Chapter 7: A Dead End

1: Nowhere Left to Run

The van lurched forward, its engine sputtering as Alex forced it down the empty dirt road. His hands were white-knuckled on the wheel, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The gas gauge was empty.

They weren't making it much farther.

Sally lay beside him, barely conscious, her head lolling against the window. She was getting worse. Her breathing had become shallow, her body growing colder.

Alex clenched his jaw. She needed help.

His eyes flickered to the dark horizon, scanning for anything—a gas station, a town, a miracle.

Instead, he saw a farmhouse.

A large, looming structure standing alone in the middle of nowhere, its old wooden porch bathed in the glow of a dim, flickering light.

A chill ran down his spine. He knew this place.

The Sawyer house.

His stomach twisted. Every cell in his body screamed not to go near it—but there was no other choice.

With a low groan, the van sputtered and died, rolling to a final stop.

No more fuel. No more running.

Alex let out a shaky breath, gripping the steering wheel as his mind raced.

This was a death sentence.

But Sally was dying.

And he couldn't just leave her.

He had to take the risk.

Slowly, he reached for the rusty tire iron he had found earlier and pulled the door open. The night air was thick with humidity, carrying the distant sound of insects.

He made his way around the van and pulled Sally into his arms.

Her body was limp, her skin cold.

Alex swallowed hard, shifting her weight as he turned toward the farmhouse.

Every step forward felt like walking into a grave.

Then, as he reached the porch—

The front door creaked open on its own.

Side Quest: A Risky Refuge

Task: Enter the house and search for supplies.

Reward: +1 Endurance

2: The Smell of Death

The second Alex stepped inside, he regretted it.

A putrid stench clung to the air, thick with the scent of rot, sweat, and old blood.

The house was filthy. The walls were stained, the wooden floor was sticky under his boots, and strange bone decorations hung from the ceiling.

He carefully lowered Sally onto an old, dust-covered couch in the living room. She let out a small, pained noise, barely responsive.

His heart squeezed.

She won't last much longer.

He needed to find water, food—anything.

Swallowing his fear, he turned toward the darkened hallway and took a cautious step forward.

Side Quest: Search the House

Task: Find medical supplies for Sally.

Reward: +1 Intelligence

The kitchen was a nightmare.

Flies buzzed over a sink filled with red-tinted water. A rotting slab of meat—human meat—sat on the counter, surrounded by rusty knives and bloodstains.

Alex felt bile rise in his throat.

Then—he spotted something.

A dusty first-aid kit half-buried under a pile of old rags.

He grabbed it, opening the metal case with shaking hands.

Inside, he found bandages, alcohol wipes, and a few painkillers.

It wasn't much, but it was something.

Just as he turned to leave—

A noise.

A low, guttural growl.

His breath hitched.

A shadow moved behind him.

His stomach dropped.

The kitchen door creaked open.

And standing there, towering, chainsaw in hand—

Was Leatherface.

3: Run or Die

For a split second, neither of them moved.

Then—

The chainsaw roared to life, a deafening scream of metal and fury.

Alex reacted on instinct.

He dove sideways just as the chainsaw sliced through the kitchen table, splinters flying in all directions.

Leatherface let out a deep, guttural growl, his mask of human skin twisting grotesquely in the dim light.

Alex scrambled backward, knocking over a chair as he bolted for the hallway.

His heart slammed against his ribs.

He had to get to Sally.

His feet pounded against the wooden floor, lungs burning as he sprinted toward the living room.

But when he reached the couch—

Sally was gone.

His blood ran cold.

Before he could react—

Something hard slammed into his skull.

Pain exploded in his vision.

And the world went dark.

4: A Familiar Nightmare

When Alex woke, the first thing he noticed was the smell.

Blood. Rot. Something worse.

His arms were tied, rough rope digging into his skin.

His head throbbed, pain pulsing behind his eyes.

Blinking, his vision adjusted to the dim light.

And then he saw them.

The Sawyer family.

Seated around a long wooden table, grinning, laughing, their teeth stained with something red.

Sally was there, too—tied to a chair, gagged, eyes wide with terror.

And at the head of the table, sharpening a rusty knife, sat Drayton Sawyer.

"Well now," he said, grinning. "Ain't this a fine dinner?"

Alex's body trembled.

He had failed.

But it wasn't over yet.

Not even close.

5: System Update

Mission Failed: Escape the Sawyer House

Penalty Applied: No Rewards Earned

System Update: New Option Unlocked Option 1: Reset Stats and Start Fresh in the Next Horror Show.

Option 2: Keep Your Stats, but the Next Show Will Be 100 Times Harder.

To Be Continued…