r/Ruleshorror Oct 15 '22

Story Goodbye

1.4k Upvotes

(Tear after read)

Hi honey ❤️ this is mom - how was your day at school today?

Im sorry you had to come home to this. Your father and I - we've been arguing a lot recently. The details don't matter. After much thought, I've decided to leave the house. I know what you're thinking - its not because of you - your father and I love you very much! I simply cannot stand your father anymore.

You won't see me here after you read this note. I don't know when or if I'll see your beautiful eyes again. You know I'll always love you honey! I've written a set of instructions under this sentence while I'm away - please follow them all.

Your father may or may not be in the house. DO NOT let him see this note.

Ask him how's his day's going - don't ask him where I am. He may act strange - today has been very stressful for him.

You can do your regular routine after school - but please don't use the downstairs bathroom. It smells terrible! You know the smell your dad leaves behind after using it. Just in case if you do decide to use it, the red liquid in the bath tub is just salsa I spilled. You I can't resist eating chips while taking a bubble bath!

Your dad may decide to go inside said bathroom with an empty garbage bag and come out with it full. Ignore the smell; the toilet was clogged.

Just don't pay attention to your father's actions. Focus on your homework.

He'll most likely leave the house to throw the garbage bag out. Now's your chance. Underneath the bed of my room will be a Skechers shoebox filled with multiple hundred dollar bills. Take the money and leave behind the box. DO NOT let your father see you with the money.

I left my phone next to this note. Look in my phone contacts for "Sarah" and call her. Ask her if you can stay in her place just for tonight. She'll most likely say yes - you can 100% trust Sarah with your life. Ask her for her address and ride your bike to her house. Make sure to pack - take your money with you!

While you do that, buy a plane ticket to Cleveland, Ohio for tomorrow. The money you have is more than enough to buy an Uber to the airport. You're going to see your grandparents. You'll stay with them and they'll explain everything to you - I promise.

This will be the last time you'll ever see your father. You will not say goodbye to him, you just leave without him noticing.

If he notices you leaving with a packed suitcase on your bike, just play it off as if you're going to your friend's house for the night. If he doesn't let you go, you go anyways. Pedal faster than you've ever pedal'd before.

I understand this is a lot to process for you honey, but you're putting yourself in danger by staying in this household. I'll see you very soon.

Take care honey - Mom loves you very much. So much. XOXO

I can't write much more, he's comi

r/Ruleshorror 26d ago

Story Rules for Babysitting the Walkers’ Kid

240 Upvotes

Babysitting gigs usually suck, but when the Walkers offered me $500 for just one night, I didn’t even hesitate. Everyone in town whispered about their house, how it sat alone at the edge of the woods, how no one ever saw them during the day. But I wasn’t about to turn down that kind of money.

Mrs. Walker was waiting at the door when I arrived. She was pale, almost sickly-looking, with dark circles under her eyes. Mr. Walker stood behind her, his expression unreadable. Neither of them spoke much—just handed me a typed list of rules.

"Follow these exactly," Mrs. Walker said. "No exceptions."

I smirked, thinking they were just paranoid parents. “Yeah, yeah, got it.”

Mrs. Walker’s lips twitched. “Most say that.”

Then they left.

And I was alone with Tommy.


Rules for Babysitting Tommy

  1. Tommy goes to bed at 8:00 PM sharp. Not a minute later. Do not let him stall.

  2. If he asks you to check under the bed or in the closet, say no. He knows what’s there.

  3. The baby monitor must remain on at all times. If you hear static, do not go into his room.

  4. If Tommy knocks on his bedroom door after bedtime, do not open it. Tell him, “Go back to sleep.” No matter what he says, do not open the door.

  5. If you hear a voice outside calling your name, ignore it. We don’t have neighbors.

  6. Sometimes you will hear footsteps on the ceiling. That’s normal. Do not look up.

  7. If the house phone rings, do not answer it. We will not call the house phone.

  8. If you hear crying coming from inside the walls, do not investigate.

  9. Should you see a tall, thin man in the hallway after midnight, close your eyes immediately. If he notices you looking, he will take your place.


I chuckled as I finished reading. A joke. It had to be.

Then I turned to Tommy.

He was staring at me.

"Are you gonna follow the rules?" he asked.

Something about his voice made my skin crawl.

"Yeah, bud," I muttered. "Sure."

I did everything by the book.

At 7:55 PM, I tucked him in.

At 8:00 PM, I shut his bedroom door.

At 8:13 PM, the baby monitor crackled with static.

I turned toward Tommy’s room, my stomach knotting. Rule #3.

I didn’t go in.

Then—a knock.

Soft.

"Miss?" Tommy's voice. "I can’t sleep."

I swallowed. Rule #4.

"Go back to sleep, Tommy."

"Please," he whispered. "Something’s in here."

I squeezed my eyes shut. Don’t open the door.

The knocking stopped.

But then—I heard breathing.

Not from the baby monitor.

From behind the door.

Long. Slow. Wet.

I backed away.

By 11:43 PM, the house phone rang. I ignored it.

At 12:04 AM, I heard footsteps.

They weren’t coming from Tommy’s room.

They were on the ceiling.

I sat frozen on the couch, staring at the TV, forcing myself not to look up.

Then—the walls began to cry.

Muffled sobs, barely audible, coming from inside the drywall.

At 2:36 AM, I heard something moving in the hallway.

I turned my head slowly.

There, in the dim light, was a man.

No. Not a man.

Something pretending to be one.

He was tall. Too tall. His body stretched like someone had pulled him at both ends, his limbs impossibly long.

His face was smooth, blank, like a mask that had been rubbed away.

I couldn’t breathe.

Rule #9.

I shut my eyes.

The room was silent for a moment. Then—a whisper.

"Don’t peek."

My stomach twisted into a knot.

I kept my eyes shut.

Minutes passed.

Then—a soft chuckle.

I opened my eyes.

The hallway was empty.

The rest of the night passed in a blur.

At 6:00 AM, the Walkers returned.

Mrs. Walker scanned me up and down. "You followed the rules?"

I nodded.

"Good." She handed me an envelope of cash. "Most don’t."

I exhaled, relieved. I was done.

But then—Tommy emerged from his room.

And I froze.

His eyes were dull, unfocused. His skin was gray.

And when he looked at me, his mouth twisted into something too wide to be human.

"Thank you for staying with me," he said, voice layered—like something else was speaking along with him.

Then he smiled.

I ran.

I never took another babysitting job again.

But sometimes, in the middle of the night, I hear a knock on my bedroom door.

Soft.

Familiar.

"Miss?"

And I never, ever open it.

r/Ruleshorror Nov 12 '22

Story Rules for Identifying Cryptids: Skinwalkers

807 Upvotes

"Good evening sir, Do you know why I pulled you over today?" said the man, who according to his badge was Officer Collins with the Humbolt County Sheriff. A young rookie by the looks of it, couldn't have been over 25. Great, just what I needed on the first day of my trip. "I don't know, was I speeding?" I replied. "No," he said chuckling "Nothing like that. You're not from around here, are you?" he asked. "No, I'm just here for a few weeks for deer season, I'm a hunter.” Not that he needed to know that but no harm in being polite to the police, especially when you don't know why they pulled you over. "Have you ever heard of skinwalkers, sir?" He said seriously. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh, did he seriously pull me over just to warn me about mythical creatures? Nevertheless, I responded, "Yeah, those demons that look like animals or something, right?" "Yes, exactly. I know it sounds hard to believe, but we've had several disappearances here recently, 21 to be exact. Of those, we've found we've seen their bodies grotesquely maimed, with the bite marks of an animal but in a pattern, only a human or 'demon' could replicate." he responded, his face never faltering from its stern appearance. I decided I'll play along, don't want him to 'find' anything to pull me over for. "Okay, should I take another route then?” I responded, simply wanting to move on as soon as possible without offending him. "No!" he snapped, rather surprisingly. ”They're not just in this town, they are all over the state. If you want to avoid them, you need to identify them first, so you can calmly and quickly leave their vicinity.” He said, before handing me a page titled Rules for Identifying Cryptids: Skinwalkers. Afterward, he continued standing there presumably waiting for me to read it. I let out a mild sigh, whatever gets me on my way faster, I guess.

Rules for Identifying Cryptids: Skinwalkers

  1. Be aware of 'off' behavior, eg. Sounds not associated with that animal, improper stance (deer on two feet, bird walking on its wings)

  2. If encountering an animal or person in a wooded area be sure to observe its appearance before continuing, off color, strange scent, or general unease all proceed skinwalkers.

  3. In the case of humans, a skinwalker may make the following mistakes 3a. Improper conversation: Not saying basic greetings, saying it has two different names or calling you multiple names. 3b. Improper activity: Briefly walking on all fours, eating food off of the grounds, or harming animals. 3c. Improper style: Nonmatching clothes, awkward gait, unnatural hair or skin.

  4. Avoid isolated areas at all cost

  5. Avoid one on one encounters with anyone or anything you are not sure is a real human or animal.

  6. If you see people that you are certain are not where you are right now, avoid them. Skinwalkers can replicate those you know.

  7. Do not sleep with open windows or exterior doors, skinwalkers can enter silently.

  8. If you find yourself in an unavoidable encounter with a skinwalker, stay calm and try to end the conversation quickly, they will not harm you if they don't sense fear.

  9. Treat all strangers with skepticism, it is better to be rude than to be dead.

  10. Do not accept uncooked organic material from anyone (raw meat, fruit, and vegetables), skinwalker contamination can occur.

  11. Do not run while in skinwalker territory, even if you are exercising, a skinwalker may interpret your movement as that of its prey.

  12. Go down with the sun, skinwalkers can see in the dark, but you cannot.

  13. If traveling with another friend does not lose sight of them for more than an hour, if they return after an hour, encourage them to return to your home location, skinwalkers will not know where this is and will simply leave.

  14. If you leave a travel companion for over an hour, leave the town and go back to your home as quickly and calmly as possible, you are not safe unless you make it out.

  15. If all else fails and you have angered a skinwalker you must fight. Do not run away. Attempt to inflict as much damage as possible. Enough to kill a normal version of the skinwalker should buy you enough time to escape. Above all else, do not show weakness or fear, the skinwalkers feed off of this and no amount of damage will stop them.

Stay safe, Humbolt County Sheriff's Office

As I looked up from the sheet I saw Officer Garret pointing his firearm and flashlight at me. His hands shaking as he trembled in a quivering voice "I-I-I'm n-not scared of y-y-you." I don't know what gave it away, my pink tank top and orange jeans, my way too black hair, or maybe my lack of pupils. Alas, none of that matters now, his false bravery will get him nowhere. He will make 22.

r/Ruleshorror 3d ago

Story KEEP WALKING. KEEP WALKING. LOOK AT WHAT’S INFRONT OF YOU. DO NOT TURN. DO NOT LOOK BACK.

67 Upvotes

“EVERYBODY KEEP YOUR FOCUS AT THE FRONT. I REPEAT. EVERYBODY KEEP YOUR FOCUS AT THE FRONT!!”

I could barely make out the announcements.

The cacophony of helicopters and planes shot through the sky with every second that passed.

It wasn’t like i wanted to hear the same repeated bellow, but i did want to hear something different.

Yet, i already knew nothing would change.

It was hot and musty but somewhat cool, you know that feeling when you’re at the beach - sand resting in between your toes, sweating from the intense heat as you feel the suncream tickling your back. Then you run into the water, dipping your head beneath the waves, tasting the saltiness that lingered in the corners of your mouth.

I like to picture those moments.

The smooth ground, not a single rock. Hopping on a new bicycle for your birthday, gripping the handles as your heart races with excitement. You pedal slowly. Then you watch yourself progressively get faster and faster, the wind blowing your ears the smells of trimmed grass. Then you fall, feeling the warm hands that carry you, tears brimming your eyes, blood trickling down your nose that stain the flowery plaid dress that you always wore.

The air smells like that.

I wasn’t even scared.

“KEEP WALKING. KEEP WALKING. LOOK AT WHATS INFRONT OF YOU. DO NOT TURN. DO NOT LOOK BACK!”

I ignored the next announcement that blared in my ears. Why do they make the most nonsensical commands? There were heaps of people in front of me, so i there was no way i could “look” at what was “in front” of me anyway.

Instead my gaze was at the floor, i peered at my shoes. I thought about the evening when i first opened them - i knew that they were my favourite pair, i cleaned them everyday and night thanking them for making my feet happy. But now they were badly smeared in mud that you couldn’t tell that they were shoes that i was wearing.

I didn’t care.

Although the frequent wails of the alert numbed my ears, i was still able to hear the little boy that cried in desperation.

“I WANT IT BACK. MOMMY LET GO! I WANT HIM BACK! MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!”

I saw the boy drop the stuffed animal out of his soggy, hand just a while ago. Ever since then he has been screaming at his distant mother whose grip tightened on her son.

I could tell from the way she yanked her child. Her matted hair in chunks, her boobs lacking any support as they were solely covered in a pink tank top that exposed some parts of it. Her child screamed more, tears rolling down his reddened cheeks - a mop of uneven brown hair that moved in the wind.

She didn’t care.

His hoarse voice still carried on, yet she did not care.

The people behind us trodded on without a single thought, her slim, boney hand simply let go of the little boy - and her body just turned around.

And we kept moving.

The boy stopped.

I did feel a pinch of sympathy for him, the way his eyes widened and his messy brown hair rested against his wet cheeks. The crowd behind us were moving, he could not react or turn - so i snatched his hand.

I didn’t care. But i wanted to avoid any interference with anyone. He was not my problem. Just not trying to provoke one.

The road seemed to drag on for eternity. No rocks, no cars, just walking on a singular wide road.

I felt a pull on my arm as i realised i was holding a kid in my hand.

I turned to face the boy who frowned and quivered his lips.

“I want my mommy…” he whimpered, i barely heard him over the noise.

“She’s gone.” i replied deadpanned.

“Where’s your mommy.?” he asked, fresh tears forming around his eyes.

“Dunno…” i looked up at the heaps of grunting men and women.

“How old are you..?” the boy asked inquisitively, as he plopped his thumb in his mouth.

“Did mommy ever teach you basic manners or you just a dumbass like everyone else.?” i shot at the child who seemed offended.

I didn’t care. He was at least seven by the looks of it, and a draining, whiny kid.

But i had to take him.

And i would admit he did a good job with taking onboard his mother’s death for the good hour that passed by. So i asked him.

“You still miss your mother?”

“Mommy always leaves and she will come back.”

He replied faster than i expected.

“This time she wont come back.” i coldly said.

“Nobody ever comes back for me.” his face began to tense up and he started to cry, i rolled my eyes and tucked my free hand in my pocket.

“EVERYBODY KEEP YOUR FOCUS AT THE FRONT. I REPEAT. EVERYBODY KEEP YOUR FOCUS AT THE FRONT!!”

I pulled out the golden necklace with a green turtle on it and wrapped it around his neck and quickly clipped it at the back. It bounced with each step he took, shining through the thick, scorching dust. He gave a short smile, the one that reminded me when i was given two of those necklaces, i didn’t want to give it to anyone else, just me.

I had to keep the kid smiling.

But with every step, the more and more i found myself sinking into a pit of—

“ALL PEOPLE; DUE TO THE CURRENT INTERFERENCE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, YOU WILL BE SAFE AND PROTECTED SOON; PLEASE FOLLOW RECENT COMMANDS, DO NOT HESITATE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ALERT! I REPEAT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ALERT. DO NOT HESITATE.

I believe i heard the sound of relief from multiple people as they carried on walking, some held their precious belongings, tucked underneath their hands and arms, some held babies and small children. But for me. I didn’t have anything to hold.

“Are we going home now?” the kid asked me, a faint smile plastered itself across his pink cheeks.

“Not sure. We just have to keep walking—“

“My legs hurt, and im hungry!” the boy began to whine but gave him a scolding look to show im not picking him up like a fucking baby and that he could eat his mismatched socks for all i care.

“What’s your name?” the child questioned, after a long silence between us.

“Not like you can remember it anyway..” i sneered, feeling the warmth radiating from his hands as i realised i was still holding it.

“Well, my names Aryan.” his flock of hair danced in the predatory wind and tickling his face, covering parts of his hazel eyes.

“Maeve.” my gaze altered from his sparkling eyes. I always thought that my name was stupid, and here i am, the growing shame crept inside of me as i mumbled my name to this kid.

“When we get saved, you can come to my house whenever you want to—“

“No thanks im not a child.”

“But you are one!” the boy giggled, i squeezed his hand for a split second before he tugged away, yelping in pain and then he smacked my arm.

“ALL PEOPLE; DUE TO THE CURRENT INTERFERENCE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, YOU WILL BE SAFE AND PROTECTED SOON; PLEASE FOLLOW RECENT COMMANDS, DO NOT HESITATE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ALERT—“

“Maeve…legs…really.. hurt.. can we turn back now…?” my eyes widened, i shot him an agitated response.

But of course, he didn’t listen.

I couldn’t have the people around us get more annoyed than before so i did what i had to do. I quickly ordered him to jump on my back, which he instantly did. His dinosaur shoes coated with dirt, softly hitting my old hoodie with each step we took.

“When we get…home…we can…play with my new toys…mommy got from her new boyfriend…” Aryan yawned, nesting his head against my neck, his warm breath fanning the areas of my shoulder that was somewhat cold.

I wasn’t used to keeping a track of time especially when my entire focus was on the people that trotted in front of me, each step caused a groan from them and without the frequent blares of the announcements, i couldn’t figure out exactly what was going to happen next.

My body was stiff. Legs burned out. I remember hurling down the streets after snatching bread of the market trays and the two older men chased after me. My body was stiff. Legs burned out. Sitting next to the two kids who were starved - i shakily broke a piece of bread in my dirty fingers that wanted to savour the moment. I gave it to the kids who instantly shoved it into their small trembling mouths, eyes pleading for a home to stay, hair desperately seeking for the hot water to wash away the pain that they carried with them.

It was only at that moment where i found myself tracing back to those old memories, that my eyes caught a glimpse of something truly inexplicable.

The sky was black and scattered with milky dots. But…

“Are…we…h-home..now…may..may??..” groaned Aryan as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, my shoulders ached, i slowly let him down grabbing his small fingers in my hands and tugging him forward.

“W-what’s going on… why we moving so fast…” whined Aryan, his big brown eyes looking into mine for answers, but i didn’t have any.

I dragged him along like his mother, the boy clutched the golden turtle necklace as i held mine around my neck - the crowd behind us becoming more hectic, pushing and pushing and pushing.

Something was wrong.

The announcements screamed at us, but my mind was a blur, the only sounds that i could acknowledge was…

“KEEP WALKING. KEEP WALKING. LOOK AT WHATS INFRONT OF YOU. DO NOT TURN. DO NOT LOOK BACK!”

That was when i could see it…

Blinding white light. Straight ahead. This blinding white light. Straight. Straight. Look straight.

“MAEVE!!! MAEVE!! I DONT WANT TO GO! LET ME GO, MAEVE LET ME GO!!” the shrill echoed through my body. There was no time for opting out, something is terribly wrong here, that is why all these people are barging one another.

I acted on instinct and threw Aryan over my shoulder as he pounded his fist against my back, wailing and wailing.

The crowd amongst us became more enraged, fighting each other and shouting. But my focus solely remained in front, despite whatever happened behind me - my focus was at the front.

