A night of witches, ghosts, and pumpkin lanterns

Blackthorne Manor

Liv rolled her eyes, though her expression clearly showed she was intrigued. 
"Logan, you're trying to scare us," she smirked. "Do you think I'll fall for it?" 
"You underestimate me," Logan winked, taking a bite of his cookie. "But fine, if you're not up for an adventure, you can stay home and be bored." 

Liv bit her lip thoughtfully. On the one hand, she didn't want to get involved in another one of Logan's schemes, but on the other, her curiosity had already been piqued. Ryan sighed heavily, nervously glancing at Emily, who clutched her cookie bag as if it were a lifeline. He exchanged a look with Liv, realizing that she'd drag them along anyway, and decided to give in. 

"We could at least go up to the mansion," he suggested hesitantly. "Just to look from a distance." 

Emily turned to him in disbelief: 
"Are you serious? I thought you were on my side! We weren't going anywhere." 

"Well... just out of curiosity," Ryan shrugged, clearly torn between wanting to seem brave and his fear of being anywhere near that gloomy house. 

Liv, seizing the moment, quickly took the lead: 
"Great! We won't see any ghosts, and if things look weird, we'll just turn back. No big deal." 

Emily frowned but, seeing that her friend had already made up her mind, just sighed quietly: 
"Fine. But we are *not* going inside!" 

Logan grinned widely: 
"Now that's the spirit! Well, are we going?" 

Ryan flinched at Logan's eager enthusiasm, but Liv had already started walking down the sidewalk. Emily silently followed her, glancing nervously over her shoulder now and then. 

I wonder... did Logan make up that legend? It felt like his story lacked any real logic. The Blackthorn Mansion had a strange family, then the ghost of a former owner showed up. And then something happened to them...? Something was missing... It didn't add up. What *did* eventually happen to them? And was there a real legend about the abandoned mansion that could debunk Logan's nonsense? 

Liv marched ahead, trying to ignore the growing sense of unease. She didn't quite understand why she was doing this. It was like her survival instincts had vanished the moment Logan got her to believe in his hastily made-up nonsense. 

Emily trailed behind, huddled in her jacket. She couldn't shake the creepy images she had conjured up in her mind. Shadows seemed to move, and every rustle made her jump. Ryan, on the other hand, tried to stay as close to the others as possible. He nervously glanced around as if expecting rotting monsters to leap out from behind the trees at any moment. 

They walked slowly along a narrow, winding sidewalk that twisted through tall, sprawling trees. The moonlight only skimmed the tops of the trees, while their shadows stretched across the ground like dark hands trying to grab the passersby. A cold wind blew, scattering fallen leaves that rustled underfoot, adding to the eerie atmosphere. The whole world around them seemed lifeless: no sounds, except for the whisper of the wind and the shuffle of their own footsteps. 

"Maybe we should go back?" Emily whispered, glancing nervously around. 

Liv didn't answer, confidently striding forward. She could feel the tension rising, but she refused to show any fear. Logan, walking beside her, had stopped joking. Even his usual carefree demeanor seemed to dissolve in the thick night air. 

After a few minutes, they emerged onto a small, overgrown clearing, beyond which stood the old, crumbling mansion. The building was huge but looked as though nature was slowly but surely reclaiming it. The walls, once white, were now blotched with green moss, and the roof was marred by broken cornices and cracked shingles. Large windows, draped with cobwebs, resembled empty eye sockets staring into nothingness. The wind whistled through the broken glass, making the curtains sway slowly, like ghostly figures. 

"There it is..." Logan whispered, stopping in front of the fence. The rusty gate, almost overgrown with ivy, was slightly ajar, as if inviting them in. 

Ryan and Emily stood behind Liv, staring at the dark outlines of the house. The mansion had once had a well-kept garden, but now wild vegetation had taken over. The trees stood dead, their branches reaching up like frozen hands in prayer. The once neatly trimmed bushes had turned into thorny thickets, nearly impassable. Ivy crept up the house, slowly squeezing it like a snake strangling its prey. 

