The landlord told me the property was empty for some time. I don't mind old home smell, however, so I signed the lease, and moved right in. Can't beat a price like that.

I was unpacking boxes, sitting on the floor, with some music on. Everything felt nice, having a place all to myself with nobody around to tell me how to keep things. I was arranging my trinkets on the shelf, nodding to the music. I noticed a smell that wasn't before present. Something pungent, something.. burny. My nostrils felt like they were on fire, so I assumed it was sudden allergies and ran to the bathroom to blow my nose. Blood was on the tissue, but the feeling left. So I assumed it was okay.

I felt dizzy so I laid down and went to bed. The shelf was only half decorated.
I wake up with a itch in my left eye, and once I rubbed it, there were three lashes on my finger. I assumed I rubbed too hard, and made breakfast. The taste felt off, but I was never a great cook. I decided the shelf is probably best to save for later, since it seemed to have a lot of stagnant dust.

I was painting the walls a nice shade of brown, with music on. Everything was slowly feeling like home. But there was a strange lingering dryness. No matter how much I drank, my mouth just felt dry. I made a note to buy a humidifier before I went to bed.

The next day, the living room light wouldn't turn on. I replaced the bulb, but the new one was dim. It gave my home a eerie vibe, somehow. Why does dim light make the walls look red?
I had to work with it, so I started putting the rest of my trinkets on the shelf, wearing a face mask to prevent the same thing happening again.

The shelf looked a lot better with items arranged neatly, but it wasn't enough to fill it up. I decided to start lining my book collection up on the bottom rows, each one added making it more cozy. I couldn't stop coughing while I decorated, it felt suffocating to be in the living room. I'd never been in a building so dry before.
I decided to step outside for fresh air, leaving the shelf looking tidy. I closed my eyes to let the sun soak my skin. But it felt too powerful, as if the sun was twice as warm suddenly. I couldn't stand the burning, so I went back indoors and went to bed.
The next day, I woke up while it was still dark. The clock was broken on the oven, so I couldn't tell what time it was. I was hungry, so I started cooking another bland breakfast. I can't recall ever being that being that bad at cooking, but it was still edible. So I ate it.

As I took the last bite, I felt something drip from my nose. I looked down and the broth of my food was hued crimson with the sudden nosebleed. I guess there was more dust than i thought. I decided it was a good idea to try to clean the place up before moving any more of my things into the home. So I cracked open the closet and grabbed a duster.

I headed to the shelf to see if I could dust off the top, but once I entered the living room, I stopped dead in my tracks. The shelf was empty. All the books and stuff back in the boxes. Sealed with tape as if I never unpacked.
I assumed I must have dreamed the unpacking part, and got to work, a weird feeling lingering over me.
I put a chair against the shelf and stood on it. I brushed the duster on the top of the shelf.

Nothing happened.
Confused, I did it again, expecting a dust cloud. There was no dust cloud. I reached my finger tips to the surface, and brushed them against it. It felt clean.

I stepped off the chair, wondering what else could be making me feel that sick. I idly rubbed my left eye as I thought about what to do. Once I pulled my hand away, I felt debris on my face, so I went to the mirror in the nearby bathroom to check.
There were 4 eyelashes on my cheek, under the eye. I looked at my finger to find 2 more stuck to them.
I gently brushed my finger against the right eyelashes out of curiosity.
It was almost as if it was on cue. A handful of lashes fell gently off of my face. I was freaked out. I didn't know what to think of it. I called the doctors office and made a appointment. They told me it was in 2 days.
I decided to make tea and go to bed.

I woke up the next day. It was dark. Completely quiet outside. My head was groggy as I sat up and walked to bathroom. I idly rubbed my tired eyes, which felt.. strange. I pulled away my hands, looking at them.
I counted 15 stray lashes on my hands. It sent a chill down my spine. Why were they falling out so rapidly? Maybe it was something in the face wash? Something to do with stress?
Regardless, all I could do was wait for the doctor.

I made breakfast, but the process was so foggy that i forgot what I ate. I think it was red. I closed the blinds, even the darkness was blinding. I couldn't think about anything for long. It felt like the most intense fever I'd ever had. At some point I checked the bathroom mirror, and there were too many stray lashes to count. I couldn't recognize myself. I looked like I hadn't slept in days. My eyes only had a few bunched of lashes left. I idly scratched my head and felt.. blood dripping down my scalp.

