Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The midnight scare !
In the dimly lit apartment, Cade Beckett's fingers danced on the keyboard, the soft glow of the laptop casting an eerie ambiance. The room was filled with the scent of fresh coffee, its warmth contrasting with the midnight chill. The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, marking the passage of time in the silence.
It was midnight!
The apartment itself bore the scars of time, with worn-out furniture and peeling wallpaper giving it a haunted aesthetic. Dust particles danced in the air as if stirred by unseen spirits, and the occasional creaks echoed through the stillness, adding an unsettling backdrop to Cade's late-night writing .
The small window beside him revealed only a sliver of the outside world, shrouded in curtains that failed to fully block out the darkness. The dim glow from a distant streetlight seeped through the gap, creating eerie shadows that seemed to sway with the whispers of the night.
Cade's hands moved furiously across the keyboard, crafting a tale that echoed in the hollows of his mind. But in the middle he would stop Suddenly and took a sip of the hot coffee then again resume his work.
Yet, in the midst of his creativity, a tapping sound disrupted the quietude. The sudden intrusion of an unexpected noise at this late hour sent shivers down his spine.
Tap ! Tap !
Startled, he turned towards the window and to his horror, he discovered an expressionless face staring back at him. The unsettling gaze sent a chill through his veins, and he recoiled, falling from his chair in shock.
"Sh#t...."
The unexpected visitor was none other than the landlady, her presence casting a foreboding atmosphere in the room. With a hint of annoyance, he opened the window, confronting her .
"What's the matter?"
Her deep, emotionless stare unsettled him further as she uttered
"It's midnight, Mr. Beckett. You better take a sleep."
Cade, still processing the surreal encounter, hesitated before responding, "Actually... I still have some... work."
The landlady's immediate reply carried an air of routine , like she experienced their words before .
"Then... an extra charge of 1500 pounds has to be paid from next month."
Widened his eyes in shock , he quickly surrendered without haggling
"Never mind, I'm going to sleep. Good night."
As he shut the window and turned off the laptop and lights, the room plunged into darkness. Cade retreated to his bed, where the moonlight filtered through the half-closed curtains, creating a haunting mosaic on the floor.
He only sighed in relief when he heard the footsteps fading away from his door.
"Seriously I should be moving out from this place ...."
Feeling the darkness around him , he had no choice but to sleep even though he didn't want too.
"Good night !"
....
How about a little introduction?
(Come on , respect the main character here !)
Cade Beckett, a 24-year-old with tousled dark hair and an air of quiet intensity, navigated his dual life. By day, he worked as an accountant, blending into the background of corporate monotony. A typical friendly neighborhood who smiles often and listens attentively.
A introvert who often listens to your words and agrees to whatever you say . The type of guy whom we all want as a friend.
A friendly neighbour!
However as evening comes , he would be a completely different person . Like he had a double personality! Cade Beckett would begin to write stories in his old laptop and it was not a normal or ordinary story .
It was a horror story !
Despite his young age, he harbored a deep passion for the macabre and the unknown. His writing space boasted a collection of vintage horror novels and an eclectic mix of dark-themed artwork.
Cade's true calling, however, lay in the realm of horror fiction. He yearned to create stories that would send shivers down readers' spines. Yet, despite his enthusiasm, he often found himself grappling with a lack of inspiration. The horror stories he envisioned seemed just out of reach, lost amidst the mundane details of his routine.
The lack of inspiration is just one of the reason and the main reason is simple ; he didn't believe that anyone would love horror story .
This days horror stories simply became a joke , the pure concept of the horror itself has no meaning now . You can't feel the true horror just reading some words , don't you ?
If you really did feel scared in reading a horror story then my friend ,you truly are a wonder of the world!
Anyway back to topic !
Every readers would choose romance or fantasy this days , even comedy stories are more popular than horror stories. As for slice of life and horror genre they have long been kept in corner , covered in dust and left to rot .
Everyone has forgotten about the horror genre , only few people will read horror stories and sadly there was not even a proper enthusiasm about it . Some people read it cause they were just bored and worse is ; Hey , I'm bored so I will just read it to waste my time.
Bro you serious? You aren't jesting do you ? This is goddamn horror story! Atleast pretend to be scared ....
Cade Beckett had many ideas but he was afraid of the ending result .
He has a passion for writing horror stories but have no courage or inspiration to start one .
Yet he never stopped writing ! Or thought of stopping .....
Cade Beckett ! Remeber my name I would be the scariest horror writer in the whole world .
...
It was morning , February 20 , 2024 !
Early morning cast a pale light through Cade's apartment windows. As he stirred from a restless night's sleep, the lingering unease from the encounter with his landlord still echoed in his mind.
Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at the clock , it was 7 Am sharp .
It was time to face the mundane routine of his daytime life. A boring one but he has no choice to go through it .....
