You wake up in a dimly lit bedroom. You remember sleeping in the back of your dad’s car, only waking now and then to the sound of your mom arguing with your dad. It’s been a while since they’ve been in one place together and that usually leads to a fight. They were taking you to grandma’s house, though why that was happening was also a mystery. Mom hated grandma, or at least the nastiness in her voice when she spoke of her indicated as much.
Though how did you get into this bedroom? Why are you here? You know this is your grandmother’s house, but the climb up the stairs is a missing piece of your memory completely.
“Mom,” you cry out. Only the house returns the call with odd creaks and moans.
… and something else. Something’s there, but you can’t place exactly what it is. Sounds like shuffling, but from where? Downstairs? Where is everyone? Asking yourself, your inner voice almost booming in the near silence the home is offering up to you.
There’s a flashlight on the floor pointing at an empty chair. You grab it and sense something behind you. Something calls to you but doesn’t startle you. When you turn, you see what seems to be a glowing stone. Walking over to examine what it is, you notice a glyph etched into it. Instinctively you know what the glyph means and feel that if you are to escape this house, this will be the key.
As you turn to head through the door, something catches your eye in the empty chair. Was that mannequin always there? Curled up, knees to it’s head, hiding it’s face from you. Is it moving at all? Is it even real? You decide to get out of the room as fast as you can, leaving whatever you think you say behind.
The door across the hallway is chained off. Literal chains cross the door, with a lock barring the way. What is going on here? Your flashlight on, you are able to make out words on the wall, "The chains of the one born through sin are the keeper of gates." Seriously. What is happening?!
You head downstairs into the kitchen, but the smell of the room hits you long before you walk in. Flies swarm around the sink as dishes with rotted food lay untouched. It looks like no one has been here in weeks. There are several notes and paper clippings around, but not one of them lets you know where your grandmother or parents are.
Making your way through the house further, the shuffling returns. The sound of something dragging but also making a hollow sound at the same time. It sounds other worldly, yet familiar. Then you see it down the hall. It’s far, and the light isn’t great. Is that your grandmother? It has older, stringy hair, but the clothes are tattered.
It stops and turns its head and sees you. A wooden face that has a jaw which stretches out revealing darkness and horror. Its body turns and takes a step to start down the hall. It raises its wooden arms and lets out a horrific shriek that you feel down into your bones. That's not Grandma! You raise your glyph at it, attempting to ward it off, it continues to run at you, the scream almost paralyzing as you step back from it. The figure almost reaches you, arms near you as you back through a doorway, trying to escape…
