(Entry for the Horror Poetry Contest, sponsor: Seth Pina, submitted March 9, 2026.)
The hiker decided to travel solo, something he wasn't accustomed to. After several hours hiking he decided to turn back, but then quickly realized the sky was turning black. As he struggled through the darkness and the rough, he came across a little house, luckily enough. He knocked loudly on the door, an answer never came, but as he was dog-tired, he entered all the same. Once he was inside, he saw something rather strange: a large bed was in the center, quite clean and all arranged. As he tried to sleep, he noticed paintings round the room; portraits of strange people, staring in the gloom. Each had a smile that sent chills up his spine, but drowsiness overcame him as he continued to recline. Next morning, he woke up, then had a sudden shock: there were no paintings on the walls, and the door was strangely locked.
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