Mansion in the Forest

It's all your fault

It isn't easy for the teenagers who just want to have some fun while making money. Whatever they trouble they walked in, it's about life and death. If you live then you'll be rich, if you die, no one will know how you died or when did you die. The struggles they chose to enter was not revokable even if they want to back out, even if they want to stop, even if they surrender. No one among them could go out of the mansion. Unless there is one people left alive.

But who would it be? Is it Jazen, who's a professional marksman? Is it Siena who's a black belter in taekwondo and judo? Is it Iris, who taught everything to Siena? Is it the two siblings Lei and Denver, who's a hunter, is it Blake, who has skills about blades? Is it Chantelle, who knows how to use axes? Or is it Hans, who knows to use his strong muscles. Definitely no one knows. Especially Jisu, Lexi and Trevor. Who still hides their ability to others and just keep playing dumb and innocent.

The teenager's life is at risk, and they still don't know the real danger they're about to face since they successfully killed the oldest and weakest monster inside the mansion. They didn't even know where are they hiding if the sun arrives. So the teenagers have to search and study the whole place.

Lexi said that they should be together while searching for possible hideout of the monster, but Chantelle volunteered to put Jisu in a room and watch the latter while she's still regaining her strength after she got stabbed on her neck and they left Blake as well, who's tightly tied in a chair.

"Why are you so mad at Lexi?" Chantelle asked all of a sudden but her eyes still at Jisu's serene face.

Blake shot his head's up to look at the Blonde and chuckled dryly. "He killed my best friend."

"I don't think so."

"Yes they did. They were there, surrounding my headless best friend!"

"Have you seen his head in Lexi or in anyone's hands?" Blake fell in silence for a few seconds before he shook his head. "Then how can you say that they're the one who killed Francis?"

"I left him in a room while sleeping, then when I got back, he's already dead and the first person I see with him are the other girls."

"And?" Chantelle pressed.

"And..." Blake didn't know how to continue his words because even himself aren't sure if Lexi and her friends really killed his best friend, but he doesn't have anyone to blame aside from them.

"Didn't you even think that the monsters killed your friend and not Lexi?"

"I never thought about it." Blake said honestly.

"See? You already jumped into conclusion without knowing the truth. Aren't you a little too dumb to act like that?" Chantelle finally looked up to meet Blake's eyes. "Do you think just because you're a homophobic asshole, they will kill your friend?"

"Yes!" Blake growled, struggling to escape from the rope but its too tight that his arms having bruise already.

"As long as you don't believe them, you'll stay in that situation." Chantelle dismissed.

____

"It's empty." Siena said after she closed the door behind her. "Have you seen any?"

"None, all the rooms in this floor are empty." Denver replied, coming out from the room he checked.

"Same here." Lei said from the next door.

"They're here but hiding somewhere, we should still check every rooms." Jazen said and everyone agreed but Lexi stayed in her spot, watching the sword she was holding.

"Have we already checked the basement?" She asked.

"Not yet." Iris said while staring at her intently. "Should we, Lexi?" She asked meaningfully but they don't have any idea about that.

Lexi tear her gaze away from the sword and darted up her eyes to Iris. "Yeah, maybe they are in there."

"Wait, can I ask y'all a question?" Hans butted in, he's still in pain but decided to join them because he doesn't want to be with Chantelle, who have urge to kill him every single second she sees him.

"Shoot." Denver coolly said.

"What if we saw their hideout, are we able to kill all of them?" He asked.

"They're weak in the morning that's why they only attack at night, so if we get to see them while the sun still up, then we have advantages." Lexi said, for everyone, they think that Lexi said it based on her observation, but for Iris, she knew that Lexi knows something but she couldn't pin point it.

"How'd you know?" Iris asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lexi asked back sarcastically. "They get to attack us at night but once the sun arrives, they all retreating back."

"How could you say that they are retreating back?"

"Because they did twice, right?" Lexi sneered, she's getting annoyed at Iris's obvious questions.

"Okay." Iris deadpanned, shrugging her shoulders.

"Since y'all have weapons, we can fight them."

"But it's too dangerous if we attack them in their hideouts because we don't know how many are in there, don't you think?" Lei asked, he's not scared at all, it's just that, if they attack them in their hiding place, then they have to face a lot of monsters in one place. Monsters are big, bigger than them and stronger than them.

