The Haunting of Ravenswood Manor

Chapter 1

Growing up Marion had never truly felt as though she had a permanent home. It was a universal truth who all that knew her family that her mother, Jackie, short for Jacqueline, was never one to stay in we certain town for too long. No one knew why, including Marion. However when a mysterious package showed up on their door step and her mother hastily took it inside, she knew there was something amiss.

"Finally after all those long years, the will has been passed to us sweetheart." Jackie called out lovingly to her confused daughter.

"What will? We don't know anyone." Marion shrugged not sure what to make of what her mother said.

"I had family but they abandoned us. However since we are the only ones left we have inherited not only a comfortable lifestyle but a grand mansion as well." Her mother said pulling out the deed to a house and she smiled uncomfortably at it.

Marion investigated the box and saw a letter among the packing peanuts. Curiosity she picked it up, on the front of the envelope in fine cursive letter read. 'Warning, to those of the Ravenswood family who have to come inherit this curse." Just that was enough to spike her curiosity further. Gently she opened the letter and there was an old piece of paper, whoever got this first never opened it. All that the letter read was "Death waits inside for those who enter Ravenswood Manor."

"No wonder no one ever opened it." Marion gave the letter to her mother with an eye roll.

"You don't really believe in things like that do you? Ghosts, spooks and things like that?" Jackie asked her daughter.

"No mom, I'm 22. I think I'm a little old to believe in hocus pocus." Marion's sighed.

"Pack your things, we leave first thing in the morning." Jackie said then began to pack herself.

How many times had Marion heard that sentence in her life? More than she ever wanted to count if she was honest. Going back to her room she packed up what little belongings she had and then sat on her bed. She was grown, she knew that she didn't have to follow her mother, but she also knew that her mother needed her and to be honest she feared what would happen if she ever left her

Mother alone for a long period of time. She had wondered what this place would be like, the town was called "Thunder Mesa" and apparently it was founded by her family, a family she knew very little about. With a groan she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

One long, boring, uneventful in a good way flight later, Marion looked at the

Mansion before them and gently pushed the sunglasses to the bridge of her nose.

"Well this place has seen better days." Marion commented.

"Nothing a little paint can't fix. The workers start this afternoon. We will dazzle this place up and make everyone envy us." Her mother grinned as she walked to the front door.

Marion looked to her left and right, there were barely any people around. Nothing but a bunch of old abandoned buildings. Shaking her head, she followed her mother and made it to the front door just as her mother unlocked it and pushed it opened. Years of dust came flooding out the door and Marion and Jackie had to back up and cough the years of dust our of their lungs.

"Has no one been here?" Marion asked her mother.

"Not in years, my father inherited it from his father and his father built the place. My father feared it so much, but I never knew why. Now I will show him that we Ravenswood's will be great once again." Her mother grinned and went inside the old house.

This was all a little too weird to Marion. First, she had never met her grandfather, so she didn't know what to make of him and now all the sudden her mother speaks of restoring her family's home to its former glory. In Marion's eyes she had never seen her mother so determined. It was shocking and scary at the same time.