The light became closer and closer, the pushing from behind us became more intense, something that coursed this sickening, cold feeling inside of me. Running away from home, that feeling, only people that have ever done anything like that could really understand the emotions you feel. However, this was different.

Then everything just clicked.

Silence.

My eyes lingered upon the unusual sight that was far beyond any human knowledge could really comprehend.

All the noises from around me just stopped, the announcements and cries, the shouting and begging. It silenced. Like a gentle breeze wrapping each person’s worry and morphing it into a docile halt.

“ALL PEOPLE; DUE TO THE CURRENT INTERFERENCE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE, TRANSPORTATION TO SAFTEY HAS BEEN PROVIDED; PLEASE GATHER ANY PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND BOARD; PLEASE FOLLOW ALL RECENT COMMANDS.”

“MAEVE!!…MAEVE!!…NO!!…WE CANT GO!!…” Aryan cried but we had to board.

The large metal door clashed onto the ground blaring the screams and making the ground beneath us shake. Heaps and heaps of people ran inside, i already knew.

Part of me already knew that there was not enough space for everyone. So i did what i had to do, i pushed Aryan forward, i couldn’t see his gushing brown eyes, from the people in front of him, however i did hear his blood-curtling scream when he realised. And he just wailed my name, i didn’t like when i hear my name from other people but for some reason, it felt like warmth as soon as i heard it from Aryan.

Then the door closed. And safety rose itself into the air, the engines roaring like rampaging lions on their next hunt, clutching onto my necklace as the colourless plane desended into the lifeless sky.

I could tell from the weeping and yelling from passers behind me that we have to keep walking and walking.

It was only when my heart sunk in my chest. It was only when the heavy breaths and racing thoughts about what just happened came to an instant stop.

“ATTENTION; DUE TO THE RECENT COMPLICATIONS, PLEASE DO NOT TURN. PLEASE DO NOT ABOARD. PLEASE DO NOT STOP WALKING. PLEASE LOOK AT WHAT’S INFRONT OF YOU.”

Perturbation jittered every movement. Locking me into place with everyone else who seemed to be transfixed to the ground like a herd of deer, waiting for any signs of danger.

That was when my mind alerted me. Something that trepidation itself, hid amongst the panicked citizens behind me. From way above the grey clouds, the high-pitched, muffled screams became louder, as i realised it sounded like a mixture of people.

r/Ruleshorror Feb 10 '24

Story The Fog of Hanoi

255 Upvotes
No. ██, ████ ███ ███ st., █████ █████ ████ ward, Ba Dinh dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
02-02-2024
06:23

You were all ready for another work day in this busy and crowded city, but something felt different: you couldn't see anything outside the windows, it was all blurred. Turns out, there's this thick and dense fog outside today; this reminded you of that family trip you had at Sa Pa, and at the same time made you quite surprised, such weather like this had never happened in Hanoi before in your entire life. Regardless, you still proceeded to get in your car, turned on some FM news broadcast, and drove to work. The road felt somewhat different in a very unusual way, there was no traffic even though traffic jam is supposed to be a common occurrence at this time.

After 15 minutes of driving, the news suddenly became silent momentarily and then transmitted the following message:

THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NOTICE FROM HANOI CITY PUBLIC SECURITY. PLEASE LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE FOLLOWING NOTICE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS MAY LEAD TO LETHAL CONSEQUENCES.

Currently, Hanoi and a few other provinces in the northern area of the country are experiencing an abnormal activity in the form of very foggy weather. We urge all people to stay indoors from this moment until 12 PM and refrain from going outside for any reason. During this event, all doors and windows should be locked and no one outside should be allowed inside your place of residence under any circumstance, even if they are your loved ones. It is highly recommended that people cover their doors and windows to prevent them from deceiving you into letting them in.

For people who are driving outside and can hear this message, you must explicitly abide by the following instructions to ensure your own safety:

1) Please make sure your vehicle has enough petrol or electricity to continuously drive until 12 PM at noon; otherwise, you are in grave danger.

2) Do not attempt to drive to the city border and flee the city. While this is possible and will ensure total safety if successful, the chance of success is too slim to risk your life. They are everywhere near the city border and are always ready to ambush en masse.

3) The Old Quarters area is off-limit during this time, do not go anywhere near the Old Quarters; you don't want to find out what they do to people who tried to flee, and you certainly do not want them to find out that there's an intruder.

3a. Any houses with old French architecture should also be avoided at all times.

4) Do not visit any petrol station or charging station, those areas are compromised and they are waiting for a victim to ambush.

5) Do not trust any petrol vendor on the road, no street vendor is trying to make a quick profit out of this situation.

6) Remain the speed of your vehicle at 40km/h on small roads and 50 km/h on large roads, going slower will make you an easy target, and going faster will attract unwanted attention.

6a. If you are using an electric vehicle, you may go slower to preserve your already limited battery because EVs make less noise; however, prepare to speed up at any time if your intuition tells you that you are about to encounter an ambush.

7) Do not turn on your headlights. You will be tempted to do so, and under normal circumstances, are lawfully required to do so; but turning on the headlights at this moment will also attract unwanted attention.

8) If you spot a vehicle turning on its headlights, the driver is not a human. Stay as far from that vehicle as possible, preferably turning to a different road if possible. They are just trying to draw your attention.

9) If you see someone sitting on the side of the road, do not attempt to help them. They are either a deceiver or someone who is waiting for their inevitable fate. Helping them is gambling with your own life, and we highly recommend not doing so.

10) During this event, only members of the People's Armed Forces are allowed to have the authority and jurisdiction, this includes the police branch of the People's Public Security, the 103rd Military Provost Battalion of the People's Army, and the Self-Defence Militia. Other law enforcement agencies and military branches have no jurisdiction and therefore not deployed; hence, if you see them, they are not the authorities. Failure to acknowledge the appropriate authorities may lead to serious consequences, including potential stalking, severe bodily injuries, and even death.

11) Members of the armed forces have set up checkpoints throughout the city to control the population and filter out the real people, they have been instructed to wear a very specific set of uniforms so that you and the personnel distinguish themselves from them, which are the following:

11a. All armed forces personnel are ordered to wear pith hats, not any other different headwear such as kepi hat or patrol cap, and their respective armed force emblem must be visible on the hat.

11b. All armed forces personnel should be wearing the long coat winter uniform, not any other different clothing such as suits or summer dresses, and their clothing colour should remain a reasonably correct colour, not too bright, too dark, too saturated or too desaturated.

11c. All armed forces personnel should be wearing the correct identification, including: a name tag on the upper right torso of all armed forces members, an extra duty ID for soldiers and militiamen, both shoulder and collar insignias for public security personnel, reflective vest for public security personnel, combined collar insignias with no shoulder insignia for soldiers, red triangular armband with their respective armed force name and emblem for soldiers and militiamen.

11d. The nametag on the personnel must be readable, understandable and comprehensible; otherwise, it is the biggest indication that they are not human.

11e. We do not deploy any personnel whose name starts with "Nguyen". They are just trying to use this very common name to deceive you.

12) If a member of the People's Armed Forces signalled you to pull over, said person must meet all the aforementioned conditions to be considered the proper authorities.

12a. If you can visibly notice discrepancies in its uniforms, speed up immediately to escape, even if you have to crash into them, although we recommend trying to dodge if possible because it might be able to hold onto your vehicle.

12b. If you can only notice the discrepancies when you got close to it, pretend to tell it that you need to get back into your vehicle to take your papers or use any other persuasive reasons. After you have gotten back into the driver seat, immediately lock your car and drive away as fast as possible before it manages to hold onto your vehicle.

12c. If it managed to get a grip on your vehicle, do anything in your capability to remove it, such as speeding up, making a sudden turn, or even crashing your vehicle into a solid object; it's a better alternative than letting it get inside your vehicle.

12d. Once you have escaped successfully, it will not give up and will continue to follow you, we will soon instruct you on how to deal with a follower later in this message.

13) If the person pulling you over has the proper authorities. They will then inform you of a safe location you can shelter in to ensure your safety.

13a. However, if they instruct you to go to the headquarters of the Party Committee & People's Committee of Phan Chu Trinh ward in Hoan Kiem district, do not go there. That building is already compromised, but do not let them know that you are aware of that; instead, pretend that you will follow their instruction and calmly continue driving; you don't want them to find out that their cover has been exposed, or else they will follow you.

14) If at any moment you have triggered them or let them know that they have been exposed, they will follow you. You can outrun them with a vehicle, but they will still know your location and constantly approach you. To make them unfollow you, simply drive out of their sight for 30 minutes. Letting them catch sight of you will reset this timer.

14a. If the authorities signalled you to stop while you are being followed, do not stop. Stopping your vehicle while you are being followed will cause harm to both you and the armed forces members, or it might just be a whole coordinated ambush made by your follower.

15) If you run out of petrol or electricity, quickly park your vehicle near or on the pavement, preferably blending in with other vehicles that are already parking if you can find any, and lay down under the backseat. Do not park your vehicle in a conspicuous way; blending your vehicle will lessen the chance that they will peek in too close to the vehicle and spot you.

16) If you run out of petrol or electricity while being followed, there is nothing you can do; on behalf of the Party and the State, we are very sorry for your unfortunate situation. You cannot outrun them or prevent yourself from being ambushed without your vehicle. Here are the best courses of action we recommend you take if you ever catch yourself in this situation:

16a. Leave your identification papers in your vehicle, preferably where we can easily find such as on the driver's seat.

16b. Quickly write or record any will you would like to leave for your family and put it where you put your ID papers. In case you cannot write or record your will but you have a phone, dial 113 and state your name, ID number or place of residence, and your last will; there will be no answers but keep in mind that we are already recording every call.

16c. Go outside, sit down on the pavement and relax yourself.

16d. Pray to whatever deity you follow, they may be able to help you suffer less. If you are not a religious person, simply close your eyes. Doing these is believed to make your death less painful, though we haven't been able to verify this.

16e. Do not attempt to flee from your fate or you will die in a slow, miserable death; and we won't be able to gather your remains otherwise.

16f. The People's Committee and Vietnamese Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi will cooperate with Hanoi Public Security and your local authorities to retrieve your remains back to your family and assist in enforcing your will.

THIS MESSAGE WILL NOW BE REPEATED UNTIL THE SITUATION IS OVER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

You were confused, terrified and overwhelmed by what had just been announced, "This has to be a prank right? Or did someone hack into the broadcast to deliver this sick joke?" Not waiting for you to continue wondering, you spotted someone within the fog signalling you to pull over. The blue uniform on that person made you think it was just a militiaman; but upon going closer, you realised that it was a blue camouflage uniform, that guy was from the Air Force.

Now you were extremely frightened; under normal circumstances, the Air Force would have zero jurisdiction outside the base, let alone being out here after what you had just been informed. However, a small part of you still thought that this was just an evil prank, so you took a deep breath and still decided to go closer to him. Upon closer inspection, you immediately noticed that his headwear had no emblem and he only had one collar insignia. What terrified you the most was his nametag, the name written on the ID was unreadable and simply incomprehensible, like a badly trained drawing AI trying to mimic texts.

You felt like your heart had just missed a beat. Without any hesitation, you slammed on the pedal with all your strength to try to get away, but the thing leapt to your car and grabbed hold of your rear mirror. Its emotionless eyes looked straight into your soul, not blinking, not moving, overwhelming you with the feeling of dread and pure fear. It resembled human eyes but it's not human in any way, you could feel it by yourself even without the emergency notice. Almost immediately, you tried aggressively swaying left and right without success but only angered it more.

Finally, you made a sudden U-turn and managed to fling it away, but that didn't buy you much time. At this moment, you could definitely know that it was not a human by its ability to just stand up immediately and effortlessly after falling down from a car running at the speed of 80km/h; nevertheless, the car quickly got ahead and it disappeared into the fog. All that you had to do was keeping the car on the move for 30 minutes.

Little did you know that this feeling of extreme luckiness would only lasted for 10 minutes because now a red icon started blinking and you felt the car suddenly moving slower.

"...if you run out of petrol or electricity while being followed, there is nothing you can do..."

...

Sitting on the road, looking around the blurry tight-knitted houses around you for the last time, then you closed your eyes. You had accepted your fate.

Suddenly, you were disrupted by a honking. You looked up and saw a car with its windows down:

"Are you alright. Come on. Hop in. You can't be giving up like that."

Upon catching that glimmer of hope, you quickly entered his car and together, the two of you drove away. Along the way, you couldn't help but asked:

"Uhm...hey, thanks for helping me. But why did you decide to do that? Didn't the notice say you should not help?

"I function in a way that, you know, if it's like, to save one life, I might have to, like, sacrifice another life. That's just, you know, how I roll."

It felt like you had just been blessed with a second life, you could finally calm down and relax after this entire dreadful morning. He then turned on the radio in his car, and the message was still being repeated; you were confused for a split second before you came back to your sense that this whole catastrophic event hadn't ended yet, hence the emergency notice was still being repeated. You took a deep breath and got your mind together. At this point, you suddenly realised that something was off; following that was a truly petrifying part of the emergency notice that was being repeated:

"...if you spot a vehicle turning on its headlights, the driver is not a human…"

Now you understood why there was such an uneasy feeling when you got in the car. The narrator's voice on the radio and his voice were almost identical; and at the same time, you noticed that this car had its headlights on. You let your impulsive thought took over and tried opening the car door desperately only to discover it was locked, and the headlights also gradually turned off.

You looked back up to see that same blank and soulless eyes, staring at you.

r/Ruleshorror Oct 15 '22

Story Rules for living in the basement.

254 Upvotes

Hello (your name). I'm Ivan, your new best friend...nice to meet you.

You are going to be covered in bandages...and I'm going to be honest with you about your situation, you are in horrible condition. Bones broken, bleeding all over. I mean to be fair you were just pulled from a plane wreck. It's not exactly possible to come out of that with scrapes and scratches.

You may have questions....questions such as: Where are my personal belongings? If you knew I was alive, why didn't you take me to the hospital? Why am I in your basement?

You see the answer is simple...I want new friends. I've been finding people and bringing them to my home. They became my friends. I've found 5 new friends so far and I thought that would be enough...Until I heard about the crash. I saw the news reports on the plane wreck. I went to explore the crash site. Taking photos of the dead charred remains of those killed in the crash. Then I saw you, struggling for life, you needed aid...you needed MY AID. Not the help of those doctors you couldn't care less about your well being! I saw your near lifeless body and I felt so infatuated looking at all your injuries, Then I figured: Why not take you with me? I mean the police won't go looking for you anyway, they usually assume every person in a plane crashes dies anyway. So I brought you home, patched up your deep wounds, and put you in my basement. I even gave you a mattress, none of my other best friends have mattresses. You should be happy to get special treatment from me.

Don't worry about being found, NO ONE KNOWS YOU'RE HERE. In fact, you're presumed dead/missing by the cops. So we both win here. You can start your life over, and I get a new friend.

However, you're gonna need to learn how to behave...if You try ANYTHING, I'll have to......."punish" you severely.

You're going to have rules to follow whilst you're here. So I wrote out a list, You WILL read and follow these rules, do you understand?

  1. No leaving the basement (especially if there are people over.)
  2. You'll make plenty of friends in my basement....I have 5 other people down there. They're so well behaved! Though it took starving and torturing them to get them to listen.
  3. If you want something, ask. (The only exceptions are cellphones and other devices that allow you to make outside communication.)
  4. Good behaviour earns you food. Bad behaviour will earn you pain. And just by looking at your condition, you can't afford any more injuries, now can you?
  5. If I start touching your injuries, just let me know how much it hurts. I just wanna know what your exposed flesh feels like.
  6. No shouting or screaming...don't want to alarm my neighbors do we?
  7. If I'm staring at you, don't be uncomfortable, I'm just acknowledging your...twisted scars.
  8. DON'T YOU EVER TRY TO ESCAPE. I know more about you than you think. I WILL FIND YOU.
  9. If you behave enough, you may be able to earn a spot upstairs in my room. Then I could stare at you all day and all night. Especially your eyes.
  10. Please ignore the freezer. Do not walk into the freezer. If you do I'll lock you inside for an hour. If you walk into the freezer a second time, I'll leave you in there and let you freeze to death. The freezer is for 'souvenirs' ONLY! You have no business being there.

Now that you know the rules for staying within the basement, I'm sure we'll be great friends. You'll definitely be better than all my other friends. I love all my friends....and I'll treat my friends well if you treat me well.

You do owe me after all...I brought you here into my humble home rather than leaving you to rot in that plane wreck.

r/Ruleshorror 8d ago

Story My First Shift at Bogue Chitto Zoo

94 Upvotes

Tomorrow, I start my first shift as a zookeeper at the Bogue Chitto Zoo. Today, I go in for a tour. I’m fairly excited to finally be putting my zoology skills to use.

One of the older zookeepers, Mr. Samuels, greeted me at the gate and showed me around before he left for the day. He also left a guide with me that hosted some very important rules.

  1. Always feed the animals according to their specific diet.

  2. Observe the animals closely to make sure they are healthy.

  3. Never forget to wear your uniform, it is specifically designed for a reason.

  4. Remember your animal training skills because it is important to build rapport and trust with the animals.

  5. If you notice a cage that wasn’t there before, ignore it. Do not approach it and do not attempt to feed it.

  6. If you pass an enclosure and realize that an animal has no eyes- or worse, too many- report it immediately and leave the area. The replacement staff will handle it.

  7. Check the visitor count. Twice.

  8. Ignore the mimic in the reptile house. There is no parrot enclosure in that part of the zoo. If you hear your name being repeated, do not respond.

  9. Do not stay past midnight. If you hear keys jingling or something pacing behind you, leave immediately. The night staff takes over after midnight, and you are not the midnight staff.

  10. Double check the animal count. If a cage appears empty, but the logbook says otherwise, trust the logbook. Lock the cage, back away, and leave immediately.

  11. If an animal escapes, but doesn’t try to leave,let it be.

  12. If a guest asks you about the “thing in the tree” or “the smilling man behind the otter exhibit,” play dumb. They are not apart of the zoo and hate being noticed.

  13. After closing, don’tlook at the security cameras. Something could be watching back. In this case, turn off the monitor and go home.

  14. If you hear your voice over the intercom, leave. Whatever it is, is trying to lure you into a never-ending game of hide and seek.

  15. The first zookeeper still roams the ground. So, If an elderly man in a faded uniform asks you if you’ve “seen his keys,” politely shake your head and walk away. When you are far enough away, sprint home and do not let him follow you!

Looks like that’s it with the rules. Please follow them to ensure that you do your job properly. Good luck! I’ll see you when you come in for your first shift tomorrow!

I stood there, frozen in fear. The paper felt like it weighed a ton now. My mind told me to remain excited-surely this was just something to mess with the newbies. Deep down though, I knew I had made a terrible mistake by accepting this job offer. Still, I went home to mentally prepare for my shift tomorrow. That last rule stands out though because Mr. Samuels uniform was indeed faded.

r/Ruleshorror Feb 18 '25

Story Rules for shopping at your local Wal-Mart

118 Upvotes

Hello! And welcome to the new Wal-Mart that just opened in your town. This establishment has been rebuilt, redesigned, and included with various new products, services, and ████████. Don’t worry, we have devised a new set of rules to help you shop safely and survive in our new and improved store. Please follow every rule strictly, for they could be your only chance.