"Why don't we attack at night as well, but one at a time just to make sure that everyone will be safe?" Siena suggested.

"We've been here for 3 days, we've wasted enough times. And I think we have to move forward if we want to get out of here." Lexi said and some of them agreed like Denver and Hans, who's dying to escape the nightmare they got in.

"But Lei and Siena were both right, we can't fight those monsters altogether, unless we have superpowers." Jazen said, contradicting her girlfriend's suggestions for the first time. "As much as I want to finish this crap, I don't think it'll be that easy for us."

"Unless someone here know how to finish them easily, right Lexi?" Iris said meaningfully again, but this time Trevor noticed it and he's not having it anymore, so he stood up for his best friend as he glare at Iris.

"I don't know what you're trying to prove, Iris." He said annoyed, huffing a sharp breath. "But I hate that you're trying to say that Lexi knows what's going on in this house."

"Aren't she's the first one who arrived here? I'm just trying to ask if she knows something that we don't know."

"I don't know anything." Lexi said monotonically. "But one thing is for sure, I want to finish whatever I started so I can go back to my mom and take care of her till her last breath."

"She's dying?" Hans asked and Lexi nod her head. "Then why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be with her?"

"I don't have money to pay her operation, that's why I'm here."

"Damn, then it'll be hard for you, but she might be dead by now—." There's an abrupt silence engulfed them when Lexi moved so fast to point the end of the sword to Hans's chest. "Whoa calm down."

"Take back what you said." Lexi growl low on her throat.

"I'm taking it back, chill." Hans said with an awkward laugh and his hands on his both sides like he's surrendering.

"Guys, chill. We have to be a team in this situation." Siena butt in, pushing Hans in his chest while she's putting down Lexi's sword carefully. "Let's just check the basement."

"It's too dangerous, I'm telling y'all." Lei said while shaking his head.

"Then let's just be careful and don't engage to anything if we see them." Siena said and everyone agreed to it, so they settle to take everything to protect themselves and headed to the basement, to the darkest part of the mansion. To the place that is more dangerous than any part of the old bricked mansion.

They all went down, crossing the narrow hallway leading to the basement. Denver opened the heavy wooden door that creates an annoying grating sound and aside from darkness, uncanny stinking smell hit their noses as the door opens, there are no lights aside from the light coming from the glass windows, illuminating the threshold of the hallway. But once they reached the middle of it, they have to use their phones to light their way through it.

"Ugh, I can't stand the smell!" Jazen said while pinching her nose tightly.

"We should go back." Trevor said, looking at Lexi. As if he's asking for permission to retreat, but Lexi seems don't have any plan to back out, she's holding the grip of the sword tightly while her eyes focus ahead. "Lex.."

"It's now or never, Trev." Lexi said without looking at her best friend and continue her way through the darker hallway, but everyone halted their steps when they heard low growling further ahead.

"They're here." Siena whispered lowly. "We should go back."

Lexi stood straight, as if she was not scared at all, unlike her companions, who are ready to run away if one monster appeared in front of them.

"Wait." Lexi said and she lifted up her phone above her head, squinting her eyes to see what's in front of them, but she sees nothing but darkness, as if there's a wall blocking their way.

"F-f**k!" Hans stuttered while looking up. He lifted his arm trying to point to something but his arm trembling violently that he couldn't even point it clearly, then his whole body began to shake when he saw a pair of red eyes, looking straight to him.

"What's going on with you?" Denver asked, he could feel afraid as well but he tried to stay calm.

"Lexi!" Iris yelled and grabbed Lexi's shirt. "Run!" She shouted and without asking for the reason, everyone run for their life, without looking back and without saying a word, till they reached the end of the hallway. They all panting hard and catching their breath, as if they ran hundred of kilometers.

"W-what the hell d-did just happened?" Siena asked.

"There's a f*****g monster standing right in front of us a d we thought it's a wall." Iris said.

"Oh god." Jazen gasped.

"H-Hans.." Lei said still panting. "He left inside."

"What?!" Lexi exclaimed and without having a second thought, she quickly ran back inside but Trevor was too fast to grab her arm, which caused her to fell back and almost hit the floor but Trevor caught her in time. "The heck?"

"Don't, you might get hurt!"

