostalgic rush of running around in the garden brought a tear to my own. I had ran into the shed whilst my father was building a new fence for Mother's Flower Garden, and he'd needed to go into the basement to gather some, well, to get some tools, hiding the spare basement key behind a pile of old cobblestone which had gathered nearly a century of dust.

I pulled the stones apart, causing some to hit the mouldy floor, and a dark metallic texture dotted with spots of rust greeted my eyes. Oh, hopefully this works. whilst in the shed i found a small container of kerosene i filled the lantern i'd found earlier made my way to the rotten doors of the basement the doors opened their arms creaking and crashing to the ground as i let go of their grass the thick fog flowed into its dark depths as i ignited my lantern and stomped down the sandstone step it had never been in the basement my father had always told me to wait in the garden whenever he'd gone inside ah there's decades of dust and mould down there and spiders as big as your hands his voice echoed in my mind i'd hated spiders with a passion as a kid and this house was always so full of them crawling up the walls hanging from the ceiling and leaving cobwebs as big as a person in their way the basement was full to brim with their dead carcasses along with webs that were so old that they were covered in thick dust like every other square of this damn place.

The dull light of the lamp illuminated the area enough so that I could see rows of junk and cardboard boxes full of old family house. An old bookcase full of leather journals caught my attention near the stairs leading up to the ground floor. I randomly selected one of the books

and wiped the dust off with my hair. It was an aged journal belonging to the man that had built this house. Jonathan Harrison, the man who discovered gold in the mountain and founded my family's reputation. I stuffed it in the world. into my jacket pocket to read once I'd found better lighting conditions. I stomped up the stairs

leading up and kicked the door wide open, snapping the rusted iron lock in half. Early, I called out. The only replies I could hear were the echoes of my voice bouncing off the damp surface of the crumbling walls. I pushed the lantern ahead and marched into the main hall before looking at the stairs where they became engulfed in darkness. A set of heavy footsteps erupted above my head. I ran up as fast as I could, nearly stumbling over in the process, frantically calling Ellie's name. Most of the doors in the hallway were closed, shut, except the door to my old bedroom. My father must have left it open when we escaped all those years ago. It was open enough to allow a little bit of light to pour through the edges, somewhat lighting my path. I took in a deep

breath and swung it open. It had been left untouched, exactly how I remembered it the night my father had taken me away. A small bed stood in front of the large single glazed window where the curtains were left half open. I poured them apart to allow more light to flow in. My toys littered the floor as they always did. A light mist grew in my eyes as my mother's image burned in the dark corners of my mind. Years of torment, drug use and counselling had caused me to forget her face. But her love for me and the things she did for me had never ceased to exist. She would always tell me off for leaving such a mess in my room and clean it up every day just for me to do the same thing the following day. I sighed before grabbing the journal from

the depths of my pocket, before setting my eyes on the ancient paper. The ink had fainted to the point where, some of the words had become incomprehensible, and brown stains that looked like tea, it scarred the paper. Jonathan Harrison, my ancestor, had traveled west with his fellow soldiers after their victory in the Mexican-American War. The US government had given them mineral rights to the Colorado Mountain Range for their efforts in the war.

With the Californian gold rush in full effect, they set out with their pickaxes, weapons and supplies to scour the lands for gold. As a captain in the military, Jonathan had naturally been given command of the band of prospectors. After nearly a year of no success, they stumbled upon a tribe on a mountain known by the natives' dark mountain, the Chechnie, the people of the rocks. According to these people, it was their mission to guard the spirits that roam the caverns of the mountain. Occasionally, they traded with the Spanish for over a hundred years in furs, food and weapons,

some of the restless prospectors fueled by a never-ending greed and not if some of the natives wearing golden trinkets and began harassing them to trade and allow them to mine the mountain. Outraged by this, the elder asked them to all leave their lands. Angered by this, some of the men aimed their revolvers at the natives, which led to a large confrontation. Before the situation could be contained, bullets and arrows flew across both sides,

injuring and killing many, their blood seeping through the pores of the dirt and into the belly of the mountain. Only Jonathan and a handful of his men survived the ordeal. He stared at the chief who coughed a lungful of blood, before laughing and speaking words in his native tongue. I stopped reading the journal, disgusted at the horrible events depicted in it. My family's legacy was based on the bloodshed of the natives at the hands of stupid greens. No wonder karma had come back to bite the family in the earth. No wonder I'd never had any luck with money or with anyone to be fair. I'd met my wife Jenny while studying at college.