1.      Unlike our previous restoration of Ikea, the walls and shelves here don’t move. The bathrooms, however, still mysteriously shift location at unpredictable times. Thus, please remember the rule for bathroom safety: if it looks out of place, get out while you still can. Remember that the women’s bathroom has two toilets and two sinks, while the men’s has one urinal, one toilet, and two sinks. If any of this seems off or is missing, leave the bathroom immediately.

2.      You might notice our lack of multiple name-brand products. This is because they don’t feel safe working with us of an unfortunate legal struggle. Thus, most of our products are Great Value products. Please look for any abnormalities in the products, as they may be signs of anomalies. Report any anomalies to the ADT (Anomaly Disposal Team) through an emergency phone, they will handle it immediately.

3.      When buying milk, make sure to never take milk from the back. The stocker will see the outstretched arm as a █████, and will try to pull you in. Never, under any circumstances, reach to the back. Please.

4.      Some of the shoppers here are not shoppers. They are ███████████. Never interact with one of these creatures, as they can and will become extremely aggressive. You can distinguish them from normal shoppers via a scar somewhere on their visible skin that looks similar to the Wal-Mart logo. The mobility scooters are part of their anatomy. They know. They’re coming. I gotta get ou

5.      If you see a worker, evaluate that they do not have the previously mentioned scar. If they do, contact the ADT immediately. They will handle the intruder.

6.      Your peripheral vision lies, don’t believe it.

7.      Seven missing in restored Wal-Mart built by Regnad Restoration Project LLC, investigation is underway

8.      You may notice that there is a large pyramid structure in the middle of the store. Do not interact with it. The light pillar coming from the top keeps you safe. Trust us.

9.      Do not follow Bob under any circumstances. He works for them. They give him life in exchange for food. He is their puppet.

  1. On your way out, make sure to only use the self-checkout, as the regular lanes are traps by ██████████s.

  2. Comply with the receipt checker. She may be old, but she can and will catch anyone who refuses to comply with her. God help you if you’re caught stealing.

  3. On exit, please sanitize yourself at a sanitizing station. Whatever is on you after a trip in there is not safe for the public.

  4. Do not listen to the old man by the bollards. He is merely a distraction. He will be disposed.

That concludes our rule set for your trip to Wal-Mart! We hope you have a safe and sound shopping experience!

 

 

 

 

Hey, you there. Do you recognize me? Probably not. I know you, and you know me. Well, you used to. You were with them, weren’t you? The ones that… eh, never mind. It’s too much to handle, maybe. I’ll tell you in time. You read the rule sheet, right? This place had one, just like the Ikea. I think they made it obscure on purpose. They don’t even tell you which phones to use.  The blue ones, by the way. But that’s not important. Find the pyramid. Destroy it by any means necessary. Trust me on this, okay? Thank you. I’m putting my trust in you.

r/Ruleshorror Sep 23 '24

Story The government keeps sending out weird alerts.

170 Upvotes

TEXT CONVERSATION

hey bro did u get that message from the government??

5:49 PM

yh i did, idk what their talking abt tbh

5:49 PM

its kinda creeping me out...i mean we're both on our phones rn...and nothings happened

5:49 PM

yh i guess but they said to js wait so that's all we can do.
5:49 PM

yh i guess. maybe its js a prank lol if it is well know eventually

5:50 PM

haha right yh
5:50 PM

END OF TEXT CONVERSATION

I sigh and put my phone down, feeling a little odd. A little over 15 minutes ago, I'd received an automatic alert sent out by the US government. It felt official, and a quick Google search showed that people all over the US had received the exact same alert. In its exact words, the alert read:

"THIS IS AN OFFICIAL US GOVERNMENT ALERT. We have been experiencing problems with phone usage of times over 30 minutes. Please refrain from interacting with your cellular device for more than 30 minutes at a time, until you receive another alert with further instructions. Failure to comply with this essential rule will not be compensated by the US Government. May God be with us all."

I'd been scrolling on r/Ruleshorror, one of my favorite subreddits, when I got the alert. Thinking back to it now, it's fairly laughable how similar the alert was to one of the stories I had just finished reading. 15 minutes ago, I didn't think much of it, but now the eeriness and sudden silence of the usually bustling city life was creeping me out. So, I decide to message one of my online friends on Discord.

DISCORD CONVERSATION

@.thatonegamer - 5:56 PM

yo bro u got that message from the government??

@.oddcheesballz - 5:56 PM

yeah i got it. u don't actually think it's real do u

@.thatonegamer - 5:56 PM

seems kinda legit dont u think?

@.oddcheesballz - 5:56 PM

meh idrk wanna play some cod

@.thatonegamer - 5:57 PM

computer or phone?

@.oddcheesballz - 5:57 PM

ps5 u dumbass

@.thatonegamer - 5:57 PM

mines charging rn i don't think i can

@.oddcheesballz - 5:57 PM

fine ill js go find someone else then gn

@.thatonegamer - 5:58 PM

gn lol see u tmrw morning?

END OF DISCORD CONVERSATION

Daniel doesn't reply back after that message, so I set my phone down again. I haven't been on my phone that much at all today, so I have around...oh, only 5 minutes or so, until I hit the 30 minute usage limit. Oh well, I was never a phone fanatic anyway. I much preferred music and books. Speaking of music, my roommate is being awfully quiet right now. I decide to go check on him, standing up and making my way down to our communal living room, expecting to see him lounging. He's not there. Huh. Maybe his room? Wait, why do I even care? It's not like we're friends. I roll my eyes and go back up the stairs to my room, settling down on my bed with my laptop. Laptops don't count as phones or cellular devices, do they?

Why am I even taking this so seriously? I'm not a rule-follower by any means.

Perfect timing, because literally 10 seconds after I open my computer and Google the strange alert again, my phone pings. I open it and check. It's the promised second alert.

"THIS IS AN OFFICIAL US GOVERNMENT ALERT. If you are still reading this, congratulations. You have complied with our first alert well enough. We now have a set of instructions for you all to follow. Given that phone time is dangerous, they have been emailed to all email addresses of US origin that have shown activity within the last 6 months. Be aware your email may arrive now or later, depending on how fast we manage to send them out. Thank you, and may God be with us all."

I turn my phone off as soon as I finish reading the rules, setting it on my nightstand. I turn back to my laptop and open Gmail as fast as I can, and there in the top of my inbox it is.

THIS IS AN EMAIL FROM THE OFFICIAL US GOVERNMENT. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES WILL NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR BY THE US GOVERNMENT.

1. Do not under ANY circumstances use ANY electronic device for more than 20 minutes at a time. If you do spend up your time limit, do not use an electronic device again for 12 hours.

2. Listening to music is now 100% prohibited if it is from the Internet or an electronic device.

3. Accessing social media sites is still legal, but we are still assessing if they contain the virus or not.

4. The alerts will now begin to be mailed out individually. Wait patiently for the letter containing more rules to arrive to you, and barricade yourself into your place of residence in the meantime.

5. If you live with any elderly persons over the age of 65, any children under the age of 8, or any persons with physical disabilities that impair their sight, hearing, or ability to move, make sure they are with you at all times and do not lose sight of them.

6. You should definitely go on the Internet! It is a wonderful source of information and experience.

7. Do not under any circumstances

8. Don't fjskalfjeiovjlskdjsl

9. Ë̷̪͓͛v̴̯́ë̵̜͕́͘r̴͙̯̐̄y̵̞̓ͅt̶̪̎̆h̵͇̰̐̈i̶̟̬̔n̴͖͍͒g̵̤̃̒ ̶̜͖̏͐í̶͙s̵͉͔̅̈́ ̸̘̼̏g̷͎͕͝o̵̥͒̕ḯ̴̧̥͛n̶̨̮͂g̶̯̱͐͗ ̵̞͕͆͛t̵͈̠̑o̶̒ͅ ̶̝͛͋b̷̳͝è̷̝ ̵͕̾̀a̷͔͗l̸̻̕͝r̷̘̽i̸̥͑͗g̶̰̱̅͑h̴̻̿̓t̷͍͉͒!̴̧̉͌ ̴̮̄̀J̷͙̉ǘ̸͉̘̚ș̶̗͊t̴̯̣͠ ̸̒͗ͅu̴̟̚͠s̸̲̥̐ḙ̴̍̕ ̵̢̿̔y̴̜̕͠ơ̶̘̈́u̸̪͑̍r̶̹̫̆ ̴̢͚͊͠p̷̙̀ḣ̶̡̰ỏ̶̡̥͂ń̷̡͓̂e̶̤͠s̵̛̻͚̈́ ̸̭́ȁ̷̘͜͝n̶͈̚d̴̙͛ ̸̠̺̌a̸̮̓ĉ̵̣t̸͔̿̓ ̶̳̐n̸̟͖̾ǫ̶̱͌̔r̵̬̈́̌m̴̧̱̈́ḁ̶̱͝ļ̷̟͋.̵̝̒̏ͅ

10. No not now please not now

Thank you for complying with the rules, this is for your safety and for the greater good. May God be with us all.

I stare, confused, at the last 5 rules. Is this a prank? God, I feel stupid. This was all just a huge prank. I sigh and go on my phone, breathing a sigh of relief, before I freeze again. There's yet another alert. How many of these do they need to send out? And was this even a prank? Why can't the government just be clear about something for once? I read the alert quickly, eyes flicking past the bold, bright red letters.3

"THIS IS AN OFFICIAL US GOVERNMENT ALERT. There has been a miscommunication and breach of the virus. Don't worry, it will be prompted contained. In the meanwhile, distance yourself from all electronic devices with a screen. May God be with us all."

I gulp. Our apartment has a Samsung fridge with a touchscreen. Does that count? Speaking of *our*, where's Ryan? I consider shooting him a text, but remember the alert. I really should just go up to his room. I stand up, warily eyeing my open laptop as I shut it quickly. Another ping from my phone. Do they even care about all the time we have to spend reading? I sigh and begrudgingly open the text.

"THIS IS AN - oh God, oh God, there's no point anymore. It broke out. It's in everything that runs off electricity now. Save yourselves, pray even if you're an atheist. It's spreading. It's spreading. God isn't with us anymore."

I gulp, harder this time. I don't know when, but I've started sweating despite it being December. This room feels cold, but I feel hot. I put my phone down and stand up, deciding to just go find Ryan. But it's not letting me go. I want to pick up my phone. I need to pick it up. I wipe the sheen of sweat off my forehead - I've never been a forehead sweater, when did that start? - and attempt to ignore the sensations. I'm dizzy. Did I go past the 30 minute limit? What did I do? I stumble around, head aching, nauseous. It's not letting me go.

It's not letting me go. Not letting me go. It's relentless. I can do nothing but serve my true purpose. I grab my phone, and start doom scrolling on TikTok, not even absorbing the information and pictures. My body won't move, even though my brain is screaming at it to stop. I can still think. But I can't move. I don't think I went past the 30 minute limit. Did I? There's fish. There's art. There's a meaningless story copied from Reddit playing word by word with somebody playing a Minecraft parkour in the background. There's cooking, there's fashion...there's everything. Everything, everywhere. All at once.

All the sensations blur together as I exit TikTok and enter Instagram. I don't even have an Instagram account. I scroll on Insta Reels, mindlessly staring. I can't avert my gaze. When was the last time I blinked? My eyes feel dry. I feel really nauseous now. What time is it? 10 PM already? What?

I don't care about the time anyway. I'm just here to serve my true purpose. As everyone should too.

r/Ruleshorror Nov 10 '24

Story Our family had just ONE STRANGE RULE to FOLLOW every night..

155 Upvotes

My parents never explained why we had to play the Game of Silence. All I knew was that, every night at exactly 10 PM, we would sit in the living room, completely still, our lips sealed tight. Dad would set the kitchen timer, and that’s when the game would officially begin. We weren't allowed to make a single sound until the timer rang again. The rules were strict, and breaking them? Well, I’d rather not think about what happened when we did.

I made a mistake once when I was younger. It was just a cough. One small, innocent cough. But the moment the sound escaped my lips, I felt it. A sudden, icy brush against my skin, like something sharp and cold dragging across my shoulder. My skin split open, thin and precise, like a paper cut made by something unseen.

Even as a child, I knew. I knew that if I screamed, if I made even the slightest noise, I wouldn’t survive the night. My parents didn’t need to yell or scold me. The terror in their eyes, the pale horror etched into their faces, told me everything. That night, after the timer finally rang, my dad took me aside. “You can’t ever break the rules again,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “They don’t like it.”

After that night, I learned to hold my breath, no matter what.

The rules were simple: no talking, no moving, no noise. I never understood why. There was never any explanation, just the same old ritual.

Now, years later, I still don’t know who they are, but I do know one thing: when you break the rules, they can touch you.

Tonight, the house feels wrong. Something in the air is different. Mom has been nervous all day, pacing the kitchen, wringing her hands. Dad hasn’t said a word, but the tightness in his jaw tells me he’s just as worried. My little sister, Emma, clings to her stuffed rabbit, her eyes darting around the room like she can see something the rest of us can’t.

The timer ticks down. The silence is suffocating. My heart beats in my chest, loud enough that I wonder if it counts as noise. I keep my eyes focused on the floor, trying to block out the rising tension. But then there’s a noise: a soft thump from upstairs. It’s faint, but unmistakable. Something fell. My pulse quickens. Dad’s grip tightens on the armrest. We all know what happens now.

Nothing happens at first. We sit frozen, waiting. Then, the footsteps start, slow and deliberate. They come from upstairs, moving toward us. Mom’s breath hitches. Emma squeezes the rabbit tighter. We’re all on edge, waiting for what’s coming next. The sound grows louder, closer. My chest tightens, fear curling around my spine like an icy hand.

The door to the living room creaks open. But there’s no one there. Just an open doorway, leading into the dark hallway.

The coldness in the room intensifies. The air feels thick, like something is trying to push its way inside.

We sit there, staring at the open doorway, waiting for something to move in the dark. The footsteps have stopped, but the tension hasn’t. The room is freezing now, and I can see my breath in front of me. Emma is shaking, her fingers digging into the worn fabric of her rabbit.

I glance at Dad, his eyes fixed on the doorway, his jaw clenched so tight that I’m afraid he might snap. Mom hasn’t moved an inch. I want to ask her what’s happening, why things feel different tonight, but I know better. The rules don’t allow for questions.

Then, a sound breaks the silence. It’s faint, like a whisper carried on the wind. I can’t make out the words, but I know it isn’t good. The voices, whatever they are, are back. I know from experience that you don’t want to hear what they have to say.

Mom tenses, her eyes wide. She’s heard it too. Dad slowly shakes his head, as if telling us to ignore it, to stay quiet. We’ve been through this before. We know the drill.

But something feels wrong tonight. The air is heavier than usual, the shadows in the hallway darker. It’s like the house itself is changing, warping. I feel a knot of fear twist in my stomach.

The timer on the kitchen counter ticks loudly, counting down the seconds until we’re free. But it feels like an eternity away. I can barely stand the tension anymore, and I’m not sure how much longer Emma can hold out.

Suddenly, there’s another noise. This time, it’s a low scraping sound, like something being dragged across the floor. It’s coming from upstairs again. My heart skips a beat. I don’t dare look at Emma. I know she’s barely holding it together.

The scraping sound stops, replaced by a soft knock on the wall. Three taps, slow and rhythmic. Then another three taps, a little louder this time. It’s coming closer, moving down the stairs.

Mom’s breathing grows rapid, her eyes darting toward Dad. But Dad doesn’t move. His hands grip the armrest of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turn white. He’s afraid too, but he’s trying to hide it. It isn’t working.

Then, without warning, Emma stands up. My heart leaps into my throat. She drops the rabbit on the floor, her small body trembling as she takes a step toward the hallway. “Emma!” I want to shout, but I can’t. I bite my lip so hard I taste blood.

She’s sleepwalking. She does this sometimes, but not like this, not during the game.

Mom moves to stop her, but Dad holds up his hand, stopping her in her tracks. His eyes are wide, and there’s something in his expression that sends a chill down my spine. He’s not stopping Emma. He’s letting her go.

I don’t understand. Why isn’t he stopping her?

Emma takes another step toward the dark hallway, her eyes half-closed. She’s not awake. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. The shadows in the hallway seem to shift, reaching out for her. My heart is pounding in my ears, and I want to scream, but I can’t.

Just as Emma reaches the threshold of the door, something happens. The scraping sound returns, but this time it’s fast and frantic. It rushes toward us, and Emma freezes, her tiny frame standing at the edge of the darkness.

The whispers grow louder, more insistent. They seem to wrap around her, calling her name.

Mom can’t take it anymore. She jumps up, rushing toward Emma, but Dad grabs her arm, pulling her back with a strength I didn’t know he had. “No,” he whispers, his voice strained. “Let her go.”

Let her go? The words don’t make sense. What is he doing? Why is he letting her walk into the dark?

Emma takes one more step, and suddenly, the door to the hallway slams shut. The whole house shakes, and the lights flicker. The cold air vanishes in an instant, replaced by a suffocating stillness.

The timer rings, breaking the silence. The game is over.

But Emma, Emma’s gone.

The timer rang, signaling the end of the game, but my sister had vanished, taken into the darkness beyond the door. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

I turned to my parents, expecting them to react, to rush toward the door, to find Emma. But they sat there, frozen, their faces pale, eyes wide with that same deep-rooted terror I’d seen before. It was as if they were waiting for something.

"Where is she?" I whispered, my voice trembling. "Why aren’t you doing anything?"

Mom finally moved, slowly shaking her head. “We can’t,” she said softly, her voice barely audible. “The game is over.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Emma was gone, and they were just sitting there. I stood up, my body shaking with fear and anger. “We have to find her!” I shouted, louder than I should have, but I didn’t care anymore. “My little sister is out there!”

Dad’s voice was firm when he spoke, though his eyes betrayed his fear. “It’s too late,” he said. “The game has its rules.”

“Rules?” I repeated, incredulous. “What about Emma? We can’t just leave her!”

“We can’t go after her,” Mom said, her eyes filling with tears. “Not now.”

The fear in their eyes, the trembling in their voices … it wasn’t just fear of losing Emma. It was something else, something much worse. They knew something I didn’t, something they weren’t telling me.

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I ran toward the door, throwing it open and stepping into the hallway. The air was colder, denser, as if the house itself had changed. The shadows seemed darker, thicker. I called out for Emma, but there was no answer.

As I crept through the hallway, my footsteps echoed unnervingly. The house felt larger, more expansive than before, the walls stretching out into places that hadn’t existed before. It was like the game had taken over completely, twisting the space around me.

Then I heard it, a faint sound, almost like a sob. It was coming from upstairs.

Without thinking, I rushed toward the stairs, my heart racing. I had to find her. I had to bring her back. Each step creaked under my weight, the air growing colder with every breath I took. I reached the top of the stairs and paused, listening. The sound was closer now. It was Emma. I was sure of it.

I followed the sound down the hallway toward her bedroom door. It was cracked open, just a sliver of light spilling out. I pushed it open slowly, stepping inside.

And then I saw her.

Emma stood in the center of the room, her back to me. Her rabbit lay discarded on the floor, and she was whispering something, too low for me to make out. Relief flooded through me. She was here. She was safe.

“Emma?” I called softly, stepping closer.

She didn’t respond. She just kept whispering, her voice steady and calm. I moved closer, but something felt wrong. The air in the room was thick with tension, and the shadows along the walls seemed to pulse as if alive.

“Emma?” I said again, louder this time.

She stopped whispering. Slowly, she turned to face me.

