Chapter 2: Taken by the Shadows
Simo!!
Lerato's scream tore through the dark hallway, echoing off the rotten walls. She rushed after where he had been dragged, but the corridor seemed longer now like it had stretched. Like the house wanted to keep them apart.
Where did he go? Thabo cried, panic rising in his voice. He clung to her arm, eyes darting around.
I don't know, Lerato breathed, her flashlight flickering again. But we have to find him. We're not leaving without him.
The hallway groaned as if it were alive. The wooden floor beneath their feet moved slightly, almost like breathing.
They turned a corner and found deep, scratch marks along the wall like something had clawed at it. Or like someone had tried to hold on as they were dragged away.
Lerato ran her fingers over the marks. Still fresh. Still warm.
Something's in here with us, Thabo whispered.
No. Someone, not something, Lerato said. Remember the girl in the mirror? And that message:Don't let her in…
Thabo's eyes widened. "You think it's her? The one the legends talk about? The girl who went missing years ago?"
Lerato didn't answer.
Instead, the flashlight flickered again and then turned off completely.
Darkness.
Pure, suffocating black.
And then…
A giggle.
Soft. Childlike. But broken like a laugh hiding behind pain.
Lerato's breath hitched. She tried banging the flashlight, and finally, it blinked back to life. The beam landed directly on a doll sitting in the middle of the hallway.
A doll that hadn't been there before.
Its head was tilted. Eyes empty. Mouth stitched shut with red thread.
Then the whisper came again, right behind them:
She's already in…
Thabo spun around. Nothing. Just the long, dark hallway behind them. But the doll… now its head was facing them.
I can't do this,he said, stepping back.
Don't,Lerato warned.
Too late.
He stepped directly onto a loose wooden board. It snapped and a trapdoor beneath him gave way.
Thabo!!
She dove forward, grabbing his hand just in time. His legs dangled into complete blackness below. Something hissed from the pi cold and wet and reaching.
Don't let go! Thabo begged.
I've got you! Lerato strained, pulling with everything she had. With a final heave, he rolled onto the floor, both of them breathing hard.
What the hell is this place? he gasped.
I think it's not just haunted, she said quietly. I think it's cursed. Alive. And feeding.
Feeding… on what?
On fear.
A door creaked behind them. They turned to see a dim light glowing from what looked like a basement stairwell.
Lerato stood up. That's where they took Simo.
You're crazy if you think I'm going down there!
We leave no one behind.
She took a step toward the stairs. Thabo hesitatedthen followed.
As they descended into the basement, the air turned colder. The walls were wet, dripping with something dark. Red handprints lined the staircase. And deeper below, a faint sound grew louder…
Crying.
A boy's cry.
Simo…
Lerato gripped the metal rod tighter, her heart racing. The basement opened into a large, circular room. Chains hung from the ceiling. Broken toys littered the floor. And in the middle, surrounded by shadow
Simo.
Curled up, shivering, whispering to himself.
She ran to him. Simo! Are you okay?!
But when he looked up… it wasn't him.
His eyes were black. Completely. As if his soul had been eaten.
He smiled slowly.
She's here.
The basement door slammed shut behind them.
The whispers turned to screams.
And from the shadows…
She stepped forward.
The girl from the mirror.
Face twisted. Bloodied. Eyes wide with rage and sorrow. Mouth still stitched but now bleeding as if trying to scream.
Lerato stood her ground.
Run! she shouted to Thabo.
But he was frozen.
And the house?
It was only getting started.