Diary

"I should kill you for agreeing to this shortcut.

" "Come on, Mark, it's not as bad as it sounds."

"Isn't it bad? Isn't it bad?!? Instead of walking on some dirt road and simply complaining about the heat, we're making our way through a forest that, instead of thinning out, is getting denser. And it's all thanks to you. 'Let's go this way, it'll be faster. Black, dark forest, the two of us in the middle of nowhere, the girls with John by the car, what could possibly go wrong?' God, I wouldn't have even left a water pistol with John.

" "You just left so much more.

" "I know, and I'm starting to worry about it. I was so stupid to listen to you.

" "You always say that right after you agree to my ideas.

" "I'll never do that again!"

"I've heard that a few times before," Chris countered every argument from his friend with natural grace.

"Seriously, what do we do now?" Do we go back the way we came, or continue into this thicket that will lead us who knows where?

"I think we need to move forward. We're not going to return to our girls empty-handed. We'd look like idiots, and thus admit they were right that this shortcut wasn't a good idea. And I can't afford such an insult." As usual, Chris's pride triumphed over common sense.

"You say idiots..." Chris responded to this sarcastic comment with a genuine smile, then moved forward in the direction they had been heading. Indeed, the forest was becoming denser. The trees they had previously passed within a few meters seemed to be drawing closer together. The sun, which had so recently penetrated the forest without any hindrance through the sparse canopy, now had trouble penetrating the foliage. The upside was the sudden coolness. The shade provided wonderful relief. They had been walking slowly for about thirty minutes when Mark suddenly stopped and began looking around anxiously. It took Chris a moment to notice that his companion wasn't following him. He turned casually and approached his friend. He seemed to be searching for something, but his gaze was distant. It was as if his mind were wandering in a completely different world, hundreds of miles away.

"What happened?" Chris snorted heavily. Unfortunately, he got no answer. He tried again, but this time there was a hint of curiosity in his question. "Mark, what's going on?

" "Can you hear?"

"What am I supposed to hear?

" "Can you hear?" Mark persisted.

Chris couldn't hear anything at all. He thought it might be from exhaustion and thirst, which were slowly starting to make themselves felt. He drew in as much air as he could and, holding his breath, began to listen. He focused all his attention on what had clearly captured his friend's attention. When he began to run out of air, Chris gave up and, breathing heavily, broke the silence:

"I can't hear anything.

" "Exactly, me neither. Don't you think that if we were in the middle of the forest, we should hear something? I don't know, animals, birds, the sound of the wind, something?"

Chris pondered his friend's words for a moment. There was something to it. They were surrounded by emptiness. It was as if they were standing in a bubble of air, separated from the outside world by some invisible wall that impervious to sound. Neither of them remembered when they stopped hearing the sounds coming from the forest. Or maybe they weren't there at all, they just hadn't noticed. But Chris decided this wasn't the time or place to build a sense of dread. He took another deep breath and shouted, "

HAAAALOOOOOO, YEEEEESTTT ...

Within minutes, they were suddenly blinded by the sun. The light was unbearable after the darkness that reigned among the trees. Both squinted and shielded their eyes with their hands. The brightness came so suddenly that neither of them was in the slightest prepared for it. Only after a short moment did their eyes begin to adjust. With the light came a heat. The air seemed to stand still. Both Chris and Mark began to look around to figure out where they were. They were standing in a small clearing. The forest ended there without any warning. Immediately, a structure stood several dozen meters ahead. Mark wondered how he hadn't noticed the building immediately. After all, it was the only significant thing in this empty field, nestled in the middle of the forest. Chris and his companion exchanged questioning glances, then set off briskly toward the cabin. They walked through the low grass, a pleasant change from the roots and branches of the forest. Along the way, they passed several detached, low trees. Not tall, of course, compared to what surrounded them on all sides. However, the closer they got to the cottage, the less joy they felt. They quickly lost any hope of finding the help they sought. The two-story house that now stood before them was made of wood and had clearly been abandoned for some time. There were no signs of life. Most of the windows were broken, and the remaining ones were very dirty and impossible to see through.

"We should go inside and make sure the farmer hasn't returned from his hunt yet.