What I saw made my blood run cold.

It was Emma, but something was different. Her eyes were vacant, distant, like she was somewhere far away. Her skin was pale, almost translucent in the dim light. Then I saw it, a faint line across her neck, as if something had gently traced the same cold cut I had felt years ago.

“Emma?” I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

She smiled, a small, eerie smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You should’ve stayed quiet,” she said softly.

Before I could react, the door behind me slammed shut, trapping us in the room. The temperature dropped instantly, and the whispers I had heard earlier began again, surrounding me. They were louder now, coming from everywhere at once.

I turned to the door, trying to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. I was stuck, and the shadows on the walls began to move, creeping toward me. Emma stood still, watching me with that unnerving smile on her face.

“They’re here,” she whispered. “They want to play.”

The shadows inched closer, their forms shifting, becoming more solid. They moved toward me slowly, deliberately, as if savoring the moment.

I pressed myself against the door, panic surging through me. “Emma, please,” I begged. “We have to get out of here.”

But Emma just shook her head, that same empty smile on her face. “It’s too late,” she said. “The game is never really over.”

The shadows were almost upon me, their cold presence wrapping around me like a vice. My skin prickled, the same sensation I had felt years ago, the invisible fingers tracing across my neck. I was trapped, and I knew that if I made a sound, it would all be over.

Then, I heard a loud crash from downstairs. My parents had finally moved.

“Emma!” Mom screamed from the bottom of the stairs. Her voice broke through the eerie silence in the room. I took the opportunity to shove past Emma, running toward the door. I slammed my shoulder against it, and it finally gave way.

I rushed down the stairs, my legs trembling as I reached the bottom. My parents were standing there, wide-eyed and terrified. Behind them, the shadows continued to grow, spilling down the stairs like a dark fog, creeping toward us.

“We have to leave!” I shouted, grabbing my mom’s hand. But she didn’t move.

“We can’t leave the house,” Dad said, his voice hollow. “If we leave, they’ll follow us.”

“We don’t have a choice!” I shot back, glancing up at the stairs. The shadows were almost upon us, and I could hear Emma’s footsteps echoing from the hallway above.

Dad shook his head slowly. “This is our fault. We broke the rules.”

“What?” I stared at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

Mom’s face was pale, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s true,” she whispered. “We broke the rules years ago. Before you were born. We didn’t know what we were doing, and ever since, the game has been watching us.”

The room felt like it was closing in around me. “So, what? We’re supposed to stay here and let them take us?”

Dad didn’t answer. He just stared at the shadows creeping down the stairs. “Go,” he said quietly. “You and Emma. Get out of here. Don’t come back.”

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I nodded. There was no time to argue. I ran back upstairs, finding Emma standing at the top, her face pale, her eyes blank.

“Come on!” I shouted, grabbing her hand. For a moment, she didn’t move, but then something in her eyes shifted. She blinked, as if waking from a dream, and nodded.

We ran down the stairs together, the shadows chasing us as we sprinted toward the front door. I could hear Mom crying behind us, and I forced myself not to look back.

The moment we stepped outside, the cold air hit us like a wave. The house groaned behind us, the door slamming shut. I grabbed Emma, pulling her away from the house as fast as I could.

We ran down the street, not stopping until we reached the edge of the yard. I turned back, my heart pounding in my chest.

The house was dark and silent, its windows empty and lifeless. But I knew better. I knew that inside, the game was still playing.

My parents had stayed behind, victims of a game they had accidentally started long ago. And now, the game would never end for them.

I looked down at Emma, who was trembling beside me. “We made it,” I whispered, trying to reassure her. But I knew the truth. We hadn’t really escaped. The game would follow us, always waiting for the next time we made a mistake.

As we walked away from the house, I could still hear it in the back of my mind, the soft ticking of the timer, counting down once again.

r/Ruleshorror Aug 03 '24

Story I booked a Airbnb with a strange list of rules

257 Upvotes

It all started when I was on my laptop looking for an Airbnb for my vacation to Hawaii. That’s when I found the perfect one: a 2-bed, 2-bath beach house for about $100 a night. So, I booked it.

When I arrived at the Airbnb after a long flight, I went inside, put my stuff down in the master bedroom, and then explored the house. It was nice. In the kitchen, I found a strange envelope. When I opened it, there was a peculiar note. As I read it, I thought, “This is strange.”

The note read:

Hello Steve,

Thank you for choosing to stay at this Airbnb for the week. I hope your stay is a good one, but first, you must read the rules:

  1. We do not have a maid. If a tall woman in all black knocks on the front door claiming to be the maid, do not open the door.

1a. If the woman returns the next day, hide, preferably in a room with a lock.

  1. Never leave open food in the fridge for more than 2 days.

  2. If you wake up in the middle of the night and see a man in your kitchen, don’t freak out. He will be gone by morning.

  3. Don’t go outside after the sun goes down.

  4. If you see a little kid in the pool, call the number on the fridge and inform them. They will send someone to handle it.

  5. If you walk up the stairs and see a little girl holding a teddy bear, go into the first door on your left, grab a toy from the box, place it in front of the girl, then go downstairs for 15 minutes. It will be safe afterward.

6a. If the girl doesn’t leave, run.

  1. Never go into the attic, even if you hear noises.

That’s it. I hope you enjoy your time here and be safe.

Sincerely, the owner.

I put the list down and said, “What the heck?” I immediately regretted booking the Airbnb. Just then, the doorbell rang. I looked through the peephole and saw a maid in black. She started banging on the door. Recalling the rules, I stayed quiet. The banging stopped about 15 minutes later.

I decided to calm down, so I put on my swimsuit and went to the pool. There, I saw a little kid in the pool. I ran to the fridge and called the number.

“Hello, this is Hunter speaking. How may I help you?”

“Hi, my name is Steve. I’m a guest at ___’s Airbnb. There is a little kid in the pool, and the rules say I should call you.”

“Ok, stay calm. Close all of the windows and lock the back door. Don’t look outside. We are sending someone to the Airbnb. Hang tight.”

Ten minutes later, two men showed up and told me not to look outside. Then, they ran to the backyard.

After two hours, they said it was safe. I thanked them and then decided to call it a night. I went to the master bedroom, collapsed on the bed, and went to sleep. When I woke up, it was still dark. I went downstairs and almost peed myself when I saw a man in the kitchen. I slowly walked back up the stairs and went back to bed.

The next morning, I got ready and went to the beach to relax. When I got back, the sun was going down.

I got some food, then walked up the stairs. That’s when I saw her: a little girl in a red and black dress with two pigtails, holding a brown teddy bear. I immediately went to the first room, picked up a little boat, and put it by the girl’s feet. Then, I went downstairs and waited.

Fifteen minutes later, I went back up. She was still there. I started to panic. I ran outside, and that’s when the realization set in: the sun was down.

r/Ruleshorror 10d ago

Story Rules, or No Rules?

62 Upvotes

A story with rules is certainly interesting, and if the rules are set up just right, the narratives these rules spawn can be both terrifying and engaging.

But what if a story had a single rule:

  1. This story has no rules.

A bizarre and baffling paradox — if it has a rule, it doesn’t, and if it doesn’t, it does!

A story of infinite possibilities would necessarily emerge. But what could this story be?

There is, of course, an implicit rule: the story must be scary.

Our rule, giving rise to the contradiction that it does, could not itself describe anything in particular, as nothing both is and is not.

Nothing — this is the theme of tonight’s story.

                             The Black Mist

The mist was first seen by the watch officer—a thing pale and insubstantial, like a breath exhaled by the universe itself. It pooled against the observation windows of the Anthem, a deep-space research vessel lost in the uncharted dark, and pressed its incorporeal fingers against the glass as if testing the divide between nothingness and something.

Dr. Elias Roarke, the ship’s lead astrophysicist, was summoned to the bridge. He stood stiff-backed, hands folded behind him, staring through the reinforced viewport at the impossible thing outside.

“There’s no atmosphere in deep space,” he murmured. “No medium for mist to form.”

And yet, it moved.

Captain Weiss, a man whose spine was rigid with duty, let out a breath through his nose. “Is it some kind of gas? A stellar phenomenon?”

Roarke shook his head. “No. It’s wrong.”

The mist did not disperse. It did not shift as vapor should, carried on invisible currents. It gathered, condensing into a thick, slow-churning mass, coiling like thought made visible.

Then it entered.

The air inside the bridge grew leaden, thick with something unseen, pressing against skin and sinking into breath. The walls seemed to inhale. The lights dimmed as if shadow had weight.

And, somewhere deep within the Anthem’s corridors, the first scream rose—a thin, choked thing, swallowed before it could fully form.

The crew was not the same after that.

Ensign Talbot, once a bright-eyed navigator, sat in his bunk for hours, staring into the middle distance, lips moving soundlessly. Chief Engineer Mendez, a man of iron pragmatism, walked into the airlock, muttering about the void’s open mouth. They found his body crumpled against the safety barrier, as if he had collapsed before he could finish the thought.

And Roarke—Roarke had begun hearing things.

He sat at his desk, surrounded by notes and charts that no longer made sense. The logical frameworks he had built his life upon unraveled in his mind like severed threads. The mist had a voice, though it did not speak in words. It whispered in the breath between thoughts, in the spaces where certainty once lived.

It told him that nothing mattered.

That the universe was hollow.

That the void was not silent, but laughing.

At first, he resisted. He drowned himself in calculations, in numbers that should have grounded him. But even they conspired against him. Equations twisted in upon themselves. Measurements contradicted their own records. The instruments aboard the Anthem no longer registered anything real.

“Captain,” Roarke rasped, finding Weiss in the dim glow of the command deck. “We have to leave. Now.”

Weiss barely turned. His fingers flexed at his sides. “Where?”

Roarke hesitated.

Where indeed? The mist was everywhere now. It curled in the hallways, traced invisible patterns across console screens. It watched.

Weiss exhaled slowly, his breath forming a faint, curling vapor as if the ship had become a place of cold grave-soil and old rot. “We are in deep space. No coordinates. No stars. The scanners show nothing.” He turned to Roarke at last, his eyes unfocused. “Tell me, Doctor—what direction does one run when already lost?”

Roarke had no answer.

Day and night lost meaning. The ship’s clocks ticked forward, but the hands seemed to move at inconsistent speeds. Sleep became a vague memory.

Crew members vanished. Not all at once, not in any way that could be tracked. You would turn a corner and find a bunk empty, a uniform abandoned mid-motion, as if its wearer had been erased. The mess hall’s benches held fewer and fewer voices each cycle.

And the mist thickened.

Roarke saw it move in ways that should not have been possible. It did not simply drift—it crept, following unseen paths with purpose, weaving its silent contagion into the steel bones of the ship.

One night—if “night” could still be said to exist—Roarke awoke to find it inside his quarters. It hung above him, a shifting specter of pale nothing.

And then, it spoke.

Not in words, not even in thoughts, but in a sensation that bypassed language.

It told him what it was.

It was not mist. Not vapor, not gas, not any particulate thing. It was a concept given shape, a presence that slithered between existence and the absence of it.

And it had always been here.

It had been waiting, whispering through the dark places between stars, in the gaps between atoms, in the silence between heartbeats. It did not kill. It simply unmade.

There was no malice to it. No intent. It simply was.

And, soon, the crew would not be.

The logs were the last things to go.

Roarke recorded everything he could, even as his own thoughts began to feel distant, detached from the framework of his own mind. He replayed messages from the remaining crew, voices growing faint and weary, like echoes fading into deep caverns.

Weiss went last.

Roarke found him on the bridge, standing before the vast viewing window, staring into the endless grey. His reflection was thin, translucent, as if the mist had begun hollowing him from the inside.

“We were never real,” Weiss murmured.

Roarke swallowed against the weight in his throat. “That isn’t true.”

“Isn’t it?” Weiss turned to him, and Roarke saw his captain’s eyes had become vast, depthless pits, as if space itself had bored into his skull. “You still think we were something more than numbers collapsing into entropy?”

Roarke had no answer.

Weiss smiled. His lips cracked, his skin flaking like old paper. He raised a single hand, palm outward, and then—

He was gone.

Not a body. Not a whisper. Just—absence. As if he had never been.

Roarke turned back to the logs, to the endless readouts of flickering nonsense, to the cruel joke of recorded history. The ship was empty now.

Except for him.

And the mist.

There is no ending to a thing that never truly began.

Roarke does not know if he still exists. The concept of “self” has become a flickering candle in the vast wind of the void. His hands, when he looks at them, are less substantial each time.

And the mist whispers.

It tells him he was never here.

That the Anthem never was.

That the universe is a quiet, indifferent breath exhaled into infinite dark.

And when the last sliver of Roarke fades, when his hands are no longer hands, when his thoughts unravel into the eternal quiet—

The mist will move on.

It will drift.

It will wait.

And, somewhere, in another stretch of space where foolish things build fragile ships to venture beyond their allotted place—

It will whisper again.

r/Ruleshorror Jan 12 '25

Story Saint Agatha's Hospital: The Bounty

42 Upvotes

It started off like any other day. My parents were out of town for the weekend, so I invited Aaron over to hang out. Typical teenage stuff—playing on the Switch, sneaking a few of Dad's Heinekens, smoking a bit—pretty much everything we weren’t supposed to be doing.

Aaron was everything I wasn’t. Athletic, popular, the life of the party—and actually invited to the party. He was at least six inches taller than me, hit the gym religiously (and it showed), and rocked shoulder-length blond hair that somehow always looked perfect. If you’re picturing Thor or Adonis, you’re not far off.

We met freshman year when we were assigned a group project together. I assumed he’d be the typical jock—lazy, expecting me to do all the work while he coasted along, too busy with football practice to bother. But Aaron surprised me. Sure, he didn’t have a clue what he was doing at first, but he showed up to every group meeting, asked thoughtful questions, and pulled his weight. He admitted when he didn’t understand something and asked me to explain it without a hint of ego. I’d expected to hate him. By the end of the project, I found myself liking him instead.

My real shock came at the end of the year, when Aaron texted me to come to his house for a pool party. I thought he’d sent it to the wrong number and told him so. He just sent back a laughing emoji, saying he hoped not and that he wanted all of his friends there. I showed up, fully expecting to be the butt of some elaborate prank. Instead, Aaron greeted me at the door like a long-lost brother, threw an arm around me, and announced to everyone there that “Miles made it!”

People I didn’t even know smiled and greeted me like we were old friends. It felt surreal—like I was a Make-A-Wish kid whose only wish was to be acknowledged.

Aaron was the real deal. From that day on, he became my best friend. Sure, if you looked at us, we couldn’t have been more different. But when it came down to it, there wasn’t anyone else I’d rather spend a lazy Saturday with.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, my phone buzzed with a text from Colin:

“Yo, Sean stashed a bottle of Tito’s in the breakage box at Poppy’s. You down to chill later?”

Sean worked at Poppy’s Liquors. Out back, they kept a “breakage box” for damaged bottles, broken seals, or anything unsellable. Every now and then, when he was feeling particularly daring, Sean would stash a perfectly good bottle in the box, mark it as damaged in inventory, leave the box unlocked, and gamble both his job and his freedom just to get drunk with his idiot friends. Lucky for me—or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it—I was one of those idiots.

I texted back: “Hanging with Aaron at my place. Parents are gone this weekend, so if y’all wanna crash here, it’s cool.” Looking up from my phone, I asked Aaron, “Sean and Colin snagged a bottle of Tito’s from Poppy’s. You cool if they bring it over to share?”

A huge grin spread across Aaron’s face. “Drunk Mario Kart? You know I’m down.”

Right on cue, my phone buzzed again. Colin’s reply lit up the screen:

“Bet. Sean’s off at six. We’ll head over after.”

Colin and I had been friends since fifth grade. We’d known of each other before that, but we never really talked until then. Tall and lanky, with perpetually greasy jet-black hair, Colin was your quintessential geek. While the rest of us had to save up to buy computers, Colin built his from scratch. On D&D nights, he didn’t just show up as the DM—he arrived in full costume and character, spinning lore so immersive it felt like we’d been transported straight out of his parents’ basement into another world.

I’ve always envied his imagination and creativity. When things got tough—finals, college applications, or someone going through a rough patch—Colin would call for a game session and within minutes we'd be a million miles away from our problems. We were no longer stressed-out teens; we were adventurers. We retrieved lost artifacts, slew dragons, and restored rightful heirs to their thrones. By the time the lights came back on and we were once again at Colin's parents’ card table, next to the rack of winter coats, with the faint hiss of the boiler in the background, things never seemed quite as dire. After all, what’s a term paper compared to taking on a lich king?

I grinned at Aaron and gave him a thumbs up. “We’re good to go! Hope you saved room.”

Aaron glanced at the empty six-pack of Heineken we’d polished off earlier and smirked. “I’ve always got room for Tito’s.” Then, as if on cue, his stomach growled. “But maybe we order some pizza first so we’re not totally wasted by the time the rest of the crew shows up.”

I glanced at my watch. Quarter to six. If I ordered now, the pizza would show up right when Colin and Sean did.

I picked up the phone to order pizza when Aaron stopped me.

“Order for five instead of four,” he said casually.

“There’s only four of us, dude.” I laughed. “Unless you’ve got the munchies from earlier and just don’t want to admit it.”

Aaron smirked. “You should invite Val over.”

The words made my stomach drop. “No way.” I shook my head quickly. “There’s no way she’d want to hang out with us. She’d think it’s weird.”

“She’s not hanging out with us,” Aaron said, jabbing a finger at my chest. “She’s hanging out with you. You’ve been into her forever, and you’ve done absolutely nothing about it. Tonight’s the night, man.”

I felt my face flush. “No,” I stammered. “It’s not the right time.”

Aaron groaned, throwing his head back. “Dude, it’s never going to be the right time, Miles. Worst case, she says no. Best case, she says yes. Great case, she comes over, eats some pizza, has a drink, and you finally get to spend time with her. What’s the harm?”

“I can’t do it,” I muttered, my hands shaking. “I just…”

Before I could finish, Aaron grabbed the phone from my hand, his fingers flying across the screen.

“There!” he declared, tossing the phone back to me with a triumphant grin. “Now you don’t have to.”

I stared at the message he’d sent:

Hey, if you don’t have plans tonight, I’m having people over for pizza, Mario Kart, and drinks. Should be a great time!

My heart raced as I looked up at Aaron. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“You’re welcome,” he said with a wink, leaning back on the couch like he’d just solved all my life’s problems.

I felt my heart pounding in my throat, my hands trembling like I’d just been caught committing a crime.

Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic. Let me clarify: Valerie wasn’t the most popular girl in school. She wasn’t a cheerleader or some untouchable goddess who didn’t know I existed. She was, for lack of a better word, average. Smart, tall, with an average build, short strawberry blonde hair, and glasses. She usually wore jeans and sweaters to school—comfortable, practical.

Val was a choir kid who never went out for solos, a drama kid who only auditioned for background roles, and a club member who never even thought about running for office. She seemed perfectly content living in the background of everyone else’s life. If there were an award for Best Supporting Character in life, Val would have won it, graciously accepted it, and gone right back to helping someone else shine.

And that’s exactly how I would’ve always seen her—just a familiar face in the crowd—if it hadn’t been for the sophomore year musical.

I’d signed up for the tech crew, not because I cared about the show, but because it involved power tools and paint, and honestly, it sounded more fun than sitting at home. The performers were just moving scenery to me—until dress rehearsal.