"Then help me!" Lexi said as she take back her hand from Trevor's grip and shoved him before she ran back inside the dark hallway, carrying her sword. Trevor tried to grab Lexi again but he failed this time.

"Argh Lexi!" He groaned loudly, he glanced up to Jazen and looked down to the dagger he was holding. Though he knew he can fight those monsters, but there's one thing stopping him to follow his best friend, his trauma that keep haunting him since he was 8 years old.

"Tsk." Jazen hissed before running after Lexi, passing through Trevor in godspeed.

"Coward." Siena whispered before she runs as well and Iris is on her heels. That's when Trevor snapped back to reality and he shook his head violently to recompose himself. He heave a deep breath and he decided to follow his best friend, but once he caught with the others, they were all standing in the end where there are lights that came from the windows, giving them the sight of what's ahead of them. Hans still on the floor, trembling violently, while the monster still standing in front of him.

"Don't move, we'll take you there." Lexi said whispery. She tightened the grip at her sword while thinking how she could get Hans from his situation.

"Crawl back as fast as you can till you get into the light." Jazen said as she c**k the Cooey 840 shotgun she was holding, the monster tear its gaze away from Hans to look up to them as Jazen pointed her gun onto it. "Now!" She yelled and Hans quickly crawl back when the monster almost fell on the ground after getting shot on his head. The monster snarled after he recomposed itself, showing its sharp and pointed fangs with its claws coming out, but he couldn't do anything because of the light, it just growling and snarling, along with its member behind it.

Denver quickly pick up Hans and helped him to stand in his feet, and because he's still frighten, his knees wobbled and he fell on the floor wearily and crying.

"You're safe, buddy. Relax." Denver said to calm the guy.

"T-thank you, I thought it's the end of me." Hans stammered, pressing his side when he felt pain in it.

"You're bleeding!" Siena said when she noticed the blood slowly staining Hans's shirt. "Did you get hit?!"

"No, it's my old bruise, I guess I think it was because of fear and stress so it bled agai—."

Hans didn't had the chance to even finish his words when the monster became wild, then they heard heavy running footsteps coming towards them, they grabbed Hans but the monster already leaped on top of him, facing the consequence that might burn its skin because of the sunlight but he still dared to come out.

Denver fell back, everyone was so shock that they didn't had the chance to react when the monster run back to the dark along with Hans, the monster skin still creating a sizzling sound after getting burnt through the sunlight.

"They smell his blood." Lexi said after they couldn't hear Hans's loud scream at all.

"I quit!" Denver yelled as he crawled out and forced himself to stand in his feet before running outside. Everyone followed him to see what he's going to do. He grabbed one stool from the kitchen and break the glass window, then he tried to break the grills as well, but it didn't even budge. He moved to the front door, kicking it, hitting it with chair, he even stole Jazen's shotgun to break the lock but still none happens. "Let me out!" He cries while kicking and banging the door so hard. "Please let me go home! I don't want to die here!"

"It's useless, they made sure that we cannot escape here until everyone is dead." Lei said, slumping his shoulder down and seems that he already gave up.

"We should go back upstairs and wait for the night to come." Lexi said.

"If you didn't insist that we should check the basement, Hans would've been still alive by now!" Denver snapped out, yelling loudly as he charged towards Lexi, fisting her collar. "It's your fault why he died!"

"Better let her go or I'll blow your head's off!" Jazen threatens, pointing the shotgun in Denver's head.

"What's point of threatening me if we're all gonna die in the end, huh?"

"There is a point, we will kill every monster in here and we will get out of here while you and Hans are the monster's dinner."

"That's enough, Jazen." Lexi said calmly but no one seems to hear her as they stayed in their position. Thick tension dancing in the air that they could use it as a blanket for how thick is it. Everyone is silent, no one dared to say a word and Lexi took it as an opportunity. "It's not my fault that the monsters smelled his blood that's why he got caught, and since he's injured, he should've stay with Chantelle and Jisu, unless he's too guilty for what he did to Chantelle that's why he didn't want to stay with them and that's what he gets. I am free to say that he got his karma miserably."

"Even so, he was just making fun at her, it didn't enough reason for him to die like that!" Denver said to defend his friend but everyone agreed to Lexi, even Lei. "No one deserve to die tragically just because they made a mistake."

