part o2 -- start running

   The screen blurs white and there is panting and whimpers. Terrified whimpers. The character"you decide to call her Hazel"looks around, trying to determine the source. Harsh grunts. High-pitched screams.

   'I know this place. She looks at the faint shadow on the door. I know you.'

   Of course you do, the ghost says, we are friends after all.

   'Daniel.'

   The flashback ends and everything returns to normal. There is no sign of the ghost"Daniel? It sounds too boyish. Maybe it is a male dressing in a gown?

   'He had to do that,' Hazel whispers. You brush away your strange thoughts about it knowing what you will say. It's a perfectly normal line for a monologue, after all. You have to say, though, the dialogue does add something to the story.

   You leave the room after snagging several things"more batteries, several sheets of photographic paper, and a rose pin. The music changes into something more solemn. The hallway feels more ghostly somehow, like now that one of them showed himself they are more daring about coming out. You're not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. The first one was rather civil.

   You grin. A good horror game keeps the suspense.

   As you delve deeper into the house, the screen grows a little bit darker. The walls have candles, but they are unlit. Perhaps there will be tinderboxes lying around. On the end of the hall there's a door.

   Hint: Press [right]Shift to run.

About time. You run to the door to find that it isn't the end"on the left there is a stair leading to the second floor, while on the right it's another room. You decide to explore this one before moving on to the other.

   It's pitch black. Turning on the torch, you aim them to the wall in attempt to find a switch. There's nothing. You turn to the room.

   It looks like a guest bedroom"guest only because it's so plain. Your torch helps you to see a nightstand and a bed, and so far there's nothing special as you direct the light around the room. A painting of a vase of flower, drawn silk curtains (it looks shiny), two doors on the side. You open one of them.

   A bathroom. It's in perfect condition, from what you can see anyway. There is a stumpy candle near the sink, a pool of wax around it. A tiny fire is alive. You approach it. The door slams shut and the flame flickers out. Ice creeps on the edges of the screen. There is a black silhouette and"

  RUN.

  RUNRUNRUNRUNRUN"RUN.

  Don't look back. Never look back. Don't hide don't try anything just runrunrun

The words are wailed out by something you can't see but you follow them and open the door and run. It's hard to not focus on the shadow behind you but you know that if you don't focus you'll be running to something and it'll slam straight into you. You don't know what will happen but you'll never let your game end so early.

   You run up the stairs and the screen changes black, white Loading... on the middle, a small picture above it. Flowers in a vase.

Author's Note

Painfully short for me.