Horrific Shorts: Zombie Edition

The air beyond the Hollow Gates was thick with the scent of rot and ruin. The fortress loomed over them, its spires twisting like skeletal fingers toward the swollen moon. The walls, etched with ancient sigils, pulsed with an eerie, flesh-like texture, as if the stone itself was breathing.

Draven ran a hand over the carvings, his expression grim. "This place ain't just cursed. It's alive."

Mira's fingers trembled as she clutched the Cursed Book, the ink on its pages writhing like black veins under her skin. "He's watching us."

Elias exhaled, taking a sip from his flask. "Then let's give him a show."

A low, inhuman whisper slithered through the corridors ahead, growing into an eerie chorus of voices, each layered atop another in a sound that was neither entirely human nor beast.

Then came the laughter.

A shadow stretched across the walls, impossibly tall, its limbs elongated, its face a gaping void of nothingness. It moved without sound, bending and snapping in unnatural angles as it emerged from the darkness.

The Hollow Man.

Mira's breath hitched. The figure glided closer, its form flickering like a broken film reel. The others raised their weapons, but before they could act, the Hollow Man raised a single finger to where its lips should be—a silent command.

The fortress shifted. The corridors melted and reformed, twisting into an endless labyrinth of doorways and broken halls. The survivors were separated in an instant.

Draven

Draven stumbled through the shifting walls, his shotgun feeling useless in his hands. A familiar voice whispered his name. His wife's voice.

He turned a corner and saw her—Emily, standing in the hallway, her back to him. His breath caught. "Emily?"

She turned. Her face was missing.

A jagged, tooth-filled void gaped where her mouth should be, her hollow eyes leaking black tears.

"Stay with me," she whispered. "Stay forever."

Her arms stretched, impossibly long, reaching for him.

He fired. The shotgun blast ripped through air, and Emily vanished, leaving only laughter in her wake.

Mira

Mira ran through the endless halls, the Book growing hotter in her grip. The ink spilled over her skin, whispering in a language she almost understood.

Ahead, a door stood open. Beyond it, a girl sat in chains, crying.

The Forsaken Girl.

Mira hesitated. The whispers in her mind grew louder.

"She is the key. But the key must be broken."

The Hollow Man stood behind her now, his voice a razor-sharp whisper: "Choose."

Elias & Zara

Elias and Zara stood in a flooded chamber, the water reflecting a sky that did not exist. Figures rose from the depths, their faces half-formed, whispering secrets meant to drive men mad.

Zara gritted her teeth. "This is his game."

Elias nodded. "Then let's break the rules."

The Hollow Man smiled. The nightmare was just beginning.