The House of Screams
Written by YeongDo5

The night was cold, colder than usual, as the group of friends made their way down the narrow, winding road that led to Sean's uncle's old house. The house had stood for over a hundred years, a decaying relic from a forgotten era. It loomed ahead, silhouetted against the darkening sky, its windows like hollow eyes staring into nothingness.

Sean, the tallest of the four, was leading the way. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze as he pointed toward the house. "There it is, guys," he said, a mix of excitement and nervousness in his voice. "Uncle Frank hasn't been here in decades. It's basically abandoned, but I figured we could crash here for the night, you know? Do something different."

Lily, her blonde hair tied in a messy bun, walked beside Ruth, the quietest of the group. Ruth's piercing green eyes studied the house with apprehension. She wasn't one for scary places, but she had agreed to come along. After all, she trusted Sean, and the idea of spending a night in an old, creepy house was better than staying home alone on a Friday night.

Jack, however, was unusually quiet. He trailed behind, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his hoodie. Jack had always been a little odd, but lately, he'd become distant. He was quieter, more withdrawn, and his friends could sense something was off. Yet, no one said anything. Not yet.

"Come on, guys, it's just a house," Sean said, his breath visible in the cool air as they finally reached the front door. It creaked open with a groan, revealing a dusty hallway that smelled of mildew and time long forgotten. Sean grinned, turning to his friends. "Welcome to Uncle Frank's place. Home sweet home."

The house's interior was worse than they'd imagined. The walls were peeling, and the furniture was covered in sheets, untouched for years. The air was thick with the scent of rot and decay, but Sean didn't seem to care. "It's perfect," he said, laughing as he tossed his backpack onto a chair. "We've got the whole night to hang out here. No rules, no adults. Just us."

Lily chuckled, though it was clear she was trying to mask her discomfort. "Yeah, perfect for a horror movie," she said, glancing around nervously. Ruth, on the other hand, remained silent, her eyes scanning the room as if expecting something to jump out at her from the shadows.

Jack said nothing. He simply stood by the door, staring at the old wallpaper that was peeling away in strips. There was something about the way he stood, rigid and unmoving, that made the others uneasy. But still, they brushed it off.

"Let's explore!" Sean suggested, grabbing a flashlight from his bag and heading down the hallway. The others followed, their footsteps echoing through the empty house. The floorboards creaked under their weight, and every sound seemed amplified in the eerie silence.

They wandered through the rooms, marveling at the old furniture, the dusty portraits of long-dead relatives hanging on the walls, and the general sense of abandonment that filled the place. Sean was thrilled, his excitement contagious as he led them through the dark, labyrinthine corridors.

But Jack... Jack seemed different. He wandered off on his own, disappearing into the shadows of the house without a word. The others didn't notice at first, too caught up in the novelty of exploring the decrepit mansion. It wasn't until Ruth asked, "Where's Jack?" that they realized he was gone.

"Probably just messing with us," Sean said, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "You know Jack, always trying to be the creepy one."

Lily didn't seem so sure. "We should find him. This place gives me the creeps," she said, her voice trembling slightly. Ruth nodded in agreement, and the three of them began searching the house for their missing friend.

As they searched, the house seemed to grow darker, the shadows lengthening, the air growing colder. The old wooden walls seemed to close in on them, the narrow hallways twisting and turning in ways that didn't make sense. It was as if the house itself was alive, watching them, waiting for something.

Finally, they found Jack.

He was in one of the upstairs bedrooms, standing in the corner, facing the wall. His hands were pressed against the peeling wallpaper, his face inches from the surface. The others stopped in their tracks, staring at him.

"Jack?" Sean called out, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Jack didn't respond. He just stood there, his body unnaturally still, his face hidden.

"Jack, this isn't funny," Lily said, her voice trembling as she approached him. But as she got closer, something about him made her stop. There was something wrong with the way he stood, the way his shoulders slumped, the way his head tilted slightly to the side.

"Jack?" Ruth whispered, stepping forward.

Suddenly, Jack turned around.

His eyes were bloodshot, his skin pale and clammy. His lips were cracked, and his mouth hung open slightly, as if he had forgotten how to close it. But it was his eyes that frightened them the most. They were dark, almost black, with a faint red glow deep within, as if something was burning just beneath the surface.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then Jack opened his mouth and began to laugh. It wasn't a normal laugh. It was low and guttural, more like a growl than a human sound. His body twitched as he laughed, his head tilting further to the side in a way that seemed painful.

Lily screamed.

"What the hell, Jack?" Sean shouted, grabbing his friend by the arm and shaking him. But Jack didn't respond. He just kept laughing, his body trembling violently.

