Hobbit Horror House

Night lay heavy over Nimmuck. 

Outside, the fog pressed thick and unyielding against the windows, swallowing every sound until only the wind’s howl and the inn’s creaking beams remained.

But in one of the rooms, nobody cared.

Marcus had lined up a row of mugs and wooden bowls on the wobbly table and raised a walnut with theatrical flair.

“Behold, Master Dwarf! I present to you the sacred art of Beer Pong! A game requiring skill, precision and, above all, stamina!”

Carefully he poured water into the bowls, continuing:

“The goal is to land the ball into the cup, so that...”

Bromor stared at the setup, utterly unimpressed. Without a word, he grabbed the walnut, gave the bowls a lazy squint, and tossed.

Plop! A perfect hit.

“Like this?” the dwarf grunted.

Marcus blinked, thrown off for a moment, but recovered quickly. “Uh… yeah, exactly! Which means… I have to drink.”

He downed a mug in one gulp and refilled it.

“Okay… where were we? Ah, right… if you make it in, you get another shot...”

Plop! Hit.

“Uh… wow, beginner’s luck, huh? So I have to drink agai...”

Plop! Hit.

“Ooookay what the actual fuck is going on?!” Marcus groaned.

Bromor shrugged, as if nothing about this was remarkable at all.

Gus was already half under the table, laughing so hard his sides hurt.

“Holy shit, dude, he’s like a dwarven sniper! You’ll be blackout drunk before you even get a turn!”

“T-the… the table’s way too close! Regulation distance, guys, this is like… official tournament rules!” Marcus slurred.

So they dragged the table noisily across the room and set it up again. 

Still, Bromor nailed every single shot with machine-like calm, while Marcus’ voice grew increasingly slurred.

“Y-you don’t understand… the game is… way too advanced… for dwarves…”

Then he toppled backwards, scrambled upright again, and slurred:

“You know what? Without proper cups this whole thing’s bullshit! The Golf should still have some… let’s grab them, Bromor, and then I’ll DESTROY you!”

“If you say so, lad…”

The two of them staggered out, leaving Gus behind.

“Hey! You’re just gonna storm off like that?” he yelled, but they were already gone.

Gus sighed, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. “Fine. Screw you guys. I’ll gonna catch a little rest then…”

The inn groaned around him, settling in the fog, and he had almost drifted off when blood-curdling scream tore through the hallway.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Gus’ eyes snapped open. “…the fuck was that?”

He jumped up, pushed his creaking door open, and peered into the unnaturally long, dark hallway.

Directly across was Caeriel’s room.

“…Maybe she heard it too?” he muttered.

He walked up to her door and hesitated.

“Shit… what was the knock code again?”

He rapped his knuckles, hesitating.

Knock-knock. Pause. Knock. Pause. Knock-knock.

Silence.

“…Aw crap, was that wrong?”

He jiggled the handle. 

Locked.

Pressing his forehead to the wood, he called:

“Yo, Care-Bear! You alive in there?”

Right on cue, another scream ripped right through the door, louder this time.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

“…Oh shit, it's her! Alright Handy, smashing time!”

His demon arm flared instantly, as if it had only been waiting. Green veins pulsed across it, muscle cords flexed, and with savage force it ripped the door off its hinges.

An arrow shot straight at him, his arm snapped up and deflected it just in time.

Inside stood Caeriel.

A towel barely wrapped around her, cucumber mask slipping, hair bound in cloth. Her bow was drawn tight, aimed right at his chest.

One cucumber slice slid off and dropped with a soft plop, revealing the ice-blue glare of her eye.

“GUS!? Are you out of your mind barging in like that?!” she yelled.

“Hey, relax! You didn’t answer the knock, and I definitely heard a scream!” He gave her a once-over, lips twitching. “…Nice skincare routine, by the way.”

She flushed scarlet, jerking the towel tighter. “I-Idiot! P-pervert! Don’t stare! And what the hell are you talking about? It’s been quiet all night!”

Gus scratched the back of his neck, voice quieter now. “Weird. I swear I heard it. Sorry for barging in... I just… I was worried, okay?”

For a split second, her eyes flickered, caught off guard.

“…W-worried? About me?”

“Of course.” Gus’ voice softened, surprisingly earnest, his usual sarcasm was gone. “I mean… who else am I supposed to piss off with my jokes if you’re not around?”

Her lips parted, and for the first time that night, her sharp gaze faltered, softened. 

Without thinking, she took a step closer and the space between them buzzed, charged with something unspoken. 