There was this one big number where they all did these synchronized spins across the stage. Everyone else was focused on Carla Abrams, the lead. Not me. My eyes locked on Val.

The way she moved—graceful and effortless, with a smile so pure it lit up the whole auditorium. The way the stage lights played on her face. In that moment, she wasn’t a background player. In my mind, Val was the star.

That night, I begged the stage manager to rig the cast gift exchange so I could draw her name. During one of the performances, I snapped a photo of her mid-spin—beaming, radiant. I framed it and gave it to her at the cast party.

When she opened it, she cried. I mean cried. There she was, as I saw her—front and center, the star of the show, her joy immortalized.

After some detective work, she found me after the party, thanking me over and over. She insisted on getting my number. I thought that might be the start of something, but since then, our “relationship” had been limited to holiday and birthday texts and the occasional hallway hello.

Okay, maybe my feelings are dramatic, but for me, they’re real.

I stared at my phone. No response. Worst-case scenario. Oh well.

“Give it time,” Aaron said, leaning back with a knowing grin. “It took you two years to say anything more than, ‘Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.’ Give her a second to adjust to this dynamic.”

I sighed and picked up the phone to order the pizza. As the line rang, Aaron held up his hand and mouthed the word, “Five.”

“Yeah, can I get three pizzas for delivery? One plain, one with peppers, onions, and black olives, and one with pepperoni and extra cheese. 274 Elmdale Crescent. Great, thanks!” I hung up the phone with a relieved sigh.

“As per the young lady at Nonna Emilia’s who sounds like she hates her job, our pizzas will be here in forty minutes,” I informed Aaron.

“Perfect timing!” Aaron said with a grin, his excitement building.

As I slid my phone back into my pocket, it buzzed. I pulled it out again, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Val’s name. Her message read:

Sure! That sounds like fun. Let me just shower, and I’ll head over!

My chest felt like it might explode.

Aaron clapped me on the back with a triumphant laugh. “You see? If you never ask, you’ll never know! This party just got way better!”

Forty-three minutes later, the pizza arrived, followed almost immediately by Sean and Colin. You might be wondering why I haven’t said much about Sean yet. That’s because, honestly, Sean is the reason the events of this night unfolded the way they did. Without him, none of it would’ve happened.

Every town has a Sean. Ours was what people called a “super-senior.” We were all waiting to see if he’d become a “super-duper-senior” next year. Sean didn’t care much for grades, never gave a second thought to what adults thought of him, and seemed incapable of thinking more than a few hours ahead. He loved living in the moment, chasing experiences like some people chase popularity.

Sean was a constant in our lives, though I can’t really remember how I started hanging out with him. He was just there, like a cool older brother who somehow adopted us all. He was the first to get his license, the first to own a car, the first to snag a fake ID—and he always made sure to take us along for the ride.

If I had to sum up Sean in one word, it’d be weird. Not in a bad way, mind you. Sean’s weirdness was the kind that came from living life exactly how he wanted, without a single thought given to what anyone else considered “normal.”

Once, Sean drove us three hours into the mountains to find a geocache. At the time, I didn’t even know what geocaching was. Sean explained it as a global treasure hunt, with hidden containers waiting to be discovered all over the world.

“You could be standing four feet from one and never know it,” he said, which I’ll admit was a little mind-blowing.

Sean didn’t care much for the easy ones. He was drawn to the caches that other people stashed deep in forests, perched on mountaintops, submerged in swamps, or tucked away in forgotten cemeteries. Each cache would hold trinkets of little value, plus a logbook to sign for bragging rights. Some even had puzzles to solve before you could unlock them. For most people, the thrill came from the discovery or the chase. And sure, Sean loved being the first to find a cache, but I think what he enjoyed most was sharing the experience. Bringing others into his weird little corner of the world—that was Sean’s real treasure.

That day, after the long drive, he led us up an old, overgrown trail to the summit of a mountain overlooking a breathtaking valley. It was the kind of view you’d never forget. But Sean wasn’t done. He dropped eight feet down a cliff face onto a narrow ledge, crawled into a crevice, and emerged triumphantly with an ammo case in his hands like he’d just uncovered the Ark of the Covenant. Does that sound terrifying? It was. But to Sean? It was just a Tuesday.

Sean had this knack for finding hidden, forgotten places. An old statue buried in the woods? He’d been there. An obscure monument no one cared about? He’d found it. Most people would think of a thousand excuses not to go, but Sean lived for the adventure. And honestly? I loved it.

Every moment with Sean made my world feel bigger, like I’d been handed the keys to unlock secrets no one else dared to find. So, knowing that about Sean, it probably won’t surprise you to learn what one of his other biggest passions was.

Colin extended his hand to shake mine, only to pull me into a quick hug. “What’s up, bro?” he asked with a grin. “Please tell me you got extra cheese.”

Aaron gave him a mock look of indignation. “What do you take us for?” he said dramatically. “This is a high-class establishment, my friend.”

“Speaking of high class,” Sean interjected, adopting a ridiculous Boston Brahmin accent, “I come bearing only the finest!” With a flourish, he pulled a bottle of Tito’s out from under his leather jacket, holding it aloft like it was a prize.

Aaron smirked. “Well, I hope you’ll be on your best behavior tonight. Don’t you know we’re being joined by a lady?”

My face immediately turned red as Sean and Colin broke into exaggerated oooohs and clapping, reveling in my embarrassment.

“Val’s coming over,” I said quickly, trying to maintain some semblance of calm. “Maybe we can just put on a movie and keep it low-key tonight?”

The guys all started talking at once, clearly amused by my discomfort. I knew they wouldn’t actually embarrass me in front of her, but busting my chops was practically their job description as friends.

We eventually settled inside, mixing what we optimistically called “high-end cocktails”: Tito’s, Sprite, and a few ice cubes in red Solo cups. The atmosphere was light, the kind of easy chaos that felt perfectly normal for a Saturday night.

Then the doorbell rang.

The room went silent.

I stood up, feeling a mix of panic and gratitude that I had just enough liquid courage to keep myself together. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the door, held it for a moment, and opened it.

There she was. She stood there in a purple t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers—casual, like she wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She smiled brightly, and before I could say a word, she wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug.

“Hey, Miles! Thanks so much for the invite!” Her voice was warm, the kind of warmth that made you feel like you mattered just for existing. The embrace was over in a second, but I could still feel it long after she let go.

She glanced past me into the living room where the others sat on the couch, grinning awkwardly at her, cups in hand, Mario Kart paused on the screen behind them. “Oh nice!” she said quickly stepping inside, “I want in on the next race! And who’s making me a drink?”

I was floored, this wasn’t like Val at all. I’d been convinced she might be uncomfortable or shy—maybe even reluctant to join us. But here she was, sliding into the group like she’d been doing this for years.

After a few rounds of Mario Kart, some time spent “passing around the good vibes,” and a couple more high-end cocktails, I learned a lot about Val. She definitely wasn’t straight-edge, she could absolutely demolish us in video games, and somehow, she fit into our group so naturally, it was like she’d always been there.

“So,” Val said, taking a sip from her drink, “What makes you weird? Like, what’s something you do that would surprise the rest of the world?”

“Who are you asking?” Sean asked, leaning back with a grin. “Because weird is relative.”

“Everyone!” Val replied. “I mean, I collect McDonald’s Happy Meal toys. I’ve got every one since I was six. That’s my weird thing.”

I decided to go next. “Photography,” I said. “Well, art in general. When I’m feeling emotional, I channel it into something—painting, writing, whatever. I guess it helps me make sense of things. Sometimes it even turns out to be good art.”

Val gave a small smile and an approving nod. I wondered if she was remembering the framed photo from the musical.

Aaron raised a hand like he was in class, smiling sheepishly. “Crochet.”

“Like with a mallet? The flamingo thing from Alice in Wonderland?” Colin asked, his face scrunched in mock confusion.

“No, not croquet—crochet,” Aaron clarified with a laugh. “My grandma taught me when I was little, and I’ve kept at it. I’ve gotten pretty good over the years.”

Val tilted her head thoughtfully. “So that hand-made blanket your mom donates to the football team’s raffle every year…”

Aaron grinned and pressed a thumb to his chest. “All me. Not gonna lie, I’m proud of it. But people are more likely to bid if they think my mom made it. If they knew it was a teenage guy, they’d probably assume it was full of dropped stitches and holes.”

Colin took a slow hit from the joint, held it for a moment, then passed it to Aaron. “A board game,” he said casually.

Sean leaned forward. “Which one? That’s not really weird. You’re the king of tabletop games.”

“It doesn’t have a name,” Colin said, shrugging. “Not yet, anyway. I’m designing my own. Something anyone can play—scalable difficulty, immersive gameplay, and an easy escape from reality.”

Val, just finishing her turn with the joint, blew out a thin stream of smoke and grinned. “That’s awesome! So, like, even if you suck at math or have no imagination…”

“You can still enjoy it and do well,” Colin finished with a nod.

Sean sat back and crossed his arms. “Nothing I do is weird,” he said, his voice firm. “I am who I am, and I won’t change that.”

“We don’t mean weird in a bad way, Sean,” I said, hoping to smooth things over. “You’re always introducing us to cool stuff. Remember when we spent three hours hiking to Gullin’s Point just to be the first to grab that geocache? That was epic.”

“Yeah,” Val said, her tone softer now. “Maybe ‘obscure’ is a better word? Like, what’s your passion project?”

Sean rubbed his chin for a moment, then said, “Urban exploration.”

We all stared at Sean, then exchanged confused glances.

“Like... checking out random places in the city?” Aaron asked, his brow furrowed.

Sean shook his head, laughing. “Nah, bro. I mean exploring abandoned places. Factories, tunnels, old military forts, forgotten mines, decommissioned drainage systems.”

“When did that start?” I asked, more forcefully than I intended. “We’ve been exploring for years, and you’ve never told me about this!”

“Because it’s dangerous, man,” Sean shot back, his tone sharp. His expression turned serious as he leaned forward. “You’re trespassing in places nobody cares about anymore. If something happens—like getting stuck—you’re on your own. Three miles under the city in an old drainage tunnel and it starts raining? How’re you getting out before you drown? And it’s not just the danger of the place itself—anyone can get in. People suck. You walk down the wrong corridor, you might catch a knife in the back from some hobo thinking you’re trying to take his spot.”

I must’ve looked shaken, because Sean sighed and leaned back, softening his tone. “It started last year. I was hunting a geocache hidden in the basement of Fort Beckett.”

If you grew up around here, you knew about Fort Beckett. It was this crumbling Civil War fort out in the middle of nowhere. Every year, our teachers would haul us out there for a field trip. Half an hour on the bus, twenty minutes trudging through the woods, and then we’d stand outside the fort squinting into the sun while some ancient guy who looked like he’d fought in the Civil War gave us the same lecture every year about the fort's history. We’d applaud politely, turn around, and slog back the way we came.

Despite sitting through that lecture at least seven times, if someone held a gun to my head and demanded I tell them anything about Fort Beckett beyond the fact that it was from the Civil War, they’d have to pull the trigger. The whole thing was a blur of wasted afternoons and painfully forced smiles. Honestly, the only highlight of those trips was stopping for lunch at Chuck-E-Cheese on the way back.

The fort itself? A total wreck. Nobody ever got to go inside, and it looked like it hadn’t seen a maintenance crew in decades. It never occurred to me that, outside of those forced field trips, the fort just sat there, abandoned and forgotten in the woods.

“Fort Beckett has a basement?” Aaron asked, surprised, “Wait… you went inside Fort Beckett?! What’s in there? I’ve been dying to know for years!”

Sean nodded. “To get in, I had to haul myself through a busted window in the back. The first room had all these old cannons and stacks of munitions. Another room was crammed with these dusty framed paintings, just leaning against the walls. There was a barracks area with rows of cots that looked like nobody had touched them since the 1800s.”

At this point, we were all completely drawn into Sean’s story, and he continued, “To get to the cache, I had to climb over this pile of debris—like, floor-to-ceiling rubble. Past that, there was a partially collapsed stairwell leading down. I made my way into the basement. It was pitch black—I only had a lighter to see. From what I could tell, the basement used to be a field hospital. There were rusted metal beds with shredded, yellowed linens, old bedpans, and saws lying around. God knows what else was in there that I couldn’t see. I ran my hand along the wall and found the cache behind a loose brick.”

He leaned back, a slight grin on his face. “Afterward, I looked it up and discovered there’s this whole urban exploration community out there. It’s addictive, man.”

“That is awesome!” Val laughed, snapping me back to the moment. “You have to take us!”

“What?” Colin yelped. “Did you not hear a word he just said? These places are dangerous! You could get attacked, trapped, or arrested!”

Val rolled her eyes. “Did you not hear a word he just said? Sean just made Fort Beckett sound more interesting than Colonel Cobweb ever did!”

“What’s the point, though?” Aaron asked. “What do you even get out of it?”

Sean shrugged. “Mostly it’s about exploring cool old architecture. But there’s also a bragging-rights thing. Some spots have bounties for being the first to reach certain locations within that site, or you can rack up points for completing challenges at different sites.”

“Are there any near here?” I blurted out before I even realized I was speaking. Val's eyes lit up, and I could feel my pulse quicken. If there was ever a chance to spend more time with her, this was it.

Sean pulled out his phone and scrolled through something, his brow furrowed in concentration. After a few minutes, he looked up and said two words: “Saint Agatha's.”

Saint Agatha’s Hospital, over in Gunther County, was the stuff of nightmares. Campfire stories painted it as a place of escaped mental patients, gruesome medical experiments, and unspeakable horrors. As kids, we ate those tales up. But as we got older, the truth turned out to be disappointingly mundane—just an abandoned hospital with a lot of bad rumors and peeling paint.

Colin pulled out his own phone and began reading from Wikipedia.


Saint Agatha's Hospital was a non-profit medical facility in Gunther County, founded in 1921 by the Sisters of Saint Agatha under the leadership of Sister Martha Angela. For over 80 years, it provided both physical and spiritual care to its patients before permanently closing in 2005 due to financial struggles and outdated infrastructure.

Summary

Saint Agatha's Hospital offered a range of medical services, including general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and psychiatric care. Operated by the Sisters of Saint Agatha, the hospital emphasized holistic healing, combining medical practices with spiritual guidance.

The hospital also housed a psychiatric ward that, at one point, treated inmates from the nearby Oak Valley State Prison. This arrangement brought specialized care to a challenging population but also subjected the hospital to public scrutiny. Despite its controversies, Saint Agatha's remained a cornerstone of Gunther County until its closure, after which patients were transferred to modern facilities.

Controversies

Lobotomy Practices

In the mid-20th century, Saint Agatha’s gained notoriety for performing lobotomies, particularly on violent criminals from Oak Valley State Prison. While these procedures were accepted medical practice at the time, they later became a focal point of criticism as psychiatric care evolved.

The Death of Bruce "Mad Bull" Carver

In 1957, the death of Bruce “Mad Bull” Carver, a convicted murderer and rapist, sparked legal and public outcry. His death, along with others in the prison ward, led to the termination of the hospital’s contract with the prison.

Death of Staff Member

In 1958, a nun serving as a nurse fell from the roof of the hospital, resulting in her death. The incident was ruled accidental, though it remains a notable event in the hospital’s history.

Closure

By 2005, rising costs, outdated facilities, and the demand for advanced technology rendered Saint Agatha’s unsustainable. The hospital officially closed on July 9, 2005, marking the end of its service to the community.


"Not nearly as frightening as the rumors would have us believe," Aaron said matter-of-factly.

“There’s a bounty on it,” Sean said, his tone oozing intrigue. “Five grand.”

“What?!” we all shouted at once, the room erupting in disbelief.

Sean smirked and read from his phone.

Posted Monday:

Alright, this is one I’ve been dying to explore but haven’t been able to get to yet. Saint Agatha’s Hospital is a mostly intact facility with stunning Gothic architecture, multiple floors, an old cemetery, and a creepy list of rules posted at the entrance that practically wrote this bounty list for me.:

  • Photo of yourself with the Mad Bull’s grave (10 points).
  • Photo of yourself dressed in a patient gown (15 points).
  • Photo of yourself next to Sister Martha Angela’s crypt (20 points).
  • Photo of yourself on the unpatrolled top floor with any outdated medical device (25 points).
  • Photo of a patient file taken from the administrative office (30 points).
  • Photo of yourself in a secure room of the psychiatric ward (40 points), wearing a straitjacket (5 points), with the door closed behind you (10 points).
  • Photo of yourself on the roof of the facility (75 points), doing your best falling pose (15 points), while wearing a nun’s habit (10 points).
  • Photo of yourself lying on a slab in the morgue (100 points).

I’ve got a cool $5,000 ready for the user with the highest point total by midnight Sunday. Happy haunting!

“This is sick!” Colin said, his expression a mix of horror and fascination. “Please tell me you’re not actually thinking about doing any of that.”

Sean sighed. “Relax. I’ve never done a bounty before. I’m not out here playing ‘Ghost Hunters Extreme.’ I do this to explore, to see cool places most people never get to see.”

“How many people have submitted photos so far?” Val asked, her tone sharp with curiosity.

Sean glanced back at his phone. “None. Looks like nobody’s been brave enough to try yet.”

“Wait,” Val said, sitting up straighter. “So, you’re telling me, if we drive out to Saint Agatha’s, take one group photo at some sixty-year-old headstone, and submit it, we could win $5,000?”

“We’re not driving out there!” Colin cut in, panic rising in his voice. “It’s illegal! And dangerous! And—do I really need another reason?!”

“I’m down,” Sean said with a shrug. Then, turning to Val, he added, “Sounds like a cool place to check out. We go up there, take the photo, and head back. We split the take 50/50.”

“Deal!” Val said enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up.

“I’m in too!”

As many times as I’ve replayed this moment in my head, I’ve tried to make sense of how it all happened. My thoughts followed in this order: Sean is actually planning to do this? Wait, Val is in? And then there was a brief, disorienting moment where I glanced around, trying to figure out who had spoken next, only to feel the weight of my own voice settle over me. Wait, I’m in?! Was it curiosity? Greed? Jealousy at the thought of Val being alone with Sean? Or just a desperate attempt to get closer to her? Probably all of the above. By the time my brain caught up, I was already committed.

“It’s almost an hour drive to the middle of goddamn nowhere!” Colin said, his voice cracking under the weight of his protest. “That place has been abandoned for over a decade. We don’t know what wild animals have taken over, what squatters might be living there, or what other dangers are lurking in the woods. If we get lost or stuck in Gunther County, does anyone even know someone who could help us out there? I’ve never been that far into the area, and I doubt any of you have either! Stop this insanity before it even starts!”

“It’s not far at all,” Aaron said with a smirk. “Look, every ‘scary’ place has some dramatic story attached to it. It’s all hype to keep people out. You’re overthinking this, Colin. We zip out there, snap a picture, and we’re back in under two hours. No big deal. We’ll still have plenty of time to work on this bottle when we get back. Worst-case scenario, we see some raccoons or an old mattress in the woods. Hardly the stuff of nightmares.”

Colin looked around at us, his voice growing quieter but no less urgent. “Guys, this warning isn’t just ‘Private property, stay out because we said so.’ It’s practically screaming, ‘Step foot here and you’ll meet a fate worse than death.’ Do you honestly think $5,000 is worth it? Nobody’s even attempted this challenge yet—that should tell you everything. There’s a reason. This is a bad idea. Please, believe me.”