" "I think we'll walk around the house first; if we don't find anything, we'll go inside," Mark replied. "I'll go to the right, you go this way."

"I don't know what you expect to find, but whatever you can do, you'll be fine." Mark took hesitant steps. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with this place. He'd probably watched too many horror movies as a child. But the feeling of someone watching him kept nagging him. He walked over to the window, which happened to have glass. He put his hands on the glass, put his head just nose-deep in it, and tried to see what was inside. He peered into the kitchen. He saw some old furniture, a scratched refrigerator, and a large round table, indicating that this room had also been the family's dining room. The refrigerator caught his attention; there were no high-voltage lines in sight. Apparently, there was a generator somewhere. In any case, the power was definitely off at the moment, and Mark had no desire to check what was inside the refrigerator.

"Mark!!!! You have to see this!!!" Chris's voice came from behind the house.

Mark immediately headed toward his friend. When he reached the spot, he saw Chris swinging on a small swing. He looked comical, but Mark wasn't laughing at all.

"Want to swing?" Chris laughed.

The swing he was on was handmade for a child. It barely supported the weight of a twenty-year-old man. Even though Chris was slim, he barely fit in the seat. This clearly began to bother him, because he scrambled out of it and onto his feet.

"I just found this," Chris pointed to the still-rocking, creaking swing. "Maybe you had better luck?

" "No, there was nothing at my place. Well, I guess we need to check for the owners.

" "You've got to be kidding. No one's been here in ages.

" "If you're so sure, I knock on the door and you talk," Mark replied sarcastically.

"You're acting like you're ten. And I'm starting to like it." Let's not go crazy. We'll go inside, find a few dead rats, and move on. And when we come back with the gas, we'll tell the girls we found a haunted house. What do you think?

"I like everything about it except the dead rats. Let's not waste any more time, let's see what this spooky castle is hiding."

As agreed, Mark knocked on the door. No one answered. Chris gently pushed the door open. It swung open. An unpleasant, rotten smell emanated from inside.

"Luckily, it doesn't smell like a corpse," Chris decided to break the tension.

"And how the hell do you know what a dead body smells like?

" "Remember little Timmy from fourth grade?

" "You mean Stinky Timmy?"

"So now you know how I know the 'smell' of a decomposing corpse.

" "You're right."

They both smiled genuinely, thinking back to the good old days. This moment of relief was much needed, because although they both tried their best to hide it, they felt uneasy about the situation.

Chris breathed a sigh of relief when he finally stepped inside. From the moment they entered this clearing, he'd had the feeling that this place was haunted. He'd never believed in ghosts; rather, he'd felt haunted by bad memories. Subconsciously, he'd felt that something terrible had happened here. But then again, that was a cliché. An abandoned house immediately evoked bad things. Maybe the owners had simply come to their senses and moved to a more civilized place. He hoped they'd find some answers inside. It would be even better if they found nothing and got out of this unpleasant place as quickly as possible.

"Man, I didn't want to say this, but I don't feel very comfortable here," Chris said, trying to get his friend to talk.

"I know what you mean. But since we're here, let's try to find out something.

In front of them were a tall staircase leading to the upper floor, and to the right was the kitchen. The main room was to the left of the entrance. Everything looked normal, except for the fact that it was very dilapidated and neglected.

"Hellooooo, sorry we came in like this, but no one answered our questions. Did we find anyone???" Mark kept his cool. However, as both intruders expected, there was no answer.

"We should look around. There might be gas somewhere around here.

" "You don't believe that yourself," Chris almost whispered. He wondered why he'd lowered his voice; no one could hear them. Mark entered the kitchen. The floorboards creaked under the weight of his footsteps, indicating there was an empty space beneath him. So there must have been a basement.

Everything looked unused for a long time. Dirty dishes lay in the sink, and the grime on them suggested they'd been waiting for a fresh wash for some time. Everything in the kitchen was covered in a thick layer of dust. The curtains, clumsily hanging by the broken window, appeared gray with age. An unpleasant odor, most likely emanating from the refrigerator, completed the picture, but Mark didn't dare look in there. He told himself it was because of the stench. He searched the cabinets briefly but found nothing but dirty dishes. Finally, he emerged from the kitchen, much to Chris's delight. Chris stood by the front door, prepared for a possible escape.

