Prologue
Darkness shrouded the night, concealing the fear etched across my face as I sprinted through the desolate streets, clutching my bag that held the few items dear to me. The dim glow of flickering streetlights cast long, haunting shadows that mirrored the dread within my heart. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my footsteps echoed the panic resonating through my mind. A desperate plea for sanctuary guided my frantic journey, my only solace the rhythmic drumming of my heart, urging me to escape the clutches of my tormentor.
"Kia!" I heard him shout my name from the distance. My breath hitched, and I tried to run harder, faster.
The rage in his voice echoed in my ears, a constant reminder that my life depended on outpacing the monster pursuing me. I shuddered at the thought of what he would do to me if I was caught by him. Clutching my bag even tighter, I thought about if there was something precious that I had left behind, and then I almost skidded to a stop as I remembered my mom's pendant.
Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought that I would never be able to go back to get it - it was the one thing that I had left of my mother. He would pawn it off for sure, and I would never be able to...
I couldn't stop. Not now.
As my feet pounded against the pavement again, a choice loomed ahead – the road leading to the mansion everyone warned me to stay away from, or a path that led to the nearby city, but I was getting tired and slower - the threat of my abuser gaining ground was high.
I hesitated only momentarily, fear gripping my chest, but the urgency to survive pushed me toward the ominous path of the haunted mansion. The stories of death and despair that surrounded it resonated in my mind, each warning intensifying the chills that ran down my spine. Yet, desperate and with no other sanctuary in sight, I ran towards it.
His shouts grew distant as I ventured into the shadowed lane leading to the notorious mansion. The air was thick with apprehension, and my steps echoed the pounding of my heart. The mansion emerged like a specter, looming in the inky darkness. The facade warned of a sinister history, but desperation drowned my apprehension as I approached the intimidating gates.
I stood there, debating my fate. The mansion had a reputation for devouring those who dared to trespass, tales of ghostly apparitions and unspeakable horrors haunting its halls. For a moment, I questioned if facing the supernatural was a better fate than returning to the brutality awaiting me.
In the end, with no sanctuary in sight and the echo of his footsteps growing louder, I decided to risk it. I pushed the heavy gates open, the ominous creak sending shivers down my spine. The mansion loomed before me, a dark silhouette against the night sky. As I stepped over the threshold, a peculiar calm settled over me. The fear of my abuser dimmed, replaced by a different kind of trepidation – the unknown that awaited me inside the mansion.
But I would rather get devoured by a ghost than go back into the clutches of that man. The sad state of my life didn't escape me, but I could only hope that the ghost was not as malevolent as him.
To my surprise, the mansion's exterior betrayed its haunted reputation. A well-maintained garden, complete with a serene pool, spread out before me. It didn't fit the dilapidated image painted by the town's ominous rumors. The mansion stood, not as a decrepit relic, but as a grand testament to another era.
I was expecting it to be cold, dark and moldy.
With wary steps, I approached the grand entrance. The door, surprisingly ajar, beckoned me inside. I crossed the threshold, and a peculiar mixture of awe and dread washed over me. The interior defied expectations; antique furniture adorned the well-lit rooms, and not a speck of dust dared to linger. Someone had cared for this place, lived in it.
Alarm bells rang in my head as the pieces didn't quite fit. A mansion with a dark history, rumored to consume those who entered, stood before me, pristine and inviting. Exhaustion and desperation blurred my judgment. My instincts screamed at me to turn away, yet the allure of safety prevailed.
It wasn't as bad as people made it sound. Perhaps that was why people were tempted to visit this haunted place in the first place. I just hoped that whoever resided here would take some mercy on me and gave me shelter till I could find shelter in someplace else.
I wanted to go to my brother, I knew he would take me away from that monster. But till then...
I stumbled upon a room adorned with a plush couch, my aching body demanding respite. The internal struggle between caution and fatigue ceased, and with a weary surrender, I collapsed onto the couch. Sleep claimed me swiftly, wrapping me in its embrace.
As I drifted into unconsciousness, I couldn't shake the feeling that the mansion held secrets, both supernatural and human, waiting to reveal themselves in the shadows of the night. Yet, in that moment, the need for solace overpowered the foreboding mysteries that surrounded me. The mansion, once a realm of dread, became an unexpected sanctuary, offering a brief respite from the relentless pursuit of my abuser and the horrors that chased me in the waking world.