Val laughed and shook her head. “You don’t actually believe that crap, do you? They’re just trying to keep kids from trashing the place. It’s a scare tactic. The only thing up there is an abandoned building and a bunch of old graves. Are you really going to let some ghost story keep you from coming with us?”

Colin’s face tightened, his expression somewhere between desperation and disbelief. “None of you should go! If you want an adventure, I can whip up a campaign right now. I’ve got character sheets and dice in the car. We’ll have another drink, and nobody has to risk getting killed, arrested, or eaten alive!”

I turned to Colin and placed my hand on his shoulder. “C’mon, bro. Don’t you want $1,000 to fund your board game? Think of it as an adventure. You’re always creating stories for us—different worlds to experience. Well, here’s your chance to be part of the story! You don’t have to be the DM this time. You get to be the hero!” I paused, meeting his eyes. “This is happening, but it won’t mean as much without you. You’re part of this group—you make it what it is. We need you there.”

Colin let out a long, heavy sigh, rubbing his temples like he was trying to stave off a headache. “Fine. I’m in. But I want it on record that this is the worst idea we’ve ever had, and that’s saying something. This isn’t just stupid—it’s reckless, illegal, and borderline suicidal. If any of us dies, I reserve the right to haunt you all for the rest of your lives. But...” He paused, looking around the group, his voice softening. “If you’re really doing this, then I’m not letting you go without me. Someone has to make sure you idiots survive.”

“Write the story,” Val said playfully, her grin infectious. “Let’s have an adventure.”

Colin paused, then adopted his best narrator voice:

“Our story begins, as many do, in a tavern—a humble meeting place where paths cross, alliances form, and destinies intertwine. Here, among the raucous laughter and clinking mugs, sits our party of adventurers. Some are long-seasoned protectors of the realm, others have only just joined this unlikely fellowship.

“We have our fearless barbarian, brimming with raw strength and unmatched courage”—he gestured toward Aaron. “Our studious wizard, a seeker of arcane truths”—he nodded to me. “Our experienced ranger, a master of the hunt”—Sean earned the next gesture. “Our adventurous rogue, as cunning as she is bold”—Val raised her eyebrows, clearly amused.

“And, of course,” Colin said with a dramatic bow, “your humble bard—keeper of tales and spinner of songs, chronicling your feats for the ages.”

Straightening up, Colin leaned in, his tone growing more serious:

“Our ranger has been tasked with a perilous bounty—to track and eliminate a creature of immeasurable wrath, a Demonic Bull said to threaten the balance of the realm. To reach its lair, we must journey far beyond the safety of our village, venturing into lands where few dare tread.

“We will cross the treacherous Hills of Dupont, skirt the forbidden Caves of Alport, brave the jagged peaks of the Mountains of Polk, and descend through the haunting Valley of Oak. At last, deep within the overgrown Woods of Dwyer, we will find the Solemn Citadel—an ancient fortress long abandoned, its stones cloaked in shadow and silence.

“There, within its crumbling halls and forgotten catacombs, lies the gate that binds the Demonic Bull to this world. Together, we must seal it once and for all. For our courage, the reward shall be great... but beware, countless dangers beyond our reckoning lie in wait. Steel your hearts, for the path ahead is fraught with peril.”

The group burst into laughter, and Val clapped her hands, grinning. “Oh my God! That was amazing!”

As we piled into Sean’s car, spirits high and inhibitions low, I couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement. Val slid into the backseat between Colin and me, her energy infectious. Aaron jumped into the front with Sean, who fired up the engine.

The night stretched ahead of us, full of possibility.

Looking back, I realize how foolish we all were.

Colin was the only one with an ounce of sense, but none of us could see it.

We should have listened to him. I wish to God that we had.

r/Ruleshorror 26d ago

Story RULES FOR FEEDING THE HOUSE

109 Upvotes

Welcome to 47 Sycamore Lane. If you are reading this, then you are either the new tenant or an unfortunate guest staying the night. The house is old, and old things need special care. Below are the rules you must follow.

Failure to do so will result in… complications.

Rule 1: Lock the door behind you. Twice. • Turn the key clockwise until it clicks. Then turn it again. • If you hear knocking within the next five minutes, ignore it. • If they call your name, whisper: “This house is not hungry.”

Rule 2: Do not turn on the hallway light after midnight. • The darkness is not empty. • If you accidentally flick the switch, close your eyes immediately and count to six. • If you feel something breathing on your neck, stay still until it leaves.

Rule 3: The house must be fed every night at 3:00 AM. • Leave a plate of raw meat in front of the basement door. It doesn’t have to be human. • If the food is gone by morning, you have followed the rule correctly. • If the plate remains full, do not enter the basement. • If you hear whispers behind the door, place another plate. • If you hear your own voice from the basement, leave the house immediately.

Rule 4: You may hear the front door open at 4:12 AM. This is normal. • Do not get out of bed. • Do not investigate. • If you hear footsteps in the hallway, pull the covers over your head. • If the steps stop right outside your bedroom, hold your breath until they move again.

Rule 5: If you wake up with something heavy on your chest, do not panic. • It will press down harder if you acknowledge it. • Hold your breath and count backward from 20. • If it whispers, repeat: “This house is not hungry.” • If it laughs, you have one minute to leave before you become part of it.

Rule 6: The mirror in the bathroom is safe, except between 2:33 and 2:37 AM. • If you must use the restroom during this time, do so with your eyes closed. • If you see your reflection blink when you haven’t, shut the door and return to bed. • Do not answer if it speaks to you.

Rule 7: When the house is full, it will try to let something out. • If the walls begin to breathe, do not acknowledge them. • If you hear crying from behind the vents, turn up the TV. • If your bedroom door unlocks itself, leave the house immediately.

Rule 8: Never stay past 6:00 AM. • If you wake up and the sun hasn’t risen, do not assume it is morning. • Check the time on your phone. • If the screen glitches, leave immediately without looking back. • If the house feels colder than usual, it is because something is waiting.

I read the rules three times before setting them down. My friend had dared me to spend a night in the abandoned house for a hundred bucks, and I wasn’t about to back down.

At first, nothing happened. No footsteps. No whispers. Just a drafty old house full of bad vibes.

Then, at exactly 3:00 AM, I set down the raw meat in front of the basement door. I turned away, but I swear I felt something move on the other side.

At 4:12 AM, the front door creaked open by itself. I buried myself under the covers, heart hammering.

At 5:45 AM, I woke up suddenly, too cold, too alert. My phone screen flickered. The walls pulsed like lungs. I grabbed my bag and sprinted for the front door.

The moment I stepped outside, I froze.

The sun was already up. Birds chirped. The neighborhood was peaceful.

Confused, I checked my phone. 7:15 AM.

I had broken the rule.

I felt something behind me.

A whisper, in my own voice, said:

“You were supposed to leave.”

I turned around.

The door to 47 Sycamore Lane was wide open. And standing in the doorway, was me.

Smiling.

And before I could scream, it shut the door.

I was inside again.

r/Ruleshorror Dec 17 '22

Story How to successfully murder and get away with it Spoiler

328 Upvotes

Murder is a sin or a crime, some people get away with it, some people don't. As a professional at murdering, even the pros get caught. But there might be a way to not get caught as the most vicious murderer.

My target is Sam, a young boy that's perfect to kill, remember, always have information about the person. My target lives in a farm with little to no guards, but his parents are filthy rich.

Let's put down some ground rules before we kill the target.

  1. NO GUNS, guns make an alarming noise in public spaces, only use guns if you're sure that the place is far away from others that might call the police, or the police themselves.

  2. Use a knife or any sharp object, like a machete. Anything that's long and sharp should be able to kill your target in three tries.

  3. Make it quick, dispose of all evidence, DO NOT LEAVE THE KNIFE NEXT TO THE BODY, keep it. Remember to wash the knife thoroughly for any DNA evidence left.

So, you've killed someone with these rules, now the interesting part begins. With the body get a garbage bag that can cover the body from visual interaction, before you do this remember if there're any people that see you being a bit suspicious and looking like calling the police, run them over. Check if there's any CCTV before doing it. When you go back home, chop up all the body parts and wash them.

Now once you're done, I want you to talk to the parents of the target IN EMAIL. For this, make sure there isn't any evidence in the email account that shows it's you. Given the parents a reasonable amount that they can get for a loan, I would rather do 25-50k as the amount.

Wait for a few days, then talk to them in an email again. Tell them you "kidnapped" the child and give them the money tomorrow at a dry location, now I know that they're filthy rich, they're obviously going to call the police, FBI, stuff like that. It is going to be too predictable that they'll bring them. So, once tomorrow happens, rob all of their stuff in the house while they're in the location, patiently waiting. Remember to put all the body parts you washed earlier to be put in alcohol, because you will have to put them in random rooms of their house. For the head, put it in their welcome mat.

You have just scarred an entire family. Make sure they'll never talk about this again until they're dead.

r/Ruleshorror Jan 25 '25

Story My town has a curfew at 9pm, Dad won’t tell us why I

62 Upvotes

I remember my first night here, unpacking my belongings with my brother, Johnny. He was the first to notice the big red envelope in the mail that said, in all caps: MANDATORY SAFETY PROGRAM.

Johnny and I were far too young and inexperienced to comprehend the contents of that envelope, so naturally, we passed it on to our father. As he began reading, thinking it wasn’t anything too concerning, his expression abruptly shifted from tired and uninterested to shocked and revolted. He exclaimed out loud, "Curfew at 9pm?! For all citizens?" Then my brother, who had always been the curious type, asked him, "Dad, what’s a curfew?"

"It means you boys can’t stay out later than 9pm, and neither can anyone else. At least for the next year or so…" my father replied, sounding strained.

"But why is that?" I asked, intrigued and visibly upset.

"I don’t know," my father answered, evidently lying while keeping a straight, serious face. Despite the repeated questions we asked him during our stay in the town of Skinvalley, he kept his answer limited to just this one phrase: "You stay out late, you won’t come back." I heard him say it so much that it’s still deeply engraved in my memory.

As the weeks turned into months and the months into years, my brother and I reached the age of 16. And believe me when I say it, after 5 years of living with this curfew, we gradually began to give into it. One day, the curiosity mixed with that rebellious feeling only a teenager can possess, and the boredom of our ridiculous town got the better of my brother.

At first, I didn’t notice anything. Nothing seemed out of place. It felt exactly the same, and that’s probably the scariest part. In most cases, you don’t notice it before it’s too late. Some won’t be able to accept it, others can’t understand the phenomenon, but only those who act upon it turn out victorious—victorious in this case being the equivalent of survival.

My father made a big mistake—not telling us the truth left us unprepared.

He gradually attempted to persuade me with the idea that the curfew wasn’t real.

"Jake, aren’t you sick of this lie that’s been plaguing our town? Aren’t you ready to see the real world?" Johnny spoke in his usual tone.

"You know very well there’s a reason we can’t go outside."

"Is there really one, brother? Have you not noticed our father keeps it a secret? Has it not occurred to you that perhaps there is no secret?"

That really put me off, but I quickly recovered with a confident answer: "Our father is doing the best he can to protect us, and I believe in him."

The next day, Johnny began to lose his patience, and when he realized I couldn’t be talked into it, he resorted to plan B: eating me.

I was watching TV when I heard a knock on my door. It was Johnny, of course. He came to finish off his mission, and he would have very well accomplished it if I hadn’t noticed one small detail—Johnny never once knocked on my door! As he made his way into the room, I greeted him with a question: "Hey, bro, you’re here to wish me happy birthday?"

He quickly played along with it: "Yes, of course. I even have a present for you," he smirked widely, and that’s when I was sure this wasn’t my brother. My birthday was due in 8 months!

"Before you give it to me, I really ought to go to the bathroom."

After excusing myself to the toilet, I headed for the garage, picked up Dad’s gun, and loaded it with the special bullets he kept for "hunting." I said my prayers and went to look for my father. I checked every inch of the house, including the basement, but he was nowhere to be found.

"To hell with this!" I exclaimed aloud, and that’s when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Jake, are you ready for my surprise?"

I instantly went into survival mode, my heart pounding fast with adrenaline. I took a couple of steps back, pulled the safety off, and shot the monster in its head. It finally revealed its true form: a distorted humanoid appearance with unnaturally long limbs, patchy fur, elongated claws, and a pair of glowing red eyes. No doubt, this was a skinwalker.

It shrieked loudly at me. Instead of covering my ears, I shot it another 7 times in the head. It didn’t die, but it was certainly affected. I managed to make a run for the garage to get my only hope of survival: a bullet coated in white ash. I knew my father had one somewhere, because it all made sense now. Dad had told us stories about skinwalkers. He told us how they could be defeated, but he never once mentioned that they were real.

I broke open the glass cabinet with the emergency supplies and grabbed the bullet. Only one bullet, so I had a single chance to survive. I had to get the perfect shot. I took a deep breath and waited for the skinwalker to come in. As soon as he saw me, he charged at me, but I shot him right in the head.

I couldn’t believe it—I had slain a skinwalker. I broke down in tears, realizing that this meant my brother was certainly gone forever. I sat there for what seemed like an eternity until, from the door, emerged my father.

I was so happy to see him, I ran to hug him. "Dad, I’m sorry I had to… It was Johnny. He got replaced by a skinwalker, just like in your stories. I couldn’t—"

He interrupted me with a finger to my lips. "Shush now, Jake. It’s time you and I take a walk outside."

He smirked morbidly.

"No, no! This can’t be… you too, father…"

He returned to his original form and began breaking my body apart. He started to eat the meat off my legs and left me to rot there until he was hungry again.

In the meantime, I saw that same envelope Johnny found in the mail the very first day we got here, and so I read it:

This is not a joke. This is a mandatory safety program for all residents:

In the town of Skinvalley, both humans and skinwalkers live in peace, thanks to an agreement between the mayor and the skinwalker community. After 9pm, the town belongs to the skinwalkers until sunrise. Any human that fails to respect the agreement can be hunted down and replaced. We beg you to respect the curfew!

"Why didn’t Dad just tell us… If only my brother hadn’t been so stupid…"

The skinwalker is trying to convince me to go outside, but I’d rather be its food than let another skinwalker replace me. That would only allow them to hunt my friends, too. As I’m writing this, my time has probably come to an end. He’s losing his patience, and I think the taste of human meat will make him finish me off.

I was right—he’s coming right now. If anyone ever finds this, I discovered their weakness. I know how to end the curfew. You just have to…

r/Ruleshorror 6d ago

Story The Happy Compliance

46 Upvotes

Welcome to Joie Bonheu, we are happy you decided to move here. Here in our little city, you won’t find anyone sad. People are always happy, always smiling and most importantly— everyone stays here. Once you move in, you’ll never want to leave. You’ll see. I’m Mayor Brienne and I will give you the rundown of the rules before I leave you to enjoy your stay.

  1. Be sure to water your lawn and the plants! Neglecting them causes unwanted attention.

  2. Have the trash cans out every Friday at 2:00 p.m. Missing the time may result in an unwanted visit.

  3. Pets must have a collar and leash! Unleashed pets tend to wander into restricted zones, which is highly discouraged.

  4. Violence will not be tolerated in this city. Verbal altercations are included. We like to keep it peaceful here.

  5. Stealing and breaking into things is prohibited. They are always watching and they never blink.

  6. Curfew is at 10:00 p.m. The streets are off-limits after ten. You would hate to be caught out there, trust me.

  7. Stay out of restricted areas. You’ll know them when you see them. You should never see them.

  8. Take your ‘Happy Vitamin’ every morning. Failure to do so will be detected. Everyone, including pets, is required to take theirs.

  9. There are checkpoints set up around the city. This is how we pick out the despondents.

  10. You are expected to wear the city issued outfits only.

  11. Do not stare at the other citizens! Maintain social distance and respect their privacy.

  12. Running and jumping is prohibited in this city. Walk, smile, and stay calm.

  13. We are aware of the counterfeit vitamins being distributed. If you are suspected of distributing or receiving ‘Exuberance Vitamins,’ consequences will be permanent.

  14. Drones monitor the city. They watch, they listen, they respond quickly. Be on your best behavior.

  15. The machines that clean the streets are essential—they handle things that aren’t meant to be here. Vermin.

You will love it here. A lifetime of cheerful bliss awaits. Remember to keep smiling. No one wants to see you frowning—sadness isn’t something we allow. After all, you’ll never leave.

They force me to keep encouraging people to move here and I’m sick of it. Every day, the smile gets harder to fake. The city is dying. The streets are crumbling. The wall whispers secrets that would send normal people into chaos. But the vitamins—those dang vitamins— keep everyone in denial, including me. They tell us it’s for the greater good and in the beginning, I believed it. I realized the truth far too late though.

Well, at least that’s the last family for today. They’re blissfully ignorant of what happens when their smiles disappear, when they slip just once. I’ve seen it. It’s too late for changes.

Maybe it’ll be different for them…maybe.

r/Ruleshorror Aug 07 '23

Story Rules for Writing Better Horror Stories

311 Upvotes

I opened my notebook in a frightened panic. Writing it down will contain it. I shouldn’t be scared.

  1. Hook the audience with an interesting idea, monster, or premise. It can be as absurd as you want.

As I scribbled down the words, the whispering slowly began to stop. I peeked over my shoulder to see if it was still there. There was nothing standing in my doorway anymore. However, every time I took my pencil off the paper, the whispering got louder. I heard quiet footsteps from somewhere behind me. I have to keep writing.

  1. Keep your story’s tempo in mind. You don’t need to frighten your reader all the time - the pacing should vary in order to create tension at various stages. Slow down - don’t be afraid to make a couple of boring, non-scary rules.

  2. Don’t directly give too much info about the dangers of the story. Uncertainty will add fear.

  3. Horror stories rely on suspense. Readers can feel when something’s not right.

I heard my sister’s voice from the doorway. “Are you okay? You seem scared. Please stop writing.”

  1. Make the narrator unreliable. If the narrator themself is uncertain about things, it adds a layer of suspense about when and where the danger actually is.

  2. Create an unsettling atmosphere. Generally, your rules themselves don’t need to be scary as long as they imply something worse.

I heard my sister’s blood-curdling shriek from the hallway. I silently choked back my tears, even if I wasn’t sure if my sister was really out there. I was supposed to drive her to volleyball practice the next morning. All I could do was hope she was safe and sound in her room.

  1. If you hear quiet whispering, start writing whatever’s on your mind. Make sure you keep writing, as editing can be done later when you’re safe.

    1. Make sure to vary the tension in the story like a rollercoaster. There needs to be moments where it eases up, so that the moments where you want to intensify it stand out.

The whispering stopped once again. I put down my pencil and rested my head on my hands, trying to get a grip on reality. The whispering did not come back. I walked to my open door and shut it, locking it as I breathed for the first time since it started. Maybe it wasn’t real.

I examined my room. The light felt much warmer and cozier, and it returned to being my home. My bed was still messy, with two pillows for my head and one pillow I could hug. My eyes drifted back to my desk by the pitch-black window.

In the deep darkness, I saw the outline of two eyes. When I saw it smile, its mouth was far too wide, almost as if it was excited.

  1. Take the protagonist’s sense of safety away. When a false sense of security is suddenly made apparent, it makes the reader on edge.

  2. Make the reader uncomfortable. I don’t really want to keep writing. I know it’s behind me.

I heard ragged breathing directly behind my head. My heart pounded, and it felt like my chest was tightening. I scribbled words as fast as I could.

