Act VI

The garden stretched out before us, the moonlight casting long, eerie shadows across the grass. The sound of the creatures' moans echoed behind us, growing louder with each passing second. We ran, our breaths ragged and our hearts pounding, the mansion's gate looming in the distance.

"There!" I shouted, pointing toward the gate. "We're almost there!"

But as we reached the gate, my heart sank. It was locked, the heavy iron bars unmovable. I grabbed the gate and shook it, but it didn't budge.

"No!" Maya cried, her voice trembling. "What do we do now?"

I glanced around, desperation clawing at my chest. The walls surrounding the garden were too high and smooth to climb, and the creatures were closing in fast.

"We have to go back," Evelyn said, her voice tight with fear. "It's too open out here. We'll be safer inside the mansion."

"Safer?" Sasha snapped, her voice rising with panic. "Are you kidding me? Those things are in there!"

"We don't have a choice!" Evelyn shot back, her eyes wide with desperation. "We can't stay here!"

The sound of the creatures' moans grew louder, and I turned to see their glowing eyes emerging from the shadows. They were closer than ever.

"Fine," I said, my voice firm. "Back to the mansion. Now!"

We turned and ran, the creatures hot on our heels. Sasha pulled out her phone, her hands trembling as she tried to call for help. "No service!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "There's no damn service!"

"Keep running!" I yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her forward.

But as we neared the mansion, one of the creatures appeared out of nowhere and lunged toward us. We all dodged, and for a moment, I thought we'd all avoided it. But then I heard Sasha scream. The creature had caught her, its grip like iron. She struggled, her eyes wide with terror.

"Sasha!" I screamed, my voice filled with anguish as the creature's hand pierced through her back, its bloodied claws emerging from her ribs.

I started toward her, but Maya held me back. "Look at her!" she cried, her voice trembling. "We can't help her! We have to keep going!"

Sasha gasped my name, her voice barely audible over the creature's snarls. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes locking with mine one last time before the creature tore her away.

Tears streamed down my face as I turned and ran, Maya pulling me forward. We burst through the mansion's back door and slammed it shut, our breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"Where do we go?" Maya asked, her voice tight with fear.

"Upstairs," Evelyn said, her voice trembling. "We'll hide in one of the rooms."

We ran up the stairs, the sound of the creatures' footsteps echoing behind us. We reached a room at the end of the hall, and Evelyn pushed the door open, her hands trembling.

"In here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

We stepped inside, and I closed the door behind us, my heart pounding in my chest. The room was dark, the air heavy with the scent of dust and decay. Evelyn leaned against the wall, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.

"I think… I think my father might be responsible for all this," she said, her voice trembling. "He's always been obsessed with preserving the past. He couldn't let go of my grandparents. He must've found a way to bring them back... as those things."

Before I could respond, the door shuddered, the sound of claws scraping against wood filling the room. The creatures were outside, their guttural moans growing louder.

"We need to barricade the door!" I said, my voice tight with urgency.

But before we could move, the door burst open, and a creature's hand shot through the gap, its claws digging into Evelyn's arm. She screamed, her eyes wide with terror as the creature pulled her outside.

"Aargh!" Maya screamed.

I grabbed Evelyn's other arm, pulling with all my strength, but the creature was too strong. Its claws dug deeper into her flesh, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream as it yanked her through the door and out of my grip.

The sound of her screams echoed through the hallway, growing fainter and fainter until they were swallowed by the darkness.

Maya and I stood frozen, our breaths coming in ragged gasps. The creatures were just outside, their snarls filling the air. We had nowhere left to run.

"The closet," I said, my voice tight with urgency. "We'll hide in the closet."

We ran to the closet and stepped inside, closing the door behind us. The air was thick with the scent of dust and fear, the sound of the creatures' moans growing louder outside.

"I'm sorry," Maya whispered, her voice trembling. "For everything. For not believing you. For not being there when you needed me."

I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest. I could feel Maya's tears against my shoulder, her body shaking with silent sobs. For a moment, the weight of everything we'd been through pressed down on us—the addiction, the fights, the distance that had grown between us.

"I forgive you," I said finally, my voice soft but steady. "And I'm sorry too. For pushing you away. For not trusting you."

Maya let out a choked sob, her arms tightening around me. We hugged each other tightly, the warmth of our embrace a stark contrast to the cold, dark closet. For a moment, it felt like nothing else mattered—not the monsters outside, not the mansion, not the horrors we'd faced. It was just the two of us, as it had always been.

But then the sound came again—a low, guttural moan, closer than ever. The monsters were right outside the door.

I closed my eyes, holding Maya tighter. "Whatever happens," I whispered, "I'm glad we're together."

Maya nodded, her tears soaking into my shirt. "Me too."

The sound of the monsters grew louder, their claws scraping against the door. Maya and I held our breath, our hearts pounding in unison.

And then, silence.

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