THE CURSED CABIN

The horror festival at Salitre Mágico was at its peak. Neon lights flickered like an irregular pulse, illuminating attractions that resembled threatening giants rather than sources of amusement. Thick fog blanketed the park, slithering between structures and partially obscuring the figures of visitors. Despite the laughter and screams, something unsettling lingered, watching, making Valeria shiver.

—Julián, don’t you feel… something strange? —Valeria asked, adjusting her coat as she glanced around nervously.

Julián offered a strained smile. Despite his discomfort, he tried to appear carefree.

—It’s just part of the show, Valeria. Relax.

She shook her head. The mist crawled along the ground like invisible fingers, coiling around her ankles. Her senses were on high alert, as though something lurked in the shadows.

A worn-out sign caught the couple's attention: "The Cursed Cabin - Out of Order." The chain sealing the door was broken, and the entrance hung slightly open, revealing a dark interior. It exuded an ominous presence.

—I don’t remember seeing this haunted house on the website. Do you? —Julián asked, frowning.

Valeria looked at him, but her reply caught in her throat. The mist seemed to push her forward, like a cold hand pressing against her back. The laughter and screams of the park grew fainter, and when she turned to look for other visitors, their figures blurred into unrecognizable shapes.

—I think… this isn’t part of the park… —Valeria whispered, but Julián was already moving toward the entrance.

Inside, the air was dense, stifling, heavy with an acrid smell Valeria couldn’t identify. Each step she took echoed unnaturally loudly, the sound reverberating far beyond what the cabin's size should allow. Shadows flickered in the corners, barely visible, as if alive.

Julián walked ahead, but something about his posture seemed off. He stretched his neck and shoulders as though burdened by an unseen weight, his body responding sluggishly while his mind appeared trapped in thought.

—Julián... don’t go any further. Something's wrong. —Valeria urged, catching up to touch his arm.

His skin was icy cold, and when he turned, his eyes didn’t focus on her but stared at some point in the void.

—Do you hear that? —He asked distantly.

Valeria shook her head. There was no sound, only the oppressive silence filling the cabin. Yet, as she observed, she felt the space around her shift—shrinking, expanding—breathing. The walls seemed to tilt inward, and mirrors along them reflected movements that didn’t match their own.

—We should leave, Julián… let’s go. —Valeria pleaded.

—We can’t escape. We can’t leave anymore. —Julián’s words didn’t seem to come from him but echoed through the room.

In the mirror, Julián’s reflection stared back at Valeria with a grin that wasn’t present on his real face. She stepped back, stumbling over pieces of a broken chair. The breathing of the place quickened, and it felt as though reality itself would fracture.

—What do you see, Valeria? —Julián asked, his voice unnervingly slow as he moved toward her—. What do you feel, Valeria? —His tone turned mocking, unfamiliar.

Her wide eyes filled with panic. The Julián before her wasn’t the Julián she knew. His gaze was a bottomless abyss, and his presence filled her with an overwhelming void, as though her very essence was being drained.

—This isn’t real… You’re not here… —Valeria whispered, shutting her eyes tightly and covering her ears. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to convince herself.

—Look at me, Valeria. —Julián commanded in a guttural voice that reverberated in the room—. Look at me!

As if compelled, Valeria opened her eyes. The being masquerading as Julián now smiled with an endless row of sharp teeth, holding a massive knife in its hand. Blood oozed from its eyes and mouth, glowing eerily in the darkness.

—Look at me! —the creature roared, lunging toward her.

Suddenly, a warm hand gripped Valeria’s, pulling her away before the blade could strike.

Valeria struggled to breathe, barely registering Julián tugging her along. The air inside the cabin grew heavier with each step, and the hallway before them stretched and narrowed as if the walls sought to trap them. Yet, a faint beam of light shone at the end of the corridor—a sliver of hope in the oppressive darkness.

—There’s the exit! —Julián shouted, teeth clenched as he dragged Valeria with all his strength.

The light seemed impossibly far, but they had no choice. The wooden floor creaked, blending with low, persistent laughter and whispers they couldn’t ignore. The mist clung to them, brushing against Valeria’s back like unseen hands reaching to grab her.

—Faster, Valeria! —Julián yelled, shoving open the heavy wooden door blocking their path.

The door gave way with a crash, and they tumbled outside, gasping for air. The fog still surrounded them, but it was less dense. The park lights flickered normally, and the sounds of visitors’ laughter returned them to reality. But they didn’t stop running.