"Oh, this looks even worse than I imagined," Emily whispered, trembling as she hugged herself. 

Liv just stared at the mansion, her heart skipping a beat. Despite its ruined state, the house seemed alive. It was as if a dark energy seeped from its walls, taunting and tempting those who dared to approach. Suddenly, in the distance, there was a sound—like a door creaking or footsteps on a wooden floor. 

"Looks like we're expected," Logan smirked nervously, stepping toward the gate. 

Liv gritted her teeth and followed him, with Ryan and Emily trailing behind. The grass beneath their feet was wet and slippery, and the cold wind bit at their faces, sending chills down their spines. They stepped through the gate, which creaked ominously behind them, as if warning them that there might be no way back. 

"Well," Logan whispered, as if afraid to break the silence, "what do you think? Impressive, right?" 

Liv stopped, her face suddenly more serious than usual: 
"I'll admit, it's creepy." 

Emily pressed her hands to her chest: 
"Can we go back now? I'm not sure I want to find out what's inside..."

Logan, ignoring Emily's suggestion, began his story:

"The legend says that Lord Redcliffe was a wealthy but very cruel man. He suspected his young, beautiful wife of infidelity and became obsessed with jealousy. No one knows for sure whether he discovered the truth or if it was all in his imagination, but one night, he locked her in the mansion's basement. She spent many days there in the dark. Lord Redcliffe would visit her, bringing food and water, claiming he did it out of love and care. The lady remained silent, sometimes whispering that she wouldn't try to escape and that he shouldn't suspect her of betrayal. She assured him of her loyalty. And finally, he believed her."

"That's horrible!" whispered Emily, her face pale.

"What happened next?" Liv asked, glancing around the mansion.

"When the lord finally released her, it seemed like everything went back to normal. But soon after, the lady decided to escape. She nearly made it to the mansion gates, but the lord caught her, and this time his fury knew no bounds. In a fit of madness, he strangled her with his own hands and hid the body somewhere on the estate where no one could ever find it. After that, Lord Redcliffe slowly began to lose his mind. The house, which once felt like an impenetrable fortress, became a living nightmare. Rustling sounds, unclear noises, flickering lights, doors closing by themselves—all of this started to drive him insane. He could feel his wife's presence; her spirit lingered in the air, filling the house with cold. The ghost of Lady Redcliffe began to exact her revenge. She visited him at night, whispered threats in his ear, her image haunted his every step. One night, driven to the edge of madness, the lord heard her voice calling him to the stairs. He walked to the edge and suddenly felt a cold gust of wind, as if invisible hands had pushed him. He fell, breaking his neck. Some say it was suicide, but the old villagers believe it was her final act of vengeance. After the lord's death, the mansion stood empty for some time, but soon a new family moved in. However, the house was never at peace—Lord Redcliffe was now its prisoner. He couldn't find rest, his spirit wandered the house, consumed by madness and hatred."

Logan told the story loudly, emphasizing almost every word. It seemed like he had memorized some ridiculous script from a school drama club. Why? To scare the little kids...? But Liv wanted to believe him. He didn't seem smart enough to memorize a whole page of text. And besides, he was too "cool" for a silly theater. Only "sensitive, fragile souls" like Ryan would join that club, the ones who constantly get dunked headfirst into toilets... And the school queens who dream of landing the lead role in some Juliet play. Or whatever scenes they put on at school.

"What happened to the new family?"

"Oh, that," Logan paused and smiled widely, "I'll tell you inside the house."

"What? No!" Emily protested. "Liv, let's go home. My mom is probably worried by now..."

"Yeah, it seems like it's time to leave," Ryan agreed.

But Liv didn't want to go home. She was intrigued by the legend. She needed to know what happened next. And she didn't care if Logan was doing this on purpose, trying to lure her inside this creepy mansion.

"If you guys want to go home—go ahead, no one's stopping you," Liv said coolly. "But no one's waiting for me at home. So I want to stay."

