"Are you sure that this haunted house is actually haunted? Looks like something for little kids," David said as we approached the gloomy, gray 2-story house that was surrounded by dead trees, the moonlight illuminating the decaying walls and neglected lawn.

"Yes, I'm sure. You know what they say. Never judge a book by its cover," Jared said, rolling his eyes at David's whines.

"Really? Because I mean, look at that stupid plastic Barbie," David said, pointing at the inflated real life sized pink dressed dolls that stood side by side at the front door.

"David is right," Jamie chimed in, "We came for some bone-chilling and soul leaving horror, not some little girl's birthday party.

"Come on guys, stop it," I said, glaring at them, "Jared promised that this experience is completely worth it, and I believe him. Quit making fun of him and lets just go in."

"Babe, you don't have to defend me." Jared said, touching my arm, "I can defend myself just fine."

However, when everybody else turned around and headed towards the entrance of the haunted house, he mouthed to me "Thank you" with a grateful look.

Jared was my boyfriend. We have been dating for only 8 months and this was our first Halloween together. He had moved here from New York 2 years ago to our small town in Missouri, and was tall, handsome, long black hair that reached past his shoulders, and he had crystal blue eyes that could strike terror into anyone if he decided to. He said that he previously worked in many horror attractions as a scare actor, and nobody doubted that for one second. He has scared the shit out of many kids if he made a certain move, and he could quickly transform into any of those ghosts from the Grudge thanks to his long hair.

A scream caused me and Jared to abruptly glance towards the entrance of the gloomy and dark gray haunted house where the rest of the group had already reached the entrance where the Barbie and Ken look-alikes stood. As I ran up to them, I found Chloe, one of my best friends, who was sitting on her butt and propped up by her arms. She wore a terrified expression on her face and panted breathlessly, her chest visibly heaving up and down. David and Jamie were keeled over from howling with laughter, their bodies shaking like they were having a seizure.

"What happened?" I demanded as I helped Chloe up.

"One... one of those things moved!" Chloe said, her voice shaking.

"You are so scared by a stupid doll that you're hallucinating, scaredy-cat!" David said, continuing to laugh uncontrollably, "What are you going to do if, IF, something worse happens?"

"Shut up and leave her alone, David," Jared glared at him,

Jared adjusted the Barbie-like doll that Chloe had apparently punched out of fright and stood back to inspect it before he smiled satisfyingly and walked up the creaking stairs towards the partially opened door. He turned around towards us and raised his hands toward the sky.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the House of Ever-Growing Horrors."

"Dramatic," David said, rolling his eyes, "OW!!" He yelled when Jamie slapped him on the back of his head.

"Who's the dramatic one now?" I said, chuckling as David rubbed the back of his head and glared at me.

The door slammed open with a loud thud, making us all jump. Even David. I admit, I felt a twinge of satisfaction at seeing that jerk scared even for a second.

"Come in guys," Jared said, entering the haunted house that emitted a menacing energy. Of course it would. It was the haunted house that contained the myth of a family of four who were found brutally mutilated 35 years ago until they were unrecognizable.

As we entered the dark hallway, I felt a sudden chill spread throughout my body. It strangely felt like the darkness was swallowing us up. The entire house creaked and groaned, threatening to collapse upon us at any given moment. Once we were all inside, the door slammed shut of its own accord. We all jumped again, and Jamie let out a high-pitched scream that rang throughout the house. David nervously chuckled but he was also visibly shaken as well.

Suddenly, a dim, fluorescent light turned on, flickering a few times before steadying and revealing the horrifying sight around us.

It was not what we expected, and I felt both relieved and disappointed at the same time.

The light illuminated the room we had entered and surrounding us were... stuffed teddy bears and more life-sized dolls. Not even in a terrifying look with an eyeball out or an arm missing. Just the fluffy cute kind that you'd buy at the store for your 5-year-old kid.

"What in the actual fuck..." David said, scanning the room and turning towards Jared, "is this bullshit, dude?"

Everyone had shocked and disappointed faces, and I was confused. Why would Jared bring us to a haunted house and disappoint us like this? It wasn't like him at all. We haven't been dating that long, but I knew that he hated disappointing people. And partners.

"Hey, I did say don't judge a book by its cover." Jared said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What book? There isn't even a flimsy notebook here. You know what, I'm getting out of here to go to a real haunted house."

Jared looked at me and shrugged as David went towards the front door. Jamie scoffed and followed him, Chloe close behind them.