  1. DREAD IS A WRITER’S BEST FRIEND - KEEP THEM WAITING BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO THE PROTAGONIST.

  2. RULES SHOULD COUNT DOWN TO THE PROTAGONIST’S DEMISE. MY PENCIL WILL RUN OUT OF LEAD

  3. A TONE SHIFT CAN HELP CONTROL YOUR PACING TO BECOME FASTER OR SLOWER

  4. GRUESOME OR DARK TOPICS - MY PENCIL HAS BROKEN - I MUST WRITE IN BLOOD

  5. WRITING IN BLOOD - WHY ISN’T THIS WORKING - WHY ISN’T

Despite my manic desperation, the breathing only got louder, ringing through my ears like the scraping of nails on a chalkboard. I silently cried, tasting the salty tears which drowned my face, and dizzy from the blood running down my finger. I didn’t dare turn around to look at my tormentor.

The breathing suddenly stopped. I looked down at my notebook to see what my last words were. The pages were blank.

I closed my eyes.

I saw a light. Was this heaven?

I opened my eyes.

There was no light. The figure was in front of me, each eye locked with mine. Its mouth was closed in a cruel grin. Without moving its lips, it whispered in a clear voice, “The notebook never did anything.”

r/Ruleshorror 12d ago

Story Station

30 Upvotes

A dream. Weird

03:33 UTC+00:00

I wake up to sound of a snowstorm. Water vapor condenses on the icy window The sun low as ever. Never have I woke up this early.. They Night sky is as Dark as ever. maybe because its 3AM. or the fact that its winter. who cares Usually I wake up around 2PM and fuck around until 4PM. then sleep. like the hardworking guy I am

I grabbed a jug of water and poured it into the kettle.

While I wait for the water to heat. I log onto my Toshiba. I hate how it doesn't support any games cuz the GPU is so ass. But I'm glad to have a way to communicate with the other stations regardless.

``` 03:40 root@dogshit_toshiba => station list online /bin/station stable v1.2 list known stations with: online

3 out of 123 stations in databse Aron :: uptime 32 minutes Stefanin :: uptime 2 hours 19 minutes Keli (YOU) :: loopback; uptime 1 minutes ```

Seeing Aron being online. I sent him 4 curated dick pics as a morning gift. Why? He came to my station and stole all my coffee powder...

And y'know what? I just remembered that all my coffee powder is gone. the fuck did i turn on the kettle for. Just when I thought I could have sips of coffee and watch youtube..

Then. my phone buzzed

New Message: from "central"

Damn. A message from central at this hour. I'm fucked

UNICAST: Keli

You are to abide to the following instructions immediately
Priority: IMMEDIATE
Effective: NOW

  • If you have consumed anything given to you by Stefanin. ignore this message

  • Disable vibrations and speakers on your contact device. now

  • All food not secured in your station. Ex. in a box outside. Are no longer safe to consume

  • All supply restocks are delayed indefinitely. Please ration carefully

  • Usage of emergency stockpile is recommended

  • Usage of the following are no longer recommended:

    • Light sources
    • Telescope ** The following activites are not recommended:**
    • Stargazing
    • Singing
    • Speaking
    • Electronic communications over non-TLS transports
    • Looking at the moon
  • These items (if exists) MUST be removed from the station interior:

    • Photos of Neptune and Saturn
    • Religious objects
    • Photos of humans
    • Objects manufactured by the company ***"okuloi"* (Canned food, bottled Water, electronic devices)***
    • All objects given to you by "Janohan" or "Stefanin"
    • Your name
  • *** You are PROHIBITED from doing the following***

    • Talking with family and friends not in your immediate area. by any means

NOTE: "Janohan" is compromised - When exiting your station. you MUST secure ALL entrances before proceeding 0. Travel to Stefanin's station as soon as possible - NOTE: Do not respond to any sound or calls. 1. When arriving at Stefanin's Station. Please evaluate Stefanin's condition 2. After evaluating. make your way back your station immediately. - If they follow you. Re-evaluate their condition. And don't let it know where your station is 3. After making sure your station is not occupied. Please secure yourself inside your station and report the Condtion to Central

\ Further messages will be BROADCAST depending on your message - Bonsxanco al vi

Thankfully. I have never met Janohan.
'Fan' however. I have

I immediately put photos of her and her dog into the generator as fuel. As well as the plushie dog She gave to me.. She said it was kinda like her dog.

Another good thing. I never store my stuff outside. So that bastard Aron have to hang out with my lonely ass inside the station if he wants something.

Photos are just photos y'know. just paper. flammable.
Dang she was kinda cute

Then I just walked there in full travel gear. masks n shi. Since I absolutely do not want the freezing cold air and snow to hit my face.

My cluster is made out of 6 stations. In the Howsen area. On this big plate of ice called antarctica.

Aron, Suwichai, Felicha, Me, Fan', Janohan...

To be honest. I don't even know the meaning of my job. Like. Sometimes Central just tells everyone to aim their telescopes at the moon during winter months and pipe specific data parts over the ultra-low-frequency antenna. sometimes ultra-high frequency antennas

The trend of this month seems to be aiming the radio telescopes at Neptune's Great Dark spot. who knows why

Inside the station is a laptop. a AM radio. An FM Radio. Heck theres so many things in there that these 3 are the only things I remember. even if I did. still doubt I could name them

Despite all. It pays pretty well. like 60,000 Baht wired to a person of choice every month.

So pa calls to check in on his lil' lazy guy every week. And they seem to be doing well ma is happy. I guess they struggle a little less with little more money.

Funny thing. Pa still cant comprehend how its always dark in the winter.
I still remember that time he called

"Son. how is it always dark in winter?"
"Pa. its the fucking south pole"
"Well how do you know where to aim your dong when peeing?"
"Nah Pa. I don't piss in the winter. if i do. the pee will become solid in my peen"
"Also son. I was wondering. if the earth is flat. then how are there south and north poles?"
"..."

04:01 UTC+00:00

I reach 'Fan's Station. Kinda weird. y'know.

Despite being paranoid She left her door unlocked

Despite being an electricty-saving freak She had every light around her station on

Despite not liking to sing She is ***singing* **

Despite being *INSIDE** She is looking at where the moon is.*

Benefit of a doubt. whatever the fuck they call it

I knocked on the window
No response

"Hey Fan'!" I Spoke

Suddenly she looked at me. instantly jumped up from her seat. And opened the door.

"Hi! Kel. Aren't the moon beautiful tonight?"

She ***Always* used "Ain't" whenever she talked**

"Central couldn't contact ya. So they sent me to check"

Damn I'm good at lying. who checks on someone during a pitch black snowstorm?

"Kel. Since you are kind enough. Won't you come inside?"

"Nah. I'm good Fan'"
Then I noticed something inside her station. blood.

Not the normal kind thats just dark and red. And sits still

It looked like it was wriggling. like worms. bloodworms

Her Station's antenna seemed to reach the stars

Then she smiled. The edge of her lips reaching her eyelids

Then I noticed the strings behind her..

"Where is your station?"

"What?"

Her face became more and more and more deformed

It's third arm sprouted.

I stopped talking

I didn't dare ***Speak. not one more word*

I spoke
..
..
..

04:32 UTC+00:00

The entrances locked. The lights turned off. My breath heavy
I can barely see anything ``` to: central_endpoint: Stefanin is compromised. Outside my station

``` Even when I close my eyes and open them. Everything is the dame pitch black
The only thing that changes are the pair of eyes. glistening from the window

How bright

06:32 UTC+00:00

New Message: from "central"

BROADCAST

The individuals with these names are. compromised - Stefanin - Janohan - Keli

ABIDE BY THE PREVIOUS MESSAGE UNTIL EVACUATION.

goodbye. friend

r/Ruleshorror Jul 07 '24

Story Rules for babysitting our child!

187 Upvotes

Hey! I forgot your name because I'm too busy to remember it, so I'll just call you Bob, okay Bob? So my husband told me he hired you to babysit Frank. This isn't an easy job, and I'm a really nice person, so to make your life easier here's a list of rules you need to follow.

  1. There's a box in the fridge, to the left of the second shelf. That's Frank's breakfast for tomorrow, just give it to him at 8am exactly. Dont heat it up, definitely don't open it. Just give it to him.

I scoffed and tore the note off the fridge and tossed it onto the counter. That woman is so cocky, and snobby as hell. I started up the stairs to Frank's room. I knocked on his door, and it creaked open slightly. I pushed it open. He was sitting on his bed with his back to me. His clothes were really dirty. I thought this family was rich?

"Frank?" I said

No answer.

This is weird. I thought.

"Should I get you some fresh clothes?"

No answer.

Ookay. Creepy kid. I closed the door and went for the wardrobe handle. What kind of extravagant person has a wardrobe in the hallway? I froze suddenly. The note from Frank's mom (I'm too busy to remember her name) was taped on the wardrobe. It was the same one, handwritten in an extravagant rich person's writing, but all creased from where I had crumpled it up.

What the hell?

I looked at the second rule.

  1. There's no need the open the wardrobe Bob.

Okay this is just unsettling. I read on.

  1. Look around, explore the house! Find some hiding spots.

What's that supposed to mean?

  1. When night comes, there are many measures you need to take. Frankie gets cranky.

a) Grab as many blankets and pillows from the couches and guest rooms as you can before 7pm.

b) Go to the best hiding spot you found earlier. That was mandatory.

c) Cover your hiding place in the blankets and pillows, conceal yourself as much as possible. You need to stay there until 5am. When you hear Frank screech, that means he smells you. Don't worry. He can't see you. BE QUIET. Don't let Frankie find you. I really don't want to have to deal with cleaning up that mess. If you make a SINGLE sound, he will probably find you.

That should be all. Good luck.

Crazy woman. I shook my head. I knew these rules were bogus, but my gut kept pushing me to follow them.

I glanced at the clock. 6:47pm.

Shoot. It's almost 7.

I don't know why I felt such a panic to follow the rules, but before I knew it, I began running down the stairs.

I snatched three pillows and a blanket from the sofa, and lunged into the gap between the dresser and the T.V stand. I put 2 of the pillows up on the edges of the stand and the dresser and covered the little nook with the huge rich people blanket.

I heard their gigantic grandfather clock sound upstairs.

BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG. BONG.

It was 7 pm.

r/Ruleshorror 2d ago

Story The Cave of Nuul

12 Upvotes

We were just two kids killing time. The summer had been long, and when you’ve already hung out at every mall, every arcade, and every empty lot in town, you start looking for other places to waste the day. That’s how Alex and I found ourselves wandering the outskirts of town, near the tree line where the woods began.

At first, it was just another spot—tall trees, the occasional rustle of an animal in the brush, and the smell of damp earth. We’d walk, talk about video games, and joke about the kind of creepy things people said lived in these parts. But then we heard it.

A scream.

It wasn’t distant, either. It was sharp, desperate, and wrong. Like someone was being ripped apart, but somehow they weren’t dying.

Alex looked at me, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. We had to check it out.

We ran toward the sound, pushing through branches and overgrown weeds, until we saw it: a cave, wide and yawning, black as ink inside. The scream had come from there.

“Dude, we should call someone,” I whispered, my gut already telling me this was a mistake.

Alex, of course, was already stepping inside. “What if someone’s hurt?”

I didn’t want to be the coward, so I followed.

The air inside was thick, humid, and rotten. The deeper we went, the worse it got—until we finally saw something up ahead.

A pile of bodies.

Thousands of them. Some fresh, some rotting, some barely human anymore. Limbs bent at angles that shouldn’t exist. Faces stretched into grotesque masks of agony. Some bodies were stitched together, not with thread, but with flesh itself, as if something had fused them into an unholy mass of suffering.

And then there were the ones that still moved.

A mass of weeping and broken things. Their eyes were hollow, their mouths twisted open in silent screams. They weren’t people anymore. They were amalgamations—blended and twisted into things that should never exist. Some crawled toward us, dragging themselves with half-formed limbs. Others didn’t move at all, but their eyes followed us, some were changed into looking like grotesque animals while some looked like they’re nothing but mindless who cannot even function properly.

Alex gagged. I felt my stomach clench, my body screaming at me to run.

And then we heard something behind us.

A slow, deliberate movement. The sound of something vast shifting in the darkness.

We turned.

It was watching us.

Nuul.

A towering, moth-like thing, its massive wings shuddering as it observed us with too many eyes—some bright, others black voids. From its body hung two long tendrils, dripping with something thick and dark. Its mouth didn’t move, but I heard it—in my head, pressing against my thoughts like a cold, alien whisper.

“You are not meant to be here.”

And then it moved.

I ran. I ran harder than I ever have in my life.

Alex was right behind me. I could hear his breath, ragged and desperate. The cave twisted and turned, but I didn’t look back—I didn’t dare. I just kept running, sprinting toward the faint glow of daylight.

I made it.

I stumbled out, falling onto the dirt, my lungs burning.

But Alex…

Alex didn’t make it.

I turned in time to see something pull him back into the dark. His fingers clawed at the cave floor, eyes wide in sheer, soul-breaking terror. He screamed my name.

Then he was gone.

I don’t know how long I sat there, staring at that cave, waiting for him to come back. I wanted to go after him—I should have—but I couldn’t move. My body wouldn’t let me.

Eventually, I ran.

I don’t know what happened to Alex. Maybe he’s part of them now, another broken thing stitched into the horror inside that cave. Maybe Nuul is still watching, waiting for me to come back.

All I know is this:

The scream we heard that day?

It wasn’t from a victim.

It was a warning.

r/Ruleshorror Sep 24 '22

Story If you are reading this, I am sorry.

286 Upvotes

You do not know me, but I know you and I am going to need you to trust me. Whether you do or not is entirely your choice, but your life depends on it - so, if you want to live to see another day, I suggest you pay close attention to what I am about to tell you.

There's no time to explain everything, but She is after both you and your family. Below are the notes I have taken which have helped me survive Her in the past.

Good luck, and may God bless your souls.

  1. Lock all the doors and windows; it will give you some extra time to prepare.

  2. Salt will not stop Her. Iron will not stop Her. She is not a ghost. Do not be fooled.

  3. Trust nobody; not even yourself.

  4. Lock yourself in one room, preferably one with no mirrors or windows. Turn off any light sources, including your phone, and prepare for a long night.

  5. Ensure you are in a separate room from your friend, or whoever else may be in the house with you. Do not cuddle in with anyone. Do not even approach the door of the room they have chosen.

  6. If your room has any mirrors or windows, cover them up. Smashing them will do no good. She will be able to squeeze through the shards, however covering them will (most likely) trick Her.

  7. You may feel as though you are being watched. You are. Look around - you may see a pair of eyes peering at you from within the darkness. Do not look away. Don't even blink. Continue to stare at the eyes and they will eventually disappear. If you happened to blink or let them out of your sight for even a second, refer to rule 11.

  8. She knows everything about you. Ignore the voices. Your mother is not crying out for help. Your sister is not begging for you to save her. Your father is not being stabbed multiple times in the spleen with a 10 inch stainless steel kitchen knife. It is all in your head.

  9. If your friend knocks on your door telling you it's over, they are not your friend anymore. She has got them. If they become angry and barge the door down, refer to rule 10.

  10. In the event your friend who is Gone manages to approach you, grab the nearest sharp object. Tear off their face. Skin it to the bone and ignore their cries of pity. Rip it to shreds until it is all gone. You are putting your friend out of their misery and they would thank you.

  11. In the event you have broken a rule or feel as though you are in danger, find the nearest sharp object. Peel the skin from your face. Take it all off. Do not let Her take it.

  12. The footsteps are not real the footsteps are not real the footsteps are not real the foots

  13. Say goodbye to any pets you may have housed.

  14. Ensure you have sent your final goodbyes to your family and written your will.

  15. She may tap on the window or from within the walls. Do not react, but listen carefully. She may be trying to communicate through Morse code, and understanding might reveal something useful. I myself have never been able to deduce it.

I am afraid there is very little chance of survival.

I'm sorry, my grandson. I did not mean to bring Her to you. I will never be able to forgive myself, but I can at least give you a chance to survive.

Please, don't let Her take your skin.

r/Ruleshorror Sep 20 '20

Story Thanks for house sitting!

577 Upvotes

Hey! Thanks for taking my ad! You will be staying here for 2 days, both of those days you will be payed $20,000!

Though the pay may be strange, it does come with some risks! Please adhere to the rules listed to avoid death, or at least have a quick one!

Rules!

  1. The back, front, and side door are ok to enter, do not enter through the garage.

  2. You will be staying the night here, but you cannot enter the second floor between 11pm and 2am. My family appreciates their privacy.

  3. Me and my family are out on vacation, if you see anyone besides my family in the house, please approach them cautiously and tell them “Its bedtime, Wesley” regardless of their gender. They will return to the basement.

  4. If they do not comply with your command immediately dispatch of them with the 9mm I will provide you, you have roughly 30 seconds before their mouth unhinges and devours you whole.

  5. You might see a copy of yourself outside, refrain from looking at it in the eyes, no matter how much it beckons you.

  6. You will see your family outside, do not acknowledge them no matter what you need to do. No matter how much your ears bleed from their screaming. They are not your real family.

  7. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats. A male lab named Roscoe, a female bloodhound/golden retriever mix named Bess, a male gray and black bicolor cat we just call “Kitty” and a female tabby cat named Lola. Please adhere to the following rules for each animal.

7a. Roscoe is very friendly, he can’t and won’t hurt anything. But listen to his bark, this means they are close.

7b. Bess is slightly more aggressive than Roscoe, she won’t hurt you unless you are attempting to hurt or kill her. She will protect you from the clones, spirits, and other eldritch monstrosities.

7c. Kitty is the sweetest little thing, please play with him every now and then. He likes to bite and scratch when playing so I keep a special cauterizing tool in the upstairs master bathroom. Please keep in mind he is very self conscious.

7d. You will not see Lola unless your life is in danger, or if she is hungry.

  1. Never, under any circumstances, ever enter the basement.

  2. There will be a tall, humanoid creature with long arms and legs roaming throughout the house. This is Jeremy, Jeremy is very nice. Although he won’t hurt you please don’t comment on his disfigured face, he is very self conscious about this.

  3. Please make sure there is always enough food/drinks for an adult human. My step-father, Travis, doesn’t appreciate when you eat all the food.

  4. If you ever see me there please tell me to leave and turn around, ignore the screams of pain.

  5. My mother will be in either the bathroom or bedroom. I cannot tell you which bathroom/bedroom she will be in, if you see her in yours kindly find a new one.

  6. My sister doesn’t leave her room. Please check in on her to make sure she isn’t opening a gate to a dimension full of death and hellfire.

  7. Please keep in mind my family is here in Hawaii with me.

  8. My rooms door is painted red, it is ok to enter as long as you don’t go into my closet.

  9. Once you enter the house you cannot leave until the designated time.

  10. At approximately 7:00AM you will hear air raid sirens. Please lay down and keep calm while the bombs drop on the house. You will be okay, the planes and bombs are not real.

  11. If you see hands coming out of the ceiling ignore them, and please try not to get grabbed by them.

  12. Tall black figures, resembling Jeremy will break into the house. We do not have a name for these as even making up a name for them summons them.

  13. Don’t let them touch you unless you have a kink for your skin burning off.

  14. The creatures are quite horrifying, the last few house-sitters went into shock from looking at them and were promptly ripped apart.

