The house of incisions

**The House of Incisions**

In the heart of an expansive and ancient forest stood the House of Incisions, a dilapidated mansion cloaked in mystery and fear. It was whispered among locals that the house was cursed, home to the deranged Santos family whose legacy was steeped in darkness. The Santos family, led by the enigmatic patriarch Dr. Miguel Santos, were rumored to have once been respected physicians until a tragic incident twisted their minds into a sadistic obsession with pain and suffering.

One stormy autumn evening, four friends—Alex, Maya, Chris, and Lisa—set out on a road trip through the remote countryside. Their destination was a secluded cabin nestled deep within the woods, a serene retreat they hoped would provide respite from their hectic lives. As they navigated the winding roads that snaked through the dense forest, the sky darkened ominously, and rain began to lash against their windshield.

Suddenly, disaster struck. Their car skidded off the muddy road and careened into a ditch, leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere. With no phone signal and the storm intensifying, they faced the daunting prospect of seeking shelter until help arrived. Through the sheets of rain, they spotted the flickering lights of the House of Incisions in the distance—a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching darkness.

Reluctantly, they trudged through the muddy path leading to the imposing mansion and knocked on its massive wooden doors. To their relief, Dr. Santos himself answered, a tall and imposing figure with an unsettling charm. He welcomed them inside with a gracious smile, offering warm hospitality and assurances that they could stay until the storm subsided.

The interior of the mansion was a mix of faded grandeur and eerie silence, adorned with antique furniture and dimly lit chandeliers. Dr. Santos introduced them to his wife, Mrs. Elena Santos, a stoic woman with piercing eyes, and their daughter, Isabella, whose presence seemed to flicker between innocence and a haunting knowledge.

Over a lavish dinner, Dr. Santos regaled them with tales of the mansion's history and the Santos family's medical prowess. Despite their initial unease, Alex and his friends found themselves lulled into a sense of security by the Santos family's hospitality and charisma. Little did they know, darkness lurked beneath the surface.

The next morning, Maya was nowhere to be found. Panic gripped the group as they searched every corner of the mansion, pleading with Dr. Santos and his family for answers. Dr. Santos remained composed, assuring them that Maya must have wandered off in the night and would return soon.

Days turned into a torturous nightmare as the friends grappled with their captivity. Chris discovered hidden rooms within the mansion, chambers filled with archaic medical instruments and bloodstained operating tables. Lisa stumbled upon a journal belonging to Dr. Santos, detailing gruesome experiments and treatments that defied all ethical boundaries.

As their confinement stretched on, Alex began to notice disturbing patterns in their treatment. Dr. Santos' demeanor shifted from affable host to calculating surgeon, relishing in administering cruel tests and procedures upon his captives. Mrs. Santos displayed a chilling detachment, observing their suffering with an unsettling calmness. Isabella, the seemingly innocent daughter, hovered on the fringes, her eyes betraying a hidden knowledge.

In a desperate bid for survival, Alex pieced together fragments of information and uncovered a shocking revelation. Maya, their missing friend, was not a victim but a collaborator in Dr. Santos' sadistic experiments. She had been recruited by the Santos family, her thirst for power and knowledge leading her to betray her friends for a place among the deranged family's ranks.

Shocked and betrayed, Alex confronted Maya, who confessed to her role in their torment with a chilling nonchalance. She justified her actions as a means to gain knowledge and power, lured by promises of understanding the dark arts of pain and control. Her transformation from friend to foe shattered Alex's trust and fueled his determination to escape.

With newfound resolve, Alex and his remaining friends devised a daring plan to break free from the clutches of the Santos family. Under the cover of darkness, they overpowered their captors and fled through the labyrinthine corridors of the mansion, narrowly evading the Santos family's pursuit.

Outside, they stumbled upon an abandoned shed where they found tools to free themselves from their restraints. As they raced through the forest, the sounds of pursuit echoed behind them, a chilling reminder of the danger they left behind. They reached the main road, exhausted and battered, but their ordeal was far from over.

As they waited for help to arrive, Alex and his friends exchanged haunted glances, their minds replaying the horrors they had endured within the House of Incisions. The once-promising retreat had become a prison of nightmares, its walls tainted with the blood and screams of those who had crossed its threshold.

Weeks later, Alex received a cryptic message—a newspaper clipping detailing the disappearance of the Santos family. The mansion lay abandoned, its dark secrets buried within its decaying walls. Maya's betrayal haunted him, a reminder of the thin line between trust and deception, friendship and betrayal.

The House of Incisions stood as a grim testament to the darkness that lurks within the human soul, a cautionary tale of how hospitality can mask malevolence, and how the allure of power can corrupt even the closest of friends.