"Come on guys, give him a chance!" I said to their retreating backs.

"You and your lame boyfriend can enjoy your stupid dolly Halloween," David shouted over his shoulder.

I was about to shout something back to him and comfort my boyfriend, but David's outbursts interrupted that.

"Where's the fucking door?" He yelled, a hint of panic in his voice as I dimly saw him search for something.

Chloe and Jamie started to do the same, walking all around the dimly lit foyer like they were on a scavenger hunt.

"What's going on guys?" I asked, quickly approaching them with Jared following close behind.

"The door! Where's the fucking door?" David yelled out, running back and forth along the wall like a mouse trapped by a cat.

"Isn't this where we entered?" Chloe asked Jared, who stood beside me with a confused expression on his face.

"Yeah... Wait, are you a hundred percent sure?" Jared said.

"We're asking you!" David said as he angrily stomped towards Jared.

"Hey!" Jamie shouted, holding him back with her arm, "Attacking each other won't do us any good. We need to figure out what the fuck is going on. Maybe we should retrace our steps."

"There's nothing to retrace! I distinctly remember walking down this hallway," David pointed towards the dimly lit corridor, "And we didn't even step into any other room. It's—"

"Wait, what was that?" I asked as I heard a whisper somewhere near me, "Jared, did you whisper something?"

"Huh? No, I didn't," he said, a perplexed expression on his face as he turned towards me.

Suddenly, I noticed that something was amiss amongst the teddy bears and dolls that were lined up against the wall. I couldn't quite figure it out, but I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. I walked up to one of the teddy bears whose button eyes looked at me. Like it was watching me, which would explain the sudden sensation of weirdness.

"Haley? Did you find something?" Chloe asked me as she joined me and directed her gaze at the dolls as well.

"I don't know... I—"

"Come on guys! It's not playing with stupid dolls time! We need to be looking for that–"

He didn't finish his sentence as the entire house became eerily quiet.

"David?" Jamie asked as she shone her flashlight towards where David had previously stood, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"David?!" she asked, this time loud enough that the sound of her voice bounced off the walls.

A clattering sound ensued from our right side, about 30 feet away. Both Jamie and Chloe squealed like two pigs at slaughter while I froze and intently looked into the dark. Shining my flashlight towards the noises that sounded like they were from the kitchen based on the all too familiar clattering of pots and pans, I started to walk in that direction.

"Where are you going?" Jared asked as I felt him grab me by the elbow.

"I'm going to go find David," I hissed, shaking off his grip.

"It's too dangerous," he insisted, but I felt his hold on me loosen a little.

I glared at him, unsure if he could even see my scowl but he must have, since he released my arm.

"Maybe David is just playing with us?" Chloe meekly asked, even though her voice suggested otherwise, "He has spent the past hour complaining about how boring and unscary Halloween has been so far."

"If that's the case, then he is doing one hell of a job," Jamie whispered as she rubbed her arms and trembled slightly.

"Look, I'm going there, so if either of you idiots want to join me, you're more than welcome to," I snapped, causing them both to jump.

"I'll be right behind you." Jared said.

What a coward, I thought.

I had no idea if Chloe and Jamie were following me and Jared as we started heading in the direction where we had heard the now-silent sounds. After about 30 feet, I entered into a room that looked like the kitchen. I walked up towards the rotting corner that contained decomposing meat and other foods, as if the vomit-inducing smell didn't indicate that. Suddenly, I heard coming from my right side what sounded like a spoon or knife clattering to the floor, making me whirl around towards the noise. I shone my flashlight all around me, but there was nothing... and nobody out of the ordinary.

"What the hell?" I heard Jared say about 2 feet in front of me.

"What is it?" I asked as I approached him.

He gestured with his flashlight towards the ground, and I caught sight of some dark liquid that looked like cherry Jell-O. I leaned down a little and saw that it was something entirely different.

It was blood. A trail of splattered dark red blood that led around the kitchen counter. I followed the trail until I heard a wheezing sound suddenly appear in front of me. I froze, slowly pointing my flashlight towards the noise until it shone upon the grisliest sight I've ever seen in my life.

David was lying on his back in a pool of his own blood, his intestines protruding from his stomach. His chest was cut open and I could see his heart beating through the ribcage. His right thigh had a huge chunk of flesh ripped out, like someone had taken a huge bite. Half his face was torn clear off and revealed his bare jawbone. One of his eyes was missing from its socket, the exposed flesh visibly moving in a slow, worm-like manner.

