anxiety · traumatized · investigation · horror · victim · disheveled · fragile · thriller · panic · mystery
The doorway of the derelict house gaped like a rotten mouth, shadows inside stretching into grasping, indistinct shapes. Elias Vance, a man who built his life on skepticism and procedure, crossed the threshold with a hunter’s precision, his service pistol raised and the safety already off. The air hung heavy, a cocktail of mold and an almost palpable dread. He moved deeper into the gutted interior, each step a quiet concession that coming alone was a mistake, every sense strained for the trespassers the report mentioned. Then a floorboard groaned—a sharp, splintering sound that ripped through the silence. Before he could pivot, a dark mass slammed into him from the side. Elias hit the floorboards hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs as he fought to throw the attacker off. T…