Chapter 3: The Sawyers' Welcome

The van rolled to a stop in front of a dilapidated, decaying house that looked like it had been forgotten by time. Dust lingered in the air, and the sound of the creaking floorboards was almost deafening as the doors opened.

Sally, her face pale from the tension that had filled the van, was the first to speak. "Are we sure this is the place?"

Alex nodded. He didn't want to, but he did. He had no choice. The house was exactly where the Sawyer family had made their home, a place where the nightmare of Leatherface would soon unfold. The System had dragged him here, and there was nothing he could do to stop the chain of events that would lead to the bloodbath inside.

But maybe—just maybe—he could change it, just a little.

Side Quest: Investigate the Sawyer House

Task: Search for clues about the Sawyer family.

Reward: +5 Intelligence

The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the yard. The house looked unnervingly quiet, with only the sound of insects and distant birds filling the silence.

The others seemed too tired to notice the atmosphere, oblivious to the horror creeping closer. Franklin was already out of the van, struggling to get his wheelchair out of the back. Jerry helped him, while Pam and Kirk followed behind.

Alex lingered at the back, his gaze fixed on the house. He could feel the weight of what was about to happen, but he had to move fast. Investigate the house. Maybe there was something inside that could explain why the Sawyers were like they were, why Leatherface and his twisted family went on a killing spree.

Taking a deep breath, Alex approached the front porch, carefully stepping over the rotting wooden steps. A chill ran down his spine as he reached for the door handle. The moment his fingers brushed against the handle, the door creaked open on its own, revealing a dimly lit interior.

The air smelled like decay. Old furniture was piled in corners, and the walls seemed to be bleeding a dark, oppressive atmosphere.

The First Glimpse of the Sawyers

As Alex stepped inside, he spotted a figure in the shadows. It was hard to make out at first, but it was definitely human, standing at the far end of the room.

A slow, deep chuckle echoed through the space.

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?"

Alex froze.

[The System has activated a new enemy encounter: The Sawyer Family.]

[Warning: Leatherface is nearby.]

The voice was distorted, and as Alex's eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw a man, thin and sickly, with wild eyes. He wore a dirty apron, his hair stringy and unkempt.

The man tilted his head to the side, studying Alex. "You don't look like you belong here. What's your name, boy?"

Alex's heart skipped a beat. The man's gaze was unnervingly sharp, as though he could see right through him. But the System had provided him with an identity, so he forced himself to speak confidently.

"Alex," he said, hoping his voice didn't crack. "I… I'm with the group outside. We just… stopped by."

The man's grin widened. "Stopped by, huh? We don't get visitors around here often. Least not ones that don't leave screaming."

A chill crawled up Alex's spine. The Sawyers were dangerous. He could already tell that the odds were stacked against him. This man—was he Drayton Sawyer, the father? Or perhaps one of the sons? He couldn't be sure, but Alex didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.

"I—I think we should leave," Alex muttered, his hand resting on the doorframe.

But the man only smiled. "Oh, don't worry, boy. You ain't leavin' till you meet the family."

Before Alex could react, the man stepped aside, revealing the back door, where the faint sound of chainsaws echoed.

Alex felt his stomach drop. He didn't want to know who was behind that door.

The First Encounter with Leatherface

A loud roar of a chainsaw cut through the stillness of the house. Alex's heart pounded in his chest. The sound was unmistakable.

Suddenly, the door at the far end of the room burst open, and out stepped a massive figure in a blood-spattered apron, wearing a grotesque mask made of human skin.

Leatherface.

Alex instinctively took a step back, his breath catching in his throat. Leatherface raised the chainsaw, his eyes wild with hunger and madness. Alex's mind raced. He knew the moment this happened, death would follow.

But the System hadn't given him a way out. It had only handed him a quest:

Survive.

He had no choice but to act.

Side Quest: Defend the Main Cast

Task: Prevent a massacre inside the house.

Reward: +10 Defense

In a split second, Alex lunged for the nearest object he could find—a rusted metal pipe hanging from the wall. He swung it at Leatherface, who barely flinched as the pipe clattered against his mask.

Leatherface growled, tightening his grip on the chainsaw, and lunged toward Alex. The chainsaw screamed, and Alex barely managed to duck out of the way, feeling the hot wind from the spinning blades rush past him.

It's coming.

Franklin's scream echoed from outside, snapping Alex's focus back to the others. He couldn't fight Leatherface alone. He needed a distraction.

Without thinking, Alex grabbed a nearby chair and threw it at the chainsaw-wielding maniac. Leatherface momentarily paused, the chair hitting him squarely in the chest, enough to stagger him for a second.

That was Alex's chance.

"RUN!" he yelled, his voice hoarse. "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! NOW!"

The others didn't hesitate. Sally, Pam, Jerry, and Franklin rushed toward the door, screaming, while Alex stayed behind for one more distraction.

He lunged at Leatherface again, narrowly avoiding the chainsaw's teeth as it buzzed dangerously close to his face. In that brief moment of chaos, Alex knew that the System was playing its game.

It didn't want him to survive.

But he refused to give up. He'd survive this.

To Be Continued…