The Virulent House in the Swamp

Greetings, fellow writers. I am delighted to share a short story that I wrote last year. I hope that you enjoy reading it and would be open to discussing it further with those who are interested.

The Virulent House in The Swamp
Part 1- Anaka
The night was dark, much darker than in the west at midnight. The South had trees penetrating the night sky; not a cloud could be seen through the trees that whispered oblivion. In the west, a person could see their hand in front of their face in the middle of the night. Out in the bayou, the darkness made even the sharpest of minds unhinged. The relentless darkness would suck out life in a sole and make able-bodied men weary of life. Anaka Did not want to be in the swamp; she did not like water, bugs, and especially the dark.
Have you ever been somewhere so dark that you question the very existence of light? Somewhere where the tiniest noise gives pinpricks of shivers down your spine? Darkness that pries away every happy thought that enters your mind and drains your soul? That is the darkness Anaka found herself in, which she saw as she awoke.
Anaka could not grasp why she was alone in the middle of a bayou in the middle of the night; after all, she had just turned twenty and had had a party the night before. Anaka was living an ordinary life when The Darkness snatched her away. She tried to remember what had happened. She had gone to bed early because she was exhausted and had a critical meeting at 9 AM. Anaka remembered sleeping and then hearing a scream; the scream made her flesh crawl while sleeping. As she tried to remember the details of the night, her head throbbed with pain, like razor blades cutting into her brain and severing the nerves that bound her head.
Anaka realized where she was and started to panic. She knew these Woods and the stories surrounding this part of the Swamp. The stories about the virulent house in the swamp
She wanted to get away to find somewhere safe where she could See. At first, it did not register, but she realized it was pitch-dark and starless. Although Anaka could not see, she realized that she could hear cicadas, frogs, and something unsettling she could not place. She could feel tree branches under her feet and a humid breeze blowing. The air around her was stiflingly suffocating, and she realized that escape was inviable. Her only hope was to be able to find someone else and figure out a plan.
Part 2- Josh
As Josh awoke, he realized he was not in his upstate mansion in Louisiana. Josh is thirty-two and financially prominent. In fact, he could not quite recall where he was or how he got there. As he looked around, he could not see. He could feel the water in his boots and knew that he was in a swamp. He realized that where he was was not a peaceful place and smelled like salt and decay; although the smell of salt was strong, the scent of decay was more pungent.
As Josh tried to think, he realized that he had not been to any part of Louisiana with a swamp; he felt hopelessly lost while looking for signs of life. He tried to move but found mud stuck to both legs. Although Josh had heard the stories about the virulent house in the swamp, he had never believed in them. Josh thought they were just a way to make the kids run scared. The air was growing dense as Josh struggled to figure out what to do. 1. He was stuck 2. He was lost 3. It was very dark 4. He did not know what to do 5. He did not have a phone to call someone or ask for help.
Claustrophobia started to creep in, and although Josh was not claustrophobic, he could feel it here in the damp and humid swamp. There was an unsettling noise that Josh could hear and had been able to since he woke up. (Josh has xenophobia which is fear of unfamiliar people and places). He was terrified of not knowing where he was, and his ankle felt like an unknown person had cut it with a serrated blade. His only hope was to be able to find someone else and figure out a plan.
Part 3- Arif
Arif immediately woke up. He was in his bed and realized that he had heard something. Arif is twelve and one of the most intelligent kids. Although Arif had an ordinary life, he was as brilliant as Albert Einstein, and some people questioned him more. Arif had moved to Louisiana with his mom about a year ago from Persia. Arif had thought that he needed to get back to the swamp. He wanted to check out the virulent house in the swamp. He had heard from some school kids that people disappeared daily. Arif was fearless; he loved the thought of abandoned haunted houses. The idea excited and thrilled him to the very core of his depth.
The noise Arif heard made him sit bolt upright in bed; it made tiny pinpricks of fear explode in his heart. He knew that no one was in the house; the dog would have barked, his mom would have woken up, and he would have screamed. Arif did know something felt off about the whole situation, so he checked if anything was out of place. As he walked out the door, he fell and did not wake up until he was where he wanted to be. He was standing directly in front of the house on the bayou.
The house was everything Arif imagined and more. He could see every detail of the house, from the tall trees towering out of the water that surrounded the house to the magnificent height. Arif thought it had to be at least three stories high, and it was black. How anyone could see the house in the blackness of the swamp will remain a mystery, but Arif could see all the details.
The house was magnificent, but Arif was scared. How had he gotten there? How did he slip into another world when thinking of visiting the virulent house in the swamp? The sky overhead could not be seen; the only night detail Arif could see was the house. The house loomed as large as a tree and wide as a cornfield. The windows and boards were black as the swamp itself. Arif thought it truly lived up to its name.
The seven details that Arif knew were 1. He was right where he wanted to be 2. He was scared because he did not know how he came to be there. 3. He was calm because he knew he could figure out a plan. 4. He felt pain in his right arm around the elbow 5. He had been kidnapped 6. The darkness was stifling 7. He was trapped in the mud.
Part 4- The Meetup
Anaka realizes suddenly she can move her feet after trying for what seems like eons to move. When she realizes that her legs can move, she gets going so fast that she trips as soon as she lifts her foot. Her head throbs with each step she takes.
While Anaka is trying to catch her footing and stand up, Josh is busy moving as best he can. Each step feels like the death curtain is falling on him, but he must go on. His ankle now had a dull throb that he could feel throughout his body.
Arif had been able to move the minute he saw the house, although he knew the most intelligent decision would be to stay right where he was. He was not injured when he was transported to the swamp. Although Arif should be terrified, he is exhilarated to be in the presence of the virulent house.
