thekingofvbies22 - a haunted house on Briar Lane The Altered Universe - Trapped Behind the Door

"Be brave, Max. Be brave," Maria urged, her own heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. "We’ve made it this far up the porch. We can't turn back now."
Grasping the cold iron ring on the heavy wooden door, Maria knocked three times.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Before the sound could even fade into the chilly night air, the heavy front door creaked open all on its own, swinging inward into pitch-black darkness.
Max let out a terrified shriek. "MARIA! MARIA!"

"Why is the door open?!" Maria whispered, backing up a step.
"I don't know, Max, but be strong!"
Overcome by sheer panic, Max spun around to leap off the porch and run. But before his boots could touch the steps, a colossal, shadow-draped arm shot out from the dark doorway! Long, spectral claws clamped tightly around Max's chest.
Max yelled in agony and terror: "MARIA! HELP ME!"
"MAX, NO!" Maria screamed, lunging forward to grab his arm.
Her fingers brushed his sleeve for a fraction of a second, but the dark entity yanked Max backward into the foyer with supernatural force.

SLAM!

The massive oak door slammed shut with a deafening boom.

"MAX, NO!" Maria shrieked, throwing her body against the wood. "MAX!"
Tears spilled wildly down her face as she pounded her small fists against the door until her knuckles bled. That was supposed to be me, she thought, her stomach twisting in horrific guilt. I brought him here. It was supposed to be me!
"Let my brother out!" Maria screamed into the dark wood, her voice breaking. "LET HIM GO!"

The door didn't budge. From the other side of the heavy wood, the deep, reverberating laugh of the three-hundred-year-old demon echoed directly into Maria’s mind, cold and triumphant:
"I have him now... my new host. My new puppet to suffer alongside your grandmother..."
"What are you going to do, Maria?" the demon's voice taunted, dripping with pure malice. "Are you scared? You should have let Max go home when he begged you, but you didn't. Now he is mine forever."

"No! Let my brother go!" Maria cried out, planting her feet on the rotting porch. "I'm just a little girl, but I am strong-hearted! Take me instead!"

"Get out of here and never come back!" the demon roared. A blast of dark, freezing wind erupted through the cracks of the door, throwing Maria backward off the porch into the damp lawn.
Max was trapped inside with their grandmother.
Driven by raw terror and desperation, Maria scrambled to her feet and sprinted blindly into the dark, cold night. She ran faster than her small legs had ever carried her, sobbing uncontrollably as the trees whipped past in the fog.

Reaching her street, she threw herself onto her front porch, banging furiously on her front door with both hands. "MOM! OPEN THE DOOR! MOM, PLEASE!"
The door opened instantly. Her mother stood there, her face pale with worry, holding her phone in her hand. "Maria! Oh my god, are you okay, sweetie?! Where have you been?!"
"No! Max... Max..." Maria choked out, tumbling into the entryway, gasping for air. "Max has disappeared!"
Her stepfather rushed into the hallway, his face dark with panic. "What do you mean disappeared?! Why were you two out there?! I told you never to go near that area alone!"

"We went to the house on Briar Lane!" Maria wept, grabbing her mother's coat. "We have to find him right now! I left him in the house... the house got him!"
Her mother shook her head in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. "Maria, stop playing with me—"
"NO, I'M NOT PLAYING!" Maria screamed, tears streaming down her face. "THE HOUSE GOT HIM! THE DEMON TOOK MAX!"
Her stepfather's expression turned dead serious as he grabbed his coat and truck keys off the counter. "Something was never right about that property... Let's go. We're going right now!"

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The Altered Universe part 2— Trapped Behind the Door The flickering porch light buzzed loudly overhead as seven-year-old Maria and eight-year-old Max stood trembling at the threshold. Max was crying now, his small hand shaking violently inside Maria’s. "I want to go home, Maria..." Max sobbed, staring in horror at the dark kitchen window where he had seen the figure. "Please, let's just go home!" "Be brave, Max. Be brave," Maria urged, her own heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped bird. "We’ve made it this far up the porch. We can't turn back now." Grasping the cold iron ring on the heavy wooden door, Maria knocked three times. Knock. Knock. Knock. Before the sound could even fade into the chilly night air, the heavy front door creaked open all on its own, swinging inward into pitch-black darkness. Max let out a terrified shriek. "MARIA! MARIA!" "Why is the door open?!" Maria whispered, backing up a step. "I don't know, Max, but be strong!" Overcome by sheer panic, Max spun around to leap off the porch and run. But before his boots could touch the steps, a colossal, shadow-draped arm shot out from the dark doorway! Long, spectral claws clamped tightly around Max's chest. Max yelled in agony and terror: "MARIA! HELP ME!" "MAX, NO!" Maria screamed, lunging forward to grab his arm. Her fingers brushed his sleeve for a fraction of a second, but the dark entity yanked Max backward into the foyer with supernatural force. SLAM! The massive oak door slammed shut with a deafening boom. "MAX, NO!" Maria shrieked, throwing her body against the wood. "MAX!" Tears spilled wildly down her face as she pounded her small fists against the door until her knuckles bled. That was supposed to be me, she thought, her stomach twisting in horrific guilt. I brought him here. It was supposed to be me! "Let my brother out!" Maria screamed into the dark wood, her voice breaking. "LET HIM GO!" The door didn't budge. From the other side of the heavy wood, the deep, reverberating laugh of the three-hundred-year-old demon echoed directly into Maria’s mind, cold and triumphant: "I have him now... my new host. My new puppet to suffer alongside your grandmother..." "What are you going to do, Maria?" the demon's voice taunted, dripping with pure malice. "Are you scared? You should have let Max go home when he begged you, but you didn't. Now he is mine forever." "No! Let my brother go!" Maria cried out, planting her feet on the rotting porch. "I'm just a little girl, but I am strong-hearted! Take me instead!" "Get out of here and never come back!" the demon roared. A blast of dark, freezing wind erupted through the cracks of the door, throwing Maria backward off the porch into the damp lawn. Max was trapped inside with their grandmother. Driven by raw terror and desperation, Maria scrambled to her feet and sprinted blindly into the dark, cold night. She ran faster than her small legs had ever carried her, sobbing uncontrollably as the trees whipped past in the fog. Reaching her street, she threw herself onto her front porch, banging furiously on her front door with both hands. "MOM! OPEN THE DOOR! MOM, PLEASE!" The door opened instantly. Her mother stood there, her face pale with worry, holding her phone in her hand. "Maria! Oh my god, are you okay, sweetie?! Where have you been?!" "No! Max... Max..." Maria choked out, tumbling into the entryway, gasping for air. "Max has disappeared!" Her stepfather rushed into the hallway, his face dark with panic. "What do you mean disappeared?! Why were you two out there?! I told you never to go near that area alone!" "We went to the house on Briar Lane!" Maria wept, grabbing her mother's coat. "We have to find him right now! I left him in the house... the house got him!" Her mother shook her head in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. "Maria, stop playing with me—" "NO, I'M NOT PLAYING!" Maria screamed, tears streaming down her face. "THE HOUSE GOT HIM! THE DEMON TOOK MAX!" Her stepfather's expression turned dead serious as he grabbed his coat and truck keys off the counter. "Something was never right about that property... Let's go. We're going right now!"

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