Sitting in a wasteland he has no idea about, the man takes drags from his cigar and looks up at the red sky. Not far away, there is a prohibition sign with the image of a humanoid figure, though deformed.
On the same side, there is another sign that reads: "Welcome to Haunted Village."
However, the letters have red streaks that resemble human blood. The man, dressed in a white suit and tie, with long hair, stares at both signs as a creeping fear invades his consciousness.
He stands up, and for a moment, cannot believe his eyes — until he hears a grotesque sound of something coming his way. The streets are deserted, and the approaching footsteps of the thing echo in his mind.
The thing begins to growl weakly, letting its voice sound grotesque. Though fear is consuming him little by little, the man does not let his cigar fall from his soft, handsome lips. He cannot remember how he ended up in that place. The footsteps seem to come from all directions.
The fear makes him take a long drag from his cigar until his lungs ache from the intense effort.
Suddenly, he feels a putrid stench pulling at his guts, provoking a long, painful urge to vomit capable of forcing his mouth open, never to close again.
He takes a deep breath and, of course, realizes that the stench comes from the thing approaching him — confirming that it is very close, lacking only confirmation in his field of vision.
On the ground, he sees a white circular hat with a red ribbon, which triggers one of his recent memories — something that might help him escape this situation.
Immediately, he turns to see the owner of the footsteps — and to his utmost horror, almost losing his soul forever, he sees a creature with a humanoid form, yet deformed, like something out of a horror or science fiction film.
There is nothing more he can do but start running, without looking back at the cruel, naked thing with a vaguely feminine structure.
…
Some time later, the man in the white suit and tie places his dark hand on the sofa as he tries to get up, realizing he has just woken up from a faint — but this time, he remembers what happened.
He looks around, but sees nothing except the furniture inside the luxurious house. With his left hand, he adjusts his hair behind his ears and searches for his cigar to continue taking drags.
The house is enormous, and he is completely alone, something that makes him uneasy — as does the sky, presenting itself in an increasingly intense shade of red.
Everything inside the house is dark, and the only source of light is the television broadcasting the news. The man looks at the screen and hears information that deeply worries him — but his concern turns into fear when heavy footsteps sound in his direction.
His heart pounds in his chest at an absurd speed, causing him to lose control for a few seconds before starting to look for a place to hide from the oncoming creature.
His breathing quickens and he starts to sweat.
"What the hell is going on here?" he asks himself as he manages, running, to reach the wardrobe of a huge bedroom.
The thing tracks the man's path until it reaches his hiding place. Through a small gap, he can see its thin legs, looking like human legs stripped of skin, followed by its whole skeletal body. What helps him glimpse its details is the faint light of the moon, which — like the sky — is red.
The man closes his eyes when he sees the thing approaching his hiding spot and holds his breath for a moment to avoid being discovered. He feels a reserve cigar in the pocket of his suit, along with a lighter, patting them with his hand without reaching into the pocket.
Suddenly, the thing pauses and goes silent, as if examining the place for a sound to guide it. Its stench is overpowering, and if the man stays hidden for too long, he might end up vomiting — which would be his end, a horrendous death.
The creature begins growling, as if calling its victim toward death. The growl is continuous, and the man's heart races wildly.
"What am I going to do to get out of here?" he asks himself silently, but with no answer, remains in place, waiting for a miracle.
Luckily for him, the creature slowly turns toward the bedroom door and, with lazy steps, leaves the room.
The man in the wardrobe stays there for a while, keeping his breathing controlled and his hands over his mouth until he is sure the creature has actually left the room — and that now is the perfect moment to come up with a plan to escape and leave this place alive.
Cautiously, he opens the door of his hiding place — however, the creature's putrid stench still lingers heavily in the room's air, meaning one crucial thing: the thing is still nearby.
Suddenly, the creature's footsteps urgently return in the direction of the bedroom.
"No, it can't be. What am I going to do?" this time he does not say it in his mind, but speaks it aloud, convinced there is nothing left for him to do but surrender to the cruel creature.
The creature bursts into the room with full speed and aggression.
The man screams, his hands in his pockets, staring at the thing.
To be continued…