"And no one deserve to be harassed just to satisfy their needs." Lexi retaliates as she forcefully removed Denver's hand from her collar. "I'm not saying that he deserves to die, I'm just saying that maybe, it's his karma."

"That's ridiculously bullshit."

"I know, but let's just accept the consequence of what he did." Lexi turned her heels and walked into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, while Iris and Siena decide to stay in the living roo and sat on the sofa to rest their body. Denver went into the corner and Lei approach his brother to console him, while Jazen and Trevor followed Lexi in the kitchen.

"I haven't seen that side of yours." Jazen commented as they sat in front of the countertop.

"I just have to tell him the truth." Lexi replied without looking back as she's opening a bottle of scotch she got from the cupboard. She poured the glass for herself and put it back inside but Trevor stopped her and he made for himself as well and for Jazen.

They fell in defeaning silence, Lexi's

stillness scare the two. Perhaps it is the sunlight making her skin so pale, of the lack of wind letting every hair hang without movement, they are not sure what's running in her head, she don't even blink, just keep her eyes on the glass as if it whispers secrets to her.

The little air coming from the cracked windows is so brittle that it could snap, Lexi let out a slow controlled breath and attempted to loosen her body movements. She gave her shoulders a wiggle and lolled her head in a circle, while Jazen and Trevor watched every movement she makes.

"We have to get out of here." She said after.

"How?" Trevor asked. "No matter what we do, the door won't open, every window has barriers."

"We have no other choice but to execute every monsters in this house." Lexi said as she looked up to the ceiling, but when she didn't get any response from Trevor, she looked at him. "They are not new for us, Trev."

"I know, that's why I can't bring myself to fight them." He said, looking down to his glass.

"It's been what? 10 years, are you still that scared?" Lexi asked, no intention of mocking her best friend, she's more like concern.

"I can't seem to find my strength whenever I get to face them."

"Wait, what are you two talking about? Am I missing something?" Jazen butted in, she's totally confused at what they're talking about.

"We're both 7 years old that time and still in an orphanage when a monster like them attacked the place." Trevor started as he starts unbuttoning his shirt. "We were too small to fight them and we just have to hide all day long while the adults are putting their life on the line to save all the orphans. Then one monster appeared in a room where every kids are hiding."

"What happened next?" Jazen asked curiously.

"Half of the kids got eaten, while me and Lexi escaped out from the window, but unfortunately, there are more monsters outside, I got caught and was about get devoured, but—." Trevor abruptly paused as he clenched his eyes tightly, then everything came rushing into his head, as if the incidents just happened yesterday, he can see everything so vividly and yet so terrifying. "A guy helped us, but he got caught after saving me, he told us to run but I couldn't will my feet to move that time if it wasn't for Lexi who pulled me with her and we hide, but from our spot, we can clearly saw how that monster ate the guy who helped us."

"Oh." All that Jazen could say.

"It's all my fault, if I listened to him immediately, he wouldn't have caught by those monsters." Trevor said, his hands started to tremble as he wrapped them around the glass of scotch.

"It's not your fault, we're both too young that time and it's valid for us to get scared." Lexi said to reassure her best friend. "We just have to be thankful that after that day, we got survived."

"So you mean to say, that you already have seen monster before?" Jazen asked.

"Yeah, our orphanage was too far from the city, an abandoned town in Pennsylvania, a place where no one would dare to go aside from unexplained creatures." Lexi answered, not directly but it is enough to answer Jazen's question.

"Okay, wait. So you both aware that we could kill the monster by their neck and they could smell us through our wound?"

"Blood, specifically, they can smell us if there's a blood."

"That explains why the monsters trying to get inside the room where we are."

"Yeah, but the question is, who do you think put blood outside?" Lexi asked, looking at the door, as if someone is standing there, so Jazen and Trevor had to look at it as well but they sees no one. "We should check the monitors." She said as she stood up and walk out of the kitchen, carrying her glass of alcohol.

The other teens looked at them when the three walked into the living room straight into the monitors, where they could see different scene in different parts of the mansion, they could even see Chantelle and Jisu, but not Blake, he might be in the spot where CCTV can't see him.

"What's going on?" Siena asked confusedly.

"There is someone in here aside from us." Lexi said while watching the monitors one by one. "There! Have you seen it?" She asked when her eyes had a glimpse of a shadow movements in one of the monitor, even if you don't see on the screen, you can still see someone moving on the side of it.