Before we knew it, we were both falling in the deep clutches of each other's hearts. Before we knew it, we were married with a child on the way. I was working at a local part-time job and accounting firm when depression struck me harder than lightning. I lost my job. job, my wife, and my life. I gasped a deep breath before letting loose a deep sigh. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway before a door creaked open and then shortly slammed shut. I stumbled out of the bedroom and darted down the hallway, opening doors and searching all

the rooms one by one. They were all void of anyone or anything. Look at that of beaten. I even check the closets. Hey, is anyone there? I know you're here somewhere. I just heard you run down the hall. I called out in a raised tone. What the hell was up with this place? There was no sign of anyone. Well, the evening began to set in with the light dimming of the sky. I didn't feel like staying here any longer, so I made my way back down into the basement. As I neared the entrance, I noticed it was now shut. I'd never closed it. I pushed with all my strength, but couldn't get it to budge even an inch.

It was as if something heavy had been placed over it. I sighed and made my way back into the main hall. I remember my father had always kept a spare key for the main door in his office, which was just down the hall. A swung the door open, which revealed many bookcases, filled with a century's worth of reading material. Plows of paperwork sat on his desk in the far corner of the room. While prowling through the small cabinet, I noticed a dark iron key with a key chain which held

another key which read, Mines. I don't know why the key for the mine was attached to the house key. I didn't really care as long as I could open the front door and get out. The last thing I wanted was to sleep the night here. As I went for the door, a loud scream emerged from outside. I darted for the entrance and twisted the key with all my seat. strain. The lock had nearly completely seized, but I managed to prop it open slamming the door in the wooden frame that surrounded it. I ran outside, but the darkness of the evening

made it harder to see anything in the dense fog which had become even thicker. Another scream erupte I turned towards the path which led me to the old minds where a large, shadowy figure held what looked like a woman before the fog obscured my vision again. I ran along the old cobbled path towards the mine. The figure had disappeared as if it was just my mind playing tricks on me. The blanket of evening loomed as I sighed at the disappearance of the man before approaching the entrance of the mine. The entrance had been left wide open to greet me with its open arms, as if someone had rushed into the mine not to even bother closing the doors behind them. Whatever that was, must have gone in there. Before entering, I lit the lantern that I'd found in the church.

I could see just enough so I didn't stumble over my own footing as I had closer to the heart of the tomb, which had once held a great many riches for those who came before me. The sound of water-drops echoed down the surface of the old, damp walls, as I reached the ancient wooden elevator that led deeper into the boughs of this cursed mountain. It had been lowered all the way down. There was a door near it which read, Office. I tried to open it, twisting the handle. few times, but to no result. I took the key which I'd found earlier in my father's office and lined it up against the wall. It was a perfect fit. Once the room was illuminated with the dim yellow flame of the lantern, I noticed another desk where piles of rotten paperwork, a ledger

and a small journal rested neatly upon its surface. The silver-plated pickaxe rested in place on a plaque behind the desk. I picked the journal up, reading the name on the front. It belonged to an Oliver Harrison. If my memory served me right, that was the name of my great-grandfather. Curious to know more, I opened it and read.

He'd taken over the mine after his father had mysteriously died whilst conducting a survey of the lower levels. He'd spent many days lamenting over the demise of his father before, taking the mantle of running the mine himself. This was around the time when the output of the mine had begun to deteriorate to the point where many miners had left of their own accord to find a better work elsewhere. He had received reports that described strange noises and shadowy figures roaming the deep caverns below.

Annoyed by these reports, he ventured down, only to return a few days later with no recollection of what had transpired. He only brought one thing out with him. that was a large nugget of silver which had been scraped against a rock to hold a sharp edge. After this point the words in the journal became unintelligible.

From what I could discern from the journal my great grandfather it created a weapon from silver and he must have discovered a weakness to the evil that lurked deep within. He turned around and grabbed the silver-plated pickaxe which held the initials O-H-999 AG

engraved upon the wooden hand. We must have made this to fight the shadow people. If there was any chance of me getting out of this alive, it would be with this picker. With a generator out of order and no fuel to even get it started, there'd be no way I could pull the elevator back up. Well, I doubted it would even hold my weight without snapping after all these years. Opposite the office door I noticed a part that the miners would have used before its installation. At the bottom, I found the remains of the lift. of the lift. Broken pieces and shards of wood littered the floor like a shattered pane of glass.

