The Game

 Hello dear viewers, and welcome to tonight's dreadful experience. Tonight's tell of dread is "The Game". I hope you enjoy tonight's tell of terror. If you have not already done so, please show support by clicking subscribe. Rather you are reading this story at dreadfuldiary.com, listening to the Podcast experience on YouTube, enjoying an original webtoon depiction of the story, or purchased my book, I thank you for allowing my dreams to come true, by making sure your nights are filled with nightmares from the darkest reaches of my mind. These stories are all original, so if you see my content on any other sites aside from those mentioned, the content is stolen. My main motivation is not financial compensation, though your support does help motivate me to continue creating more content. Without further delay, prepare to experience dread. 

There was an old woman walking down the road. She was seen by 4 young adults driving a car. Their names were John, Sara, Tom, and Chelsie. Chelsie was single, while John and Sara were together. Tom was a friend of Sara's, but came along so Chelsie would not feel left out. They group of adults were planning a fun week trip at a cabin. The old woman reached her hand out, as though to ask for a ride. Tom did not want to stop, but Chelsie insisted. The old woman got into the car, and was thankful for the ride. She stated her name was Beth. She happened to live next door to the very cabin the young adults were renting. She asked if they would like to come over and play a game. They said they would have to think about it and thanked her for the offer. 

They each thought it was strange that the old woman would invite them to come play a game. it just seemed so random. Chelsie and Sara both thought it would be nice to come and at least spend some time with her. Afterall, she could be all alone out here. Tom and John were skeptical, but wanted the week to go smoothly. They decided they would make the girls happy, and go over. Beth was pleased when she saw the young adults at the door. She prepared everyone a drink and cookies. They started to play a card game, until something happened. The young adults  started to pass out, as Beth smiled ominously. 

The young adults each woke up in what they figured was the old woman's basement. They were chained up to a wall. In front of them was wood, basic tools, and some nails. The saw provided was hardly sharp enough to cut through the wood, let alone the steel chain. The old woman cackled a laugh, and stated it was time to truly play the game. She stated that they must build their own coffins, and that they each were going to die. She stated that, while following instructions would not spare their lives, it would spare them an unimaginable amount of pain. If they did not comply, she would torture them. In the end, she would consider sparing one of them if the final product is worthy. They did not understand why the woman had chosen to do this. 

Chelsie refused to play the game. The woman unhooked her from the chain and grabbed her by the hair with an unhuman amount of strength. She broke the girl's arms and legs by snapping them. The bones were exposed through the skin. She was still alive but could not walk. It was near supernatural the strength of the old woman. She proceeded to go up the stairs. Chelsie was screaming in pain, while the others felt helpless. They started to try and work on their coffin, afraid of what the old woman might do to them. The old woman eventually reappeared, and she was carrying a large tub large enough for Chelsie filled with what appeared to be salt. She salted Chelsie's wounds, and she screamed in pain. 

They soon realized that there were no nails for the coffin. The old woman smiled, as she pulled out each of Chelsie's teeth and cut off her fingers and toes one by one. She tossed them and advised those where to be used as the nails. This was too much for Tom to bare, and he spit on the old woman. He said that he would kill her. She just laughed and turned her attention back to Chelsie. She took her long nails and plucked the girls eyes out. She then tossed salt into the eye wounds, as though to just cause a little extra pain. Chelsie was still surprisingly clinging to life, if one would call it that. The old woman proceeded to skin the woman alive using her long nails, ripping off her flesh bit by bit. Each little strip, the old woman would apply salt and some form of ointment that seemed to cause the poor girl to live through every last rip of skin. She perfectly skinned her, and advised that her flesh would be the felt lining of the coffins. She then pulled out all of her hair. Chelsie now looked just a bit more than a skeleton at this point. With only her organs and muscles intact. She dropped Chelsie into a clear box so the others could watch, and rats started to slowly eat what was left. Chelsie seemed to cling on for what felt like hours until the screams finally stopped. 

After seeing this horror, the others started working even harder, but the old woman remembered what Tom had done earlier. She stared at him, as though she was just in waiting. Tom eventually broke mentally, and just could not continue. Sarah and John tried to encourage him to push through, but he was not responsive. The Old woman unhooked Tom and strung him up high into the air on hooks. She opened up his chest and spread his rib cage like a blood egal, but the ointment she used seemed to prolong life as Tom endured. She removed his lungs and started to fill them with his own blood and guts. She through down his organs, and advised those were for the pillows. Tom slowly died, leaving only Sarah and John. 

Sara and John waited for the Old Woman to sleep or leave, but she stared at them. Near unblinking. Whatever could she be. As time ticked on, John and Sarah both finished their coffins. A mixture of wood and the remains of their friends. The old woman had them both get into the coffins, and she started to bury them alive. They were too afraid to move. John, before he was buried, begged the old woman to kill him and spare Sara. This gesture took the Old Woman by pause. John stood up from the Coffin, and said that he was sorry he had cheated on Sara with Chelsie and that he loved her. If anyone deserves to die, it was him. Sara said thank you. As Sara uttered those words, the Old Woman through her shovel like a javelin that split Sara's head in half. John fell to his knees and cried. The Old Woman walked to him and placed her hands on his head. She said that her name was not Beth, but Ate, the goddess of guilt and obsession. Each of them were guilty of something, but he was the only one to admit his guilt. He was willing to die for the woman he loved. She could not honor his request, as Sara was pregnant with another man's baby. She also was not willing to risk her own life for his. The old woman faded away, and John woke up on the couch. 

He heard the old woman's voice in his head, that he should not let his guilt and obsessions of worldly flesh hold him back, but to live a life of selflessness. For nothing is greater torture than a life unfulfilled. Sara came into the room, as did Tom and Chelsie. They asked if he was ready to go on their trip, as though nothing happened. John smiled, and advised that he was not going to go. He pulled Sara aside and told her congratulations, while holding her stomach. Sara was shocked that he knew. He told her about him and Chelsie, and that he was sorry. He got into his car, and moved on with his life. 

Guilt, uncertainty, obsession, lust, greed, each of these worldly pleasures can be torturous to the soul. A life not lived full is a life not lived. No matter the torture, nothing is worse than wasting a life on regret. 

Thank you for joining me tonight and allowing me to share my tell of dread. Sleep well, if you can, and I look forward to our time together tomorrow night.