As I moved into my new house, I quickly discovered a strange list of rules tacked to the inside of a closet door. The rules were written in a spidery scrawl and seemed to be written in a language I didn’t recognize.
At first, I tried to ignore the rules and go about my business, but I quickly realized that something was wrong. Every time I broke one of the rules, no matter how small, I would be met with strange and terrifying consequences.
For example, rule number one stated that I was not allowed to make any noise after midnight. At first, this seemed like a minor inconvenience, but then I started to hear scratching noises coming from the walls at night. The noises grew louder and more insistent, until I could barely sleep for fear of what might be coming for me.
Rule number two stated that I was not allowed to leave any food out on the counter overnight. At first, this rule seemed even more trivial than the first one, but then I started to notice that the food in my pantry was spoiling at an alarming rate. Mold and rot seemed to spread through my groceries overnight, no matter how fresh they were when I put them away.
Rule number three stated that I was not allowed to make any changes to the layout of the house. I didn’t think much of this rule at first, but then I started to experience strange visions whenever I tried to move furniture or make any other changes to the house. In these visions, I saw my house as it was before I moved in, with different furniture and decorations in every room.
As time went on, the rules became more and more oppressive. I was not allowed to have any guests over, I was not allowed to touch any of the plants in the garden, and I was not allowed to open any windows or doors without first checking with the previous owner.
I tried to ignore the rules and live my life as normally as possible, but the consequences were always there, lurking in the shadows. I knew that I had to find out who had written the rules and why, or I would never be free of their oppressive grip.
One night, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I gathered all of the rules and burned them in the fireplace, knowing that this would be the only way to break their hold over me.
As the flames consumed the rules, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. But then, the scratching noises returned, louder than ever before. And as I looked out the window, I saw a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me from the darkness.
The previous owner had not been human, and now that I had broken the rules, it would stop at nothing to claim me as its own. I knew that I had made a terrible mistake, and that I would never be free of the horrors that lurked within my new house.