Large amounts of water seeping into the mine had caused it to flood the lower levels. Red rusty water reached all the way out to my ankles. My socks were soaked and my feet were saturated to the bone as I kicked my way through this grimy water. I froze like a statue as I heard the splashing of footsteps in a distance. I aim the light of the lantern ahead only for the hairs on the back of my neck to become erect, and a strange feeling of uneasiness to tingle throughout my body. The shadowy figure of a man stopped in its tracks, and turned to face me.

What in the hell is this? Upon examining me for a moment, it lunged towards me with that opaque, dark body of its. I managed to raise the pickax in front of me, just in time to stop it in its tracks. He just stared at me with its featureless face obviously frightened to go anywhere near the silver. I wasn't going to wait any longer just staring at it. I raised the pickax once more and with all my might I pushed the sharp end of it towards the face of this angry spirit. His body dissipated into the surrounding air. Feeling a lot safer now that it had been dealt with, I continued to move forward.

Up ahead I noticed movement. So I slowed down and hid behind a mining crate. From what I could tell, it was the man from before who was carrying the body of that woman. It was too foggy for me to notice if it was Ellie or not. But regardless of finding my daughter, there was someone who needed my help. If I could stop what it was doing before turning around to stare in my general vicinity. It must have sensed me somehow. I removed myself from cover to confront this maniac.

Once in the light of the lantern I noticed the black eye patch around its eye. It was the caretaker, but his dark blue skin and gleaming yellow eye made me rethink this whole situation. The caretaker had been dead for decades. There was absolutely no way he could have survived that long here all alone. It could be an evil spirit that's taken control of his deceased body. The caretaker raised his pickaxe, led out a deep, demented. growl, most making me wet my pants as I ridded my silver weapon to defend myself. Then the caretaker charged towards me with a relentless blow. I managed to dodge to the side

and avoid his attack. Splashes of water dispersed in every direction, some even landing on my face. Adrenaline raced through my body like a powerful bolt of lightning. I nearly dropped my only source of light in the process. I held on to its rusted handle-time. as its rough surface pricked my hand like a cactus. The enraged warden had lost his balance as the sharp claw of his weapon splashed in the water, most likely ripping a chunk of the floor apart. He swiftly turned, and like a raged bull

came at me once again, but I managed to dodge in the nick of time as he charged into the uneven spine of the tunnel. Taking my opportunity, I whacked him in the head, lodging the silver-plated pickaxe deep into the... mess of brains that remain. The shock of the blow still reverberated throughout my arm. It would have rendered any normal person obsolete,

but this creature just shrugged it on, just stood there, frozen like a statue. Before I could even react, the creature had barged into me with its shoulder, knocking me down into the murky water, ass first. My clothes became saturated, and the final embers of the lantern,

their last breath before dying out. Oh damn it, I shouted. I was now truly fucked. The caretaker's feet splashed in the water as he made his way towards me in the pitch black tunnel. I tried to stay as still as possible, even going as far as holding my breath

just to survive a little bit longer. But it was no use, the bastard just kept coming on towards me. I closed my eyes as the failures of my life flashed, before them. I wasn't proud of some of the decisions I'd made in life, but I would never trade it if it meant saving my daughter from the clutches of this tyrannical place. Clenched the wooden handle of my weapon with a vice-like grip, seconds before my demise. Suddenly the creature stopped

in its tracks as the sounds of Native American war cries erupted like a swarm of bats all around me. I opened my eyes to the sight of total shock. The hair, on the back of my neck became elongated and a terror gushed into my body as the gleaming bodies of spectral figures swung their weapons at the caretaker. What remained of his lifeless body made almost fully submerged face down in the water. I was enough light from the ghostly figures to illuminate the dark body of the cave. They all stood around me in a circle before one step forward. You are not Oliver Harrison. Why do you wield his weapon? I peered into its translucent eyes with fear coursing through my veins.

Could this be real? Or did that abomination kill me and this is the afterlife? I gasped in a breath and sighed. My name is Brian Harrison. Oliver was my great-grandfather. This thing, I pointed at the dead body. Took my daughter. I don't know where she is.

can you please help me? I cried, dropping a few tears in with my plea. The figure turned and looked deeper into the cave. I am afraid you're too late. You must have taken her here to the other side. The other side? I asked. Beyond the water lies a gate.

