Don't let them know you can see

14

Forcing myself to calm down, I took a hesitant step closer to Ethan, trying to catch his final words. "Don't be afraid... the basement..." he gasped, but his injuries were too severe, and he collapsed before he could finish. I checked for a pulse, finding none. Ethan was gone, and by my hand. My mind was in turmoil, my face a mess of tears and mucus, the conflicting scents in the air making it hard to breathe.

Driven by Ethan's last words, I gathered the courage to search his body for the basement key. With the key in hand, I approached the basement door, which loomed ominously in the darkness. Hesitating only for a moment, I used my phone's flashlight to illuminate the path and opened the door.

The basement emitted a strange odor, and the walls were covered in bizarre symbols. Despite this being one of my few visits, a sense of familiarity overwhelmed me. I found the light switch and turned it on, the sudden brightness momentarily blinding me.

As my eyes adjusted, I was confronted with a wall covered in photographs – a macabre gallery of various remains, some marked with a red X. The sight was overwhelmingly sinister, and I felt the urge to flee, regretting my decision to venture here.

The horror of what lay before me raised countless questions about Ethan's true nature. How many lives had he taken? And had I unknowingly shared my life with a monster?