I woke up to the sound of my own screams. I was back in the institution, strapped to a bed in a white room. Dr. Lee stood over me, a mixture of concern and curiosity on her face.
"Welcome back, subject 13," she said. "You've been having quite a journey."
I tried to speak, but my voice was hoarse. "What...what happened?" I croaked.
"You've been experiencing some...difficulties," Dr. Lee said. "Your grip on reality has been tenuous at best. But we're here to help you. We want to help you uncover the truth."
I looked around the room, trying to get my bearings. The walls were white, the furniture was sterile, and the windows were barred. I felt a sense of unease, like I was trapped.
"What truth?" I asked, my mind racing.
"The truth about Blackwood Manor," Dr. Lee said. "The truth about your past. You see, subject 13, you've been part of an experiment. A experiment designed to test the limits of the human mind."
I felt a surge of anger. "What do you mean?" I demanded.
Dr. Lee smiled. "You were chosen for this experiment because of your unique brain chemistry. We've been manipulating your perceptions, creating a simulated reality for you. Blackwood Manor was just a part of that simulation."
I shook my head, trying to process what I was being told. "No," I said. "That's not true. I was investigating the manor. I saw things. I felt things."
Dr. Lee nodded. "Yes, you did. But it was all just a simulation. A simulation designed to push you to the edge of sanity."
I felt a sense of desperation creeping in. "What about Sarah?" I asked. "What about the creature in the manor?"
Dr. Lee's expression was sympathetic. "Sarah was a part of the simulation, subject 13. A part of the program designed to make the experience more...real. And the creature...well, that's a bit more complicated."
I leaned forward, my heart pounding in my chest. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"The creature," Dr. Lee said, "is a manifestation of your own subconscious. A representation of the fears and anxieties that we've been trying to unlock."
I shook my head, trying to process what I was being told. It was too much to take in. The manor, Sarah, the creature...it was all just a simulation?
I felt a sense of despair wash over me. Was anything real? Was I even human?
Dr. Lee's voice cut through my thoughts. "Subject 13, we need to continue the experiment. We need to see how far we can push you."
I looked up at her, a sense of determination rising up inside me. "No," I said. "I'm not going back to the manor. I'm not going to play along anymore."
Dr. Lee's expression was unyielding. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, subject 13. You see, the experiment is far from over. And we're just getting started."
As she spoke, the room began to distort and blur. I felt myself being pulled back into the manor, back into the simulation.
I knew I had to fight. I had to find a way out of the manor, out of the simulation. I had to uncover the truth.
But as I looked around, I realized that I wasn't alone. The creature was watching me, its eyes glowing in the darkness.
And then, everything went black.
*To be continued...*