ZEN
The house was eerily silent as I stumbled through the dimly lit hallway, my senses dulled by the alcohol I had consumed earlier. I had been trying to drown out the memories, the fear, and the ever-present feeling of being watched. But even in my intoxicated state, I couldn't ignore the sound that had been haunting me for weeks—the sound of someone whispering my name from within the walls.
"Noah," I muttered, my voice slurring slightly. "I know you're in there."
My gun was clutched tightly in my hand, the cold metal a small comfort in the oppressive darkness. I had to find him, had to confront the shadow that had been lurking in my home. I moved with a determined, albeit unsteady, gait, my eyes scanning the walls for any sign of movement.
I stopped in front of the wall where I had heard the noise the loudest. My breath came in short, ragged gasps as I pressed my ear against the cold surface. The voice was unmistakable now, a chilling reminder of the man I had once known.
With a grunt, I pushed against the wall, my fingers searching for the weak spot I had discovered days ago. The plywood gave way with a creak, revealing a narrow passage that led into the darkness. I hesitated for a moment, the fear gnawing at my insides, but I forced myself to move forward.
The passage was tight, the air thick with dust and the scent of decay. My flashlight flickered as I navigated the cramped space, the beam casting eerie shadows on the walls. I could hear my own heartbeat, a frantic drumbeat in the silence.
"Noah," I called out, my voice trembling. "Come out. We need to talk."
There was no response, only the oppressive silence and the faint sound of my own footsteps. I pressed on, my gun raised and ready. I had to be prepared for anything.
Suddenly, I heard a rustling sound behind me. I spun around, my flashlight illuminating the empty passage. My heart pounded in my chest as I strained to listen, my senses heightened despite the alcohol clouding my mind.
"Zen..."
The voice was right behind me now, so close I could feel the breath on the back of my neck. I whipped around, my gun aimed at the darkness, but there was no one there.
"Show yourself!" I demanded, my voice echoing in the confined space.
Without warning, a powerful force slammed into me from the side, knocking the gun from my hand. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. I struggled to get up, but a heavy weight pinned me down.
"Noah," I gasped, my vision swimming. "Stop..."
He was on top of me, his massive frame dwarfing my own. I could see his face now, twisted with anger and something else—something darker. His hands closed around my throat, squeezing the air from my lungs.
I fought back with all the strength I could muster, but it was no use. Noah was too strong, his grip unrelenting. My vision started to fade, the edges growing dark as I struggled to breathe.
"Please," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Don't..."
The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Noah's face, a mask of rage and sorrow. And then everything went black.
When I regained consciousness, my head throbbed, and my body ached from the struggle. I was disoriented and in pain, the rough surface of the floor scraping against my skin. My hands were bound behind my back, the ropes biting into my wrists. Panic surged through me as I realized I was tied up.
"Noah," I tried to say, but my voice was weak, barely a whisper.
I could hear him breathing, could feel his presence close by. When he stepped into the narrow beam of light from my discarded flashlight, I saw a man who was different from the Noah I remembered. There was a confidence in his posture, a chilling composure that sent a shiver down my spine.
"Zen," he said, his voice deep and low, almost a whisper. "You always were my favorite. Even as a child, you had a fire in you. But just like everyone else, you despised me."
His words cut through the haze of my mind. This wasn't the Noah I had known. This Noah was something else entirely, someone who had embraced the darkness within. And despite the fear coursing through me, I couldn't help but notice how handsome he was, like his father—the man Aunt Sarisa had killed. Noah had the same chiseled features, the same piercing eyes, but now there was an unsettling, almost predatory gleam in them.
"Why?" I managed to choke out. "Why are you doing this?"
He knelt beside me, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "Because, Zen, you were the last hope I had for someone who might understand. But you, like everyone else, turned your back on me."
"Noah, that's not true," I protested, struggling against the ropes. "I wanted to help you. I still do."
A bitter smile twisted his lips. "It's too late for that now."
He stood up, looking down at me with a mixture of pity and contempt. "You're just like the rest of them. But maybe, in time, you'll see things my way."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me tied and helpless inside the walls. The darkness closed in around me, the oppressive silence broken only by the sound of my own ragged breathing.
I had to find a way out, had to stop him before he hurt anyone else. But for now, all I could do was wait and hope that I would find the strength to fight back.
As I lay there, my mind raced with a thousand thoughts. How had things come to this? How had Noah, the boy I once knew, become this monster? The answers seemed just out of reach, lost in the shadows that surrounded me.
But one thing was clear: I couldn't give up. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, and focused on the sound of my heartbeat. I had to stay calm, had to find a way to escape. And when I did, I would make sure that Noah would never hurt anyone again.
The darkness pressed in from all sides, but I refused to let it consume me. I would fight. I would survive. And I would find a way to bring Noah back from the brink, or die trying.
The last thing I heard before the darkness claimed me completely was the faint sound of Noah's footsteps, echoing through the walls. He was still out there, still hunting. But so was I.
Time passed slowly in the darkness, every second stretching into an eternity. My wrists throbbed where the ropes bit into them, but the pain kept me grounded, kept me from slipping into despair. I focused on that pain, using it to fuel my determination.
I shifted, testing the ropes. They were tight, but not unbreakable. I had to be careful, though. If Noah realized I was trying to escape, he might do something worse. I didn't want to find out what that might be.
The air was thick with the smell of damp wood and decay. The walls around me seemed to close in, a claustrophobic nightmare. I forced myself to breathe slowly, evenly, despite the panic threatening to overwhelm me.
As I lay there, my mind drifted back to the last time I had seen Noah before everything had gone wrong. He had been so different then, a gentle soul broken by the world. How had he changed so much? What had pushed him over the edge?
A noise in the distance snapped me back to the present. Footsteps. Slow and deliberate, they echoed through the narrow passageway, growing louder with each step. My heart raced, and I tried to calm my breathing. I couldn't let him see my fear.
The footsteps stopped just outside the room. The door creaked open, and Noah stepped inside, his silhouette framed by the dim light from the hallway. He looked down at me, his expression unreadable.
"You're still here," he said, his voice low and almost gentle. "Good. I was worried you might have given up."
I didn't respond, just watched him warily as he approached. He knelt beside me again, his eyes boring into mine. There was something deeply unsettling about the way he looked at me, as if he could see right through me.
"You know," he began, his voice a low whisper, "I used to think that maybe someone could save me. That maybe you could save me, Zen. But now I see the truth."
His hand reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair from my face. I flinched at his touch, but he didn't seem to notice.
"No one can save me," he continued. "No one can save any of us. We're all just pawns in a cruel game."
"Noah," I said, my voice shaking. "Please, please stop it. Let me go"
He smiled, a cold, empty smile. "The Noah you knew is gone, Zen. He died a long time ago."
He stood up, looking down at me with that same mixture of pity and contempt. "But don't worry. You'll understand soon enough. You'll see things my way."
With that, he turned and walked away again, leaving me alone in the darkness. The door closed behind him, and I was left with nothing but the sound of my own breathing and the oppressive silence.
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