DIVERSE TALES

THE HAUNTED MANSION

#WritcoStoryPrompt41

The mirror loomed over them as they traversed the hallways of the abandoned mansion. It was rumoured that no one came out alive from it. They treaded softly, their shoes patting against the creaky floors. They jumped, their skin crawling at the scenery. The shadows that hovered by their sights then vanished once they were seen.

"Why did you agree to that horrible challenge?" Amanda whisper shouted. Her deep brown eyes wide in terror. She gripped her companion's arms, her dark skin pale.

"Don't be such a baby. You know how much I love a challenge. Besides, legends are barely ever real. We'd just grab Farmer Nate's hat and get out. Quick and easy." Audrey drew her arms against her chest, barely glancing at Amanda as she continued her trot.

The dark hallways were covered with mirrors, etched zigzagged with their wicked glimmers. The strewns of the light from the moon flickered down from the overhead window. The soft caress of the wind swept past the window's curtains. The sound of a small creak clawed down the atmosphere, Amanda's heart jumped into overdrive. She jumped onto Audrey, her arms trembling.

Audrey buckled under the weight of the girl before rolling her eyes.

"Keep yourself together or do you want to give us out to Farmer Nate's ghost?" She spiced with a mock spooked tone as she dropped the girl back on her two feet. Amanda's heart clenched.

"I thought you didn't believe in ghosts!" Amanda whisper cried, eyeing the dark washed walls. The patches of decay and rot shrieked little by little.

"Of course not. Why did you offer to even tag along?"

"I wanted to try to convince you to turn back."

"Well that obviously failed. I have to put Gregory back in his place. So if  you could go back-" Audrey stopped herself, her eyebrows raised. Amanda followed her vision and bristled with shock. The doorway they had just passed was no more but replaced with a thick and dark stone wall. They looked around, the volume of surrounding had also changed. The mirrors had disappeared, fire fly candles were etched to different crevices by the ceilings and walls.

  "See." Amanda whispered once again, chills climbing up her spine. The earthy scent of soil crept past their nostrils, the strewn of the oil's lax fragrance meddling with the soil's. A maroon blue carpet spilled down the thickened hall, barely visible in the dull lights.

"This must be some kind of prank." Audrey muttered, clearly annoyed by the tricks. Her long strides thudded past the carpeted floor. Amanda ran after her, almost losing her footing.

"Don't you see there is a supernatural force behind this?" Amanda noticed the glisten of shadows, dancing around the candle's flame. She looked back into Audrey's green eyes.

"All I see is a patch of dull workmanship and a whole lot of foul play." The crippling of shadows begat in the corner, hovering and watching. Amanda ran after her, pulling her back to reason. Her brown hair stuck out in loose tendrils, gathering into smooth folds.

"We have to be careful despite, what you say I know there is-"

"The legends aren't real, Amanda." Audrey shot back, her green eyes darkened in exasperation. Amanda watched a figure bristle beside one of the candles, meddling and fiddling away. A mass of shadows from the different corners, quietly barged and joined together. Amanda's heart plummeted as Audrey continued her lecture. The heat of their presence made her shiver. Soon the figure's body morphed into form, spiralling and hazing, barely grasping this world. The spikes of nonsense formed into a towering figure with eyes that gleamed with a red of blood lust.

"-myth-"

"If it isn't real, then what is that ?"Audrey took on the key of the environment. Her insides began to crawl as she slowly looked up. Audrey's heart skipped a beat and then they ran. The shadowy creature swept a zig zagged hand at them. They narrowly avoided it by a hair's width. The clambering of candles scram in response to the monster's touch.