Cade Beckett dragged himself out of bed, a mixture of exhaustion and a lingering sense of dread accompanying his movements. The vibrant atmosphere of his horror writing hours now gave way to the ordinary tasks of a 24-year-old accountant.
Taking a quick shower , he started to prepare a simple breakfast, the aroma of coffee filling his kitchen as he mechanically buttered a slice of toast.
( Don't mind him , he prefers butter over choclate spread in his toast. )
Dressed in a crisp shirt and tie, Cade Beckett hesitated for a moment before glancing at his old laptop. The horror story, abandoned in the darkness of the night, called out to him, but the responsibilities of his day job took precedence.
"Forget it , I will continue it in evening."
With a sigh, he locked his apartment door and headed to the metro station.
The rhythmic hum of the metro car became a backdrop to Cade's thoughts as he stared out the window. Lost in contemplation, he hardly noticed the bustling cityscape passing by. The thought of moving out of his house was constantly echoing in his mind. As he glanced at the metro , his eyes drifted towards a person who was sitting next to him .
Cade Beckett really want to ask this bro to sit somewhere else ! But his introvert personality made him shy away in talking.
The horrible smell of perfume brought him a headache of misery !
Bro doesn't understand the difference between deodorant and perfume! The smell of lavender and a mixture of cloves smell .....wait !
Isn't that a girl's favourite perfume?
Blinking his eyes , he looked at the person sitting next to him closely. After a moment of clarity, he saw that the person wasn't a male but a female !
A short hair , blackish dress , a gothic style and a headphone... That had cat ears ( Artificial one bro ! )
Feeling someone was looking at her , she looked sideways and saw a uncle was slowly looking at her with squinted eyes.
She froze !
Cade spoke in surprise
"You... What are you ?"
She immediately spoke hearing his words
"Shut up !"
"...."
Cade Beckett friendly smile stiffened and he choose to go back in observing the windows .
"People this days are so mean !"
( Bro you are beyond hopeless T.T )
........
Eventually, he arrived at his spectacular office, a nondescript building with fluorescent lights flickering overhead.
He lowered his head and began to head for the lift ! Thankfully the lift was free today so he immediately entered in , full of smiles but it didn't last long as he saw a group of people were rushing towards him (the lift ) .
Seeing the crowd of people , he began to press the close button frequently .
(Close dammit ! )
But regretfully the lift was even slower than his mind .
Ding !
He was squashed like a bug when he came out of the lift .
"My hands ...."
Feeling depressed , he settled into his cubicle . People began to greet him and of course he greeted back with a friendly smile, masking the lingering fatigue from the night before.
" Good morning Cade ! You look like you could use another cup of coffee."
His colleague, Lisa teased him .
He chuckled to her words
"Yeah, rough night. Couldn't sleep much."
After some casual talk , he just looked at table only to see a stack of long files ... His smile froze ...
"Not only I have to move out of the house ....I also have to look out for another jobs !"
The workday unfolded in a monotonous symphony of clicking keyboards and murmured conversations. Cade's focus shifted from horror tales to spreadsheets and financial reports.
The clock seemed to move in slow motion as he navigated the sea of numbers, his mind occasionally drifting back to the untold horrors he had envisioned just hours before.
During a coffee break, Lisa joined him by the vending machine
"So, any exciting plans for the weekend, Cade?"
( So let me tell you the first rule of introvert ; Refuse any invites no matter how big or awesome it is ! )
You may invite me for millions of reasons but i can give you billions of reason to refuse ! )
He hesitated, contemplating whether to share his nocturnal writing endeavors. "Oh, not much. Maybe catch up on some reading."
Lisa raised an eyebrow,
"You and your horror novels, huh? Can't get enough of those twists and turns."
Cade Beckett managed a half-smile, concealing the darker nature of his failed pursuits. The conversation drifted to weekend plans and office gossip, diverting attention from the shadows that lingered beneath the surface.
Of course it's always a one sided talk and like a good friend, he listened quietly while occasionally he would nod his head and a little laugh.
As the workday crawled to a close end, Cade Beckett found himself yearning for the solitude of his apartment, where the true passion of his life awaited.
The metro ride back home became a quiet reflection of the day's events, the hum of the train serving as a soundtrack to his contemplations. As he was observing, he felt something on his shoulder .
Frowning he looked ahead only to see a bald man leaning on his shoulders , his mouth wide , sleeping carelessly....
"....."
.....
He finally came back to his humble appartment ! Upon returning, he once again entered the realm of darkness, greeted by the dim glow of his laptop. The horror story beckoned, promising an escape from the ordinary. Cade Beckett, the mild-mannered accountant by day, stepped into the shadows once more, ready to explore the twisted corridors of his imagination as night descended once again.
To be continued....