"Did you find anything?

" "No, let's see what's in the room." Mark emphasized the word "let's see."

Chris took the hint and followed his friend to the guest room.

The guest room was by far the largest room in the house. An ancient sectional sofa stood against the wall, which must have once looked impressive. But now, covered in cobwebs, it evoked only a feeling of nostalgia. Chris slammed his hand on the couch in the middle of the room, sending up a huge cloud of dust that rose to the ceiling. Chris choked.

"Let's get out of here, what are we still doing here?" he blurted out, exasperated.

"I don't know." However, Mark's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided he wouldn't leave empty-handed. "I'll check upstairs, and you see if there's anything else interesting here. Go down to the basement too.

" "No way, we go everywhere together."

"As you like." Chris's behavior was slowly beginning to tire Mark. The second floor proved to be very sparse. All the rooms were empty. Completely empty, without the slightest trace of furniture. Only the last, smallest one at the end of a long, dark corridor was the one Mark expected to find. The room was small, barely enough room for a bed and wardrobe. Next to the bed was a wooden cabinet. A dirty window stared out at them from the wall. Mark opened the wardrobe and found old, moth-eaten clothes. They were mostly dresses, a sign that a girl had lived here. The only remaining piece of furniture to be examined was a chest of drawers. This contained only a hardcover notebook. It was black; it had surely once held some ornate patterns, but time had taken its toll, and the cover was bare. Mark opened it without hesitation to the first page. There was only one word, but it was so telling: "Maggie." Many of the pages were torn out. Only scraps of paper remained at the center of the notebook. Finally, a whole page of text appeared. Mark glanced at it briefly and began reading. From what he could tell, the writing belonged to a young girl, so everything pointed to them being in the room where Maggie had once lived, and in his hand, he held her property.

"What is this?" Chris interjected, curious. "

It looks like a diary.

" "Read it aloud.This is the day. It's finally here. I've waited so long for it. Finally, my suffering will end, and I can escape from here. How much I suffered waiting for this day. But all that is in the past. I have to dress nicely for His arrival. He can't see me like this. What would he think of me? He wouldn't want to take me with him yet. I waited for Him all day, but He didn't show. I sat on the swing, watching for Him to emerge from the woods, but He didn't come. I have no idea why He did this to me. He promised that we would escape from here together today. What could have happened? Night is approaching, and he's still gone. He definitely won't be back. I'm terribly scared. Luckily, Lilly is with me, otherwise I wouldn't be able to bear it. She gives me courage. I have to go now, because the monsters will come soon, and it will start again. I'm so scared, I want it to be over. Why didn't he come?

"That's all there is on this page." Mark didn't even look at his friend.

"Do you understand any of this?"

"Let's see what happens next. Maybe something will become clear."

The day has finally arrived. I told Lilly to wait patiently, because He has to come eventually. Now, when He comes, we can leave here. We'll finally start a new life, see the world hidden behind these trees. It's high time to prepare for His arrival. He's still not here, but it's still early. He'll definitely come. Lilly's worried, but I'm sure she has nothing to worry about. I'm convinced He'll keep His promise and save me today. Why is He still gone? He knows what awaits me at night. How could He let this happen to me again? I've told Him how scared I am and how much it hurts. I've told Him so many times. He definitely won't come today.

- Next page.

Today is the happiest day of my life. The day He'll come to save me. I can't write much because I'm already late, and I long to hug Him. I hope this bad weather doesn't slow His journey. As soon as I see Him, I'll run out to greet Him. I don't worry about the rain; it's not a bad thing after all. Lilly's worried about her hair, but that's irrelevant to me. He's the only one that matters. It's getting dark, and He's still gone. I hope He makes it before the monsters come. Lilly has already started crying, and I'm starting to run out of energy to comfort her. He's gone. He's definitely not coming. I don't understand anything. Why...?

Mark began to skim through the pages. It was practically the same everywhere. He never showed. She was always waiting for Him, but He never came. But the monsters came every night. Mark sat on the couch, completely ignoring his friend. He didn't seem to understand.