Once past, will take you to the lair of the demon that chokes us all with a curse. So you're also afflicted with the same curse as my damn family. I sighed. My people, the Sican, died protecting this mountain from the greed of your family. The silver ore that once filled this mountain protected us all from the whims of the Nun Tuniwi. Oliver understood this and tried to stop the mining operation, but it was too late.

its reach is now greater than the mountain itself the spectre explained now I understood why he kept this silver pickaxe in the office for someone like me to figure this all out if anyone's going to defeat this demon it has to be me how do I lift the curse and get my daughter back I'll do anything just to hold her in my arms again

even if it's the death of me The curse can't be lifted. The demon is too powerful for even us. You don't even stand a chance. I had believed Oliver to be the person to lift the curse, but even he failed. When he returned from the battle, there was a part of his soul missing. Only with the death of the demon, who is now many times more powerful than it was then, will the curse be lifted. He looked at his warriors and continues.

Your cause is just. We will not stop you. We will journey with you through the gate. The demon's magic is too powerful for us to take this form. Then, how will you accompany me that? Their ghostly aura dissipated into the air around me, gushing into the core of my weapon like water being funneled down the drain. Their presence illuminated the silver with enough light,

radiating from it to illuminate my dark power. The water began to rise and reached almost to my neck, but the spirit kept guiding me further. I had become completely submerged in the water and just about could make my way along. Panic began to set in as the deep breath I took earlier began to run out. My brain was becoming hungry for oxygen, as starvation began to take hold. My eyesight began to fade, and that was when I knew I just made the worst mistake of my life. Me a second before I passed out, my head peaked above the water, and I grasped the most desperate breath of air I had ever taken in my life.

My sight slowly returned to me, and that was when I noticed the gleaming crimson surface of the cave, as if it had been covered in large rubies. An unnatural heat hugged me as I walked further, and the water went back down again. I used the glow of the pickaxe to ignite my path as I navigated the endless cavern. A vast chamber presented itself to me where rows of torches lit the demon's lair. The blood-filled ruby sparkled in the flickering of the flames, surrounded by the giant claws

which held the remains of the creature's victims. I noticed the tormented expressions on their blackened faces, as I tried to imagine the suffering they must have gone through. Across from me in the far end, one of the bodies stood out from the others. It was that of a young girl, ran towards her. her as fast as I could. Ellie! I shouted to no response.

There was enough space between the fingers of the unnatural hand that held her for me to check her pulse. She was still alive. I furiously shook her with all I had in an attempt to wake her. Ellie's eyes snapped open. She began to scream as if she'd just awoken from a nightly. If only she realized that it was me who'd come to see. save her.

Ellie, it's me. Calm down before it realizes. I'm here. I tried to persuade her to no avail. She just carried on in a frenzy. All my efforts to calm her down were futile as I slowly realized she was stuck in some kind of trance that the demon had put her.

Deep menacing growl erupted in the distance when the large figure of the creature unveiled itself from the corner of my eye. I turned to face its just. gigantic body, a hulk of green scaly meat over eight feet tall and as broad as three men. Two horns protruded from its head and curved around like they did on a goat's head. It growled once again at the sight of me, revealing razor-sharp teeth that could have ripped me in half given the chance. It moved fast, considering its size, and nearly caught me off guard as I dodged

its charge. And if I got myself into here. One measly hit from this thing would almost definitely mean the end of me. I did the only thing I could, that was to run to the other end of the chamber from where I'd come. I raised the pickaxe and whispered into it. How the fuck am I going to even kill that thing? Hoping that the Native American warriors that hitchhike with me to this dark and forsaken place could lend me some of their valuable knowledge in my time of need. The non-tunhuy's source of power comes from the victims it is tortured The people whose souls are trapped

In the hellish hands of this creature's grasp Must be released from their torment Only then may you face it on equal terms Moments before the creature closed in on me The thought clicked in my head I joked to the nearest body And swung the axe into his head A gassy white aura emerged from the body

before I moved on to the next one. Before long, I had managed to outrun the demon and release half a dozen souls from their misery. But my success had come to an end when it had finally caught me by surprise with a powerful thump. I was launched to the other side of the chamber, landing face first into the stench of a decaying course.

