60. Her

Living in New York City, Betsy had seen some things. But nothing could’ve prepared her for what she saw here. It was a woman’s figure, dressed in a long, black gown with a veil. She was more shadow than person, save for two glowing eyes.

Thousands of years old, those eyes had to be. They looked alien, as though they’d come from somewhere and landed here, in Betsy’s home, just to— And then, as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone.

61. What Was That?

“What the hell was that?” Betsy screamed. She ran down the rest of the stairs, snapping on the kitchen light. The sudden illumination cast an eerie glow on the scene, dispelling the shadows. “Who was that?” Allen looked at her, his face appearing unusually detached in the yellow light of the kitchen. “Huh?”

“I just saw that thing come through the door,” Betsy said, her voice trembling. “Who was she? What have you been doing in the woods?” Allen’s silence was deafening. His gaze remained fixed on the floor, and a heavy, unspoken truth hung in the air.

62. Chill

Allen did something then that chilled Betsy to her core. He gave her a contemptuous look—God, he looked so much like his father then, not hers—and walked up the stairs silently. The utter disregard in his expression cut deeper than any words could.

It began the next night. The ominous events that had unfolded in the house were only the beginning, and Betsy couldn’t escape the feeling that they were on the precipice of a descent into a world of darkness and mystery, with Allen at the center of it all.

63. Knocking Again

Knock, knock, knock. When Betsy heard the knocking, her heart sank, the sound echoing ominously in the silence of the night. The visitation of that mysterious woman had left an indelible mark of dread. She ran to her window, desperately seeking solace in the moonlight, convinced that the glowing, ivory light would somehow dispel her terror.

As she gazed out toward the treeline, she hoped for a moment of respite. Instead, she was met with the unsettling sight of a deer. Its eyes, dark and beady, stared directly at her from the shadows. It wasn’t the tranquil sight of a forest creature she expected; rather, it was an eerie presence that seemed to bear witness to the enigmatic forces closing in around her.

64. My Land

She thought about her dad, the memories of him flooding her thoughts, the grief and confusion of his passing. But, in that moment, reality thudded into place. She knew then that her father’s death wasn’t the full story. “This is my land,” the thought came into her mind unbidden, and Betsy felt a deep connection to her ancestral roots. The realization stirred a sense of belonging and determination.

Her ancestors had faced this malevolent force, and now it was her turn to confront it. With newfound strength and an unwavering resolve, she stood up, turned on her heel, and headed down to the kitchen, ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead, determined to break the cycle that had tormented her family for generations.

65. It Was Upon Her

The second she stepped out of her bedroom, it was upon her. The figure was no longer masked. It looked at her, and its face was that of a beautiful woman with copper hair and brown eyes. Though lovely, there was something wrong.

Something alien, something giving the woman an expression of reptilian intelligence. The woman clasped two strong, icy cold hands on either side of Betsy’s face. She stared into Betsy’s eyes, causing them to go white.