The Haunted Mansion

The Upstairs Corridors

We pressed on and found the eyes were on the wallpaper, too, blending in with the darkness in a seamless transition.

"You see, we find it delightfully unlivable here in this ghostly retreat," the ghost host spoke. "Every room has wall to wall creeps. And hot and cold running chills. But it has taken time to give it that comfortable unlived in look, of course. Shh. Listen."

All around us, ghostly sounds echoed through the air, screams, wails, moans, and laughter. We looked down a long tapering corridor, seemingly endless in length. A candelabra floating about in midair. Next to the hallway stood a large suit of armor. It made a few movements. As it stood glaring at us, we walked away.

"The hallway we see, it's beckoning us to enter," I spoke. "But offering no end. Such is the nature of a haunted house like this."

We then moved to the other hallway and begin to walk forward. Loud boom like footsteps came about.

"Our presence has not been unnoticed for certain, as we were warned before," Liberty spoke out. "The ghosts are moving tonight, restless...hungry. Some of them anxious to finally have visitors in the house. Delightfully anxious at that."

"Yo! Look out!" Zeke screamed.

We all looked in the same direction. Then, took a jump back.

Through the dimly lit mist of the corridor, a ghost like figure ran screaming past us. Footsteps, screams and the sound of rattling chains chased the figure down the hallway and faded into the darkness.

The three of us then walked into a doorway into a large room. We were inside the conservatory. All around the room were decaying and withering flowers and plants. In the middle of the room, stood a large black box. Creaking sounds emanated from it.

"Let me out! Lemme outa here!" Someone screamed from inside the box. Two skeletal hands were attempting to push off the lid which seemed to have been nailed shut.

"I think we woke someone up!" Zeke shouted.

On top of the wreaths was the raven glaring at us.

"All our ghosts have been dying to meet you. This one can hardly contain himself," the ghost host said humorously.

Zeke ran out of the room, back into hallway, us following suit as Liberty slammed the door behind us.

"This place is so freaking horrifying!" Zeke blurted out. "With all the smokes, and the mirrors and the animatronics!"

He ran off and bumped into a suit of armor. In response, the knight swung his axe at him. Zeke narrowly dodged and ran back to us.

"Why the blazes did we listen to you, Thomas?! How the hell are you not afraid of anything here?!"

"I am! I'm horrified!" I shrieked. "But not to the point of you! I know how to control my fear!"

"I assure you all, you're in no form of danger here," the ghost hosts voice echoed through the air. "The happy haunts have been simply anxious for visitors. Unfortunately, they all seem to have trouble getting through."

We continued walking down the hallway passing several doors, each one sounding as though it was about to break open and let whatever it held escape into hallway. Knobs turning, knockers pounding against the door themselves, some doors appeared to bulge outwards, some shaking as though they might blow off their hinges. Moans, screams, cries, and growls all surrounded us.

"The souls, I sense their determination to make a full connection with us," Liberty said. "The spiritual aura of this place grows stronger with each step we take. I've never felt anything like it."

We passed through the hallway and came upon a grandfather clock inside a small alcove. The dim lighting revealed a shadowy hand swoop over the clock as if in the shape of a claw attempting to grab us. The shadowy manifestation disappeared. We came across another open passageway, barely illuminated, and heard the ghost hosts voice from within it.

"I've noticed the girl has been making quite the connection here. It appears she has been well attuned spiritually. Much like the rest of you, she does have an active imagination.

"Although I do have reason to believe there is much more to her than that. Yet, calm yourselves. It may make it easier for our spiritual friends to connect. Perhaps Madame Leota can establish contact. She has a remarkable head for materializing the disembodied."

Liberty felt a peculiar chill flow through her.