Shadows of Midnight

CHAPTER 1.2

The House on Maple Street
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The next morning, Sarah woke up feeling uneasy. The house on Maple Street was old and full of creaks and groans, but there was something more sinister about it. Determined to make the best of her new start, she decided to explore the house.

In the attic, she found a collection of old furniture and dusty boxes. As she moved a large trunk, she noticed a loose floorboard. Curious, she pried it up and found an old diary hidden beneath it.

"What's this?" she murmured, flipping open the cover. The pages were filled with entries from a woman named Emily Blackwood, dated over a century ago. Sarah's heart raced as she read the haunting tales of love and loss, and of a terrible curse that plagued the Blackwood family.

As Sarah delved deeper into the diary, she heard a noise behind her. She turned to see a woman standing in the shadows.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, her voice trembling.

The woman stepped forward, revealing herself to be Lila Saunders, a local writer. "I'm Lila. I heard someone had moved in and thought I'd introduce myself."

Sarah let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "I'm Sarah. Nice to meet you. I found this diary... it's fascinating."

Lila's eyes widened. "Emily Blackwood's diary? That's a rare find. There's a lot of mystery surrounding her and the house."

"Do you know anything about it?" Sarah asked eagerly.

Lila nodded. "I've been researching the history of Eldridge. There's a lot of dark stories about this town, especially about the Blackwood family."

Ethan arrived later that day, finding Sarah and Lila engrossed in the diary. "There are things in that diary best left forgotten," he warned.

"But why?" Sarah pressed. "What are you not telling us?"

Ethan hesitated before finally speaking. "Emily was my great-great-grandmother. She was in love with a man named Thomas, but their love was forbidden. Thomas was accused of practicing dark magic and was hanged. Emily was heartbroken and cursed the town before taking her own life."

A chill ran down Sarah's spine. "Do you think the curse is real?"

Ethan looked away. "I've seen enough to believe it."

That night, Sarah couldn't sleep. She felt a presence in the house, something dark and malevolent. As she lay in bed, she heard whispers, soft and insistent, calling her name. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sounds, but they grew louder, more urgent.

Suddenly, the whispers stopped, replaced by a cold, hollow laughter that echoed through the house. Sarah sat up, her heart pounding. She knew she wasn't alone. Grabbing a flashlight, she ventured into the hallway, the beam cutting through the darkness.

"Who's there?" she called out, her voice trembling.

There was no answer, only the creak of floorboards and the faint sound of something scratching at the walls. Sarah followed the noise to the attic. As she climbed the stairs, the air grew colder, and the scratching grew louder.

In the attic, she found an old, dusty mirror. The glass was cracked and foggy, but she could make out her reflection. As she stared into the mirror, the scratching stopped. For a moment, there was silence. Then, a face appeared in the mirror, not her own, but a woman's face, pale and twisted with rage.

"Leave this place," the woman hissed. "Or suffer the curse."

Sarah stumbled back, her flashlight falling to the floor and shattering. In the darkness, she could still see the woman's face, glowing faintly in the mirror. She ran from the attic, slamming the door behind her.