Sometime later, Michael found himself lying on the floor of his living room, a cold, heavy weight in his chest. As he slowly came back to consciousness, the TV was still on in the corner of the room, but it was now displaying only a 'no signal' message, with static white noise buzzing from its speakers. His head pounded as if he had just run a marathon. He felt a dull ache throughout his body.

His eyes felt like they were made of sandpaper, but he managed to keep them open. He was aware that he was still breathing, and he could hear his own heart beating, which was a good sign.

It was dark outside. He didn't know how long he had been lying here. The room was lit by a single, flickering bulb, and it was completely empty. There was nothing on the floor but dust and dirt. The only other sound in the room was a low humming from somewhere nearby. The air smelled of dust, stale sweat, and a faint whiff of decay.

The weight in Michael's chest lifted slightly, and he was able to take a breath of relief. He looked down at himself. His shirt and pants were dirty, stained with what appeared to be dirt, and he was covered in scratches and bruises.

Little by little the memories of what had occurred before he lost consciousness came back to him; the storm and the crackling sky. The sinkhole in the road, and the creatures. The monsters that came out of it. And then... then... something else. Some kind of being. Some kind of entity. The pale woman with red eyes

He shivered and tried not to think about it.

Slowly, he got to his feet. He was shaky and weak, and his legs were wobbly. He stumbled towards the light switch on the wall. As he flicked the lights on, the dim bulb in the room brightened slightly, and he could see that he was indeed alone in the house.

"Where's Mum and Dad?" He asked the empty house. Then, "Hello?"

His voice echoed around the room.

"Hello? Anyone? Anyone there?" He called out.

The room was completely silent, except for the low humming noise that came from somewhere nearby.

"Mum? Dad?" Michael shouted.

There was no reply. No one answered.

"Hello? Anyone? Please?"

The low hum became louder. Michael could feel the vibration in the floor beneath his feet. It was as if the entire house was vibrating, as if it was coming alive.

"Mum!" he shouted, starting to panic, "Dad?!"

But there was no response.

Though sore, he found himself soon running around the house, looking for any signs that either of his parents were still home. He didn't even consider the possibility that they'd left him there.

The kitchen, dining room, bathroom, upstairs bedrooms, were all empty.

He couldn't understand why they weren't here, or where they had gone. He was worried about his parents, and he was scared, but he was also confused and disoriented. He didn't know what to do. He tried to calm down, and he sat on the floor of his living room.

The humming grew louder, and it began to shake the whole house. He could feel it through his body. It was almost as if the walls and floors of the house were vibrating.

"What's happening?" Michael shouted out loud. He stood up again, and he looked around the room. "Where are you?" He yelled.

He was still alone. There was no one there to answer him. There was no one there at all. He felt as if he were trapped inside this house, this room, and that there was nothing he could do to escape.

The vibration grew louder, and the walls began to shake violently. He could hear things moving in the other rooms, and the sound of glass breaking.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The TV turned on by itself. The screen flickered and flashed, and the static white noise buzzed louder and louder, and Michael found himself once again afraid of the noise. He tried to block it out, but he couldn't.

The vibration was getting worse. It felt as if the entire house was shaking, as if it was coming alive and trying to escape from its prison. It seemed as though it was trying to break free.

"What the fuck is going on?" Michael shouted out loud. "What's happening to me?"

He couldn't understand it. It didn't make sense. It didn't feel right. It didn't seem real.

And then, the house stopped shaking, the vibration died away, and the humming noise faded. Everything went quiet, and the only noise was that of the static from the TV.

He stared at the screen for a few seconds. Then, the TV went black, and the static stopped. The house was still.

The room was completely dark, and the only sound was the sound of his own breathing.

He was alone in the room.

"What the fuck is this?" he shouted. "What's going on?"

The TV switched on again, and the screen came to life. This time it was displaying a series of strange symbols that Michael didn't recognise, which gradually faded out to be replaced by the word, "Loading..."

