"The House of Horrors"

Once upon a time, in a small town located in the mountains, there was a house that had not been occupied for many years. The locals called it the "House of Horrors" because of its dark history. The previous owner, a recluse and rumored to be a madman, had committed heinous crimes inside the house and eventually vanished without a trace. Since then, the house had been left untouched and isolated. However, people claimed to see strange activity inside the abandoned house. Whisperings of unexplained noises, shadows appearing in the windows, and ghostly apparitions had been spread and circulated throughout the town.

Despite the rumors and fear that the locals had maintained, a young couple, Lily and Eric, moved into town and decided to rent the notorious house for a weekend getaway. They had heard of the stories of the house being haunted, but disregarded them as a mere urban legend. Lily had driven up to the house in her car and Eric followed behind on his bike. The couple could see the house from a distance, and they could sense a menacing presence brewing around it. However, they were determined to stay for the weekend and enjoy themselves.

As they stepped out of the car, Lily couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine as they entered into the house. It was like walking into a time capsule, where everything that had been left behind by the previous owner had remained intact. The furniture was old and worn, and cobwebs had spread over the corners of the rooms. But there was something more to the house than its withering state - a presence, as if someone else was in the house with them.

Eric noticed that Lily was uneasy and tried to dismiss her fear. He reassured her that they were only there for the weekend and that nothing would happen to them. Lily tried to brush off her anxiety and put on a brave face. They explored the house, unpacked their belongings, and settled down in the living room to watch a movie.

As the sunlight dwindled and the skies darkened, the house grew colder. Lily and Eric, both touched by exhaustion, retreated to their separate bedrooms to retire for the night. Lily lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the echoing sounds of the silence that filled the room. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the hallway and the sound of someone trying to turn the doorknob of her bedroom.

Lily panicked, thinking it may be an intruder, so she let out a scream and dashed to the door to lock it. She then heard Eric's voice from the other side of the door, trying to calm her down, stating that they heard things in the night in older houses. Lily quickly opened the door, relieved to see Eric, and they both laughed it off.

The next morning, Lily and Eric decided to explore the small town and get some groceries for their stay in the house. As they drove out of the driveway, happy to be out in the fresh air, they noticed that the roads were narrowing and leading them deeper into the mountains. As they drove, the roads became more treacherous and rugged until they came across an old abandoned cemetery that looked like it had been left untouched for years. Eric suggested they explore the cemetery, and Lily reluctantly agreed.

The couple walked amongst the headstones, reading the inscriptions and uncovering the lives of those who had once lived in the small town. However, as they were about to leave, Lily noticed that the same menacing presence she felt in the house was also present in the cemetery. It was like a tangible force, drawing them to a particular grave buried deep within the cemetery.

The name on the gravestone was that of the previous owner of the house, and the date of death coincided with the time frame when the horrible crimes had occurred in the house. As they stood before the grave, Lily saw a shadow move behind a nearby tree. They both quickly turned around, but there was nobody there, leading them to believe that it was their minds playing tricks.

When they got back to the house, Lily and Eric had a sense of unease that they couldn't draw away from. It was like the house was finally acknowledging their presence. That night, they both decided to sleep in the same room. However, around midnight, they woke up to the sound of laughter coming from the hallway. It wasn't a friendly sound, it was maniacal and ominous, and it was getting closer.

Eric leaped out of bed, burst out of the bedroom door and started searching for the source, while Lily stayed behind, trembling in fear. The laughter continued to echo throughout the house, and it seemed like it was coming from every corner of the room. After some time of searching, Eric returned to the bedroom, panting and out of breath. They both sat there, huddled in fear, waiting for the wicked presence to dissipate.

The next morning, Lily and Eric decided they had had enough of the house and packed their belongings, ready to leave the cursed place. However, as they were preparing to leave, they discovered that the house had locked them in. It had a force field around it, not allowing them to escape, trapping them in their new cell.

Eric quickly found that the landline was working and called for help. The police arrived quickly, came to the door and pounded on it, but it was made of impenetrable material, unable to be broken down. Outside the windows, they could see ghosts of the house's previous occupants, leading them to believe that the house was cursed. The police finally gave up and left the couple inside the house, a prisoner in their own captivity.

Days turned into weeks, and Lily and Eric were still trapped in the house, and they had started to feel the grip of insanity. They bickered, fuelled by their stress and tension, bickering that quickly escalated to physical violence. Strange noises echoed throughout the house, and cryptic messages were scribbled on the walls, confirming their fears that they had been consumed by the horror of the house.

One night, Lily began hearing the same laughter that she had heard before, except louder and more sinister, coming from the living room. She cautiously crept into the room, and in the pale moonlight, she could see the figure of a dark shadow dancing in front of her. The laughter was that of the previous owner's, echoes of insanity that had now consumed Lily.

In the morning, Eric woke up alone in the house, with no trace of Lily and realized too late that the house was a place of horror beyond what had been imagined. He was trapped, along with Lily and the previous occupants because the House of Horrors only allowed the living to leave when another soul replaced them, perpetually ensuring that the terror would always have someone to bestow its misery upon.

Years passed, and the house still remains untouched, people still speak of it in hushed tones, swapping stories and tales of the horrors that have happened behind its old wooden doors. And the soulless house waits, waiting to ensnare another unsuspecting victim into its grasp, where they will be consumed entirely.