Four Friends and Their Wildest Journeys

I. The journey in Va te faire foutre

The air inside the mansion was stale and cold, as if the building hadn't been touched for decades. Dust filled every corner, and the long, creaking hallways seemed to stretch endlessly. Faded tapestries lined the walls, their patterns too old to make out clearly in the dim light. The floors groaned underfoot, like a giant animal shifting in its slumber. It felt alive in here, breathing, waiting.

Andżelika marched forward without hesitation, her boots echoing across the worn wooden floor. She was completely unfazed by the sinister vibe of the mansion, used to challenging the world around her. "We're just here to have a little fun, mess around, and maybe find a ghost or two. No big deal." Her voice was laced with sarcasm, as if daring the mansion to do its worst.

Martyna, ever the thrill-seeker, was already at the top of the stairs, her phone raised like a beacon, capturing every moment. "This is the perfect place for a haunted adventure," she said, her voice high-pitched and full of excitement. Her fingers hovered over the screen, eager to document the chaos she anticipated. She was good at making everything feel like an event, and tonight was no exception.

Meanwhile, Karolina lingered just inside the doorway, her dark eyes scanning every corner of the room, her posture stiff and defensive. Every shadow seemed to pulse, every creak in the floorboards made her flinch. "I don't know about this..." she muttered, her voice quieter now, edged with an emotion she hadn't intended to show.

"Quit being a baby, Karolina," Andżelika taunted from the front, her tone thick with mockery. She turned her head over her shoulder, the smirk playing on her lips. "If anything happens, I'll be sure to kick some ghost ass for you."

Karolina shot her a look, rolling her eyes. "You'd just yell at the ghost until it leaves," she shot back, crossing her arms in defiance, though her voice was unsteady. She didn't want to let Andżelika see how on edge she really was.

But before either of them could exchange another word, a low rumble echoed through the mansion, deep and unsettling, vibrating the wooden beams above them. It started as a faint tremor, but then the house seemed to groan, as though it had just woken from a long sleep. Dust fell from the ceiling in thick clumps, and the floorboards beneath their feet creaked ominously, as if the house itself was shifting. A loud bang  followed, coming from somewhere deeper inside the building, and the lights above flickered wildly, casting grotesque shadows across the room.

Andżelika didn't flinch. She was used to this kind of thing. It's what she lived for. "Well, that's a nice touch," she said with a grin, unbothered. She wasn't scared. Nothing could scare her.

Martyna, on the other hand, gasped, her eyes wide with excitement, her heart racing in a way that bordered on giddiness. "Oh my god, that was amazing!" She spun in place, holding her phone up as if to capture the moment for the world to see. She wasn't just scared; she was thrilled, living for the adrenaline rush. "This place is perfect for a horror movie! I love it!"

Kuba stepped forward slowly, his hands in his pockets, pulling out a small flashlight. "Alright, alright," he muttered, flicking it on. The beam illuminated his face, casting it in an eerie light. "We're here for the real deal, huh? Well, rules are rules. If we're gonna do this, we need to stick together. No wandering off."

He was trying to keep it light, but his voice was strained. He had never been the type to get genuinely spooked by haunted houses, but something about the way the mansion groaned and shifted felt different—unnatural.

Karolina scowled, her posture tight as she stepped in behind them. Her usual cold exterior was cracking now, a layer of unease beneath her cynical persona. "I'm just saying, if anyone gets hurt, I'm not carrying them out." Her voice had that familiar bitter edge, but even she couldn't deny the knot tightening in her stomach.

They began to move deeper into the mansion, the heavy silence of the place pressing in on them. The air was thick, oppressive, as if it were holding its breath. Each step they took seemed louder than the last, the floorboards creaking under their weight. Andżelika led the way, confident, almost cocky, her footfalls sounding sure and purposeful. Kuba stayed close behind, the flashlight beam cutting through the thickening shadows. Martyna was beside him, her phone camera still pointed forward, eager to capture anything that moved.

Karolina lingered near the back, her eyes darting around the room, tracing the edges of the walls, the corners of the hall. Shadows clung to every surface, and the wallpaper peeled in ragged strips, exposing cracked plaster beneath. The house felt alive, but not in a welcoming way. There was a wrongness to it, something ancient and twisted that lingered in the corners of her mind. She wanted to turn around and walk out right then, but there was no turning back now.

Then, just as they reached a darkened hallway, the door to their right slammed shut with a deafening bang. It sounded like a giant fist had struck it, sending a shudder through the house. The entire building seemed to groan in response, and the air turned even colder.

Kuba froze, his flashlight wavering in his hand. "What the hell was that?" His voice was low now, anxiety creeping into his words.

Martyna, who had been filming with a smile just moments ago, suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she lowered her phone. "That wasn't a draft," she said in a whisper, her earlier excitement replaced by a trace of fear. "Something just closed that door... from the inside."

"Alright, this isn't funny anymore," Karolina muttered under her breath, her hands trembling slightly as she tugged her sleeves down over her hands. "Let's just go back. This is too much."

"Pfft, don't be such a wimp, Karolina," Andżelika sneered, her voice sharp, but even she couldn't shake the chill crawling up her spine. "It's just some old house settling. Maybe we should check it out. Find out what's behind the door." She moved toward it, her hand reaching for the doorknob, but before she could touch it, the rumbling sound began again—this time louder, more forceful, as though the house itself was shaking.

The lights flickered and went out completely, leaving them in total darkness.

"Shit," Kuba muttered, fumbling for his flashlight. It clicked on again, but its weak beam barely cut through the blackness. "You gotta be kidding me."

Martyna's voice was suddenly small, trembling with something other than excitement. "I... I don't like this. This feels wrong. This place is bad, guys."

Andżelika, still pushing forward, took one more step toward the door. "You're all acting like babies. I'm going in. If something happens, I'll kick its ass."

She turned the knob and swung the door open.

The air on the other side was thick with dust and a musty smell that made them all gag. But it wasn't what they expected. The room was filled with old furniture, shrouded in white sheets, like an abandoned museum. But it wasn't the furniture that made their blood run cold.

It was the figure standing in the center of the room.

A tall, thin woman in a long black dress, her face hidden beneath a veil, stood perfectly still, her back to them. Her presence seemed to draw the room in tighter, the air heavy with something ancient and malevolent.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Karolina hissed under her breath, her voice quivering.

Martyna, still holding her phone in her trembling hand, whispered, "What the hell is that...?"

The woman did not move. But as they stood there, paralyzed, the temperature dropped even further, and a voice echoed through the walls.

"You shouldn't have come."

And with that, the door slammed shut once more, leaving them trapped in the dark, haunted room with the figure.