It wouldn't have taken a doctor to tell me that I had multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung as every breath I took, vomited streams of blood, splattering blood everywhere. I was done for. It would only be another minute or so until my event or death.

I dropped my head in a shameful defeat, when suddenly the corpse kicked me with his bony feet. What the f? I weased, as more blood spewed out of my mouth, lifting my head to take a look at the corpse. Its body began to regenerate, the more of my blood it sucked in like a vacuum. I can help you, the corpse mumbled,

as its nearly ripped off jaw, pulled itself back together. I groaned in pain as I felt the trembling of the ground beneath me as the demon stomped closer. Give me your arm, it pleaded, now in more precise words as it regained its ability to speak. With mere seconds left to decide, I didn't know what to do. I was as good as dead anyway,

especially like this. It was worth a try, even if it gave me the slightest chance at saving Ellie. I'd failed her as a father, but I would not fail her by letting her be subjugated to that fucking demon. I let loose a weak sigh and push my arm towards its mouth

with all the energy I could muster. Bit sharp fangs punched my skin and from what I could feel injected some thick, liquid. into me. A strange tingle rushed around me before it began to sting more and more, as if I been exposed to the strongest venom that could possibly exist. He screamed in agony when suddenly I heard my ribs snap back into place. My wounds slowly regenerated, and now I had the energy to dodge the charge of the demon. I stood a few meters away from it, astonished at the feet I'd just

achieved. My body had naturally moved out of the way in what a biologist would call a reflex action. Clenched my fist and could instantly feel raw, power coursing through my veins. It came for me once more, but the speed of my actions were so fast, I'd unknowingly punched it in the face, causing it to lose balance. Whilst the beast was stunned, I grabbed the pickaxe and held it above my head, clenching it so tight my fingers had squashed the wooden handle like a sponge. With all my newfound strength, I went for the head, the thick, dark green liquid oozed out from its head when the spirits of the natives finally had their chance to escape. They jumped the demon with a flurry of attacks until it no longer twitched.

The giant claws released their hold on the prisoners in the chamber before the body of their victims hit the cold down floor. The chamber shifted and morphed back to what the more caves in the mountain would have looked like. Everything vanished before my eyes except my daughter's body. I ran to water and checked her once again before lifting her up. When I turned around to make my way out of the cave, the spirits of my ancestors stood behind me together with happiness on their faces. One of them picked the silver-plated pickaxe off the ground before everything went dark. I'd done it.

I'd saved Ellie and freed my ancestors from the tight noose of that creature. The Harrisons were finally free from this damn cur. My eyes adjusted to the pitch black and for some strange reason I could see through the darkness.

I made my way back from where I'd come. The flooding that once filled the entrance was now gone and once I was back outside, I noticed the fog had also ceased to exist as the rays of the morning sun rose from the horizon. I raced back to the car and tossed Ellie in the back seat before hitting the gas towards the nearest hospital I could think of. I glanced back at the old road that led to the dilapidated building when I noticed the body of a man staring back at me with gleaming red eyes. resembled the creature that had bitten me in the caves. I knew I would not be the last time I'd see him,

but my main concern at that moment was to get Ellie the care she needed. The sun's ray shot daggers into my eyelids, forcing me from my backyard slumber. I blinked my eyes awake, just in time to watch a cascade of leaves float down to a pile collected beneath the tree and my wife and I planted so long ago. As I stared longingly at the display of red and yellow, my mind wandered off to a better time. The time where she and I sat side by side, our hands interlocked in her love's embrace,

watching the wind carry the leaves against its current, the backdrop of blurred forest trees swaying off in the distance. For twenty years I humoured her silly habit. I never quite found leaf-watching to be the pinnacle of my day, yet there I was, watching a smile that seemed to steal the sun's light, hoarding it all for itself while shrouding the world in grey. When she passed, I vowed to keep the tradition alive, and every fall, as the first sheet of yellow spayed across the tanning green, I was here, waiting until the last leaf lowered itself to the ground below. It was cancer that struck her. Her fight only lasting a few years before the call of Sharon's ferry whist her down the river sticks.

Time had since rendered me few, as though I drank from the river of leather, trapping the only memories I had in the nightmares past. I would give anything to have her back, even petitioning Hades himself in a game of wits for a winning soul. As I looked on, struggling to outline the trail of lost memories, suddenly caught my eye betwixt the leaves. My lifetime scavenger hunt had to waint. My eyes squinted instinctively, trying the best to make out the strange object.

