Short Gothic / Horror Setting Story

Trapped in a desolate manor, haunted by an unseen presence, you desperately seek escape. But as fear twists reality, a chilling discovery beneath an ancient willow reveals a truth far more terrifying than your darkest nightmares. Can you unravel the mystery before you become another forgotten shadow in the cursed woods?

The old, pot-holed, cracked tarmac road wound through the dense forest of skeletal trees that never seemed to have any color. No leaves, no flowers, just dead twigs and leaves covering the ground. The road itself was thin and still, the dull, dead leaves on its surface never moving, even when a strong gust of icy wind swept through.

At the end of this labyrinthine track, a desolate manor house loomed. Its windows were either smashed or webbed with countless cracks, creating an imitation of a spider's web. The rusty iron gate, with its intricate Victorian design, slowly creaked open, the screech echoing through the endless, skeletal forest. It felt as if the gate was inviting you in, compelling your curiosity to overwhelm every sense, every nerve.

You stepped in, tentatively, then CLANG. The iron gate suddenly slammed shut, trapping you inside with whatever wanted you there. Curiosity vanished, replaced by fear that crashed over you in tsunami-like waves, drowning you, making your thoughts fuzzy, blurring everything. You managed to push through the ocean of emotions, now a prisoner to your own mind.