"Oh my god! So you mean there are more participants?" Siena gasped, earning ludicrous look from the others. "What?"

"The monitor last night literally says there are 11 participants left, how many are we?" Iris asked, a bit irritated.

"10."

"Last night!"

"11?"

"So that means, whoever those guys are, they are not participants!"

"Ohhh okay? Why are you yelling at me?" Siena frowns as she crossed her arms abruptly. She's still a kid to be honest, and they are wondering how Iris could have a long patience for Siena.

"We have to know where are they." Lei chimes in, he's starting to calculate where might the other people are hiding based on the floors and the rooms from their spot.

"Right, if they are here, it means there's a passageway for them to use so they can leave anytime they want." Denver said in relief, as if he suddenly began to feel safe knowing that there might have a chance for them to escape in that place. "What are we waiting for? Let's find them!"

"This mansion is too big and too mysterious, where shall we start?" Siena asked and to be honest, she has a point. They have seen the place through the CCTV monitors, it's changing and seems bringing everyone into a different dimensions every night. They've been seeing unexplainable scene at the monitors but once they get to reached the specified room, no one is in there. Example for Trevor's incident the first time they saw him in a room but turns out he's in different room.

"What time is it?" Trevor asked. Everyone shrugged their shoulders but Lexi.

"It's still 11 in the morning, we have plenty of time before they got to attack." She said.

For the others, it's nothing unusual to Lexi's answer, but for Iris, who kept her eyes at Lexi. She began to doubt her again. How did Lexi know the time without looking into something? Like watch, phones or clock. She just stared into nothingness then she already know the time.

"What are you thinking?" Siena asked whispery.

"Nothing much, just wondering how Lexi know the time."

"Uh? Maybe she saw a clock that we didn't see?" Siena said confusedly.

"Not when all the clocks here aren't working, dumbass." Iris hissed so low that no one hear them talking while they are heading to the place where they think people that are not participants are hiding.

"Well, maybe she have watch or phone."

"You know what? Just don't mind me." Iris waved her hand to dismissed Siena. Siena shrugged her shoulders and clings onto Iris's arm as they both continue their walk.

When everyone reached the floor that they haven't checked before, they started to search all the rooms one by one but sees nothing unusual. No other humans nor monsters. So they headed again to the other side of the mansion, not even aware that the place taking them into another dimension once again, until one by one, everyone we're missing.

When Lexi turned back to see the other as she didn't hear any footsteps behind her, she sees no one.

"Guys?" She called but the only sounds she could hear is her voice and the echo. "C'mon, we don't have time to joke around." She yelled but still no response.

"Lexi!"

" Lexi, can you hear me?!" It's Trevor and Jazen's voice. Lexi looked around but she can't see them.

"Where are you?!" She yelled a bit worried.

"We're here in front of you! There's a barrier between us!" Trevor yelled once again, but Lexi couldn't see them even the barrier he was talking about. "Lexi we can't get through!"

"What? Where are you?!" Lexi shouted much louder this time while starting to walk back from where they started.

"Where are you going?! Lexi don't leave!" Those are the only words she heard from the others before their voices vanished and replaced with a defeaning sound.

"Guys! Jazen! Trev!" Lexi called loudly but no one response to her this time. She looked around, she run without knowing where to go, she go back to the living room, thinking that she might see them but still none. Until there's a dazzling light coming from the open front door, she used her arm to cover her eyes but enough to see the people entering the mansion while laughing. They are wearing chasuble and a religious black habit, with kids running and giggling.

The priest looked up when he noticed Lexi, then he smiled. "Lexi, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to do the cleaning in the basement with Trevor?"

"Father Sitrus." Lexi mumbled. The priest's smiling face replaced with an anger ones.

"How dare you to come back after getting everyone killed because of your friend's stubborness?!" The priest yelled. Lexi could feel the wrath in his voice, vibrating into the whole place. Her eyes slowly widened as she take step backwards when the priest and the nuns glare at her, even the kids who are now all decaying creatures of the abyss. It's horrific and terrifying. "It's all your fault, Lexi! It's all your fault along with Trevor!" The priest shouted, his voice began to be more louder as he keep repeating those words until Lexi couldn't bear it anymore and he lost her consciousness.

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