Sense Of Relief

For some reason, he began to feel that his thoughts and memories merged into an incomprehensible mixture of mental images and sensations.

He's already starting to doubt his sanity, and all these events make his anxiety about his friends reach crazy levels. When he finds them, he will leave them the freedom to decide whether he is crazy or not. All he wants now is to find them safe.

-----------------------------------

"Why am I running like this?"

He asked himself as he went back to the hall while praying in secret that he would find nothing waiting for him there either. Fortunately, the main foyer was empty and silent. Bad odds and black thoughts were ravaging his mind as he scrambled up the wide marble staircase. He doesn't even know where he's headed, but he doesn't care now.

He reached the second floor with no breath. Since when did he become unable to undertake such a simple physical exertion?

He did not even stop to decide where to go but started moving in the corridors randomly, trying to open any of the doors scattered in them.

But none of the doors opened until he reached the last ones in the right lane.

When Ethan grabbed the handle and tried to open it quickly, he was expecting this door to be closed like any other, so Ethan was surprised when he found himself pushing forward and falling onto the carpeted floor. He only had a few seconds to catch his breath before hearing a quick movement in the room, followed by the appearance of a long shadow surrounding him.

-----------------------------------

Ethan ?!

Upon hearing his name in a loud voice, Ethan slowly raised his eyes to look at the person standing in front of him, although he did not need to know who he was.

"Henry ..!" He cheered him with a mixture of amazement and relief as he saw him holding a heavy vase that was - undoubtedly - going to smash his head, but Henry held himself in the last moments. The latter's face was pale, his hands clasped against the vase trembling noticeably. Ethan quickly jumped to face him as he took a little back.

"Slow down, brother. Would you consider yourself a wrestler ?! If you dare and kill me, my ghost will haunt you forever!"

"Ethan ... you are fine. I thought - his voice quivered as he lowered his hands – Thanks . I thought you ... " He did not complete his words, but their bleak content was clear to understand.

"Henry ... what happened? Where Janet? Is she here?"

He answered in a trembling voice, "I don't know… I don't know, Ethan… There is something. I am.. we were surprised when I went to check the sound. The room, did you not hear it? .. I thought you... But, God, I ran away and left her alone, how could I do something like this? "

"I did not hear anything, I was listening to music. Did you say that you saw 'something'? Maybe it was ... I think I saw it ... but I could not determine what it was exactly, I cannot even deny or assert that it was a person."

Ethan approached Henry and patted him on the forearm, soothing him, while his mind was casting him again into the swirl of dark thoughts. Janet is more cowardly than a newborn ostrich, and he must find her before fear loses her mind... or before that thing finds her, whatever it is.

"Do not be hard on yourself too much Henry, I know that you do not like mysterious and incomprehensible things, and do not forget that the only supernatural ability that you have is to run fast..." he was trying to relieve him, but in his heart, he was not sure what he was saying.

"I'll go look for her - Ethan lowered his voice and said hesitantly - Maybe you'd rather stay here while ..."

"No !! I am going too .. God knows that you are brave but you also an idiot, and you will probably forget the way back here in the first place. Besides, I think it is better not to separate, since there is something unknown wandering around, so let us stay together until the others arrive at least. "

He completely forgot it. With the acceleration of events that occurred since their arrival at this house, he forgot that they were supposed to meet the rest of their friends here ...

Six days ago.

February 5th.

The weather was undoubtedly cold, so Ethan prepared a cup of hot coffee. Before sitting facing the giant screen that connected to his computer.

Because he and his friends are usually busy during the day (university, work, etc.), their only meeting place is group chats over the Internet. That was the day when the feisty Luke told them that he had seen an ancient, almost deserted house during his visit to this village inhabited by his relatives. His words coupled with a vaguely defined image that was captured by a mobile phone to a house at the top of a low hill.

(Luke): "It is big, even bigger than Henry's house!. No one was living here for some reason, maybe because of local rumors haunted or something of that nonsense, but nothing like that can be true. The ghosts, the living dead and the vampires are just hoaxes. (Ethan) uses it to scare the girls with it. "

(Ethan): Thank you for showing me the look of a boy who only cares about chasing girls to scare them.

(Janet): "You are! I do not doubt that your reputation in your workplace is as bad as your reputation when you were in university, everyone was afraid of your weirdness, I don't even know what happened to me to accept your friendship!"

(Henry): "Luke, do you know who owns this house right now? Since I work with my father in a real estate company, I might be able to buy it for a good price, especially with rumors like this about the place. The owner must be eager to get rid of it."

(Ethan): "Damn you both! Is this how you address who is older and wiser than you ?! This generation ..!"

(Luke): "Don't try to appear like a reasonable person just because you are the oldest person here. Hmm ... I don't know that (Henry), no one mentioned to me that there is an owner of the house, but someone must be present at least in this place, isn't it? ''

(Henry): "Most likely, yes. I am thinking of visiting the place to inspect it and talk to its owner if any. But .."

(Ethan): But what? Are you afraid of a ghost inside? I know you don't like these things.

(Janet): "Don't make fun of my cousin just because he's a normal person!"

(Ethan): "It is natural for you to defend him because, in the end, you are ... coward!"

(Henry): "Shut up, Juggler! I am not the one who raises a pile of black cats as pets, if we were living in the Middle Ages, people would not hesitate to burn you and your animals."

(Janet): "If we were living in the Middle Ages, I would be happy to report it right away."

(Luke): "Why don't we go there together to preserve (Henry's) feelings? Well ... maybe (Janet) was a coward too, but she's a girl, so that's kind of expected. I would also like to see Ethan's face as he discovers that his strange mythical beings do not exist. Besides, we haven't seen each other for quite some time now, and Spring Break is coming. We have to invite the rest of the group too! "

(Ethan): Well, I would have suggested something like this since I would be on leave from work starting next week.

(Janet): "I bet you both feel scared, but you don't want to tell about it .."

(Luke): "Who do you think I am ?!"

(Ethan): Who do you think of me? Miss (Janet) the cowardly ?!

(Janet): "Who said that I am afraid ?! I want to go, it seems amusing, and I do not believe in ghosts, because they only exist in ridiculous films."

(Henry): "Remember, I didn't ask you to come because I'm afraid! But this is a good opportunity to spend some time together. Maybe we could take a little risk while helping me close this potentially profitable deal!"

Ah, it was the agreement that they meet here, but it looks like the other group is late.

But how does he know where they are now? Maybe they were outside, but they couldn't enter because the door was locked, and God knows only those who did that. Perhaps it would have been better for them not to enter this place in the first place, as it is not normal at all. Those thoughts reminded him of the current situation, where (Janet) is still lost and (Henry) is still in shock.

In a quick motion, he grabbed Henry's hand and pulled him toward the door.

"If you want to find Janet safe then I suggest we stop talking and start looking. Something is walking around here besides us."