Respectively, Anaka and Josh started running as soon as their legs could move. They ran for miles and miles but still could not see anything. They kept hearing the unsettling noise, which shook them to their cores. They could not place it or where it was coming from. Arif looked around the house but did not dare to go inside. As Arif looked at the house, he felt fingers sliding across the back of his neck and down his spine. The house was virulent in the dead of night. Arif knew better than to run. He thought, “if I want to survive, I will have to solve a problem or plan.” As Anaka and Josh ran, they became breathless. They wanted to be out of the maze of the swamp.
Anaka and Josh kept running until they saw each other. Anaka looked twice before yelling, “Are you real?” Josh replied, “Yes, I am; where are we?” Anaka thought, “Isn’t that a weird question to ask? Doesn’t he know this place?” We must go now and get out of here; this is a very evil place with many dark situations. You’re insane, he told her. Anaka kept running as if she had never seen Josh in the first place. She knew he would be of no help to her. Josh was reluctant to follow her; he hesitated as soon as she started to run.
They had been running so much that they could start to see shapes and forms appear. They thought, the glorious day the sun was beginning to come up. We can get out now. Maybe escape is possible; their newfound hope was suddenly dashed when they realized they had seen only light from a house.
Part 5- The Virulent House in The Swamp
Arif looked up to see Anaka and Josh. He had been thinking about how to escape so far; his ideas consisted of running until he passed out and drinking a lot of water so he could stay alive. He opted for the latter option but needed to learn how to get clean drinking water. He thought about going inside the house (he knew it would eventually come to that anyway).
Anaka and Josh stared at Arif. They were astounded to be stuck in the swamp with him. He had been the first kid at age twelve to have an IQ greater than Ainan Celeste Cawley, who had an IQ of 263. At that moment, Anaka relaxed because she knew if anyone could figure out what to do, it was Arif. They went from being scared to exalted in a matter of minutes. The terrifying thought of being trapped in the swamp forever had collectively been on both minds.
Arif knew what was going on; he had heard the stories that no one dared tell because these stories were the Truth. When it came down to it, no one would survive the night. Arif knew this for a fact, and while Anaka and Josh were dancing, he tried not to cry from the overwhelming stench of evil. The evil had finally sucked his life out, and he sat down in despair, thinking of how doomed they all were. How could he tell Anaka and Josh what was going to happen to them?
This was just the beginning of what was going to turn out to be the worst nightmare each of them had to go through. The virulent house in the swamp had a very dark and evil presence that devoured each and every person who came to the swamp. The Darkness had brought them there by means of kidnapping; it is uncertain how, but they each knew that what lay ahead would not be easy. They also knew they Did not want to be there and were forced against their will into this adventure. The Darkness was powerful, and they did not realize just how powerful it was.
The initiation was over, and they all stood staring at the house. The secrets that Arif hid from them had to remain hidden until the very last minute of life. The life they knew but did not know to be over. Anaka and Josh believed they could put all their hope into Arif, thinking he would take them away from the evil that snatched them away. Anaka finds peace in Arif, and she believes in herself because of Arif. He is the ultimate protection and guide to her. The decision to move and get out of there was prevalent to both Arif and Anaka, but they could not seem to move. Josh bursts forward with a wild lunge, and as Arif tries to grab him, Anaka also falls forward. The process by which they had wanted to free themselves from the mud was useless, but as they stood there discussing their dilemma, they had not noticed that the ground was hardening before their eyes; the mud was no longer present, and The Darkness had freed them all of them besides Arif. A small patch of mud, just large enough for him to be stuck, surrounded his feet. As soon as he realizes he is still attached, he tells Anaka and Josh the way out of the swamp. They remember his instructions, but before they leave, Anaka looks at Arif and says, " I will come back for you, I promise. Arif knew that the promise would never happen.
Part 6- Escape
Anaka
During the escape, Josh and Anaka are separated from each other by a force of wind so brief and random it may have been a twig on the ground. Anaka realizes that she is alone, scared, and hurt. She believes she is dehydrated and can not find her way out of the swamp. The breakdown of her life occurs right as she nears the end of the forest. It is still dark, and she is still not able to see. Her heart is attempting to free the upheaval of her chest. Anaka is in the last moments of despair, trying to control her sweating palms and racing heart, when she hears her dad. He is telling her that she must go on. He says My daughter, who I love. My mom and I believe in you and love you. We are here by your side and in the core of your heart and emotions. Do not stop now. Keep going until you have found us.
Anaka returns to Arif to help him find the way out, but she realizes something is wrong and starts to tremble. She tries running back to the house and gets lost in circles; at one point, she realizes she might be seeing hallucinations. Josh is hanging from a tree; it is snowing, and wolves are howling nearby. At this, Anaka wants to leave the swamp and never return. She eventually finds the house, and to her horror, Arif is not there. Anaka realizes that coming back was a mistake she realizes that although Arif was supposed to save them, he was the one who brought them to the swamp. He was the one who made the plan, the one that dragged them away from their houses, away from everything they knew. Arif was The Virulent House in the Swamp, and Anaka’s nightmare was coming to an end.
Twenty Years Later
Hi Anaka! How are you? Anaka is staring at a wall speaking to Christopher, talking about the time she had dreamt of a house in the swamp, a virulent house. One that would plague her nightmares each night, she would go to sleep, and as she talked to her therapist sly smile tugged at the end of Christopher's face. For he knows a secret only he can know, and that is Anaka never left the Virulent house in the swamp, and his name was not Christopher.