Michael was still standing in the room, alone. The TV continued to show the word 'loading' and then the screen went black.

Then the screen came to life again, but this time the picture was different. This time, instead of a black screen with a loading bar, it was a video of a beautiful woman standing in a dark room. The video was playing, and it was very clear and vivid. She was looking straight into the camera, and Michael immediately recognised her as the same otherworldly woman from earlier; the woman with red eyes. The video showed her walking towards the camera, and then she grinned.

"Hello, mortal," she said, "and welcome to the future. I'm glad you're awake."

She had the same deep red eyes, and the same beautiful, seductive face that she had had earlier. But this time, she had a much more sinister air about her. She was wearing a black, floor length, hooded robe that covered most of her body.

The woman in the robe continued, "You have been chosen by the gods, Michael. Or, I think you would call us gods."

Michael looked at her, not understanding what she was talking about. She smiled.

"You don't believe me," she said. "That's alright, I suppose, because I don't really care if you do or not. It's not like it's important."

"Who are you?" Michael asked. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had never seen anyone like her before. She was beautiful. Her voice was so seductive and powerful.

She laughed, and her voice echoed throughout the room. It seemed to reverberate around the walls, as if there were more than one of her.

"Who are you?" Michael asked. She laughed, and the sound was like an explosion. "I'm not going to tell you," she replied, and her voice echoed around the room again. "You'll have to figure that out yourself, mortal."

"Where are my parents?" Michael asked, exasperated and not understanding any of this.

The woman's smile faded. Her face became serious, and she said, "Don't you worry about that... they're safe with me. And they'll stay so, so long as you play my little game like a good boy."

Michael didn't understand, and he dropped his head in defeat. The woman just stared at him. Her eyes were so intense that he felt uncomfortable, but he held his gaze with her. After a moment, she said, "You need to find your way to the tower."

"What?" Michael asked. He was getting frustrated. This wasn't making any sense. "What tower?"

She sighed. Her eyes narrowed. She said, "Look, mortal. You're going to have to learn to follow my instructions, and you're going to have to do so without questioning me."

"Why should I listen to you?" he asked, angrily.

The woman laughed. The sound echoed around the room again. "You should listen to me because I can give you power, mortal. I can give you everything you want."

"I don't want power!" Michael exclaimed.

"Oh, really? Well then, let me put it to you this way," she said, her voice getting softer, more seductive, as if she were whispering into his ear. "If you do as I say, you'll be rewarded, mortal. If you don't... well, when you look around outside, you will see what the future looks like without hope."

"Who the fuck are you?" he shouted, not understanding what was going on.

The woman sighed, "Fine, I'll spell it out for you. I am an Elder One; it is my kind that have unleashed the various plagues of beings that are colonizing your planet. You may have seen a glimpse of us before, in ancient texts, or perhaps you may have had an encounter with us before. Or perhaps you haven't... it doesn't matter. The fact is, I have selected you, and I will help you."

Michael felt as though he was about to explode, and his head felt like it was going to split open. He didn't understand what she was talking about.

"Help me with what?" he asked.

She laughed, "Why, with your life, of course."

"What are you talking about?" Michael shouted. "I don't even know what's going on!"

"You'll find out soon enough, mortal," she said. "In fact, you'll find out very soon. Just follow my instructions, and you'll find out."

Michael just stared at the TV screen, and the woman's face on it.

"I can't believe any of this is real," he muttered.

"You have been chosen," she said. "That's all you need to know." Her smirk bewildered Michael, and there was a predatory undercurrent to her tone.

She continued, "Now, are you ready to do my bidding? Do you have the courage to find out what lies in store for you?"

Michael didn't have a choice; she held his parents in her grasp. "I guess so. It’s not like I have a choice, is it?"

She smiled.

"Good. Then let's get started. Find the Tower, and I will contact you again."

With a crackle, the image on the screen went dead.