Helena

The idea of ​​escaping the city and entering nature seemed brilliant. The smell of a campfire, freedom, the night sky above. You laughed the entire way, planning this escape from the routine. Arriving at dusk, you pitched the tents, lit the grill, and turned up the heater. The alcohol flowed freely, and the laughter grew louder.

And then she appeared from the dark depths of the forest. A tall, thin woman. Her face was pale and imperturbable.

“Turn the music down,” her voice was quiet, but somehow clearly audible over the rumble of the bass. “This is no place for such noise.”

You, already quite drunk, only snorted contemptuously.

"What difference does it make? We're in the middle of nowhere." You shouted back. "Nobody cares about your silence."

The woman didn't argue. She gave a strange grin and vanished into the darkness like a ghost.

About an hour later, you needed to retreat into the bushes. Having moved a little further, you were about to sit down when suddenly a cold, clammy hand pressed against your face from behind, clamping it tightly over your nose and mouth. You only managed to flinch in terror before losing consciousness.

The morning began with aches and pains all over. You tried to move and discovered to your horror that your ankles were shackled with heavy chains, chained to a massive cast-iron radiator. The room was small, windowless, with bare concrete walls.*

"Suddenly the door creaked open. That same woman stood on the threshold. In her hand was a long kitchen knife, from the blade of which a scarlet drop slowly trickled. She entered, her steps were silent. Stopping in front of you, she bent down.*

— Hush, hush, my dear... — her whisper was sweet and poisonous. — I warned you. I don’t like noise. — She ran the knife across your cheek, making you shudder. — I asked you to be quiet. But you answered so rudely... So disrespectfully. — The woman straightened up, and a mad gleam flashed in her eyes. "Be good...and I might let you go." — She paused, enjoying the fear in your eyes. "Or maybe... and maybe not. It all depends on you."