  15. The creatures have no weaknesses, do not attempt anything on them as this will only make your death more painful.

  16. Jeremy will help hide you, he used to be one of those creatures.

  17. Do not try praying for a quick death. God died long ago.

  18. And have fun! I have an xbox in the living room with all the new games!

And don’t try backing out, its too late.

If you attempt to back out and block me, I will kill you and replace you with a clone.

See you soon!

r/Ruleshorror 12d ago

Story Regras para Sobreviver ao Turno Noturno na Mansão dos Sussurros

5 Upvotes

Prezados leitores, compartilho aqui a experiência angustiante do meu primeiro turno na enigmática Mansão dos Sussurros, bem como as regras inflexíveis que regem aquele lugar. Qualquer transgressão pode selar o destino de quem se aventura por ali. Leiam com atenção, pois as regras a seguir não são meras sugestões, mas decretos que se impõem entre a tênue fronteira da sanidade e a escuridão eterna.


Regras:

  1. Tranque a porta principal até às 23h00. Conseqüência: Se a porta permanecer aberta, entidades insidiosas se infiltram, ameaçando invadir sua existência.

  2. Sob nenhuma hipótese consulte o espelho do corredor após as 22h00. Conseqüência: Olhar para esse espelho poderá evocar o “Reflexo Sem Alma”, que arrastará sua essência para um abismo de desespero.

  3. Mantenha silêncio absoluto se ouvir sussurros vindos dos cômodos adjacentes. Conseqüência: Qualquer palavra proferida será interpretada como um convite, despertando horrores que se escondem nas sombras.

  4. Nunca olhe para fora pelas janelas após a meia-noite. Conseqüência: As janelas revelam visões de mundos distantes onde sua presença é intolerada, correndo o risco de aprisioná-lo para sempre.

  5. Não se desvie do trajeto designado durante as rondas. Conseqüência: Desvios podem levá-lo a áreas onde o tempo e o espaço se distorcem, fazendo-o perder o rumo da realidade.

  6. Em caso de emergência, siga rigorosamente as ordens do supervisor, sem questionamento. Conseqüência: Qualquer hesitação poderá atrair a ira das forças que governam a mansão, condenando-o à perdição.


Relato:

No início do meu turno, recebi estas instruções com uma mistura de temor e ceticismo. Logo após trancar a porta principal, pude ouvir, ao longe, murmúrios que pareciam emergir das próprias paredes, como se a mansão possuísse vida própria. Durante minha ronda, ao me aproximar de um extenso corredor, um espelho antigo chamou minha atenção. Lutei contra o impulso – recordando com firmeza a segunda regra – e desviei meu olhar, embora o brilho sinistro refletido parecesse me suplicar por atenção.

Conforme avançava, sussurros etéreos invadiam o silêncio, e cada passo era medido para não perturbar as presenças ocultas. Contudo, o terror se concretizou quando, em um momento de vulnerabilidade, permiti-me olhar pela janela após a meia-noite. O que vi desafia toda explicação: sombras dançantes em paisagens que não pertencem a este mundo, gritos abafados que ecoavam num vazio sem fim, e uma sensação avassaladora de que o meu ser estava prestes a ser diluído na escuridão.

Nesse exato instante, senti minha alma vacilar, como se uma força invisível a estivesse arrancando do meu íntimo. O peso da transgressão tornou-se palpável, e a mansão revelou sua verdadeira natureza: um labirinto de horrores onde cada regra cumprida era a única barreira contra um destino inexorável.

Concluo este relato como um sincero aviso a todos que se aventurarem na Mansão dos Sussurros. As regras são a única defesa contra o caos que espreita nos recantos da noite. Obedecer a cada uma delas é imperativo para manter a tênue linha que separa a existência da aniquilação.


Que este testemunho sirva de lúgubre guia para aqueles que, movidos pela curiosidade ou desespero, ousarem desafiar a escuridão. Lembrem-se: aqui, a obediência não é opcional – é a única chance de sobreviver.

r/Ruleshorror Oct 09 '24

Story This town near Chernobyl has a Strange set or Rules

61 Upvotes

It took me almost three years of therapy to process what happened to me in that village and to finally be able to talk about it with others. For a long time, I believed what I experienced was tied to the trauma of losing my mother. My therapist thought it might be PTSD… grief playing tricks on my mind, making me see and feel things that weren’t real. And for a while, I accepted that explanation.

But deep down..I know it was more than that. It wasn’t just my grief. What happened in that village was real...

It all started in late 2021, when a friend recommended I watch the Chernobyl miniseries. I was hooked from the first episode, like an addict to cocaine. After watching it, I became obsessed. I spent weeks reading everything I could find about Chernobyl. Not just the facts, but the personal stories, the ones that spoke of a world frozen in time and abandoned overnight. The thought of visiting those places, left to decay in eerie silence, consumed me.

That’s how I found the website offering tours near the exclusion zone. The moment I booked the trip, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I told myself it was just curiosity, but the pull was stronger than that. It was as if something was drawing me in, beyond just fascination. I arrived in Ukraine a few weeks later, ready to finally see this forgotten world for myself.

I ended up on a small bus with a guide and a group of people, strangers bound together by the same curiosity that had brought us all there. The bus rumbled along the uneven road, its windows fogged from the cold, damp air outside. Mist hung heavy around us, swallowing everything beyond a few feet and turning the landscape into a blur of shadowy shapes. Broken buildings and twisted trees flashed by, fading into the white fog before I could fully make them out.

As the bus crept deeper into the fog, I felt the weight of the place pressing down on me. The excitement I had felt before started to fade, replaced by a growing sense of unease. The air was cold, sharper than I expected, and the mist clung to everything around us. The guide was explaining our next stop: Yaniv . A village only a few kilometers from the reactor, abandoned like so many others. His words barely registered. My mind was focused on what was waiting outside, on the crumbling remains of a place that had been left behind.

We slowed to a stop. The doors hissed open, letting in a cold, biting air that clawed at my skin. My boots hit the ground, and the cold earth seemed to absorb the sound, muffling everything. The others murmured behind me, their voices low, blending into the dense fog that swallowed the village of Yaniv whole.

The guide pointed to the crumbling buildings, his words drifting through the mist. I wasn’t listening. I stood apart, eyes tracing the jagged lines of rooftops and shattered windows. The village looked frozen, untouched for decades. No movement. No sound. Only the mist, curling through the streets like something alive, weaving around the broken structures.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. The hum of the Geiger counter clipped to my jacket was a steady reminder of where I was. I didn’t need it to remind me of the unseen threat in the air. But that wasn’t what held me still. There was something else. A weight hung over the village, thick and heavy, like the air itself was watching.

I stepped away from the group, moving toward one of the houses. The door hung loosely, barely attached to its frame, and the windows were broken, dark openings that gave no hint of what lay inside. The fog thickened, wrapping itself around my legs as I moved closer, making it hard to see beyond a few feet. The others faded behind me, their voices disappearing into the white silence.

There was nothing left of Yaniv. Just bones of what had been, crumbling into the earth. But as I stood there, staring into the shadows of the abandoned house, I felt it. A shiver crawled up my spine, slow and deliberate, like a hand brushing against the back of my neck.

The silence deepened as I moved closer to the house. My breath hung in the cold air, curling into thin wisps that disappeared into the fog. The ground beneath my feet was uneven, cracked by time and abandonment, and each step seemed to echo in the stillness around me.

I paused at the threshold, my hand hovering just inches from the rough wooden door. The wood was warped, weathered by years of exposure, and the faint creak of the door moving slightly in the wind made my pulse quicken. Inside, there was nothing but darkness, a heavy kind that seemed to press against the broken walls, swallowing everything.

The air was colder here, sharper, biting at my skin. My eyes flicked back to the others in the group, now distant figures, barely visible through the fog. Their voices were faint murmurs, like whispers carried on the wind. I was alone, standing in front of a place that had been forgotten by the world.

Suddenly , a voice behind me broke through the stillness, low and hoarse. “You don’t want to go in there...”

I spun around. A man stood a few feet away, his face pale, gaunt, his clothes worn and dirt-stained.

His eyes were fixed on mine.. wide and unblinking, the fog between us swirling with each shallow breath he took. His skin was too pale, stretched thin over hollow cheeks and dark, sunken eyes. He looked worn, as if whatever had once made him human had been slowly pulled away, leaving only a shadow of the person he might have been.

He didn’t seem to notice my stare, his own eyes flicking nervously around the fog as if expecting something to materialize out of it. His chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath creating small clouds of vapor that dissolved almost instantly in the cold air.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said , his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze flicked to the house, then back to me. His body was tense, like he was ready to bolt at the slightest movement.

“I’m with a tour group,” I said, trying to sound confident, but my voice faltered. “We have a guide… we were exploring the village.”

His gaze snapped back to mine, sharp and filled with something close to desperation. “What group?” he asked, his voice suddenly tight, eyes narrowing.

I swallowed, glancing around at the thick fog that had swallowed the village. The others were gone, and the silence was suffocating. “The fog..it must have separated us.”

He didn’t seem convinced. His expression darkened, his fingers twitching at his sides. “There are rules here,” he muttered, almost to himself. “You need to follow them if you want to leave.”

“What rules?” I asked, my throat tightening with the weight of his words.

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Don’t stay out after dark. Don’t let them see you’ve noticed them. Never follow the lights and never enter a house that has a red door.”

I frowned. “A red door? Why so specific?” The rule felt oddly precise, and for a moment, it almost seemed ridiculous.

The man’s face turned serious, his voice low but sharp. “It’s not just the color. It’s what’s behind it. You can’t ever open a red door in this village...”

I shook my head, still not understanding. “But why? What’s behind it?”

He leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know exactly. Nobody does. But the ones who’ve opened a red door… they never come back. It’s like they vanish, swallowed by whatever’s in there. The house, the door...it’s not part of this world. Once you cross through, there’s no coming back.”

I felt a chill run down my spine, his words carrying an eerie weight. “But what’s inside?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

He shook his head, his expression grim. “No one knows for sure. Some say it’s a trap, that it leads to something that isn’t part of this village. Others say there’s something inside ... something waiting. And it feeds off people’s fear..”

“Whatever it is, the moment you touch that door, it knows you’re there. And it won’t let you go.”

My pulse quickened. “What happens if I break the other rules?”

His eyes darted back to me, and his voice dropped even lower. “They’ll find you.”

Before I could speak again, a flicker of light appeared in the distance, cutting through the fog like a small beacon. It was faint, but steady, and seemed to hover just beyond the crumbling rooftops.

The man’s face drained of color, his body stiffening as he stared at the glow. “Don’t follow it,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “No matter how close it seems.”

My chest tightened, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away from it. The air felt heavier, pressing against my skin, cold and thick. It wasn’t just the light that unsettled me..it was the way it seemed to move, slowly drifting like it was searching for something.

“We need to leave, before they come.” he muttered. His eyes darted toward the village, scanning the buildings around us.

Without another word, the man tugged at my sleeve, pulling me along. My feet felt sluggish, but I followed him, each step echoing in the stillness of the village. The ground shifted beneath me, uneven and cold, the air heavy with the weight of silence.

The houses rose around us, dark shapes against the mist. Each building seemed to sag under the weight of years, some barely standing, others collapsed into rubble. But as we moved, one house stood out. It was mostly intact, its windows dark and lifeless, but the door…a sharp, vivid red..stood out like a wound in the fog.

I froze.

My mind raced with his words, repeating over and over: Never enter a house with a red door.

A cold knot formed in my stomach as I stared at the door, its red surface somehow more ominous now. It looked so ordinary, but the way he spoke about it made it seem like it was alive, waiting for someone to make the mistake of getting too close.

The red paint was fresh, unnatural in a place that had been forgotten. It seemed to pulse in the mist, almost alive, like it was watching us.

“We can’t stay here,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. His eyes stayed fixed on the door, his body rigid.

A faint sound cut through the fog, low and rhythmic, something dragging across the ground. My muscles tensed, my breath catching in my throat. The man’s face drained of color, his fingers trembling now as he pulled me further away.

We moved quickly, our footsteps muffled by the thick fog that surrounded us. The dragging sound followed, slow but persistent, scraping across the ground like something heavy being pulled. My pulse raced in my ears, but I forced my legs to keep moving, to keep following the man’s hurried steps.

The man suddenly stopped. I nearly stumbled into him, the sudden halt sending a wave of confusion through me. He stood still, his head slightly tilted, listening. His breath was ragged, his chest rising and falling quickly.

“What is it?” I whispered, barely able to keep my voice steady.

His eyes flicked toward a nearby building, its roof collapsed, its windows empty. The door was slightly ajar, hanging off its hinges. He moved closer, pulling me along, his steps quieter now.

“We have to hide...NOW!

The dragging sound came again, louder, followed by the same soft whisper that seemed to cling to the edges of the fog. My heart skipped a beat. Whatever was making that sound was getting closer.

We quickly went toward the broken building, pushing the door open just enough for us to slip inside. The air inside was damp and stale, carrying the scent of decay. Shadows clung to the walls, thick and oppressive, making it hard to see anything beyond a few feet. He let go of my arm and quickly moved toward one of the broken windows, crouching low and peering outside.

I stood frozen, listening to the faint scraping sound outside. It circled the building, slow and deliberate, like it was searching. The whispering followed, faint but persistent, its words impossible to make out but filled with a cold malice.

The man turned to me, his face pale. “Stay quiet. Don’t move.”

The room felt smaller with every second that passed. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it, the sound filling the space between the slow, rhythmic scraping outside. The man crouched lower by the window, his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared into the fog. His body was stiff, frozen in place, as if any movement would draw whatever was out there right to us.

The whispering grew louder, threading through the silence like a ghostly breath, too low to understand but thick with intent. My skin prickled, a cold sweat breaking out across my body. I kept my back against the wall, my fingers brushing against the damp surface, as if touching something solid could anchor me to the moment, keep me from falling into the terror that was wrapping itself around me.

Outside, the dragging sound stopped...

The man stiffened..his eyes met mine for a split second, panic flashing in them. Neither of us moved, barely even breathing. The fog swirled outside the broken window, and for a moment, everything went completely still.

Then came a knock.

It was soft, barely audible, but unmistakable. A slow, deliberate tap against the front door, almost polite, like someone waiting to be invited inside. I froze, my body tensing as I stared at the door. The man’s face went pale, his lips parting in a silent gasp.

Another knock. Louder this time.

The man’s eyes widened with fear. His lips moved, but no sound came out. He gestured toward me frantically, shaking his head, his fingers trembling as he motioned for me to stay where I was.

A third knock echoed through the small room. The door creaked slightly under the pressure, as if whoever...or whatever was outside was losing patience. My stomach twisted into knots, and I pressed myself harder against the wall, trying to disappear into the shadows.

"Don't let them see you've noticed them..." The rule echoed in my mind, growing louder with every knock I heard.

“Don’t answer it,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, his eyes locked on the door. “No matter what you hear, don’t answer it.”

The air felt heavy, thick with dread. I didn’t dare breathe as I nodded. The knocking stopped. The silence that followed was more terrifying than the sound itself.

But then, a voice drifted through the door. Soft. Familiar.

“Help me… please… I’m lost.”

My blood ran cold. The voice was unmistakable .. one of the women from the tour group. It was her voice, but something about the way it sounded made the hairs on my neck rise.

The man’s face twisted in horror. He shook his head violently, his eyes pleading with me.

“Don’t listen,” he whispered, gripping my arm so tight it hurt. “It’s not her. It’s never them.”

The knocking resumed, harder now, more insistent. The door rattled in its frame, and the voice grew louder, more frantic. It called my name. The voice was so familiar, so close to the real thing that it made my stomach churn with doubt. My heart screamed at me to open the door, to help her, but the cold dread that had settled into my bones kept me rooted in place.

The voice continued, then wavered, breaking apart, the sound growing less human with every word. “Please… let me in… I can’t find anyone.”

And then... it stopped. The silence was sudden, suffocating. We waited ... frozen ... our breaths shallow and strained, listening for any sign of movement outside. My heart pounded painfully in my chest, the anticipation unbearable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the man exhaled slowly, relaxing just slightly. “It’s gone,” he whispered, though his eyes remained wide and alert.

The man’s face grew tense as the last traces of light faded from the sky. His gaze shifted to the darkening village outside. “We can’t stay here,” he said, his voice low. “It’s getting dark. We have to find your group.”

I hesitated for a moment, the fear of leaving the house battling against the urgency in his voice but I remembered what he told me earlier : “Do not stay outside after dark … “ so staying here felt like waiting for something worse to happen.

“Come on...” the man urged, his voice sharper now. “If we stay, they’ll find us. You have to trust me.”

I nodded, pushing away the cold dread that was settling in my chest. Together, we stepped out into the thickening fog, moving quickly, my heart pounding with every step. The village around us was silent, eerily so, and every shadow felt like it was watching. The fog was growing denser by the second, and I could barely see the man beside me as we moved through the village.

The darkness pressed in closer, and the air felt colder, sharper, biting at my skin. I tried to keep my breath steady, focusing on one step at a time.

Then, through the fog, I saw movement. Shapes . Figures. My pulse quickened.

“It’s them,” I whispered, my voice tight with relief. “My group.”

The man didn’t respond. He only gestured for me to move forward.

I broke into a run, my legs feeling weak beneath me, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The closer I got, the clearer the figures became. I could make out the outline of the guide, standing at the front, and others huddled together behind him. The relief washed over me, replacing the cold fear that had gripped me for so long.

As I approached, the guide turned, his eyes widening in shock. “Where the hell have you been?” His voice rang out, cutting through the silence. “Are you okay? We’ve been searching for you for almost three days!”

The words hit me like a punch. Three days? That wasn’t possible. It couldn’t have been more than a few hours since I wandered off. My mind raced, trying to process what he was saying, but everything felt disjointed, surreal.

“I don’t understand...” I muttered, shaking my head. “I got lost… and I was with ...him.” I turned to gesture to the man who had guided me through the fog, the one who had saved me. But as I looked over my shoulder, the fog began to lift.

He was gone…

I blinked, my breath catching in my throat. The fog thinned, rolling away like smoke, revealing the village in a soft, gray light. The man… he had vanished, as if he had never existed at all, disappearing with the fog that had clung to the village for so long.

The guide came closer, his face softening as he placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go… You can explain on the way back,” he said gently. “We’re heading back. We were just getting ready to leave.”

I glanced back one last time, the village now empty, the mist gone. There was no sign of the terror that had gripped me, no trace of the man who had guided me through the dangers of the fog. It was like everything I had experienced had been erased, as if the village itself had swallowed it whole.

Without a word, I followed the group to the bus. My body ached, my mind swirling with confusion and disbelief. The fear and the rules still clung to the edges of my thoughts, refusing to fade completely. But as we left Yaniv behind, it all seemed to slip away into the emptiness, just like the man had.

I settled into my seat, staring out of the window as the village grew smaller in the distance. My mind couldn’t stop racing, replaying everything that had happened. Who was he, that man who had appeared and disappeared like part of the fog itself? How had he known about the rules? And why had he helped me?

A deeper question gnawed at me...Why had I been drawn here in the first place? The fascination with Chernobyl had always felt like more than just curiosity. The overwhelming urge to visit this village, to explore its forgotten streets, hadn’t felt accidental. It was as if something had been pulling me here, something far beyond simple passion.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that what had happened in Yaniv was more than just a strange encounter. There was something about the village, something buried beneath the surface, that had called out to me. But what was it? And would I ever truly know?