Gus leaned in, their breaths mingling, her pulse racing. 

Her hand twitched, as if reaching for him...

“…You smell like cucumber.”

The moment shattered like glass. 

Caeriel’s face went crimson, her hand shooting up to shove him back. “OUT! You unbelievable idiot!”

“Wait, I just...”

BANG! 

The door slammed so hard it nearly fell off its busted hinges.

---

Muttering curses, Gus stomped back to his room. “Goddamn Car'… I was just trying to be nice.”

He dropped onto his bed, but his arm wouldn’t stay still. It twitched, spasmed, like it sensed something.

“Not now, Handy! I’m not in the mood...”

Something oozed from the corner, roughly hobbit-shaped but wrong, limbs stretched too long, a grin cut too wide, red eyes glowing in a face that wasn’t really there.

Before he could move, claws coiled around his throat from behind, choking him. 

The grip was strong, cutting off every breath.

He thrashed, gasping, his demon arm convulsing.

---

Across the hall, Caeriel cracked her door open again, jaw tight, voice trembling between anger and something far softer.

“Stop fooling around with me! If you… if you actually care about me, then just say it!”

Inside, Gus was clawing at the monster’s grip, veins bulging in his neck, vision swimming.

“Ghhk...!!” He tried to speak, but only choking sounds came out.

To Caeriel, it was silence.

Her heart hammered. For a second, her eyes widened with something close to hope. Then her face flushed hot, twisting back into fury.

“Y-you… idiot!” She slammed the door so hard the frame rattled.

---

“Ghhk...c-can’t… breathe…”

His demon arm spasmed violently, veins glowing, but he couldn’t focus, couldn’t control it.

“Handy…!” he croaked, spots dancing in his vision. “…Do... something…”

The arm pulsed once, twice, then erupted.

Green light burst through his skin, muscles surging with unnatural strength. 

Then his hand seized the creature’s wrist, wrenched it loose, and slammed it into the wall so hard the wood splintered.

His palm flared, and a torrent of raw demonic energy exploded outward, shredding the creature into black smoke.

Gus collapsed onto the floor, hacking for air, his throat bruised and raw. 

"Thanks... man..." 

Panting, drenched in sweat, Gus staggered into the hall.

And froze.

It wasn’t the same hallway anymore.

It stretched too far, unnaturally long, the ceiling pressing lower, the walls inching closer. Lanterns flickered madly, though the air was still.

Each step groaned beneath his boots, the wood bowing as if he were walking on the deck of a wavering ship.

“Fuck…” He dragged a trembling hand across his brow.

Then came a thin and stretched whisper.

Guuusss…

Every hair on his body stood on end.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit… this isn’t real. Pull it together, man.”

But the corridor only warped further, doors towering, shadows crawling longer and longer.

FInally, he reached Caeriels room, and he shoved it open with a desperate grunt.

She was on the bed, blouse half-open, hair tumbling from a loose tie. 

She froze when she saw his wild eyes, his chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face and her cheeks flared scarlet.

For a heartbeat the world held still as their gazes met. Her lips parted, breath trembling.

“…P-please… be gentle.”

Gus blinked. “…The fuck?”

Her lashes fluttered, she turned half away, voice a whisper, trembling and defensive all at once. “I-I get it… barging in here like this… you don’t have to rush it, o-okay?”

“What!? Jesus Christ.” Gus stormed past her, yanking open the window, ducking under the bed, scanning corners like a madman.

Her blush cracked into fury. “WHAT the hell are you doing!?”

“There was something in my room! A shadow-thing... looked like a hobbit, tried to choke me out!”

“You’re insane!” Caeriel snapped, folding her arms tight across her chest. “Making up excuses now?”

“I swear it! Handy saved my ass or I’d be dead!”

But she wouldn’t meet his gaze. Her lips quivered, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. 

"Then… where are the others?”

The question hit him like a slap and his eyes widened. 

He hadn’t even thought of them.

“…Fuck.” His voice cracked. “I completely forgot about them!”

He exhaled shakily, leaned back against the wall, and the stone behind him gave way with a grinding click.

Dust trickled down as the panel shifted, stone scraping on stone.

A deep groan echoed through the walls as a hidden stone slab slid open and dust rained down, revealing a pitch-black tunnel beyond. 

From it wafted a gust of air, damp and icy.

Both stared in stunned silence.

Caeriel’s bow was in her hand instantly, her voice was low and tense. 

“A secret passage?”

Gus swallowed, still rubbing his bruised throat. 

“…Of course. It's a fucking Hobbit Horror House.”