"What's this all about? Who is He, who is Lilly, and who are these monsters? Why is it the same every day? It all makes no sense."

But Mark didn't think so. He sat focused on the couch, and everything began to fall into place. In his mind's eye, he saw Maggie, a little girl playing on a swing, waiting for someone who would never come. Living with the hope that the nightmare would end that very day. Living with the expectation that last night would be the last. But it was just another night, one of how many? Hundreds, maybe thousands? Mark didn't even realize the tears were streaming down his cheeks. Chris saw it, and his hair literally stood on end. He had no idea what was happening to his friend. He tried to find out, but Mark's mind was elsewhere. He opened the diary to a random page. He stared at the text, as if it held more secrets, waiting to be solved. Eventually, however, he gave up. He couldn't force his mind to continue, or his hands to turn the pages again. The heat was oppressive, and the thirst was slowly becoming unbearable. Just as he was about to put the book down, his eyes caught a sentence that hadn't been there before. Or perhaps he'd simply missed it in his whirlwind of thoughts and emotions.

"...and they'll take me down again. It's so dark down there...

Down...? Down...?" Mark began to wonder what Maggie could possibly mean. It took him a moment to realize it. He was furious with himself for not thinking about it immediately. He felt a surge of new strength within him. He had to find out what had really happened here. He jumped to his feet and ran to the basement. He nearly broke his leg running, or rather, jumping, down the stairs.

The cellar turned out to be a small, dark room that must have once served as a firewood storage room. The only light came from a small window near the ceiling. Mark began to look around nervously, but the light that filtered into the building through the dusty glass was barely enough to make out the outlines of what lay around him. He needed more light if he wanted to focus on the details. As if on cue, a flash of light appeared behind him. He turned to look for the source of the brightness.

"It was standing under the stairs. I thought it might be useful," Chris said, winking at his clearly surprised friend.

Chris held an old kerosene lamp in his hand. His companion's face looked eerie in the light, which now cast dozens of shadows across the room. Mark had no idea how the device was still working, but that didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered was that he could now thoroughly explore the basement. Maybe not as he'd hoped, but he was certainly in a better position than he had been a minute ago.

"Give it," was all Mark could manage as he practically snatched the lamp from his friend's hand.

"You're welcome," Chris replied with a hint of irritation.

But Mark didn't notice at all. He raised the lamp as high as he could and began searching every nook and cranny. He wasn't quite sure what he was looking for. After all, nothing significant could have survived after all this time. Yet he couldn't leave without making sure. Common sense told him that what he was doing was pointless, that he should go back to his loved ones, who were surely worried about him. But he couldn't stop searching. He felt he owed it to little Maggie. He knew exactly why it had shaken him so much.

"Did you find anything?

" "No, there's nothing here." There was weariness and bitterness in Mark's words.

"I told you to get out of here. Come on, we won't find anything here.

" "You're probably right."

As they were about to leave, Mark spotted something in the corner that didn't seem out of place. Right in the corner was an old, worn-out bed. He slowly approached it.

"What happened again?" Chris was clearly fed up with this search. Mark placed the lamp next to the bed. The mattress was dirty and worn. Springs were sticking out in two places. But that wasn't what caught his attention. The wall next to the bed was completely scratched. The boards were gouged by human hands. It was as if someone had tried to use their fingernails to climb out of the basement. Mark also noticed dried blood, which was definitely the result of scratching skin and nails. How desperate do you have to be to do something like that? What must you be going through to try to escape like that? Mark already knew the answers to these questions. He couldn't stand being in this house anymore. Still clutching the diary, he ran outside. He ran to the nearest tree, leaned against it, and began fighting off nausea. A moment later, a disoriented Chris caught up with him.

"What's going on? You're pale as a sheet. You look like you've seen a ghost! Mark, what happened? Please answer me!

" "You still don't understand?" Mark shouted through his tears.

"What are you talking about?

" "There were no monsters, do you understand?"

"I don't understand anything, and if you do, spit it out because I'm sick of all this!

" "Those monsters were some kind of person. I don't know, maybe even her father.

