Echoes of the Damned

Raelyn and Luna trudged onward, their footsteps echoing in the suffocating silence. The air grew heavier with each step, as if the walls of their living nightmare were closing in. The dim light that had guided them began to fade, plunging the path into oppressive darkness.

And then it began—the rhythmic, guttural sound of a heartbeat. Slow, deliberate, and far too loud to be their own.

Thump... thump... thump...

"We're close," Luna whispered, her voice wavering as she glanced around. "The heart—it has to be near."

Raelyn nodded, but her nerves were fraying. The living walls pulsed faintly, as if responding to the sound, the grotesque display pulling at the edges of her sanity. To fight the fear clawing at her mind, she broke the silence.

"What was your life like, Luna?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Luna turned her head slightly, her expression softening into a small, wistful smile. "Perfect. Like a dream, really. I married my high school sweetheart, James. He's tall, dark-haired, with the warmest brown eyes. He's stubborn but kind. The kind of man who would stay up all night comforting me if I was upset, even if he had work the next morning." Her voice wavered with emotion. "We have a baby girl, Ellen. She's only a year old. She's got these big blue eyes—mine—but James' wild hair. She's curious about everything, always giggling, always reaching for something new." Luna's smile grew wider, though tears glistened in her eyes. "I can still hear her laugh."

Raelyn swallowed hard, her heart aching. "How did you end up here?"

Luna frowned, her brows furrowing. "I... I don't know. One moment, I was at home, and then I woke up here. The Butcher was the first thing I saw. I barely escaped him."

"What about me?" Raelyn whispered, looking down at her feet. "I just got accepted into the college of my dreams. My life was finally starting to feel like it was going somewhere. And now..." She trailed off, shivering as the heartbeat seemed to grow louder.

Thump-thump... thump-thump...

Luna sighed, resting a comforting hand on Raelyn's shoulder. "Do you think this is some kind of dream? Maybe we're in comas somewhere?"

Raelyn managed a weak smile. "I hope so."

The sound of the heartbeat intensified, reverberating through their bodies. The walls seemed to throb in time with it, the grotesque wetness of the environment amplifying their growing unease.

Suddenly, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the darkness ahead.

Raelyn froze. "Luna..."

The eyes shifted, focusing first on Luna, then Raelyn, as if studying them. After a tense moment, the glow vanished, leaving behind an eerie silence.

"We need to move," Raelyn whispered. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Luna nodded, but as they began to walk, Luna yelped, slapping at her arm. "Damn bug," she muttered, shaking her hand.

"You okay?" Raelyn asked.

"Yeah, just a bite," Luna replied. "Let's keep going."

But as they walked, Luna began to slow. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, and her steps faltered.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Raelyn asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"I... I don't know. I feel weak."

Raelyn looked at her friend, and her stomach dropped. Luna's skin had taken on a sickly pallor, and her eyes seemed dull.

"Luna, your arm!" Raelyn pointed in horror.

The skin around the bite glowed faintly, pulsating like a second heartbeat. Luna stumbled, her weapon slipping from her hand. Raelyn bent to retrieve it—and screamed.

It wasn't Luna's weapon that had fallen. It was her arm.

Raelyn recoiled in horror, staring at the severed limb on the ground. "Luna, your arm! What's happening?!"

Luna clutched her side, her body convulsing. "I... I don't..." she doubled over, screaming as her stomach split open, exposing slick, pulsating organs. Maggots wriggled through her flesh, spilling onto the ground as one of her eyeballs slid from its socket, dangling grotesquely before falling.

Raelyn staggered back, tears streaming down her face. "Luna, no! This isn't real! This is a dream! It has to be!"

Luna's voice cracked as she reached out, her remaining hand trembling. "Raelyn... it hurts. Please, help me."

Raelyn backed away, shaking her head. "No, no, no! This can't be happening! Luna, this isn't real! It's a nightmare! Just wake up!"

Luna collapsed to the ground, her body twitching violently. Blood pooled beneath her, dark and streaming. Her heart burst from her chest with a sickening splatter, coating Raelyn's face in warm, sticky crimson.

Raelyn rushed to her, cradling her broken body. "Luna, no! Please! Don't leave me! Think about Ellen! Think about James! You can't leave them! You can't leave me!"

Luna's lips moved, but no sound came out. Her body convulsed one last time before the ground beneath her began to shift. The pulsing floor wrapped around her, pulling her down inch by inch.

"No!" Raelyn screamed, clawing at the ground, trying to free Luna from the grotesque maw swallowing her. "Give her back! GIVE HER BACK!"

But it was too late. Luna's body disappeared, leaving only the bloodstained ground behind.

Raelyn collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. She pounded her fist against the floor, her cries echoing in the oppressive darkness. "Bring her back! Bring her back!"

The heartbeat continued, louder and more mocking than ever.

Thump-thump... thump-thump...

Raelyn was alone.