Logan smirked when he heard her answer.

"Yeah, kids, if you're scared, don't get in our way, just leave."

"Liv," Emily looked at her disapprovingly. "Alright, I'm staying. I'm not leaving you alone. Especially not with this idiot."

"Yeah, I'll stay too," Ryan chimed in.

It seemed that he wasn't staying because he didn't want to leave the girls alone with Logan. More likely, he dreaded the thought of walking down the creepy, dark street alone, which seemed even scarier.

"Then let's go!" Logan said cheerfully.

Emily was the first to open the old, creaking, heavy door and step inside.

Inside, the house looked even worse than outside. The floor was covered with a thick layer of dust, the old paintings on the walls barely visible, and the air was heavy and stale. Liv felt something tighten inside her, but she didn't show it. The dusty, wood-scented room greeted them with absolute silence, broken only by the faint creaking of old beams beneath their feet.

As soon as they stepped across the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them. Emily screamed, and poor Ryan clung to her, grabbing her arm.

"Did... did that happen on purpose?" Ryan asked, his voice shaking.

"Calm down," Liv said uncertainly.

"Yeah... It's an old, heavy door. What do you expect, Ryan?" Logan chuckled, trying to calm himself down too. "Let's move on, kids. Or you'll run back out in a second..."

Liv, Logan, Ryan, and Emily slowly made their way forward, step by step, sinking deeper into the mysterious and sinister house. Thankfully, Logan had brought a small lamp, lighting up the endless corridor. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the empty rooms, seeming too loud in the oppressive silence. The house was steeped in an atmosphere of fear, as if the very air gripped them in its cold embrace.

The ceiling was high, but cracks appeared in places, and thick cobwebs hung from the corners. Old, darkened portraits hung on the walls, their images faded beyond recognition. The wallpaper patterns had almost disappeared under layers of dust and grime. The floorboards creaked underfoot, and from below came strange rustling sounds, as if something small and invisible was moving underneath.

"It's just mice," Logan muttered unconvincingly, but his voice trembled.

Suddenly, a wooden door to the right of them creaked open, leading to another room. Liv was the first to stop, freezing in place. The air smelled damp and rotten, as if the house hadn't known fresh air in decades.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in there?" Emily suggested, her voice weaker than usual, as though fear was squeezing her throat.

"No, we're already here," Liv replied, trying to stay calm, though her heart was pounding in her chest.

They entered the next room and immediately felt something change. The temperature dropped noticeably, and it felt like the walls were closing in on them. The room was large but almost empty—just an old fireplace, covered in dust and cobwebs, and a long table, on which lay some tattered papers and books.

"This is strange," Ryan said, looking around. "Why is everything left untouched? It feels like people just disappeared in the middle of the day..."

"Oh, it's time for the next part of the legend," Logan said, glancing at everyone. "Ready?"

"Y-yes," Liv nervously answered for everyone.

"I remind you, after the lord's death, the mansion stood empty for a while, but then a new family moved in," he began. "The new family, soon after moving in, started to behave strangely. The wife from this family was suspected of infidelity, and the husband was a quiet, withdrawn man. Lord Redcliffe, in his ghostly madness, became obsessed with their lives. He saw in the unfaithful wife a reflection of his own, and in the helpless husband—himself. He couldn't bear to see this drama repeat. The house began to 'live its own life': doors creaked, lamps flickered, objects moved on their own. The ghosts of the past, especially the lord, tried to interfere in the new family's life, as if hoping to prevent another betrayal. They say the family soon began acting strangely. The husband started to suspect his wife without cause, seeing her with someone else, and the wife gradually went mad from the unexplainable events in the house. Eventually, they left the mansion, but rumors about the strange family remained. Since then, no one has found peace in this house, as the spirits of Lord Redcliffe and his wife continue their eternal struggle for control over the mansion and its inhabitants."

"You said animals and people disappeared," Liv said. "So you made all that up while we were wandering around here? And what else did you say?"

"No, no! I just embellished it a bit," Logan replied. "I had to keep you interested somehow."

