1st Place, 2023 Spooky Writing Contest

This is the 1st place winner of the 2023 Spooky Writing Contest written by Mariana Barron
In the depths of a desolate forest, where moonlight struggled to pierce through the dense canopy, there stood an abandoned house. Its decaying facade oozed with malevolence and whispered secrets that chilled the bones of anyone brave enough to approach.

Legend had it that this house was cursed; it had once belonged to a family who dabbled in dark arts and summoned demons from the netherworld. Their insatiable thirst for power led them down a path few dared to tread. As their obsession grew, so did the sinister forces they unleashed upon themselves and all those unfortunate enough to cross their path.

One fateful night, as darkness swallowed the sky whole, a group of curious thrill-seekers ventured into the woods, drawn by whispers of supernatural occurrences surrounding this forsaken dwelling. Their hearts raced with both excitement and trepidation as they approached the decrepit structure.

As they stepped foot inside, an eerie silence descended upon them. The air grew heavy with an otherworldly presence, pressing against their chests like cold hands gripping their throats. The faint flickering of candles revealed cryptic symbols etched on every wall, painted with blood long dried.

Suddenly, a bone-chilling gust of wind extinguished all light sources within the house. Panic set in as darkness engulfed them, completely trapped in an abyss devoid of hope or escape. Whispers echoed from unseen corners, growing louder and more malicious with each passing second.

Then came a voice—a guttural growl that seemed to emanate from beyond reality itself. It spoke ancient tongues unknown to mankind but understood by every trembling soul present.

“You have trespassed upon sacred ground,” it hissed, its words dripping with venomous intent.

The intruders felt ice-cold fingers brush against their skin as invisible entities clawed at them relentlessly. Shadows danced menacingly across walls while demonic laughter reverberated through the stale air. Fear consumed them, their minds unraveling like fragile threads.

One by one, they were tormented and possessed by malevolent spirits that desired nothing but to feast upon their mortal flesh. Their eyes turned black as ink, devoid of all humanity. They became mere vessels for the ungodly forces that roamed this unhallowed abode.

In a final act of desperation, the last remaining survivor stumbled upon an ancient grimoire hidden beneath a rotting floorboard. With trembling hands, they recited an incantation, attempting to banish the demons back to the abyss from whence they came.

For a moment, silence fell upon the house—a deafening stillness that seemed almost tangible. But it was short-lived. The walls trembled violently as demonic entities unleashed their fury upon the desperate soul who dared challenge them.

With one final scream, darkness swallowed them whole, leaving behind only echoes of terror and an insatiable hunger for more souls to claim in their wake. From that night onwards, no brave or foolish soul ever ventured near that haunted house again—for fear of being forever ensnared within its otherworldly grasp.