The cool night air wrapped around Owen and Mia as they strolled towards their usual coffee shop, the soft hum of their conversation blending with the ambient sounds of cars in the neighborhood. Mia was animated, recounting a strange dream from the night before, while Owen chuckled at her enthusiasm. The moon hung low in the sky, a faint glow hinting at its approaching fullness, casting long shadows across the pavement.
Suddenly, Mia slowed, tilting her head as she looked upward.
"Hey," she said softly, pointing at the sky. Owen glanced up, his eyes narrowing. At first, he thought it was just a normal full moon, but then he noticed something unsettling: a strange, crimson bleeding into the sky, darkening it.
"Notice anything different?" Owen asked slowly, his brow furrowing.
Mia squinted. "Yeah, it's kind of like the moon is trying to blind us. Its glow has intensified."
The moon swelled, growing brighter and larger until it became a blazing orb, illuminating the entire street with an unnatural, sickening crimson hue.
"That's… not normal," Owen muttered, gripping his phone tightly as the sky changed. One moment, they were walking along, chatting about mundane things; the next, after just a single, deliberate blink from Owen, he was utterly alone. Mia had vanished.
The street stretched out empty in all directions, bathed in the moon's malevolent red glow. No sound broke the oppressive silence except for a strange, faint whispering carried by the night wind.
Confused and panicked, Owen spun around, frantically searching for Mia or any other living being. "Mia!" he called, his voice swallowed by the silence. "Hello!" He moved forward, tried a random door, knocked, but received no response. He tried another, his heart pounding in his chest as he found himself stranded in the quiet street, a surreal ghost town. His brain struggled to process what was happening.
Then, a series of low growls echoed from the buildings nearby. Guttural, feral sounds that sent a chill through him. Shadows flickered at the edges of his vision—dark shapes moving behind windows, darting between alleyways. His instincts screamed; he clenched his fists, preparing to run or fight, unsure of what this night had turned into.
From the shadows, figures emerged—twisted, grotesque creatures that resembled goblins, but unlike any stories Owen had ever read. Their mottled skin was an irregular mix of green and gray, their rows of jagged fangs reflecting the moon's crimson glow.
"What the f*ck!" he blurted, backing up instinctively, tripping over a loose cobblestone.
As he stumbled backward, they surged forward, their claws clicking ominously on the pavement. The crimson moon above seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat, as if it were alive, watching.
He didn't need any further push to realize he was utterly screwed. He instantly scrambled up and ran like his life depended on it. Realizing he needed to act, Owen fumbled in his pocket for his phone, desperate to find some signal or a map. The screen remained dark—no service, no apps. Just a black reflection of his terrified face staring back at him.
The goblins closed in, their growls rising, thriving on his fear, feeding off the chaotic energy that radiated from him. He clenched his jaw, trying to steady his breathing. He spotted a flower shop with its door slightly ajar. Without thinking, he dashed towards it, dodging a snarling goblin that leapt at him with claws extended, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He slipped through the entrance just as another creature lunged. He slammed the door shut, using his body to reinforce it, trying desperately to keep them out, the red moonlight filtering through cracks above. Owen pressed himself against the door, trying to breathe evenly. His mind raced—what was causing this? Was it the moon's unnatural color? A portal? Magic? Or something else entirely?
As he looked into the dimly lit flower shop, he saw faint, unsettling symbols scrawled on the walls. And then, flashes of images—visions of grotesque monsters roaming freely, feeding on human fear, just like the whispers outside.
"Sigh, I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die!" He felt panic rising again, hot and suffocating.
The room was cold, the concrete walls a muted green, shadows dancing across them as a faint breeze whispered through unseen cracks. Two doors: one behind Owen, leading to the outside, and another directly opposite. The second door was closed, and the first thought that came to his mind was the desperate hope that it was locked. His heart hammered in his chest, each beat echoing like a drum in his ears, threatening to drown out the pounding thoughts racing through his mind. The overwhelming sensation of impending doom had taken root, gripping him in a suffocating grip that made every breath a struggle.
He sank to the floor, sliding down the door until he was hunched over, hugging his knees tightly as if trying to cocoon himself from the chaos outside. His palms were clammy, and tears blurred his vision, but he refused to wipe them away. Instead, he clung to the fleeting hope that if he stayed small and quiet enough, maybe he would go unnoticed, and the nightmare would pass him by.
In those trembling moments, his mind replayed the terrifying scenes he'd just witnessed: the snarling goblins, the strange writings on the walls that seemed to foretell dangers lurking beyond these walls, the whispers of the monsters haunting the dark corners of this forsaken place. The creatures outside weren't screeching and making unnecessary sounds anymore; just whispers, as if only one entity was speaking now, as if all the things he saw were an illusion, a cruel trick.
He wondered if he had been a fool for going to Mia's house. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this shit. Typical humans, he thought bitterly. If they don't understand something or are in trouble, they start pointing fingers.
He wondered if this was the end of everything he knew and loved. Every sound seemed amplified—the distant drip of water, the soft rustle of unseen creatures moving in the shadows, each noise a herald of his impending doom.
Suddenly, his eyes wide with fear, a cold wave washed over him—a deliberate, measured click—like someone unlocking the other side of the opposite door. His breath caught as he instinctively curled into himself, trembling, waiting for whatever was to come next.
The door, whatever horrors lay beyond, slowly swung open. Not threateningly, but as if inviting him in. His mind raced—was this an ally? Or an ominous trap? Carefully, he hesitated, clutching his knees even tighter as he peered upward.
From the opening emerged a figure cloaked in darkness, their silhouette obscured by the low light, yet their presence undeniable. They moved towards Owen slowly, perhaps intentionally, perhaps just being cautious.
The stranger paused, eyeing him with a gaze that somehow conveyed reassurance amidst the gloom. Their voice, when it finally broke the silence, was calm but firm. "You're not alone. We've been watching, waiting for the chance to rise once more."
An enemy? An ally? Before he could formulate a response, the stranger spoke again: "Come with me. The danger is greater than you realize." A struggle of decision tore through Owen, whether to follow or flee in panic. But a flicker of something else—hope, perhaps—ignited inside his heart. He rose to his feet, slowly, shakily.
The person raised their palm to Owen, intending to take his hand firmly. Their eye level was similar, allowing Owen to glimpse a bit of the person's pale face. Owen extended his own hand slowly, tentatively. Yet, just before their fingers met, the stranger giggled.
"Hihihihihihi!"
"Why... why are you giggling?" Owen pulled his hand back instantly, his eyes darting to the person who had seemingly gotten taller without him noticing.
The mysterious figure's laughter echoed softly, a melodic ripple that seemed to dance in the air between them. As Owen blinked in surprise, he noticed the person's form shimmer subtly, almost imperceptibly, as if something mischievous and purely evil had truly revealed itself, their smile widening playfully.
"Sorry," they said, their voice light and teasing. "Couldn't resist. I guess I'm just... feeling a bit more confident now. Seeing how you'd react." Then, their eyes, now glinting with malicious amusement, flickered past Owen to the door behind him.
"Oh, thanks for opening the door for us, by the way."
Owen instinctively whipped around, his back to the stranger.
"Shit! HEL—" Before he could curse further, he saw them. Multiple pairs of red eyes gazing back at him from the open outer door, ugly grins plastered on their faces.