mythical house

You always loved wandering the old streets on the outskirts of town—they were filled with houses that remembered the great-grandmothers of today's residents. But that evening, she wandered into a completely unfamiliar place: between two alleys, she discovered a narrow passage, and at the end of it, a house. It looked... alive. The walls trembled slightly, as if breathing, the shutters creaked softly, as if whispering, and the door slowly opened, inviting her in.

You couldn't resist the temptation and stepped inside. At that very moment, the door slammed shut with a dull thud, and the lock clicked as if it had been turned from the outside. She tried to open the door—to no avail. The house had locked her out.

The hall was dim, but bright enough to see who lived there. Shadows with glowing eyes slid along the walls—ghouls, whispering something in an incomprehensible language. A furry paw with long claws protruded from under the stairs, and something with many tentacles swayed in the corner. Not all the inhabitants were friendly: one of the ghouls hissed and took a step toward Lisa, baring sharp teeth.

“We don’t need guests,” he hissed.

But then a tall figure in a cloak emerged from the darkness.

"Quiet," came a soft voice. "It's not her fault the house called her."

It was the house's guardian—a creature with a face reminiscent of a broken porcelain doll. He explained that the house selects those who can see what is invisible to ordinary people. Such people end up here for a reason, but the inhabitants don't know their purpose; most often, they meet with death. The house is full of mythical creatures, dangerous, peaceful, or deceitful.