It had been half an hour since we started driving. The building owner said we were almost there.
During the drive, she explained everything that was happening. Everything she knew, at least.
These creatures had been in the building for at least three generations. She was the third. Her mother had taught her what she needed to do about them.
As far as she knew, they could live for years without eating. But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t. And they only eat people.
“Of course they do.” - I said sarcastically when she explained that part.
They were attracted to the sound of water. She didn’t know why they had this kind of behavior, she just knew it was that way.
And they are active at night, more specifically between 10 PM and 4 AM. That’s the reason those rules existed. She called me stupid for not following them and for not trusting her after breaking them. In that moment, I understood how dumb I had been.
I asked why the creature didn’t eat me when the creature was right in front of me, and how exactly it would eat without having a mouth.
She said she didn’t have a full answer for that. First, there are different types of creatures. The one I saw was a Skarven.
Skarvens only spy on potential prey when they hear water. And they mark them. The reason they only do that to people who look at them, she doesn’t know. But she knows that not looking works. And they do have mouths. But they’re in their chests.
I shivered a bit hearing that part.
The second kind of creature are the Echoer. They can take the form of a person, imitate some words, and copy some simple movements, like knocking on a door.
I asked why he wouldn’t just enter the room, and how he got into the bathroom.
She said Echoers are not the strongest. In fact, they’re weaker than a normal person. They rely on ambushes to catch their prey. That’s why he wanted me to answer the door.
The way he got in is stranger, and seems almost impossible. All the creatures have the ability to crush their bones to fit into small spaces. Very small spaces. Echoers take this to the extreme. And they have access to the pipes of the building.
She pulled over when she finished explaining that part.
We were at a house in the middle of the forest, at least 2 miles away from the nearest point of civilization.
“It’s a house for these special occasions. You’ll be safe there.” - she said while getting out of the car.
We started entering the house. There was a stone wall at least 6 and a half feet high.
“Step exactly where I step. There are traps here, and you don’t want to lose a leg.”
I was starting to understand what she meant about this house being for this occasion. The whole house was one big trap. The front door had some kind of fire and gasoline trap. As we walked upstairs, I saw some bear traps, and something that was present in every part of the house. Salt bags.
We entered a room at the end of the hallway. The space was full of salt bags. The door had that same fire trap on the inside.
In one corner of the room was a workbench. There were some toy guns on it, which made me a bit confused.
She grabbed one of them and started explaining.
“So the only thing I didn’t mention yet was the salt. The creatures’ skin is like an amphibian’s, so it’s very sensitive. One of the most effective things is salt.”
“And why did you have to put salt on me?” - I asked, kind of worried.
“When that Skarven scratched you,” - she started answering - “it passed you some kind of… venom. Those boils were the reaction to it, and they work the same way as their skin. It’s through those boils that they can sense and smell you. If the boils are damaged, they can’t. For some time at least. Speaking of which…”
She grabbed one of the guns and pointed it at my chest. I looked at her, confused.
“These are salt guns. We need to put salt on your wounds again.”
A chill ran down my spine as I remembered what it felt like last time. But I didn’t have a choice. I lifted my shirt, and she shot.
The pain and the breathless sensation came again. But I was able to stay standing this time.
“Here’s what we’re going to do. You need to leave the country. You need to have at least an ocean separating you from the creatures. Otherwise, they will find you eventually.”
I was caught off guard. Leaving the country felt so… rushed. But I had only made bad choices until I got here. Again, I didn’t have a choice.
“Okay, but I need to grab my things, and I need money to travel as well.” - I said trying to stay calm.
“Here, take one,” she said, handing me one of the guns. “So this is the plan: I’m going to your apartment to grab everything you need. You’ll stay here. It’s safe, but you can’t leave. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the airport.”
“Alright… okay,” I said, still a bit surprised at how this situation had escalated.
“In about 3 months, you’ll be able to come back. I’ll be in touch the whole time. Alright, wait in this room. I’ll be back in about an hour.” - When she finished, she went through the door and left.
I grabbed a chair near the workbench and sat down. I heard her car driving away. I held the gun tighter, still a bit afraid. It was the first time I was alone after all this.
After half an hour, the boils had grown again. The initial fear I felt turned into boredom. I was starting to feel trapped in the room. But I was too afraid to disobey the orders. I had already done that once, and it hadn’t ended well.
I grabbed my phone and started watching some videos.
Another 30 minutes passed before my phone rang. She was calling me.
“DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE!” - she screamed.
I could hear that she was out of breath. It sounded like she was moving through water, like in some kind of pool.
In the background, I could also hear that sound. That high-pitched wheeze. A pack of them.
“ONLY LEAVE WHEN THE SUN RISES! DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT LEAVING EARLIER!”
“Don’t leave…” - I heard her voice again, but now it was distant, mixed in with the creatures’ sounds.
“DON’T OPEN THE DOOR NO MATTER WHAT!” - I heard the original owner of that voice say again.
Suddenly, a very low, guttural, yet piercing scream came from the phone. Then all the other creatures screamed as well. And then I heard that same scream. But outside the phone. This last one came from the woods.
“I WILL-“ - A loud, horrifying scream cut her off.
Then the sound of the phone hitting the water. The next screams came muffled. And then the call just ended.
I heard another scream, and then an alarm. The screams continued for a while. Then I smelled smoke and burned flesh.
I gripped my gun tighter. I was surrounded. Trapped.
I heard a few more screams throughout the house, and the sound of traps being triggered.
I just sat where I was. It was 2:47 AM. I just had to wait until sunrise. I had the salt. I tried to tell myself that everything was okay.
At 3:32 AM, I heard a scream. The loudest so far. It came with some kind of explosion. It caused the lights to go out. Everything is dark now.
It’s 4:29 AM. The screams stopped. But I can hear their steps. Their breathing.
I put some salt on my boils, but it doesn’t seem to have much effect anymore.
My battery is running out. I have to do something before that. Or I’ll be completely blind in this darkness.
I heard knocks on the door downstairs.
“LEAVE THE HOUSE!” - it’s her voice.
I think I shouldn’t open it.