My head was throbbing. I couldn't think about anything. For the longest time. Idly passing the day as I felt less and less present in the moment. It felt like I was in a dream.

I went to bed, and it felt like the night passed instantly. I didn't want to get out of bed. Various scabs appeared all over my skin overnight. I guess I was itching in my sleep.
There's that smell again, the burning one from the shelf.
Suddenly it's all I could think of. Images of it flashed in my mind. Images of how my nose started bleeding. Images of how the items disappeared from it. I sat up from the bed.
I walked to the living room.

I looked at the shelf, which felt as if it was brighter than everything else. I slowly approached it and caressed the wood. The smooth finish almost timeless, almost masterful, but ever-so-slightly flawed.
I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I pulled on the shelf, my weak form trying to pry the shelf off of the wall. It shouldn't work, because it was attached firmly.

I was violently tugging on the frame, loud creaking protesting my actions. Suddenly, I heard a squelch. And the shelf broke free. I pulled it back from the wall, shifting it away just enough to see behind.
I peeked behind the shelf. There was a doorway. A red painted door with visible wear. Black vines creeping around the edges. I shakily reached out to open it, turning the rusty knob. Stagnant air was emitting from it. The same burning sensation creeping into my nostrils. I opened the door.

And what I saw was a void. I couldn't tell if it was too dark to make anything out, or if it was truly empty. Before I could try to enter, there was a strong breeze, and a sound that was something like a roar. I closed the door with a slam, the knob burning my skin. I let go, hoping I wouldn't have to deal with a burn wound. I looked down at my hand. The skin was perfectly healed. Looking back up, I saw something no previously there. Dark crimson dripping words reading "Do you fear the unknown?" Reading it sent chills down my spine.
I fell to the ground, trembling. But anything was drawing me to the door. I stood up after a while. I grabbed the rusty doorknob. I turned it, pulling it open. The same sight greeted me. I walked inside, against my better judgment.

The floor was.. wet. No, not wet. Soft. Soft and warm. It felt like walking on skin. The door slammed behind me, leaving me in total darkness.
I reached out, trying to find a wall to guide Me. After a bit of feeling around, my fingers met a surface. It was soft, just like the floor. I felt around more, moving forward into the darkness. The floor sinking under my feet.

The more I stayed, the more ill I felt. My hair was falling out in clumps onto my shoulders. My nostrils started dripping blood. I was unable to make myself do anything but move forward. It was as if there were a silent voice telling me to go deeper. Telling me that it would be worth it.

I don't know how long I was crawling through that room. It felt like it could be anywhere from minutes to days. The worst part was how silent it was. As if the only thing that existed in the world was this room, and me.

I saw a dim glow at the end. It felt like it was calling to me. I started running toward it. As I got closer I could see it was some sort of orb. It glowed with a shade of red I've never seen before. It felt like the color was sucking away every bit of light, while somehow still glowing. The closer I got to it, the colder I felt. It was oddly comforting.

I reached out and touched the surface. The surface was glassy and cold. I picked it up, inspecting it further. I could have gazed into it for hours. It suddenly got very heavy too heavy for me to carry. I dropped it, causing it to thud and hit the strange floor. I could see the damage faintly illumated in red. It looked like the floor.. bruised?
Nothing in here was making any sense. I decided to use it as a light to make my way back home, leave all the nonsense behind.

But when I looked down to pick it up, it was gone. The overwhelming warmth returned. I was alone once more. I collapsed on the floor, exhausted. My skin felt tingly, damp, and uncomfortable. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I tried to resist passing out.

Then I heard it. That roaring, accompanied again by the strong wind. I opened my eyes as much as I could muster, aided with adrenaline. I saw something rapidly headed toward me from the doorway I had come through. Something unhuman, something angry. I couldn't stand up, my body was too heavy.
The loud noise, the overwhelming wind, all of it was suffocating. I closed my eyes and let it happen.

I woke up in my bed, not knowing what happened. I stood up, feeling a lot more energized. I walked into the bathroom, and reluctantly look in the mirror. I.. looked completely fine?
Nothing was missing. I had all my hair, all my eyelashes, and my skin was healthy. The sun was shining peacefully through the blinds. Curiosity got the better of me, so I fearfully approached the living room.

I saw boxes, taped up and ready to be unpacked. The shelf moved neatly against the wall once more. Baffled, i approached it and run my fingers across where it meets the wall. It was firmly attached.