The wind whistled through the dark, crooked trees as Jeongin and his friends made their way down the narrow, winding path that led to the infamous Blackwood House. It was an old mansion just outside the city, rumored to be haunted and abandoned for over fifty years. The place had a reputation for being creepy, but when Felix suggested they go in for a thrill, Jeongin, Jisung, and Changbin hadn’t hesitated to join.
“So, remind me why we’re doing this again?” Jisung asked, glancing around nervously.
Felix grinned, the mischievous glint in his eyes hard to miss. “Because Halloween’s next week, and there’s no better way to get in the spirit than breaking into a haunted house.”
Jeongin shook his head, but he couldn’t deny he felt a thrill of excitement. It was a crisp October night, and there was something about the chill in the air and the crunch of leaves beneath their feet that made him feel alive. The four friends walked up to the house, and even from the outside, it was everything they’d expected: towering and decayed, with boarded-up windows and ivy crawling up the walls like the fingers of a ghostly hand.
“Alright, let’s do this,” Changbin said, gripping a flashlight and leading the way to a broken window near the back.
They climbed inside, landing in a dusty, pitch-dark room filled with old, broken furniture. The musty smell of the house was overwhelming, but that didn’t stop Felix from practically bouncing with excitement.
“Guys, this is awesome,” he whispered, his voice echoing softly in the empty space.
“Creepy is more like it,” Jeongin muttered, glancing around at the peeling wallpaper and dust-covered floors.
They moved further into the house, exploring each room with a mix of excitement and nervous energy. Jisung’s flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls. They found themselves in the grand hall, with a sweeping staircase that led up to the second floor. A massive, broken chandelier hung from the ceiling, swaying slightly as if stirred by some unseen force.
Felix pointed up the staircase. “Should we check upstairs?”
Changbin nodded, leading the way. They ascended the stairs cautiously, the old wood creaking under their weight. On the second floor, they found a long hallway lined with doors on either side. Most of them were locked, but as they reached the end of the hall, they discovered a door that creaked open with a push.
Inside, the room was dark except for the pale moonlight filtering through a gap in the boarded-up window. The floor was littered with scattered papers and dusty books, and a massive painting hung on the wall.
Jeongin’s gaze lingered on the painting. It depicted a family—a stern-looking father, a demure mother, and two children, a boy and a girl, both with haunting, vacant expressions. Something about it made him feel uneasy, like the painted eyes were watching them.
“This must’ve been the family that lived here,” Felix whispered, stepping closer to inspect the painting.
Jisung shivered, clutching his flashlight a bit tighter. “Yeah, and look at their faces. Doesn’t it feel like they know something we don’t?”
Jeongin couldn’t shake the feeling that the family in the painting had once held a secret. It was just a rumor he’d heard growing up, but he remembered whispers about how the family that once lived here had mysteriously disappeared. Nobody knew what had happened to them; they had simply vanished one night without a trace.
Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Changbin rummaging through an old drawer until he pulled out a worn leather-bound book. “Guys, look at this,” Changbin said, flipping through the pages.