It was faint like a television signal straining through the static, fighting its way into existence. Then, as if God himself had decided a cruel joke should fall upon me, the leaves beneath the tree shot upwards in a swirling frenzy encasing the ever-growing entity in an armour of yellow I was transfixed with fear as the black magic display brought to life the umbric mass I ducked closer faintly making out the form of what looked to be a human being

stood still and erects the leaves spiling around its ethereal body like cherubidis engulfing a galley In its hands was a box, as bright and vibrant as the being wasn't. A black wooden box adorned with a golden heart. Its very presence feigned a sense of familiarity, but I was sure as rain. I'd never seen such a thing. As the leaves swept past, it moved, inching its way towards me.

A reel back against my seat, my heart quickening against my chest. It opened the box. The sound of a familiar chime echoed through the hollow air. O'Clair de la Lune. The French lyrics danced through my head as the Diapason played off. My eyes grew wide. A music box. The same embroidered beauty I had bought for my wife a few months before she passed,

the same one I'd buried her with. My eyes stayed fixed upon the box, but just as the melody began to fade, so did the creature, and in an instant, it was gone. Fearing its return, I rushed inside, as quickly as an old man could, closing the door behind me. I was shaking worse than a man lined up for his go at the brazen ball. Just what was that mysterious beast, and how did it come to be in possession of that box? I spun around to face the door and peered through the peephole.

It seemed to have disappeared for Nett. I watched as a sun white below the horizon, a mix of gold and red reflected beautifully off the hilltops. Ah, Grace would have laughed this, I thought to myself before tiring towards the direction of my bed. The next morning I awoke with a cold shiver running down my spine, and no clue as to what put it there. At 5 p.m. sharp, I sat upon the porch bench my wife begged me to purchase, parked three feet away from the tree that we planted together. I was just beginning to doze off when the fallen leaves began to spiral about.

I watched, a look of confusion, painted itself across my face. The leaves shot off in my direction, obstructing my vision. I covered my face as well as I could. The leaves rammed into my body

with the force of Cerberus's bite. One by one they sliced into my flesh like the talons of an eagle ripping its way into prey. After what seemed like hours, the ambush stopped. I slowly pulled my hands away from my face. Strips of red rushed down my arms, staining my shirt. I looked up towards the tree.

A figure dressed in black stood about ten feet away. An axe gripped tightly within its hands. Stop cold. Frozen with fear. I desperately wanted to call the cops or run for my life. But all I could do was watch on in horror. wondering if my unwanted visitor would become my executioner. It moved a few inches closer, revealing itself to be a woman.

Her hair was as black as an onyx stone, her face hidden beneath its shadow. The axe was covered in blood, leaking onto the ground below. Her mouth split open, stretching itself apart as if glue once held it together. Blood poured from the rippled tears. Her eyes glowed a milky white. The word spilled from her mouth in a garbled toe. Her voice barely audible. Her body split into chunks.

Pieces crawled to the ground like an avalanche making its way down a mountainside. Muscles lost their grip on the bone, piling in clumps around the fallen cadaver. Her flesh creaked to life, inching its way in my direction. I leaped from my chair, rushing into my home as if, Usain Bolt possessed my veins. What the hell was she? I thought to myself, searching for an answer I knew would never come.

My heart raced against feet as I ran to the comfort of the room my wife and I once shared. I hid beneath the bed, a cold sweat running down the centre of my neck. A sight of an old man, cowering like a child, hiding from the bogeyman, would have given even Zeus some delight. I tucked my body into itself, shivering with fright well into the night, before drifting away into a deep slumber. The feeling of terror tightly clutched my veins, bringing my infatuation with carrying on my wife's tradition to a standstill. That afternoon I sat, coffee in hand, staring at the lime-green curtains adorning the window that looked out upon the tree. Fear became my mind's keeper, and for that day, It wandered for the course.

I watched as an ever-growing shadow crept across the fabric of the curtains, signaling the day's end. I'd spent the entire day in Cowardis, and now it was time for bed. Before I could leave the comfort of my chair, the screeching sound of nails grinding against glass cut through the air and pierced my drums. I froze like a fawn caught in the lights of an oncoming bus. A trail of faint whispers followed the deafening sound, forcing my laboured breaths into panic mode. My eyes snapped in the direction of the window. The lure of curiosity pulled at my gut, or my heartstrings played tug-of-war with my hands, slowly reaching towards the curtains.

