Existence was agony. Pure, unfettered agony. And once Kat and the family were gone, Dan had nothing left but to feel the pain. And he was so used to being unable to express his agony, that when the screaming started, Dan had no idea it was him.
It didn’t take him long to realize that he was screeching in raw, blistering agony, though, and with no other option, he kept screaming. It was constant, a steady, unceasing noise of horrible agony that never needed to stop to take a breath, or pause for exhaustion.
“What’s that sound?” Sarah was the first to ask as Kat and the family returned from breakfast.
“I have no idea, honey,” Steve answered. “But it’s horrible.”
Kat remained awkwardly silent, a sinking feeling in her gut telling her she was responsible.
“I think it’s coming from inside the house!” Sarah exclaimed with widened eyes. Sarah, Steve, and Jake rushed into the house, with Kat following reluctantly behind.
The sound of Dan’s horrid, spectral screaming blared ever louder the moment the door opened, causing all four to wince in discomfort at the volume.
“What IS that?” Sarah asked, clamping her hands over her ears.
“I don’t know!” Jake answered, receiving a glare from Kat. Jake knew. He had joined her in her cruelty to Dan, and now he was pretending he knew nothing.
“It… it’s the deer!” Steve finally realized. “That sound is coming from the deer!”
“Uh…” Kat edged back towards the door.
“Some asshole must have put a speaker in there or something! Turn it off!” Sarah wailed.
“There’s no switch!” Steve answered as he climbed up to look the deer head over.
“Augh, make it STOP!” Sarah groaned loudly, flopping down in the deer-skinned chair. The moment she did, however, Dan’s screaming intensified, and worse - Sarah’s impact on the chair came alongside a gush of blood. Blood started pouring from the deer head’s mouth. From its eye sockets. From the Mount it was connected to the wall by.
And the horror was only beginning.