Then, without warning, he lunged at Sean.

The force of Jack's attack knocked Sean to the ground, and before anyone could react, Jack was on top of him, his hands around Sean's throat. His strength was unnatural, his grip iron-tight as he squeezed, his dark eyes locked onto Sean's terrified face.

Lily and Ruth screamed, but they were frozen in place, too shocked to move. It wasn't until Sean's face turned red, his gasps for air growing weaker, that Ruth snapped out of her daze and rushed forward, grabbing Jack by the shoulders and trying to pull him off.

"Jack, stop!" Ruth screamed, her voice shrill with terror. But Jack didn't even acknowledge her. He was completely lost in whatever had taken hold of him.

With a final, desperate push, Ruth managed to shove Jack off Sean, sending him sprawling across the floor. Sean gasped for air, clutching his throat as he tried to sit up, his eyes wide with fear.

But Jack wasn't done.

He scrambled to his feet with alarming speed, his movements jerky and unnatural, like a puppet on invisible strings. His eyes were wild, bloodshot, and full of rage. Without a word, he lunged at Ruth, his hands clawing at her face.

Ruth screamed as Jack's fingers dug into her skin, drawing blood. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong, his grip like iron. Lily, shaking with fear, grabbed a nearby chair and swung it at Jack's head, the impact sending him staggering backward.

But it didn't stop him.

Jack turned to Lily, his eyes blazing with fury. His lips curled into a snarl as he lunged at her, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her against the wall. She gasped for air, her hands clawing at his wrists, but it was no use. His grip was too strong, his strength too unnatural.

Ruth, her face streaked with blood, grabbed a heavy lamp from the nearby table and swung it at Jack with all her might. The lamp connected with a sickening thud, and Jack collapsed to the ground, motionless.

For a moment, there was silence. The three friends stood there, breathing heavily, staring at Jack's unmoving body.

"Is he dead?" Lily whispered, her voice trembling.

Sean, still gasping for air, shook his head. "I don't know," he said, his voice hoarse. "We need to get out of here. Now."

But before they could move, Jack's body began to twitch.

Slowly, unnaturally, he began to rise to his feet. His movements were jerky, like a marionette controlled by invisible strings. His head lolled to the side, his eyes rolling back in his head. The sound of cracking bones filled the room as his limbs twisted and contorted into impossible angles.

The three friends watched in horror as Jack stood before them, his body bent and broken, his eyes glowing with an eerie red light.

Then, without warning, he lunged at them again.

Sean was the first to fall.

Jack moved with inhuman speed, grabbing Sean by the throat and slamming him into the ground. The sickening sound of bones breaking filled the room as Jack's hands crushed Sean's neck, his eyes burning with rage.

Ruth and Lily screamed, but they were powerless to stop him. Jack's strength was too much, his fury too overwhelming. In a matter of seconds, Sean was dead, his body limp and lifeless on the floor.

Ruth grabbed Lily's arm, pulling her toward the door. "We have to go! Now!" she screamed, her voice filled with terror.

But Jack wasn't finished.

As the two girls ran toward the door, Jack moved with lightning speed, grabbing Ruth by the hair and yanking her back. She screamed in agony as his hands twisted into her hair, pulling her off her feet and dragging her across the floor. Lily froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched Ruth struggle and scream, her friend's hands clawing at Jack's iron grip.

"Ruth!" Lily's voice broke as she reached for her, but she was paralyzed with fear. Ruth's eyes were wide with terror as she kicked and thrashed, trying desperately to escape, but Jack's strength was far beyond anything human. With a swift, violent motion, Jack slammed Ruth's head into the floor. Once. Twice. The dull thud echoed through the room, and Ruth's body went limp, her green eyes staring lifelessly up at the ceiling.

Lily let out a strangled sob, her legs trembling beneath her. She was alone now. Alone with Jack.

The room seemed to close around her. The old walls, the faded portraits, the decaying furniture-everything felt oppressive, as if the house itself were complicit in the horror that was unfolding. Jack stood up slowly, his movements stiff and unnatural, his head jerking to the side as he turned to face her. His eyes glowed brighter now, an angry red, and his lips twitched into a grotesque smile.

Lily backed away, her heart hammering in her chest. She had to get out. She had to survive. She stumbled toward the door, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps as she fumbled with the handle. Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely grip it.

Behind her, Jack's low, guttural laugh filled the room. It was a sound of pure malice, devoid of any humanity. He took a step forward, his heavy footsteps echoing off the wooden floor. The sound of his laughter sent shivers down her spine, and she knew-deep down-there was no escape from whatever Jack had become.

