Demon's Hide

Hearth the Haunted House

Female Reader x Haunted House
(Yes that's what it is)

You stare at the set of house keys in your hand incredulously. Some of them look like everyday modern keys, but most were the thick, iron ones you'd see in old movies. You glance up at your relative, or at least they claimed to be your relative.

"Are you sure about this?" You ask.

They nod. "Of course!" They smile at you brightly. "It's been all worked out. I have no use for the place. I figured, since you're doing all this work for me, I might as well pay you back."

You crook your eyebrow at them. "With a house?" You feel like it's too good to be true, so you're not quite ready to look this gift horse in the mouth.

This relative came out of nowhere. You had escaped an abusive relationship with barely the shirt on your back. You had basically been held hostage by your ex and had been living in hiding with family ever since. You had only come out of hiding once everything was said and done. Your ex was in jail, and you were finally able to start life again. That's when this relative showed up, asking for your help with their business and offering you a paycheck that made you salivate. Now, they were giving you an old house for... 'just because'?

"I understand how it is," they say. "My father was a real polished turd if there ever was. I saw what he put my moms through. I don't know exactly what happened to you, but I want to provide something during your healing process."

You frown, you figured you were healed well enough already. You didn't need some handout from a relative stranger. Then again, you couldn't turn down such a promising offer, so you cave in.

The relative has hired you to organize and label their extensive inventory in their antique store. You would also be researching and documenting, which was the work you used to do when you worked at museums. You were an old hat at it and were looking forward to the busy work to keep your mind occupied.

You were visiting the house for the first time, unsure what you would find. You expected something small and innocuous. Perhaps an old rented out cabin or something like that. What you found was a rather large estate. The property was surrounded by an iron fence with stone pillars. The gate had a new lock on it, but you could also still use the iron padlock.

The drive up to the house includes a roundabout with a fountain in the center. The house itself was, well, something else. It was a massive stone Tudor house, the very opposite of what you had been picturing in your head.

"Oh wow," you whisper as you look up at it. You fidget, feeling a little strange as you look at it. Your guts churn, and you feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.

You take one of the big iron keys and unlock the front door. It groans as it opens and you step inside. Your breath echoes through the empty halls as you stand in the foyer. You look around with wide eyes, feeling as if the house was bigger on the inside than it appeared outside.

The door closes behind you, and you nearly lurch from your skin. You clasp your hand over your chest, taking a few deep breaths. You then wander down the hallway, finding yourself in a living room full of furniture covered by sheets.

You take a sheet off, finding a gorgeous antique sofa that looks remarkably untouched. You cautiously take a seat on it, finding that it's soft and comfy. You feel like a kid on Christmas, unwrapping all sorts of gifts. Each sheet holds a new toy for you. Beautiful furniture and decor, all of it old but looking as new as the day it was made.

You find something propped in the corner that is wrapped in brown paper. The paper crinkles and whispers as you unwrap it. Inside it a large mirror, the frame is wrought iron and as intricate as a gold chain. The mirror is a bit foggy, but as you stare into it, you feel as if the fog starts to move and shift.