Marc could hardly wait for the evening. His heart beat faster as he remembered his first chat with Elena. Her messages were profound, sometimes dark, but fascinating. Her profile picture had immediately appealed to him: her long, black hair, her mysterious eyes. She seemed different, mysterious, and exciting.
When she invited him to her home, he was, of course, immediately on board. Who would turn down a meeting with such a captivating woman? Her voice in the voice messages had captivated him every time. Something about her deep, raspy voice kept him thinking about an adventure. He drove through the darkness, past giant trees and lonely fields.
The navigation system showed only a few minutes left until their destination. When Marc finally stopped at a huge iron gate leading to a large estate, he realized how remote the house really was. No neighbors, no streetlights. Just the vast, eerie countryside. The gate opened slowly as summer approached, and before him stretched a long, paved driveway leading to an imposing mansion.
Dusk had fallen, and the light from the house cast long shadows across the manicured garden. Marc parked his car and got out. He felt a slight tension he couldn't quite interpret. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar silence surrounding him, or the fact that he was so far from civilization. But he pushed the unease aside. This was only the beginning of an exciting evening.
When he reached the front door, it was already open. Elena was standing there, smiling, just as he had imagined. She looked stunning in an elegant black dress that accentuated her slim figure. Her dark eyes sparkled as she invited him in. "Welcome, Marc," she said, her voice calm and warm. "I'm glad you came." "It's a truly impressive house," Marc said, looking around the large entrance hall. The high ceilings, the heavy wooden furniture, and the antique paintings on the walls gave the house a certain grandeur, but also something eerie. It felt old, almost like a relic from another time. "Yes, it has a long history," Elena said with a meaningful smile. "But let's enjoy the evening. I've prepared something special for us."
She led him into a cozy living room, where wine was already on a small table. The lights were dim, the fireplace crackling softly in the background. It could have been the start of a perfect evening, but there was something odd about the way Elena spoke. Her topics became darker the longer the conversation went on.
She spoke of pain, of death, and of humanity's "true face," which only reveals itself in the dark.
Marc felt uncomfortable but tried to ease the uncomfortable mood with a few lighthearted remarks. But then it happened—a deep, threatening growl broke the tense silence. Marc turned around and, to his surprise, saw a gigantic dog standing in the doorway.
The animal was massive, its black fur gleaming in the dim light of the room. Its eyes seemed to want to pierce Marc, while its teeth flashed menacingly. "This is Zhora," Elena said with a slight smile. "He's very protective. He likes to hunt... unwelcome guests." Marc felt his breath catch. Something was very wrong. Suddenly, Elena's smile seemed dangerous, her eyes cold.
The dog growled again and took a step toward Marc. Panic gripped him. Without thinking twice, Marc jumped up and ran out of the room, through the dark hallways of the house. Behind him, he heard Zhora's heavy footsteps, the scratching of its claws on the wooden floor, and the incessant growling. He stumbled through the corridors, the house seeming to stretch out before him. Every room, every door only led deeper into the labyrinth of darkness and threat. His head was spinning; the rotten, musty smell that hung everywhere in the air grew stronger. It was as if the house itself were poisoned, as if it were slowly rotting.
Marc finally found himself in the kitchen. He was out of breath, his heart racing, his thoughts racing. In the kitchen, he cast a desperate glance at the countertop, reaching for a knife—no, it was just a fork. But at that moment, he didn't care what it was; he had to defend himself. The heavy door crashed open, and Zhora rushed into the room. The huge dog was unstoppable; its only goal seemed to be to kill Marc. The dog lunged at him, and in a reflex, Marc rammed the fork into the animal's eye.
Zhora yelped, a horrible, deafening sound that echoed throughout the house. Blood spurted from the injured eye. Blood spurted from the dog's injured eye, and the animal recoiled, staggering in pain. But it wasn't enough. Zhora had only grown angrier. The blood streamed down his face, but he lunged at Marc again. Marc threw everything he could find at the dog—pots, pans, plates. Nothing seemed to stop Zhora. Marc stumbled backward, desperately searching for an escape route, and then he saw the basement door. Without thinking, he ripped it open and threw himself down the stairs.
The dog's footsteps echoed behind him, and Marc knew he had only seconds before Zhora reached him. The basement was dark and smelled even worse than the rest of the house. The scent of decay and death hung so thick in the air that Marc almost vomited. He stumbled through the room, his feet slipping on the damp floor. Everything felt clammy and eerie. The walls were covered in mold, and rotting objects lay everywhere, objects Marc couldn't identify in the darkness.
Zhora broke open the cellar door and rushed down the stairs. Marc could hear the animal's growling and angry panting as it approached. He grabbed a broom handle, anything to defend himself, but he knew there was little chance of stopping Zhora. But then Marc saw the tunnel at the end of the cellar. It was a narrow passage, almost too small for him, but it was his only chance. With all his strength, he squeezed in, the dog's growling right behind him. He crawled through the narrow tunnel, his heart pounding in his throat, and the air was stuffy and humid. The tunnel seemed endless, but at the end, Marc saw the faint light of the exit.
Zhora was behind him. The animal repeatedly bumped into the walls of the tunnel as it tried to reach Marc. Marc crawled faster, his hands aching, his lungs burning. He knew he had only seconds left before the dog caught up with him. With his last bit of strength, Marc pulled himself through the exit and fell out into the cool night air. He gasped, his legs trembled, and his whole body was exhausted from the exertion. But he had done it—he was out.
The house was behind him, and Zhora could no longer follow him. But when Marc turned around, he saw Elena. She stood at the exit of the tunnel, her eyes glowing with rage. Zhora stood by her side, despite his bleeding eye, ready for another attack. Marc felt the panic rising again. Was this the end? But before he could move, he heard a deep growl from the forest.
A huge bear emerged from the shadows, its massive shoulders rolling, and it looked like a mountain in motion. Elena and Zhora seemed to freeze for a moment, and then the bear leaped at them with an indescribable roar. Zhora tried to defend herself, but the bear was too fast, too strong. With one blow, it tore the dog to pieces, and Elena screamed as the bear lunged at her. Marc saw the bear tear them both to pieces, their screams echoing into the night.