Descencus Ad Insaniam

Descent Into Madness

Wake Up

I find myself on the ground in a room i've never been in before. The floor felt cold, and it seemed like something was pulsing inside of it. I felt dizzy, as if I had too much to drink. Slowly, I raised myself from the ground and took a look at my surroundings. What I saw left me paralyzed.

Fear Consumes The Mind

I stared at a corpse that was brutally beaten and was nailed against a wall, its feet dangled and swayed because of a cold gust of air that blew through the room continuously. I gagged and averted my eyes from the sight while attempting to convince myself that this was an elaborate joke, a prank.

The Human Mind Is Weak

I felt as if there was a presence in the room with me, watching my every move. “It couldn't be the corpse, right?” I told myself. I searched through the room I was in and found a door that looked like it was recently painted red. I attempted to open the door but it was locked. “How could you pull off a prank if the door was locked from the inside?” I thought to myself. I double checked the room for anything odd, the only thing out of place was the corpse. I mustered up as much courage as possible and checked the shirtless corpses’ pants for anything. I found a note that contained a key. I thought to myself “Perhaps this man committed suicide, but how could he nail both hands and his chest himself?”

Doubt Clouds The Mind

I attempted to try and consider it as a prank, yet I knew this was something else. Something insidious. I read the note and was chilled by the way it was written.

Its here.
I can feel it watching me.
Not a demon nor an angel.
Yet its aura is of a demon..
It watches me, day and night.
To and from where I worked
At night is when it do-----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It ended there, as if the rest was erased or put elsewhere. I looked at the key and the tip of it was shaped as if it were a dagger. I unlocked the red door and slowly opened it. Past the door was a hallway that went straight and was very dark compared to the room I was in. I knew it was a bad idea but I had no other options. Either stay in a room with a rotting corpse or move into a hallway that made me feel nervous. I moved into the hallway quietly, taking the key with me.

The Darkness Will Consume You

I held my hand on one side of the wall to keep my balance and to know if there was a wall I couldn’t see ahead of me. It felt as if i’d been following this same hallway for eternity with no changes in appearance. The hall suddenly grew cold, I felt as if i’d been dumped into the water surrounding the North Pole. I held both hands close to my chest while leaning on the wall. I continued my journey down this hallway slowly and cautiously. The walls felt as if they had a pulse, just like in the room I was in. It was very unnerving and made me feel sick. As I continued, it constantly grew louder. The walls became narrow and it felt as if everything was shrinking but me. “A nightmare for claustrophobics, thank God i’m not one.” I said wearily.

There Is No Light Within The Darkness

I suddenly had the thought “what if this is all a dream? Is this just a nightmare, a dream and nothing else?” The question bounced throughout my head relentlessly. I took the dagger-like key and softly cut my arm.
I felt pain and a warm wet substance trickle down my arm.
I was bleeding.
“This isn’t a dream. Its reality. Yet it is as if it were a dream.” I ripped a strip of cloth off my shirt and wrapped it around my wounded arm to help prevent it from bleeding further. Knowing that I was susceptible to pain and injuries, I felt in immense danger. After a while of walking, what felt like thirty minutes,the hallway stopped shrinking and I was able to hit my head if I jumped. Awhile afterwards, a fork in the narrow hallway appeared. I looked around the entrance to both paths to see if I could find a note or a message that could lead me down the right path, or at least down the safest path. It took me awhile but I was able to find an inscription on the ceiling written in what appeared to be yellow ink.

For salvation, look towards the Light

After deep consideration, I finally figured out the meaning to the puzzle. “What if both paths were wrong? Neither of them have light as far as I can see,” I thought. Looking at the path I came from I noticed that the hallway was dimly lit by light bulbs. “Thats the answer! The lights will lead me to safety!” I said to myself. I walked down the hallway at a quick pace, with the feeling of hope building inside of me. I would finally be able to escape from this nightmare.

“Do You Truly Believe This Is Over?”

A feeling of dread washed over me as a voice echoed through my head. “”I mustn't be dissuaded, this may be the only way to escape.” I said, trying to continue down the illuminated hallway.

“Why Do You Resist? Has The Darkness Not Dissolved Your Will?”

“I go on because I have a life, and I can’t let it end like this. I wont let you null my existence. I will live on despite the odds.” I whispered to myself.

“You Don’t Get It Do You? Salvation Is A Fickle Thing. It Will Only Absolve Those Who Aren’t Damned. Stop Chasing What You Cannot Hope To Achieve. You Will Never Escape From Here.”

You Belong Here

“As I said, despite the odds, I will live on. I’ll take any chance I get to escape from here.” I shouted. The hallways began to moan and creak as if a creature stirring inside of them had awoken from its slumber. I knew it was a bad sign so I took a deep breath and began to run towards whatever lay at the end of the hallway. The sounds within the walls increased in volume, as if it grew in power the further I got.

Running From Your Fate Won’t Save You

The walls began to bend and distort, leaving small bits of broken wood and torn wallpaper scattered across the ground throughout the hallway. I feared what lay inside of the walls, for if I spent time standing, catching my breath, I could fall into a black pit leading deeper into this nightmare or worse. I ran as fast as I could to what seemed like a gate. The floor began to shake violently, causing me to lose my footing and fall flat onto the ground. I picked myself up quickly and started towards the gate again. The walls began to bleed a dark substance rapidly, it seemed like tar yet it moved faster and created a dark aura that I could sense. I was only twenty feet from the gate as a loud animalistic roar echoed through the hallway. I feared what followed closely behind me, not once did I consider glancing behind me to see what pursued me.
I’m so close.
So close to salvation.
To finally escape from this demonic world filled with evil beyond comprehension.
I couldn’t see what was past the gate because in the center was a light that was blinding. The sound of wood breaking overhead. I quickly jumped through the gate, narrowly avoiding an oncoming slab of wood that fell from the ceiling which could have impeded my escape. the gate closed and I felt surrounded by warmth. I lay on the ground, catching my breath, repeating the words.

“I’m free.”

Finis