With one fluid motion, I swept them to the side, my gaze meeting the grotesque sight of my wife's rotting corpse. I backed away in horror. falling over in the chair beneath me. Our eyes interlocked, never leaving the sight of the other. A whispers echoed past their glass barrier, growing louder and louder, transforming into a terrifying scream. You did this to me, you murder her. Her fist pounded the glass until it cracked. Blood covered the glass with each strike.

Her screams growing into banshee-like howls. You will pay for what you'll. you've done. With one last pound of her fist, an explosion of shards shot across the room. I hid under the table beside me, covering my face with my hands, hoping that somehow I would awake from this nightmare. A neary silence broke through the panic, and for a fraction of a second, I thought I'd imagined the entire ordeal.

But as fast as the silence fell, the whispers began anew. Footsteps creaked against the wooden floors, moving closer and closer before stopping directly in front of me. I slowly lowered my hands from my face. My blood ran cold as my gaze met with the hallowed eyes of my lovely grace. Her face was covered in holes, slung together by scrapes of flesh. Black liquid oozed from her orifices. Her face crept into an unnerving smile, stretching further than the face was.

any mouth should. Her mouth parted in two, displaying several rows of sharp fangs that lined the insides. She screamed, tightly gripping my throat, her breath reeking of decay. My neck crumbled like hardened putty in her hands. One word burned from her lips, as if repeat pressed itself against her lungs. Remember! Then, as if struck by the lassoe of truth, one by one the memories of that night played like a slight show drenched in blood. I remembered how beautiful she was beneath the moon's light, as we made our way towards the campsite that night. I remember the soft feel of her hand as I led her down the gravel trail that scaled the forest floor. I remembered the touch of her silky black hair against my face as we danced the night away to the sounds of the world that surrounded us.

I remembered the text that exposed my infidelities. I remember the argument, and I remembered watching the life drain from my wife's eyes as I strangled her to death. Tears rolled down my face as I reminisced upon the crime I committed so long ago. Twenty years ago, her body lay in pieces deep within the alpine forest. Now she kneeled before me, strangling me with her. an inch of my life. I struggled to rip free from her grip, flailing around like a wild animal caught within a deadly trap. Eventually breaking free, I stumbled to my feet, racing down to the safety

of my basement. I could hear her closing in behind me as I rounded the corner towards the door. Icey fingers clawed at my shoulder, trying to trap hold as I made my way towards the door. The pitter-patter of feet echo behind me. My heartbeat quickened, matching its pace. I struggled on, still feeling the frozen grip of my former lover's hands wrapped around my throat. My mind crept towards my gun cabinet, and before I knew it, I was prying it open,

fishing for my rifle placed inside. Just as my fingers reached to grab it, the basement door bust open, and from it a deafening, screech pierced my ears. I panicked as I searched for a hiding spot, eventually finding one within the closet only metres away. I quickly snagged the gun, rushing over to the solace of the closet as footsteps once again closed in in front of me. I held the gun close to my chest, holding my breath as though I was submerged under water. A loud bang found its way upon the door, slowly growing

into a stampede of blows, threatening to knock it off its hinges. I thought back to that night once more, remembering the last words my wife uttered to me, right, before I watched her soul rip from her body. Porned you until you two meet the same fate. I knew this night would never end as long as we both walked this earth, just as the closet door flew open. I positioned the gun beneath my chin and closed my eyes.

Pulling the trigger just before her bony fingers reached my neck. I awoke, the sun's rays shining like daggers into my eyes. Planted upon the bench sat in the path of the tree my wife and I had planted. I woke in time to watch the final leaf sink down on top of the pile that collected beneath it. I was never fond of her habit of watching the leaves floor beneath the tree. But the joy it brought her every afternoon was well worth the time wasted. it. As I stared off into the distance, I could see the faint outline of a human figure. I looked closely, noticing a foreign object held within its hand. And so once again, we reach the end of tonight's

podcast. My thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen. Now, I'd ask one small favor of you. Wherever you get your podcast from, please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast. That's it for this week, but I'll be back again same time, same place, and I do so hope you'll join me once more. Until next time, sweet dreams and bye-bye.