" "Whose? Maggie or Lilly?"

"Maggie!! I don't know who Lilly was. Maybe her younger sister, I have no idea.

" "You don't mean to say that..." Clearly, the truth was starting to sink in. He swallowed hard, then took a deep breath. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. His shirt was sticking to his body, and insects of all kinds were circling him, waiting for a chance to catch their prey. "Who was this mysterious someone who was supposed to save her?"

"I don't know, but imagine living the same nightmare day after day, endlessly. Finally, you escape into a fantasy world, a world where rescue arrives and everything ends well. And then comes a terrible awakening and a return to reality. That little girl woke up every morning hoping it was over, and every day she experienced the bitterness of disappointment. And then the night came... We can't even imagine what she must have gone through. God..." Mark stopped, his voice breaking into sobs.

Chris didn't know what to say. It was all too much for him. It was like a bad dream that someone was about to wake him from.

"What do you think happened to her?"

"I don't know. I really don't know." Mark continued to cry. "I just hope it didn't last long and whoever was doing all this to her took pity on her and ended her suffering."

"Isn't there anything in the diary?

" "The diary ends the same way it begins." There's only one small difference, and it doesn't bode well.

"What does it say?

" "See for yourself."

Mark, his hands trembling, handed the diary to his friend. "

It's a good thing it's that day. Either way, it'll all end today, because I can't stand it any longer. If only he'd show up as promised. He's still gone. How I long to hug him. I want to feel the warmth of his body so badly. Is that too much to ask? At least a little gentleness, a little tenderness. I so desperately want to stop being afraid of the coming darkness. I always shiver with fear when the sun goes down. I'm so afraid of the dark. It's a shame the sun doesn't shine all the time. It would be so much better. That's how it should be. Once we escape from here, Lilly, I won't let it ever be dark again. I promise you that, little one. He didn't come, it's over. I know it. I know I can't stand this night anymore. There will be no more pain or fear. Goodbye, Lilly."

Chris stood, still staring at the diary. He realized that tears were welling up in his eyes as well. He wiped them away nervously and decided to get himself cleaned up as quickly as possible.

"I'll go turn off the lamp. I don't think we want to burn this house down. Although maybe it would be better that way." He wanted to say something else, but saw that Mark wasn't listening at all. So he headed toward the house, muttering something incomprehensible under his breath.

Mark watched his friend disappear into the building. He knew exactly what had shaken him. He had never allowed himself to think that anything could happen to his beloved little sister. He saw her clearly now. Small, smiling, laughing, playing with her friends. Only occasionally did she look away from her peers to give her brother a smile. He wondered why his sister was able to enjoy her childhood while Maggie had suffered such a nightmare. Who really decides our fate, because clearly, it wasn't us?

Chris finally emerged from behind the door. He cursed under his breath and brushed the cobwebs from his head. Mark was slowly coming back to himself, but he knew there was one thing he would never be able to forgive himself. A sense of relief that it was someone else, not his sister, who had endured such a nightmare. He knew Suzzie was safe now and surely enjoying herself. He was grateful to God for that. As he read Maggie's diary, he only briefly considered that it could have been his sister, and that it was a good thing it had fallen on someone else. It was like a flash of light, like the blink of an eye, and yet it was enough to trigger a pang of guilt. He tried to convince himself that it wasn't so bad, that anyone in his position would have thought the same, but it brought no relief.

"I see you've pulled yourself together," Chris continued, as Mark didn't respond. "You really scared me. How are you feeling?"

"We won't let Maggie's suffering be forgotten."

Chris wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. He decided silence would be the best comment. He helped Mark to his feet, and the two of them set off back home. Neither of them even looked back at the house that had come their way.Epilogue

There was no sign of the guests. Everything seemed to have returned to its former state. The house was still deserted, the birds sang in the trees, and the wind began to howl through the trees. It had definitely cooled down. Dark clouds had appeared in the sky. The kind of clouds that foretold a storm. Soon, rain would fall and soak everything. The roof was probably leaking and would flood the entire interior again. But the girl sitting on the swing didn't care at all. She was swinging, holding a badly damaged doll in her hands. She was swinging, waiting for Him.