Lily wrenched the door open and bolted down the hallway, her feet pounding against the creaking floorboards. She could hear Jack behind her, his footsteps slow but deliberate, as if he were toying with her. He didn't need to run. He knew he would catch her eventually.

Her mind raced as she ran, trying to remember the way out. The house was a maze of narrow corridors and decaying rooms, each one blending into the next. She turned a corner and found herself in the living room, the place where their night had started. It felt like a lifetime ago now, as if that version of herself-the one who had laughed and joked with her friends-was someone else entirely.

The front door was just ahead. Her only chance.

Lily sprinted toward it, her breath ragged and her lungs burning. She reached for the handle, her fingers grasping it with desperate strength, and pulled. The door wouldn't budge. It was stuck, as if the house itself was holding her in, refusing to let her go. She yanked harder, panic surging through her, but it was no use. The door was sealed shut.

"No, no, no!" she cried, pounding her fists against the wood. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to force the door open, her mind racing with the knowledge that Jack was closing in. She could hear his slow, deliberate footsteps behind her, the sound of his breathing growing louder.

Then, suddenly, she stopped. There was no point. Jack would be on her in seconds. She couldn't outrun him, and she couldn't escape the house. Her friends were dead, and she was next.

She turned slowly, pressing her back against the door as Jack stepped into the room. His eyes were glowing brighter now, his face twisted into a mockery of a smile. His clothes were stained with blood-Sean's, Ruth's-and his hands twitched at his sides, eager for more.

"Why, Jack?" Lily's voice was a broken whisper. "Why are you doing this?"

Jack tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as if considering her question. For a brief moment, it seemed like he was trying to remember something, like there was still a part of him that was human, struggling to break through the madness that had taken hold of him. But then the moment passed. His smile widened, and he took another step toward her.

Lily's breath hitched in her throat. She had no more words, no more pleas. She was trapped.

And then Jack lunged.

In a blind panic, Lily ducked to the side at the last second, and Jack slammed into the door with such force that the wood cracked. Lily scrambled away, her mind screaming at her to keep moving. There had to be another way out. The house was old, falling apart-there had to be a weakness, a window, something.

She ran into the next room, searching desperately for an exit. The windows were barred, the thick iron grates bolted into the walls as if the house had been designed to keep something-or someone-inside. Lily's chest tightened with fear. This wasn't just a house. It was a prison.

She heard Jack behind her again, moving faster now, his footsteps heavier and more erratic. He was enjoying this, savoring her fear. She glanced over her shoulder and saw him standing in the doorway, his red eyes locked onto hers, a cruel smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Lily bolted for the staircase, her legs burning with exhaustion, but she couldn't stop. She wouldn't let herself stop. She sprinted up the stairs two at a time, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. She didn't know where she was going-there was no plan, no strategy. All she knew was that she had to get away from him.

But the house seemed to have other ideas.

As she reached the top of the stairs, the hallway seemed to stretch out before her, the walls twisting and warping as if the house itself were alive, bending reality to trap her. The doors along the corridor seemed to shift and change, disappearing and reappearing, leading nowhere.

Lily's head spun. The house was a maze, a nightmare that was tightening its grip on her. She could feel the madness creeping in, the terror threatening to swallow her whole. She stumbled forward, her legs weak, her vision blurring.

Behind her, Jack was coming. She could hear his heavy breathing, his guttural laughter echoing down the hallway. He was close now. Too close.

Lily's foot caught on a loose floorboard, and she fell hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her. She gasped for air, her hands trembling as she tried to push herself up. But it was too late. Jack was there.

He stood over her, his red eyes glowing in the dim light of the hallway, his smile wide and menacing. He crouched down slowly, his hand reaching out to touch her face, his fingers cold and clammy. Lily flinched, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to crawl away, but there was nowhere to go.

Jack grabbed her by the wrist, his grip tightening painfully. Lily cried out, but her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, suffocating her, pulling her down into the void.

In that moment, as Jack's cold fingers wrapped around her throat, she realized something: this was never just Jack. It wasn't her friend doing this. It was the house. The house had taken him, twisted him, turned him into something monstrous. And now, it had her, too.

With one final, desperate cry, Lily's vision went black.

The house stood silent once more, the wind whispering through the cracks in the walls. Upstairs, in the hallway, Jack stood over Lily's motionless body, his eyes still glowing with that eerie red light. He smiled, but it wasn't Jack anymore.

It was something else.

The house had claimed its victims. And it was hungry for more.