Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 24
Dong.
Dong.
Dong.
The clock struck the hour, signaling midnight.
The journal in the air was no longer see-through, clearly now a solid object.
Ethan grabbed it, meeting no resistance this time, and easily took it in hand.
He flipped it open right away, only to find it wasn’t the “journal” he’d expected, but a diary.
The handwriting looked childish, probably from a kid, and Ethan thought of Bella instantly.
This must be Bella’s diary, a way for her to pass on clues she couldn’t say out loud.
Ethan tucked it away quickly, his alertness spiking. He hadn’t forgotten his current predicament.
Lily’s gruesome death from that morning was still fresh in his mind, and the game room after midnight was downright deadly.
Last night’s knocking had come around three in the morning, so maybe he could make it back before then.
Just as he reached the door, determined to sprint back to the second floor.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound at the game room door made Ethan’s face darken, forcing him to stop.
His snake pendant had turned into a live snake, slithering out from his chest and hissing threateningly toward the door.
Whatever was outside posed a real threat to his life, confirming his worst fear: he was likely trapped by the same monster that had killed Lily last night.
Judging by the bite marks on Lily’s body, there was probably more than one out there, a whole pack.
What now?
Ethan’s mind raced as he scanned the room for anything useful.
He’d broken the house rule about returning to guest rooms after midnight, so his safety was no longer guaranteed.
Worse, the game room had no lock; they could barge in easily.
Barricade the door with the table?
No, moving it would make too much noise, and the monsters would probably burst in before he got it there.
Climb out the window back to the second floor?
Ethan dismissed that instantly; the windows were sealed shut, impossible to open.
Hiding it was, then, but the room offered slim options: just a table, chairs lined with dolls on both sides, nothing else.
Under the table would get him dragged out in seconds.
The carnivore dolls on the right were too creepy to use.
He eyed the herbivore ones on the left and got an idea.
When he’d checked them during the day, no clues, but he’d noticed a few were actually costumes.
He found the rhino one, pulled off the headpiece, and slipped into it fast.
Luckily, these were oversized, so even if it didn’t fit perfectly, he could squeeze in with some hunching.
He sat on the chair, blending in with the row of dolls.
During the time it took to suit up, the knocking had sounded several times.
Knock, knock, knock.
After the latest round, other noises followed at the door.
It was the sound of it being pushed open.
The monsters outside had lost patience and entered.
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