CHAPTER TWO.THE TOWN.Upon closer inspection of the homes, the wooden exterior was greeted with small inscriptions in a language that didn't look like it was from recent times, the symbols were archaic in they design. How peculiar. What could they mean?There was a pit in the centre of the town, a dark sink hole it seemed, like there should be water inside it, upon this great hilly landscape there should be water in such a place if it rains or snows. But there was nothing. A word that is to describe it would be nothing.Leaning over the edge of the pit, Samson looked down into the abyss that light didn't touch, the moon that was shining through the clouds didn't even penetrate the blackness - what was this ?" Delilah ? " He called once again, turning to look at the rotting carcass where life would surely have flourished at one point. A step forwards towards the wooden frame of what Samson assumed was an old shop, a creak and a snap of old joints allowed him to open up the door. Peering inside, at first glance it looked empty, but once eyes adjust to the scene of pure darkness, Samson could see there were still wares out for display.On the counter remained some coins, stepping closer he could see there were items there ready to be sold, the person was in mid transaction and then - nothing.' There is a whole lot of nothing here, ' Samson would think to himself as he picked up one of the old coins that were left on the countertop, twirling the metal in his fingers and looking at the shelves; stocked well with vials of liquid, mouldy and rotting bread, vegetables - or the puddles of - everything just seemed to have died right here in time.Samson looked up and down the shelves, coming across an oil lamp - sparking it back to life after a few attempts, he was able to see clearly for the first time in minutes - a clearer picture to the decrepit establishment. The writings on the outside of the wooden building seemed to carry into the interior - runic shapes carved in precision and detail, what do they mean ?Carrying the lamp back into the clearing, he walked past the pit once again, dipping the light into the abyss but it didn't even ignite the walls; like the mouth of Hell was open yet no screams, no flicks of fire, nothing penetrated the black.A creak was heard, Samson turned and one of the doors to the homes had opened slowly, a gust of wind he would tell himself, though there was no wind, no breeze, nothing. A whole lot of nothing. But he bit, whatever happened to cause the door to open, he followed, lamp held out in front as if it would protect and shield him from what lurks in the dark, " Delilah ? " A whisper, pleading, stepping into the shambled home that time had forgotten.Inside he stood, holding the light to the wall, then the clear living space where there was a dining room and chairs that greet him; four chairs with four plates, all with food upon them and glasses of water ( ? ) beside them. The creek of floorboards was deafening in the stillness of the land, the town, he's heading deeper into the home, looking at the photos on the walls - well - the empty frames. There were no photographs, all empty frames that were hung in a uniformed manner - like the people who lived here vanished from reality and the past.The air was stale, like something had suddenly passed, the smell got stronger - like an overwhelming odour of decay and rot washed through his nose, Samson gagged, feeling the blood drain from his face and his palms began to sweat as nausea hit. Pushing through the initial wave of sickness he rounded the corner to the kitchen where the smell was the strongest - but suddenly -Crash !Through the worn floorboards came down an deer, the carcass of which was half eaten, presumably by other wildlife, sinew and guts splashed on the floor and that was the straw in the camels back.Samson ran out of the house, heaving his guts up, spewing onto the grass at his feet, but upon looking up - he realised he wasn't in the same position he was in before.Now, upon leaving the home that was just opposite the store, almost directly so, he has ended up by the clearing once again where he started, "What the . . . ? How did I . . . ? "Samson turned, looking at the broken torch on the floor, then the lamp ion his hand - he left the home and looped back to the first instance of him entering the town - beside the pit.

CHAPTER ONE.THE OPENING.There was a rough chill in the air as Samson and Delilah drove through the rocky mountains of Switzerland, the pair had set off on an adventure before taking their final years at University. Samson Young, a man of five foot twelve and a mess of wispy black hair, hollowed eyes and pale complexion contrasted Delilah Peters' sun kissed skin and wavy brown hair with deep blue eyes." Where are we going ? Haven't we been this way already ? " Delilah quizzed, trying to look past the headlights of the car to the upcoming sign, squinting as her gaze met the writings, " Samson, we've been here, "" I know, " Samson responded with a bit of a snap, the travel has made him tired, wary, " I noticed it about - three minutes ago when we passed that sign, there is no where to turn off - "Like they are caught in a loop, the mountain seemed to twirl them into an infinite space of darkness and trees, the clouds seemed to have stopped moving albeit for the movement of the car itself, Delilah could see the shine of the moon didn't dim, didn't hide - something was wrong."Sammy pull over, we need to - ""Pull over where, Del? There is nothing but - " Samson slowed down, the panic of the concrete loop had made him nervous, but he does slow to a stop, switching the overhead light on as he grabs the map, "We're heading to . . . " a few words mumbled under his breath before taking out his phone to try and access Google Maps. Signal was jittering in and out, but before it cut out completely - he managed to screen grab their location. "That's bizarre, " Samson commented as he zoomed into the picture, the words were all haggled around, the fuzziness on their specific location didn't expressly say where they were. Part England, part France, what was happening here ?Turning, he went to face Delilah, but the car door was open, the girl had left her phone behind, " Del ! " Samson got out of the car, standing as he caught a glimpse of the back of her heading into the dense forest, "Delilah ! Come back ! "There was no time to waste, what has