House Of Wolves (Creepypasta Fanfic)

Chapter 73: Simpler times

Bathory

Everyone scattered around the house like leaves in the wind, the girls running up the stairs while I took them a little more slowly. The whole place was writhing with an energy that was familiar, one I recognized from when I first approached Zalgo in his throne. The energy of all those dead souls in one room couldn't even compare to the heaviness that this one alone exerted as it wandered the house around us.

"I bet you ten bucks we'll be one of the first ones out," Jeff snickered, jabbing his elbow at me playfully in an effort to raise my spirits.

"Yeah..."

"Are you okay?"

I shook my head gently, waving my candle slowly in front of me while I wandered the first floor; I saw other lights here and there, figures moving in the darkness as they laughed and chatted. Their shadows cast against the walls and danced around their feet while mine was still, attached to every limb and joint I had. It made my stomach twist in regret and I had to choke down the bile that flooded my throat.

"It feels just like that temple in here..." I said softly, "dark and overbearing, like someone's watching you from the depths. This might've been a bad idea..."

"Hey," I felt a hand brush against mine before I looked up, Jeff's eyes catching in the flickering lights, "I won't let anything happen to you."

I nodded, letting out a deep breath I hadn't known I was holding when all of a sudden a scream echoed through the house; I practically jumped out of my skin before bolting up the steps, crashing up to the second floor all while trying to keep my light from going out along the way. I saw stationary lights as a couple people were ringed with salt, the scream followed by echoed laughter as Clockwork cursed out Toby for scaring her so bad. My heart slammed against my ribs as I tried to take a deep breath, realizing I was in for a rough few hours if this kept up.

"Hey, Bat?"

I turned to find Veronica wandering towards me, holding her candle while she shuffled along. I could tell she wasn't too concerned but the shadow running along the floor beside her seemed distracted.

"What's up Vero?" I asked her gently, wrapping an arm around her waist as we walked.

"Micah says this guy was the first," she continued, "says he can help us figure out what we need to do to...end this."

"We'll get there," I nodded, "right now I'm just concerned about surviving the night."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that," a shadow pulled itself from the floor, white eyes glowing in the candle light, "he's an old soul, and by that I mean ancient. We're a little too quick for him."

"That's oddly reassuring," I laughed gently, listening to Veronica's chiming giggles as she leaned into me. Soon enough I let her wander off while I began to explore the rest of the house, attempting to find Jeff or Persephone in the madness.

It was on the fourth floor where I felt the chill really creep up my spine, the icy hands of a ghost wrapped around my soul. The darkness on the edge of my vision began to cloud my sight and slowly the candle began to flicker and fade until it burned out, leaving me to fumble in the dark to strike a match and light it again. I saw another candle flicker on down the hallway and joined Ally as she wandered towards me.

"Are you holding up okay?" She asked, a spindly arm bouncing against her dress as she walked.

"I'll be fine," I sighed, "was this what it felt like for all those years? Trapped down there?"

"This and...worse," she admitted, "back when I lived here before there were only six of us."

"Really?"