The Dragging Nightmares of the Abandoned Village

In the heart of a once-thriving village, now an eerie testament to time's relentless march, the wind carried with it not the laughter of children nor the clatter of daily life. The houses stood, their windows like hollow sockets, their doors creaking with the memories of what once was. The Abandoned Village was a silent witness to the passage of years, and the air was thick with the scent of decay and the whispers of forgotten stories.

The survivors, a motley crew of wanderers, were drawn to the village by a siren song of rumors and tales of untold riches hidden within its walls. But the allure was a mirage, and they soon discovered that the village was not just abandoned; it was cursed.

The first to sense the malevolent presence was Liu, a young woman with a keen sense of danger. Her heart raced as she felt the coldness seep through the floorboards, and the hair on her arms stood on end. "We need to leave," she whispered to her companions, her voice barely audible over the whispering winds.

"Relax, Liu. It's just old spirits," said Wang, a man of few words but an abundance of bravado. He clapped his hands, a gesture meant to chase away the shadows that danced around them.

But Wang's bravado was short-lived. As the night deepened, the whispers grew louder, and the village's silence was punctuated by the sound of dragging feet. The group turned as one, their eyes wide with terror, to see the silhouette of a figure dragging something across the cobblestone street.

"Who's there?" Liu shouted, her voice quivering.

The figure did not respond. Instead, it continued its dragging, the sound growing louder and more insistent with each step. The survivors followed, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets, until they reached the source of the noise—a dilapidated house at the edge of the village.

The door creaked open with a sound that seemed to come from the very depths of the earth. The survivors pushed their way inside, their eyes adjusting to the dim light. The house was filled with dust and cobwebs, but it was the sight of the figure dragging a body through the room that chilled them to the bone.

"Stop!" Wang shouted, advancing on the figure. But as he drew closer, the figure's form began to blur, and the dragging sound grew fainter until it was nothing more than a whisper.

"Who are you?" Liu demanded, stepping forward. "And what are you doing here?"

The figure turned, and the survivors were met with the face of a young woman, her eyes hollow and her skin pale. "I am the village," she whispered, her voice breaking. "And I am here to claim you."

The survivors realized then that the woman was no ghost; she was a part of the village itself, a sentient being bound to the land and its curses. The dragging sound had been the village claiming its lost souls, and the survivors were next on the list.

Liu turned to Wang, her eyes filled with fear. "We need to get out of here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't stay."

Wang nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "We'll find a way. We have to."

The group began to explore the house, their search for an exit turning into a harrowing journey through the bowels of the village. They encountered ghostly apparitions of children laughing, the sound of footsteps behind them, and the scent of sulfur in the air.

As they pressed on, Liu's mind raced with the memories of the village's past. She remembered the tales of the children who had vanished without a trace, the whispers of the villagers who had seen the spirits of the dead dragging the living into the earth.

"Look," Wang whispered, pointing to a narrow staircase leading down into the darkness. "That's our only way out."

The group descended the stairs, their hearts pounding in their chests. The darkness was thick, and the air was cold. Liu felt the presence of the village growing stronger, the whispers more insistent.

As they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a cavernous room filled with old furniture and relics from the village's past. The room was also filled with the scent of decay and the sound of dragging feet.

"We need to find the exit," Liu said, her voice trembling. "We have to."

The group scattered, searching the room for any sign of an exit. Liu found herself in a corner, her heart racing as she felt the presence of the village closing in around her. She turned, only to see the silhouette of the woman standing before her.

"Leave me," the woman whispered. "You don't belong here."

Liu took a step back, her eyes wide with fear. "We can't leave you," she said, her voice steady despite the terror. "We all belong here."

The woman smiled, a twisted, haunting smile. "Then come with me," she said, extending her hand. "The village will claim you all."

Liu reached out, her fingers brushing against the woman's hand. She felt a chill run down her spine, and the room began to spin. The group was drawn to the woman, pulled into the darkness, and the sound of dragging feet grew louder and louder.

As the group was pulled into the depths of the village, Liu found herself looking into the eyes of the woman. "We belong here," she said, her voice a whisper. "And we will never leave."

The room shuddered, and the group was no more. The village had claimed them, and the dragging nightmares of the Abandoned Village had begun anew.