gotten into her ? Samson grabbed the flashlight that was in the driver side door and bolted towards the opening Delilah had wandered into. The sounds of crickets and birds chittering ceased to exist upon passing the threshold of darkness, something that Samson had acknowledged but he simply refused to stand idly and wonder whilst his girlfriend was following the wind." Delilah ! " his voice didn't carry, not an echo was stirred as he dove deeper and deeper into the thick brush, " Delilah ! Come back ! " his foot caught on a line root and he skipped to find his balance, hands dropping the torch as Samson catches his body on the trunk of a rotting tree.A groan escaped the young man, eyes looking past the tree to an clear opening —— before him, under the moonlit sky was a dilapidated town, no roads could be seen, but it was stuck in time. Homes made of wood, old horse drawn carts were scattered around, there was no sign of life. Not even Delilah.Where the edge of the town met the great forest, the grass surrounding the ghostly visage was dead, black with time, one would think if they step over the barrier of life and enter the world of death they would surely succumb to the darkness.Samson picked up the torch, taking that leap of faith to enter the world of the unknown, " Delilah ? Are you here ? " his voice stayed in front of his face, like the openness of the clearing didn't allow for any sound to leave the immediate gravity of his body. Samson didn't know if his mind was playing tricks on him, whether it was tiredness or fear, but he can't hear anything. Can't see past the blanket of night holding a grip on the town, his torch wasn't powerful enough to penetrate the thick wall of fog that seemed to descend from the clouds above. Not that it mattered as the torch was broken, the bulb shattered and the switch caved into its socket.Samson stood still, looking up at the sky - the clouds, they're not moving, there are no birds, no crickets, no anything.Just where have they landed ? What is this town ? More importantly. . .Where is Delilah ?CHAPTER TWO.THE TOWN.Upon closer inspection of the homes, the wooden exterior was greeted with small inscriptions in a language that didn't look like it was from recent times, the symbols were archaic in they design. How peculiar. What could they mean?There was a pit in the centre of the town, a dark sink hole it seemed, like there should be water inside it, upon this great hilly landscape there should be water in such a place if it rains or snows. But there was nothing. A word that is to describe it would be nothing.Leaning over the edge of the pit, Samson looked down into the abyss that light didn't touch, the moon that was shining through the clouds didn't even penetrate the blackness - what was this ?" Delilah ? " He called once again, turning to look at the rotting carcass where life would surely have flourished at one point. A step forwards towards the wooden frame of what Samson assumed was an old shop, a creak and a snap of old joints allowed him to open up the door. Peering inside, at first glance it looked empty, but once eyes adjust to the scene of pure darkness, Samson could see there were still wares out for display.On the counter remained some coins, stepping closer he could see there were items there ready to be sold, the person was in mid transaction and then - nothing.' There is a whole lot of nothing here, ' Samson would think to himself as he picked up one of the old coins that were left on the countertop, twirling the metal in his fingers and looking at the shelves; stocked well with vials of liquid, mouldy and rotting bread, vegetables - or the puddles of - everything just seemed to have died right here in time.Samson looked up and down the shelves, coming across an oil lamp - sparking it back to life after a few attempts, he was able to see clearly for the first time in minutes - a clearer picture to the decrepit establishment. The writings on the outside of the wooden building seemed to carry into the interior - runic shapes carved in precision and detail, what do they mean ?Carrying the lamp back into the clearing, he walked past the pit once again, dipping the light into the abyss but it didn't even ignite the walls; like the mouth of Hell was open yet no screams, no flicks of fire, nothing penetrated the black.A creak was heard, Samson turned and one of the doors to the homes had opened slowly, a gust of wind he would tell himself, though there was no wind, no breeze, nothing. A whole lot of nothing. But he bit, whatever happened to cause the door to open, he followed, lamp held out in front as if it would protect and shield him from what lurks in the dark, " Delilah ? " A whisper, pleading, stepping into the shambled home that time had forgotten.Inside he stood, holding the light to the wall, then the clear living space where there was a dining room and chairs that greet him; four chairs with four plates, all with food upon them and glasses of water ( ? ) beside them. The creek of floorboards was deafening in the stillness of the land, the town, he's heading deeper into the home, looking at the photos on the walls - well - the empty frames. There were no photographs, all empty frames that were hung in a uniformed manner - like the people who lived here vanished from reality and the past.The air was stale, like something had suddenly passed, the smell got stronger - like an overwhelming odour of decay and rot washed through his nose, Samson gagged, feeling the blood drain from his face and his palms began to sweat as nausea hit. Pushing through the initial wave of sickness he rounded the corner to the kitchen where the smell was the strongest - but suddenly -Crash !Through the worn floorboards came down an deer, the carcass of which was half eaten, presumably by other wildlife, sinew and guts splashed on the floor and that was the straw in the camels back.Samson ran out of the house, heaving his guts up, spewing onto the grass at his feet, but upon looking up - he realised he wasn't in the same position he was in before.Now, upon leaving the home that was just opposite the store, almost directly so, he has ended up by the clearing once again where he started, "What the . . . ? How did I . . . ? "Samson turned, looking at the broken torch on the floor, then the lamp ion his hand - he left the home and looped back to the first instance of him entering the town - beside the pit.