The sight of him was terrifying enough, but what I saw sitting behind David's head was even more horrifying. It was that teddy bear that I had noticed was gone back in the hallway, its black previously void eyes now staring at me full of life. It smiled at me, showing its rows of sharp fang-like teeth as it grasped David's head with both its hands.

"RUN," David whispered hoarsely before the teddy bear ripped his head off with one clean movement, blood spurting out of his decapitated neck. After which it shoved his head into its mouth and the bone-cringing sound of crunching flesh reached my ears, the blood spilling out of its mouth before it finally swallowed David's chewed up head. Blood stains covered its entire face as it stood up with a wide grin, bits of flesh and bone stuck in its teeth.

"Come on guys. We're in a haunted house. It's all just an act," Jamie suddenly broke the brief silence.

So they did follow us...

"Jamie... DO NOT MOVE," I whisper-shouted, shaking my head in a clear no in case she didn't hear me.

But she didn't stop, just smiled and continued to stride towards the Killer Bear.

"Jamie! Come back here!" Chloe said, trying to grab Jamie's arm but her hand only grabbed empty air.

"Look, it's fine. See?" Jamie waved her hand just inches away from the bear's face, who stared at her emptily, "Now come on out, David. You've had your fun."

Of course, David didn't come out. How could he? He was dead, with his head digesting in that bear's stomach.

"David, it's not funny anymore." Jamie said, a worried and scared tone creeping back into her voice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the two life sized dolls from the front door standing in the doorway through which we had entered. The Barbie-like doll was smiling devilishly while the Ken-like doll's face held a mischievous smirk as they both charged at Jamie with lightning speed before any of us could blink an eye.

"What the fu–" Jamie didn't even have time to finish before one of the dolls grabbed her chest from behind while the other doll jumped in front and snatched Jamie's legs off the ground with his hands until she was suspended in the air. While holding her body, they skipped in a circle, twirling Jamie around. I watched in horror as she struggled, screaming for them to let her go and asking why we bastards were just standing and doing nothing. I watched as the two dolls abruptly stopped, and smiling at each other, they pulled Jamie's body in different directions until her body tore in half, her bloody intestines spilling out and blood gushing out like a waterfall.

They dropped her body and proceeded to drink her blood while Jamie stared at me, Jared, and Chloe with her wide-opened eyes and gaping mouth, her body still twitching.

"Let's get the fuck out of here while they're busy," I whispered to them as I bolted out of the kitchen, Jamie and Jared close behind.

"Where do you think you're going?" Devil-Barbie asked in a singsong voice," You can run, but you can't hiiiidddeeeee."

I didn't stop until we reached the place where I vividly remember the front door was located. Now it was a decaying gray wall. I heard a demonic shriek behind us, causing my soul to almost leave my body.

"Where is the exit, Jared?" I demanded, looking at him who stood with pure panic and terror strewn over his face.

"I..."

Before he could say anything else, the floor on which we stood suddenly tilted at an obtuse angle, causing the furniture and us, humans, to start to uncontrollably slide down. Jared and I grabbed onto one of the corners while Chloe slid downwards, arms flailing and trying to grab hold of something.

"CHLOE!" I yelled as the movements of the moving floors became more violent, causing Chloe to be flung into the air and land on her back and front as she slid-bounced her way further downwards.

But what happened next was horrifyingly unbelievable, when suddenly the dark wall at the bottom opened up like a Venus fly trap. Chloe screamed as she tried clawing her way back up before the wall swallowed her up and as it closed around her, blood spurted upwards like a fountain, splattering on both me and Jared. I closed my eyes as I felt the warm dark red liquid hit my face. I heard a loud rumbling moan of pleasure sound out from the wall trap before the entire house structure up righted itself and everything returned to normal like nothing ever happened. I would have thought that it was just a nightmare except for Chloe's still wet blood that was stuck to my skin and clothes.

"What the actual fuck is going on here, Jared?" I asked, my heart pounding in my ears as I struggled to breathe.

Jared didn't answer me, his head turned away from me.

"Jared?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.

He finally turned around to face me, his face wearing a stoic expression.

"I'll tell you what's going on," he said, an evil smirk appearing on his face as all the teddy bears and life-sized dolls that my friends and I had seen earlier propped up on the wall surround us in a circle.

"Say hello to my friends and their ever-growing appetites."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Firstly, thank you everyone for reading and don't forget to vote if you enjoyed it!

Secondly, I'm proud to add that this story is a winner of the Trials of Astania!