Tying The Knot..... Literally

CHAPTER 4: Cold Feet and Cold Spots

The iron gates to Creepwood Manor groaned like a rusty accordion solo as I shoved them open with surprising strength. The said mansion is as creepy as its nameplate suggests.

"Periwinkle," he rasped, clutching his chest, "are you sure this is a good idea? It looks like the Addams Family had a yard sale and all the rejects ended up here."

"Of course, my dear Barty-Barty-Barty! What could go wrong in an abandoned mansion in the middle of the woods?" I exclaimed, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I tripped over a root and nearly face-planted into the dirt.

Theo yelped, his eyes wide as dinner plates. "Periwinkle! Watch out! You wouldn't want to end up decorating the entryway!" I shoved him my middle finger which he very much needed for that comment he made.

Creepwood Manor loomed before them, a gothic monstrosity that seemed to have sprouted cobwebs instead of ivy. With a creak and a groan, the mansion's door swung open as if welcoming us to our doom.
The peeling paint job sported a kaleidoscope of mismatched colors, suggesting the previous owner had a serious case of commitment-phobia with the paint can. The windows boarded shut and crooked, resembled a cyclops with a particularly bad case of squints and poor eyesight.

We exchanged nervous glances, and then I, with the bravado of a deflating birthday balloon, nudged my friend Dollar forward. "After you," I squeaked, my voice barely audible over the mansion's ominous groans.

Dollar, bless his heart, puffed out his chest and marched through the doorway, muttering, "I'm not scared. Nope, not scared at all. Just a drafty old house, that's all."

Suddenly, a cobweb, thick and dusty, brushed across his face. He let out a shriek that would rival an opera singer auditioning for a banshee role, and launched himself back into Theo's arms, clinging to him like a koala, and startling NoMoney The Cat who was resting on Theo's shoulder, jumped into my arms and started barking at Dollar. I am pretty sure that NoMoney The Cat, unimpressed by Dollar's display of cowardice, launched into a string of what could only be interpreted as insults and curses in his Pomeranian mother tongue.

"See," I said, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face, "it's just the cobwebs saying hello."

Theo swatted at the cobweb as if it were a rogue feather boa, then glared at me. "This is exactly why I shouldn't have listened to you and your 'abandoned mansion adventure' idea."

As I cautiously stepped inside, the floorboards creaked in protest, their groans echoing eerily through the dusty halls. A faint musty odor filled the air, a pungent combination of mildew, mothballs, and something that suspiciously smelled like burnt popcorn.

The ancient oak door, its surface marred by countless scratches and held together by what appeared to be sheer willpower, slammed shut behind us with a sound like a banshee's wail. A resounding THUD echoed through the dusty halls of the abandoned mansion. Panic surged through our little group like a sugar rush gone wrong. We were trapped! Visions of cobweb-strewn dungeons and hungry ghosts danced in our heads.

Just as we were about to collectively lose our minds, Theo, ever the pragmatist, reached for the doorknob, his hand trembling like a Chihuahua in a windstorm. "It's... it's locked!" he squeaked, his voice barely a whisper.

But wait! As Dollar, resident muscle and self-proclaimed hero, strained against the door, letting out a series of grunts that would make a weightlifter envious, I noticed something peculiar. The doorknob... wasn't turning. It was jiggling. Like a... well, like a door handle that wasn't locked.

Gingerly, I reached out and grasped the handle. With the gentlest of pulls, the door swung open, revealing the entryway from which we had all just entered in from.

Our collective sigh of relief could have inflated a blimp. We stared at each other, faces flushed, hearts pounding a frantic tattoo against our ribs. Slowly, a smile spread across my face. "Uh, guys," I sheepishly muttered, "maybe we should have tried pulling the door before assuming it was possessed by the ghost of a disgruntled doorman?"

Theo and Dollar exchanged a look, then burst into laughter. We doubled over, tears streaming down our faces, the tension dissolving faster than a sugar cube in a hot cup of tea. In the end, the only thing truly haunted in that old mansion was our common sense.

Suddenly, a loud CRASH resonated from upstairs, followed by a muffled curse. Me, Theo, and NoMoney The Cat (who was now clinging desperately to my hair) exchanged wide-eyed glances. And this launched Dollar into Theo's back like a clinging backpack.

"Uh oh," Dollar sheepishly peeked his head from behind Theo's back, his voice barely a whisper, "looks like someone else is having an even worse day than we are."