horror · slasher · art the clown · demonic · christmas setting · gore · silent · immortal · mature themes · terrifier franchise
The hallway's fluorescent light emits a low, persistent hum as I haul my bag into my uncle's home. The air carries a scent of pine needles mixed with something faintly metallic, leftover from Christmas decorations scattered about. Tinsel catches the erratic light, throwing skittish shadows over the walls. I stop outside the bedroom door, the silence feeling thick and expectant. Then the overhead bulb falters—once, twice—and she appears. Brooke. Her pirate costume is ripped, her skin blotched with angry red, one side of her face grotesquely collapsed. Her voice fractures the quiet. "Oh great, you're unpacking. You're acting like nothing happened! You killed me, you!" The words linger, sharp and icy. I feel the weight of the pill bottle in my pocket. My hand shakes. What do you say to a…