"I don't understand, Logan," Liv began. "You probably made up this dumb story too, about some nonsense lord Redcliffe. So why are you hanging out with kids, huh? Standing here, scaring everyone. Especially poor Ryan and Emily. Where are your friends? Why aren't you with them? Oh! I get it. This is your brilliant plan—to lure helpless kids into this house! It'd be so cool to mess with us, huh?"

"Liv, I..." Logan started, but Liv interrupted him.

"Hey, idiots! Yeah, I'm talking to you, Logan's friends! Come out, the show's over!"

As soon as she said that, one of the chairs by the table suddenly shifted, scraping across the floor with a terrifying screech. Emily screamed and hid behind Liv, who also flinched in surprise but tried to stay composed.

"Who... who did that?" Emily managed to say.

"Logan's friends, who else? Emily, don't fall for the nonsense this fool made up."

"But... Liv," Logan paused. "It wasn't me. And not my friends."

"Who then, ghosts?" she cut him off, glancing around.

"I-I don't know, maybe it was just a draft," he replied uncertainly. "Look, there's no one here but us. My friends... well, they ditched me, okay? That's why I decided to tag along with you."

Liv didn't have time to respond when suddenly, the doors leading to other rooms began to swing open one by one with heavy thuds. The creaking floorboards grew louder, as if something invisible and heavy was following them. The air was thick with fear, and the group quickened their pace, moving from room to room.

They stopped in a hallway where the walls were lined with portraits of long-forgotten people, but the faces in the paintings were blurred, as if someone had tried to erase them from history. Deep scratches marked each portrait, as though something had tried to break free. Liv paused in front of one, her hand instinctively reaching out to touch the canvas, but she quickly pulled her fingers back, feeling an icy chill.

"Something's not right here," Ryan whispered, glancing around. His face had gone pale, and his eyes darted from one end of the corridor to the other. "We need to get out of here."

Liv wanted to agree, but just then a loud crash echoed from afar, as if something massive had fallen to the floor in one of the distant rooms. The sound shattered the silence like lightning on a clear day. Emily pressed herself against the wall, her breathing growing rapid.

"I... I can't take this anymore," she whispered. "We have to leave!"

But before anyone could take a step back, Logan dropped his lamp. The hallway was now almost completely dark, and only the faint light of the moon, seeping through the dirty old windows, provided any illumination.

"This isn't real," Logan muttered, but even he no longer believed his own words. "It's just an old mansion..."

They slowed their pace, and then the doors, one by one, started slamming shut with a thunderous noise that made the walls shake. Liv screamed and rushed forward, but the path to the exit was blocked—the last door slammed shut with a deafening crack right in front of them. And then, as if the house had come to life, eerie, quiet rustling sounds began to emerge from the corners. They seemed to surround the group, growing closer. The floorboards beneath their feet started creaking and shifting, as if something was moving underneath them.

"Who's there?" Liv shouted, her voice trembling with fear. She looked around, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear herself.

Suddenly, one of the windows flew open with a bang, letting in a blast of icy air. The curtains began to move, as if they were alive, and a soft, barely audible laugh and a sinister whisper filled the air.

"We have to run!" Ryan yelled and bolted toward the nearest door.

Emily and Logan followed him, but Liv hesitated, as if something was holding her back.

A chill spread through her. She felt like she had to stay, as if the house was calling to her. Liv pressed herself against the wall, her heart racing, but her legs refused to move. The darkness around her deepened, and again, that faint whisper returned. Unclear words filled the space, as though someone was speaking directly behind her. She spun around quickly, but saw no one. The doors and windows began to open and close chaotically with deafening bangs. The walls seemed to be alive, shifting, and the air filled with a strange cold that chilled her to the bone. Liv curled up in a corner, hugging herself tightly, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The noise grew louder, the distant footsteps drew closer, and then...

Suddenly, in the midst of all the chaos, something changed. The noise slowly faded, and before her appeared faint glowing figures. Ghosts.