Whispers of the past

The corridor stretched out before her, its walls lined with faded wallpaper and flickering torches which casted dancing shadows across the floor. To her left and right, doorways led to unknown chambers. As she was unsure of which way would lead her out of this God forsaken place she decided to go to the left first thinking she could always turn back the other way if she didn't like the looks of the next room. The left door was also the one closest to her, with fear in her heart she stepped closer towards it. As she opened the creaking wooden door she saw bright light in the room. It was filled with warmth, she stepped into it and as the door closed it felt like the light absorbed her. Breaking free from all fear and events that have happened in the mansion. It was like she was free. 

"Maybe this is true freedom" Lily thought to herself. She laid down in the room and soaked up the light.

As Lily lay in the room, surrounded by its gentle glow, a peaceful flashback of her sister flooded her mind, like a balm to her wounded soul. She remembered the laughter they shared, the bond they forged through years of sisterhood. The image of her sister's smiling face filled her heart with warmth, banishing the shadows of guilt and sorrow that had haunted her for so long. In her mind's eye, Lily saw her sister's playful grin, heard her infectious laughter echoing through the halls of their childhood home. She remembered the times they spent together, the secrets they shared, the dreams they dared to dream. As the memories washed over her, Lily felt a sense of gratitude welling up within her—a deep appreciation for the love and joy her sister had brought into her life, even in the midst of tragedy.

In that moment, surrounded by the comforting light of the room, Lily felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew that her sister was with her, watching over her from beyond, guiding her towards a future filled with hope and healing. With a smile on her lips and tears of gratitude in her eyes, Lily whispered a silent thank you to her sister. 

But just as she thought this was heaven and she could stay here forever a bell tolled again and again. With each toll of the bell the light faded away. As the light began to dim Lily started to panic and be in pain again, she remembered he horrible night. The good memories driven away by the bad, the night she drove her sister, Emily, back home from a friend, the storm that shook the car, the slippery, windy roads and the car crash that followed. Emily's deafening screech, forever in her mind. How she was banished out of the family home as her parents blamed her for the accident. 

And that's how the bad habits, the drugs started. For how could she ever forgive herself if even her parents couldn't? 

The room that was filled with light was now a black hole, the same as her heart, it felt empty again. 

Lily looked around the room, and noticed a big window. She walked over to it, tried to open it but it was a big, solid window. She looked for something to break it with but besides a big armchair and a fireplace the room was empty. There where two doors, almost next to each other in the room. Which one did she came in from? Was her sister actually here to help her or was it just another play of the mansion to give her a slither of hope and then take it away? As she had these thoughts a little orb of light flew through one of the doors, as if it was guiding her. "Emily?" Lily asked. Could she trust her eyes or was it wishful thinking? She decided that the light was better than the darkness and followed the orb through the door. 

The next room was dimly lit again, with a chandelier in the middle of the room. The chandelier held candles that where close to being burned up. It looked like a dining room. 

The room was spacious, with a long dining table stretching down the centre, decorated with a faded tablecloth and ornate silverware. As Lily surveyed the room, her eyes were drawn to the portraits that lined the walls—faded images of stern-faced individuals staring down at her with cold, unseeing eyes. It was clear that this had once been a place of wealth and privilege, but now it lay in ruin, haunted by the ghosts of its past. 

And there is was again, the bell. This damn bell that bode bad news every time it tolled. "If only I could find this bell and destroy it" Lily whispered to herself. As the bell stopped tolling Lily grabbed some of the silverware, a knife and a platter to use as a makeshift shield. As she braced herself for the inevitable confrontation, a voice echoed in her mind—a voice she recognised, it was Emily. She was urging her to remain calm and trust in her own strength.

From the shadows emerged a creature unlike anything she had ever seen before. It moved with an unsettling grace, its form shifting and undulating as it slithered across the floor towards her.

As it drew closer, Lily's heart pounded in her chest, her breath catching in her throat at the sight before her. The creature appeared to be a monstrous amalgamation of various animal parts—a twisted abomination born from the darkest recesses of the mansion's depths.

Its body was snakelike, covered in scales that glistened in the dim light of the room. From its back sprouted twisted, gnarled limbs, each ending in sharp claws that scraped against the wooden floor with a sickening sound. But perhaps the most chilling aspect of the creature was its eyes, which where glowing orbs of malevolent light that seemed to pierce straight through Lily's soul, filling her with a primal sense of fear and dread.

As the creature leapt towards her she swung the knife with all her might, aiming for the creature's glowing eyes. She managed to hit it and shattered the orbs of malevolent light and evoked a deafening screech from the creature. Seizing the opportunity, Lily pressed her advantage, striking again and again with the knife, driving the creature back with each blow.

But the creature was resilient, its twisted form twisting and writhing as it fought against her onslaught. Lily knew that she needed to deliver a decisive blow if she wanted to defeat it once and for all. Summoning all her strength, Lily channelled her fear and anger into a final, devastating strike. With a primal roar, she swung the knife with all her might, aiming for the creature's vulnerable underbelly. As she struck she heard a sickening crunch, and the creature let out one final, agonized shriek before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Lily stood panting, her hands trembling from the exertion, as she watched the creature's form dissolve into nothingness, leaving only a faint trail of smoke in its wake. Lily breathed a sigh of relief, her heart still pounding in her chest. She knew that she had faced her fears and emerged victorious, proving to herself that she was stronger than she had imagined. 

With her newfound strength Lily decided to move on, clenching onto her knife. She dropped the platter and stepped towards the next door. The next challenge, which surely she could overcome. As she stepped through the next door she appeared to be in what looked to be the entrance hall, there where some stairs to the right, and in front of her was a double door which would lead her outside. She dropped her knife and ran towards the door, trying to open it. As she tried to open it that evil laughter from the first room appeared. Resonating through the house, Lily collapsed to the floor. The laugh then turned into a voice "You're not there yet, a few more challenges await. You almost surrendered yourself to the house, maybe there is still time for you to do so". The voice echoed through her brain. Once the voice disappeared she sat up and looked at the stairs. "I guess that's where I have to go to next" She said to herself, wishing she was in the light again. It was like the light, or maybe even Emily gave her strength. "What could possibly be up there?" She thought to herself, before slowly stepping up the stairs.