Page 20 of House of Horrors

The man remains eerily still, his lips the color of coal until he convulses. Bones crack, the infection spreading rapidly, and his body turns a sickly bile-green. His inhuman noises blend into the disturbing symphony of other voices screeching as they are reborn into something terrible.

My eyelids flutter, shutting to protect myself from the sight of these horrors. Everything blurs, nothing but screams and a sickening stench registering for me. My breaths pound too loud in my head. A sour, putrid taste lingers on my tongue with my next inhale. My throat spasms, and I cough while struggling to breathe. The second I see her, nausea is gone, shattered by immediate panic.

Daisy.

I keep staring, my eyes bulging from their sockets as a blight rushes towards her. No. My body jerks hard, held back by something unseen, control fracturing as the weight of what I’m witnessing crushes my lungs.

Please, save her, I silently beg the voice. My hand trembles, everything I’ve kept locked away spilling through the cracks.

Watch, my God hisses. She’s going to die.

I can’t—I can’t control it. I can’t stop it.

I try to warn Daisy, but my voice is gone. The monster trudges closer. I can’t protect her. It hits me hard and fast—I would sacrifice anyone to save her. My mind is in a state of absolute frenzy.

Daisy looks at me, distracted by my presence, and flashes a beautiful smile. She hasn’t seen the monster. I want to yell, to tell her to run. She has the survival instincts of a fucking spoon.

A blight reaches out its hand. My mouth opens in a silent scream.

It grabs Daisy by the neck, lifting her off the ground.

Noxious fluids burst from the creature’s hand with the force of its grip, squirting and oozing down her body.

She’s still staring at me, and I don’t understand why she’s not doing anything. Fight, run, do anything! Daisy clamps her lips tightly shut. Sweat streaks down my face as I struggle to breathe, my chest tightening with distress, helpless to do anything but watch. I regret not letting her in. Fear stopped me from even trying.

When she first arrived at the house, I overheard her laughing with her mom. Before I even saw her, something about Daisy had pulled me in. Quietly, I snuck out of my room to watch her from over the railing. It sounds pathetic, but I swear I fell in love with Daisy right then. Her power made me feel alive for the first time, and it scared me. I never believed in love at first sight, but once Daisy entered my life, I was almost convinced. And that is terrifying. How something so simple could derail my whole world. I couldn’t let that happen, and using hate was easy. I know what to expect if I hated someone. It allows me to remain in control.

Her body twitches as she struggles to breathe, legs kicking, and Daisy finally gasps for air.

A viscous liquid ejaculates from the creature and forces its way into her mouth, choking her with rot. It floods her throat before Daisy can even scream, and she’s dropped to the ground, crumbling like a forgotten doll.

She looks so fragile.

The vision torments me, leaving a tight, aching knot in my chest. Now I understand. I can’t stop how she makes me feel, and I can’t keep pretending I don’t care.

If I don’t save Grimwood when I return, Daisy will be infected. I’ll lose her. I can’t let that happen. Not her. Not ever. The world blurs, the ancient voice pulling me from this moment, but I don’t escape Daisy’s harrowing wail. It’s a harsh reminder of what’s at stake.

Twelve

Jason

Smoke and burning flesh linger on my tongue when I return. I spit, trying to rid my mouth of death and disease.

The second Daisy looks at me, the anxiety inside me dissolves. She’s alive. My breath hitches when I see that her eyes glow red, like the same rapturous words I heard are now echoing in her mind. She must be seeing what we have been tasked with preventing. The voice—our God—speaks to her, too.

I hold myself tightly, preparing to face the truth.

I don’t want Daisy to die.

I don’t want her to die because, for some inexplicable reason, I can’t stop myself from gravitating towards her. My subconsciousness knew this all along—perceived our undeniable bond—and now I see everything clearly, too.

Tonight, death surrounds us, and somehow it pushes me straight into Daisy’s arms.

Grimwood is our home, and I won’t let it fall. The soul of the town, our dark deity, speaks to us. It’s within us. If we fail, everything will be overtaken by these blights. I will not let them take Daisy from me.

I suddenly realize that our shared destiny is why Daisy so easily enthralls me. Together, we’re meant for more, and saving the town is just the beginning.

“Are we gods?” Daisy asks, studying her hands like she’s seeing herself differently.