Ludus Infernum

The storm clawed at the cabin, its wails seeping through the decayed planks. Mia, Ryan, Jenna, and Lucas huddled by the dying embers of the hearth as shadows danced on the walls with every gust of wind. A shared boredom gnawed at them—until the discovery.

It all started with a box—a relic from a forgotten era, hidden beneath shattered floorboards. The wood, darkened with age, bore stains that whispered of unspeakable secrets. Twisting symbols crawled across its surface, imbued with an ominous, otherworldly energy. "Ludus Infernum," the inscription seared into their consciousness, throbbing with the intensity of a dying heartbeat.

"It’s a game," Ryan managed, his voice thick with restraint. "We play, we win. That’s it."

With a hesitant creak, the lid lifted to expose a board that seemed to possess a life of its own. Its surface trembled, as if alive, with vein-like patterns slithering under a ghastly, pallid skin. The obsidian pieces, each one disturbingly unique in its twisted form, stood like eerie sentinels. A porous, white die, eerily reminiscent of ancient bone, rested among them, tempting yet unsettling in its presence.

Ryan went first. As he rolled, a barely audible, ancient whisper brushed the air:

"Your past will rise, your fears shall thrive."

From the suffocating dark emerged a grotesque figure. It clawed its way forward, dragging its twisted form, hollow eyes sunken into a face ravaged by unending regret. The overpowering stench of wet, rotting earth and decay choked the atmosphere. Ryan stumbled backward, his lungs burning as he gasped desperately for breath.

"Dad?" he stuttered, the word caught somewhere between his heart and his lips. The figure whispered accusations, curses that seemed to cut through the silence—words that only Ryan could fully comprehend, yet their heavy presence was felt by everyone around him. Ryan was torn, caught between longing and fear, unsure if he wanted to face the truth or flee from it.

"Face your guilt, or be consumed."

The specter lunged with ferocious intent. Ryan's scream tore through the air, transforming into a guttural, gurgling wail as his body convulsed in excruciating agony—bones shattered with sickening cracks, skin sloughed off in grotesque sheets, fingers contorted into horrific, monstrous claws. What was once Ryan disintegrated into a vacant husk, the malevolent curse of the figure fully unleashed.

"We have to stop!" Mia cried, her voice trembling with uncertainty. Yet even as doubt crept into her heart, the game continued, ignoring her plea. The die rolled on, and the pieces commenced their eerie dance, pulling her into a world where hesitation and inevitability collided.

It was Jenna's turn next, and the tension in the air crackled like electricity. Her punishment was delivered with a chilling decree that reverberated through her bones: "What you fear most will now appear." The words hung in the air like a death sentence, promising an imminent confrontation with her deepest terror.

The cabin door suddenly flew open, and a chaotic swarm of chittering insects surged inside. Roaches—countless, pulsating, and shining ominously—began to crawl over Jenna's skin, and she felt them burrowing beneath her flesh. Her screams morphed into a tangled mix of horror and disbelief as black limbs emerged from her eyes, mouth, and ears. Even as she crumbled to the floor, she was torn between the overwhelming urge to fight and the helplessness of succumbing to the writhing mass that continued to stir within her, twisting in a grotesque dance of life and decay.

Lucas staggered, his complexion paling as ominous dark veins appeared. "It’s not real. It’s—" he started, his voice tinged with disbelief and fear, but the board's chilling decree interrupted him: "The one who remains shall forever play." His mind wavered between accepting the eerie reality and desperately wanting to deny it.

The disembodied words writhed and slithered from the board, twisting violently in the air like serpents. Mia and Lucas watched in paralyzed horror as the game pulsed with a dark, ravenous hunger that seemed to devour the very air around them.

Lucas hurled himself forward in a frenzied attempt, his fingers curling into iron fists. Mia countered with wild, frenzied claws, her teeth bared and voice rising in a piercing shriek. Flesh ripped apart and blood sprayed across the walls, painting them in crimson chaos. The air was shattered by a stomach-churning crack, marking Lucas’ devastating defeat as his body crumpled violently, ensnared in death's relentless grasp.

With trembling hands, Mia hovered over a game piece. The board throbbed, its black veins spreading like a corrupt network across its surface. It beckoned her, demanded her sacrifice.

And so she complied.

In the oppressive silence that followed, Lucas' vacant eyes seemed to scream with the echoes of fading whispers. The storm outside had calmed, but Mia could still feel its presence—the sinister laughter, the chilling promises of horrors yet to come, hanging in the air like a specter.

The board, momentarily appeased, loomed with a menacing vigilance.

For the game was eternal.

And it was lurking.

For you.

Author's Note

"Ludus Infernum" was born from a fascination with the blurred line between fear and desire. Inspired by the unsettling nature of human curiosity and the dangerous allure of the unknown, this story delves into the consequences of unchecked ambition. The game within the narrative serves as a metaphor for the choices we make when faced with moral dilemmas — the temptation to push boundaries, even when the stakes are fatal.

Writing horror allows me to explore the darkest corners of the human psyche, and "Ludus Infernum" was an opportunity to challenge readers to question their own limits. How far would you go to satisfy your deepest desires? And at what cost?

Thank you for stepping into this twisted world with me. I hope it lingers in your thoughts, just as it did in mine.

— Jason Benskin