Act V

The air was thick with tension as the group huddled in the walk-in closet, the faint hum of the mansion's ancient air conditioning drowned out by the guttural moans echoing through the halls. Hendrick stood by the door, his bloodied hands gripping the clothes hanger like a weapon. His face was pale, but his eyes were sharp, focused.

"We need to move," I said, my voice low but firm. "Now."

Evelyn nodded, her usual confidence replaced by a quiet determination. "My mom's room is down the hall. There's a back door that leads to the garden. We can get out that way."

"And if it's locked?" Maya asked, her voice trembling.

"It's not," Evelyn said, "Mom is always forgetful, so she leaves the key in the keyhole."

We exchanged uneasy glances. Evelyn seemed genuinely confused about what was going on in her own house. Hopefully, she was right about this.

"Stay close," I said, stepping toward the door. "And don't stop for anything."

I opened the door slowly, peering into the hallway. The shadows seemed to shift and twist, the faint sound of footsteps echoing in the distance. The creature was close—too close.

We moved as one, our footsteps soft but hurried. Evelyn led the way, her familiarity with the mansion guiding us through the labyrinth of hallways. Hendrick brought up the rear, his eyes darting nervously behind us.

The moans grew louder, and the air grew colder. The creature was following us.

"Faster," I whispered, my heart pounding in my chest.

We turned a corner, and the hallway seemed to stretch on forever. The sound of the creature's footsteps grew louder, closer. I glanced over my shoulder and saw it—a hunched, humanoid figure with glowing eyes and a grotesque snarl. It was gaining on us.

"Run!" I shouted, pulling the others forward to get ahead of me, starting with Sasha, Masha, Maya, then Evelyn.

But Evelyn froze, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the creature. "No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's… it's Grandpa."

Hendrick didn't hesitate. He stepped in front of Evelyn, his clothes hanger raised like a weapon. "Go!" he shouted, his voice firm. "I'll hold it off!"

"Hendrick, no!" Maya screamed, her voice breaking.

"Just go!" Hendrick snapped, his eyes never leaving the creature. "I'll buy you time!"

The creature lunged, its claws slashing through the air. Hendrick swung the hanger, the metal clanging against the creature's arm. It roared, a sound that sent shivers down my spine, but Hendrick stood his ground, his face pale but determined.

"Go!" he shouted again, his voice strained.

I grabbed Maya's arm, pulling her away. "We have to go!" I said, my voice tight with urgency.

Maya hesitated, her eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. We ran, a loud defiant scream from Hendrick coming from behind us. I didn't look back. I couldn't.

...

We reached Evelyn's mom's room, the door slightly ajar. Evelyn pushed it open, her hands trembling. "This way," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The room was dark, the air heavy with the scent of dust and decay. The back door was visible at the far end, but before we could move, a low, guttural moan filled the room.

Another creature stepped out of the shadows, its glowing eyes fixed on us. It was smaller than the first, but no less terrifying.

Masha quickly grabbed a lamp from a nearby table and hurled it at the creature, the glass shattering against its chest. The creature seemed unaffected by Masha's move, roaring instead, its attention fully on Masha.

"What the hell are you guys doing!" Masha shouted, her voice sharp. "Run."

I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest. "Masha..."

"Don't worry," she said, forcing a small smile. "I'm right behind you."

We started for the door, but the creature grabbed Masha.

"No!"

"Keep going!" she insisted, struggling against the creature's grip.

And so we did. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see the creature lunging at her, its claws slashing through the air. Masha didn't scream. She just looked at us, her eyes filled with a quiet resolve, and a small smile on her face just before the creature's claws tears into her sternum, separating her body in two.

...

We burst through the back door, the cool night air hitting us like a slap. The garden stretched out before us, the moonlight casting long, eerie shadows across the grass. But the relief was short-lived.

The sound of the creatures' moans echoed behind us, growing louder with each passing second. They were coming.

"We need to keep moving," I said, my voice tight with urgency.

Maya nodded, her face pale but determined. Sasha was silent, her eyes filled with tears. Evelyn looked back at the mansion, her expression unreadable.

"Come on," I said, grabbing her arm. "We can't stop now."

We ran, the sound of the creatures' footsteps echoing behind us. The garden seemed to stretch on forever, the shadows twisting and shifting as if alive. But we didn't stop. We couldn't.

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