Welcome To Darkwood Mansion 🗸

Darkwood Mansion

     A chill ran up his spine, a shudder gradually following behind as he stood across the street from the old, creepy Mansion. It had to be ten times scarier at night, especially on Halloween, where every house had decorations that lit up their property. This one had nothing but darkness, surrounded by dead and dying trees, the gate chained shut with just enough space between them thanks to one of the hinges being busted.

     Deakon swallowed and tightened his grip on his bag strap, taking a deep and shaky breath at the thought that he had to stay in that place overnight. He had been reluctant, he had made it clear that he didn't like the place and that just seemed to hype his friends up into daring him to spend a few hours there, until Dawn. What a great bunch of friends he had. He needed to re-evaluate what Friend actually meant.

     "You scared, Markain?" he shot Levi a dark look, the one that originally suggested that he stay here and made the others join in on daring him.

     "No!" Deak snapped back defensively, hiding his lie rather well for what it was worth. He looked back towards the building, tension building in his muscles as the time grew closer to Twelve. They were out far later than they should and, unfortunately, the boys had seen to it that they all had a good alibi as to why Deakon wouldn't be home that night, using the excuse that they were having a sleepover at each other's house, when they were staying at Levi's. What could go wrong...

     "He's totally scared!" another of them blurted and laughed, the others joining in and one of them slapped his shoulder as he practically choked.

     "No, I'm not!" he shot back and quickly glanced up and down the street before stepping out onto the road, keeping an eye out for cars along the way. Forcing himself to keep going, Deak stepped onto the curb and headed for the gates, taking his bag off to get it through first.

     "See you later, Deakon!" one of the others called out as he slipped a leg between the gates, slowly shifting his body through the opening.

     "Don't get killed by Ghosts!" Levi suggested unhelpfully and Deak paused to send a glare their way. Did he forget to mention that the mansion had rumours of being haunted? "Don't forget to take pictures! We want evidence!" he added and the boy huffed, continuing to get between the gates until he tumbled to his hands and knees inside the property.

     He climbed to his feet, brushing himself off and reached for his bag, sliding his arms through the straps after retrieving his torch from a side pocket. Deakon swallowed nervously, hearing the laughter in the background grow quiet and farther away. Looking behind himself one last time, he rolled his shoulders and reached for the strap of his backpack, gripping it like it was his lifeline.

     "I need new friends," Deakon muttered to himself as he stepped hesitantly and reluctantly towards the building, aiming the torch up the closer he got. It stood high, a good three floors, but even then, the trees were higher, shadowing the place with how unkempt the proper had been for so many years. It only added to the cliché, horror movie look.

     He reached the porch and climbed the rickety, old steps, feeling them bow under his weight, creaking from age. He was quick about walking up them, not wanting them to break beneath him. He practically skipped until he reached the door, kicking himself because it meant that he had to spend a few extra seconds inside the building when he could have wasted them climbing the porch steps and hanging around outside.

     Deak shone the torch on the door and he reached out hesitantly, gripping the handle shakily before turning it and nudging the thick, flaking, rectangular piece of wood. A moment later, he felt like he was actually in the cliché, horror movie. The door creaked and the rusted hinges scratched together, the sounds being so eerie that they went right through him and made him visibly wince and grimace, the tension tightening and worry rising.