in the beginning, it all started with the move to the new house in Japan.

the house sat next to the biggest forest I have ever seen with a long winding road that leads to a shack that we use in the summer when we have family visit. the house is small with a lovely little fire that we would sit next to after our bath to keep warm.

the walls had all different kinds of pictures of us during trips and silly moments, we would have the best of times, life was perfect.
sometimes, we would have food fights, then we would be grumpy the rest of the day because we would have to clean up.

we would have the most fun, me and my dad would plan parties with music, food, and games to play that would last all night and end with us sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories

who are we you ask? well my mum died when I was three so my dad had to look after me the best he could, we had our struggles with money so keeping up with the rent was hard, my brother had a job that helped but was never enough.

moving in wasn't too difficult and once we got settled in and turned our house into a home, it was over the next few weeks that things turned for the worst.
dad went out fishing with a family friend, he did this every week so I was used to being alone for the night and that's where the first of it started.

I was sat at my desk falling asleep while using my laptop, only to wake up to a phone call from an unknown caller.
no one answered so I put it down to prank callers.
then had a knock on the door with no one to be found only to find a picture of me and my dad with a circle around my dad. it was one taken when we were down by the lake fishing. it freaked me out so I locked the doors and tried to call my dad to no avail.
"ugh no service, typical" so I threw my phone onto the sofa next to me.
shortly after, I get a call from the same number from earlier, the voice on the other end was rather chilling.
"I hold your secrets but do not speak... and your sequins I will not keep".

"who are you," I asked with no reply.
"this is starting to feel like a horror movie".
I sat for a while, thinking about what sounded like a riddle. "what can this mean? THINK! THINK!".
it took a little while but it eventually hit me.
"maybe my closet? I mean it would make sense", I ran to my room and opened my closet to find a severed hand with all the fingers stitched together baring one, holding a brass key.
I collapsed to the floor in absolute terror.
"Oh, my god! that's a hand. there is a hand in my closet!"

that was one of the scariest things iv ever had to experience but I feared the worst was about to begin.
"ok lyrana! pull yourself together! just pick up the hand and grab the key".

once again the phone rings and I pick up, there was a different guy on the phone. "did you like my little gift? I personally think it's rather handy, don't you? Well, that's whats going to happen to you if you try anything stupid! now, we have another riddle for you.
"in the earth, I am living. a wide berth should be given".

this one was a little more obscure. it felt like they toughened up the riddles since I figured out the first one so easily.
"in the earth, I am living, a wide berth should be given. what can that mean?" I once again sat to ponder the answer to the riddle.
I wasn't getting anywhere with it so I started looking around for clues. "in the earth" I said thinking "maybe out in the forest somewhere? but the forest is huge, it will be like
looking for a needle in a haystack. even if whatever this key fits into IS out in the forest, how do I know what to look for?".
desperately looking around for clues, I find a picture we once took when exploring crossed my eye, it was an empty badgers den that has been abandoned for years.

it was such a great memory since I never found anything like that before and it was amazing!

"Maybe it's there" so I set up a bag with little bits I may need like, a knife, torch, and some rope just encase, then went out looking.
a few hours of walking was taking its toll on me and finally came across an old guards tower. now it's mostly rubble but was still pretty cool to see.

I sat for a while to rest my wiery legs and off in the corner of my eye I see a figure off in the distance. "am I being followed? this must be the one who keeps phoning me and giving me these weird riddles".
this didn't bother me as much, I experienced worse during this horrid night.

I eventually found my way and got to the den but there was nothing there. nothing of use anyway. "what am I supposed to be looking for?"  I stayed for a while, digging what I can out of the badger's den with nothing that could help me.

"why am I here? am I at the wrong place?" suddenly the strange figure came closer to me, I thought I thought this was it for me, I wasn't going to see tomorrow. my thoughts weren't closer to the truth.

"Hello, lyrana. I bet you're wondering who I am! hahaha all in good time young one".
the figure was a man in a black jacket and jeans with obscure doctors mask that would cover his face. before I could say anything, he grabbed me and put a cloth over my face, that's all I can remember from that part until I woke in what I believe is this guy's hidden lair.

I was bound by one of my wrists and ankles to a crooked chair.
the room was dimly lit with a small lamp, from what I could see, this may be where he did his killing. the walls were covered with what looked like tools from a garage and hospital equipment on a metal desk.

fear wasn't the right word to use in this situation. I could feel my body trembling with every breath I took.
I could see I'm wired up to some sort of contraption with my hand in some sort of slicing machine and a helmet that looks as if its designed to crush my skull.  a computer next to me which im supposed to write the "correct answer" in with my free hand. there is also a white wall with a letter in front of me and it reads "These white halls serve only to those who fall".

"ugh this guy and his riddles, am I going to need a riddle with every trap I come across before I get out of this hell hole? huh, that's if I get out of this hell hole!"
the computer also had a timer on it, I had 10 minutes to get free and also a counter with "tries left" at least he was kind enough to give me a few chances.

the timer hadn't started yet so I used all the time I could to think.
shortly after a voice came over a telecom "ah hello again lyrana, did you have a good sleep? you have been out for quite some time, it's now 2 in the morning! lazy. you should go outside and get some sun and fresh air! oh, I forgot. You cant hahaha you're trapped in one of my marvelous toys! but don't worry lyrana. I made the cushion extra soft for you when you DIE".

that statement alone was enough to make me cry and iv broken my arm before!
"I will be watching you from the best seat in the house with some popcorn and cola while you try to figure out my riddle hehehe OH and also if you get out, I have a gift for you. nothing special but I think you will find it colorful."

that was all from him for now. "ok lyrana time think again, you got this far! you can get past this one for sure! he just makes it more obscure, not necessarily harder".

I had to think fast for this, at that point the timer has already reached to eight minutes left, I started to panic and struggling did nothing which is typical! I HAD to find a way out "think!". think I did. with a few failed attempts I finally came across the right answer maybe hospital is the correct answer" I typed it into the computer and down came a knife which took off my finger. with it, the helmet fell apart onto the floor.

the pain was excruciating as I got up and laid on the floor holding my hand wishing it would all stop and I back home in my nice warm bed. I think I passed out for a while from the pain but after waking up I looked over to the chair and my finger was nowhere to be found, it didn't matter I had to get back on my feet and get walking if I wanted a chance to get out of this place.

walking around the corner I noticed that this place looked more and more like an abandoned hospital.  most of the doors were locked but one was actually open, upon entering I found a drawer full of old records of patients that used to be here but one jumped out at me that fit my nut case perfectly.

after searching through his file some more I found out he was a normal family man. happy go lucky, loved his wife and child until one day I guess he just snapped. the doctors here had a nickname for him that goes by "Cogita Nameni Magieam", his real name is redacted along with his birth date.

as I carried on reading, it turns out he killed his entire family after he just snapped by doing exactly what he's doing to me, it looks as if he gets a kick out of putting people through the worst conditions to see how they figure ways out but why?
I still don't know to this day.

the rest of the rooms were locked with more riddles except one that is lit with a flashing light, upon entering the room the lights went out and the door locked behind me.

END OF CHAPTER ONE.