The Unknown

Chapter II

SAM

Music: Blue Nightmare Sky from Star Revenge 2: Night of Doom

"Are you sure this is the right place?" my mom asks me and Elle as she pulls up in front of the mansion. Mia texted us all the address of the mansion, and Elle used Google Maps on her phone to help guide my mom there. Most of us told our parents that this mansion belongs to a relative of Sean and Shanna's, and that they invited us to spend the night there. As for Sean and Shanna, their parents just assume that they're gonna spend the night at our 'clubhouse' (which is really just a hunting cabin that we own... kind of), which we actually do on a regular basis. They will be riding with Avery and Brielle (Avery's older sister).

I look at a picture of the mansion that Mia sent us, and compare it to the mansion in front of us. Exactly the same. "Yep. This is it," I answer.

"Alright. Have fun and be respectful," my mom tells us.

"We will," I sigh as Elle and I get out of the car. My mom always feels the need to tell me that before dropping me off anywhere for some reason, even though she probably knows that I'm already aware of how to act.

Mia and Mackenzie are currently the only other people present. We join them in staring at the front of the mansion. It's about 7:30 PM, so the sky is about to get dark. To add to the unsettling ambiance, it's apparently supposed to rain tonight.

"This is the exact kind of mansion that they would use in horror movies," Mackenzie comments.

"All the more reason why I'm using it for my research," Mia grins. I notice that she has a notepad and a pen with her. Talk about dedication.

Elle and I don't say anything. When it comes to superstition, I usually lie somewhere in the middle. Even though we've seen and dealt with all sorts of paranormal entities, I would still say that I don't believe stories about them right away. I'm more of a "see it to believe it" kind of guy. However, that doesn't stop me from being extra cautious, just to be safe.

That isn't to say that I don't believe Avery's story, of course. After all, she was able to provide proof. However, there's a very good chance the story was slightly exaggerated.

Another two minutes pass. Suddenly, I hear Heath's voice to my right. "Sure looks intimidating, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," I snort. "Honestly, the only thing that worries me is how big that place is. Our biggest concern should be somebody getting lost in there."

"I can't put my finger on how modern this mansion is," Heath ponders aloud. "I can't tell if it was built five years ago or thirty."

Finally, Brielle's car pulls in, and Avery, Sean, and Shanna hop out. As they walk towards us, I ask Avery, "Just curious: Why did you need Brielle to drive you here?"

"If my parents knew I'd be staying at this mansion, they'd never let me go," Avery replies. "As far as they're concerned, I'm spending the night at the clubhouse like Sean and Shanna are."

How Avery was able to convince Brielle to go along with this lie is beyond me, but I ask no further. I simply nod, and then wave to Brielle and yell, "Hi, Brielle."

She smiles, waves back, and replies with, "'Sup."

I get a bit of a glare from Avery for that one. Being social does have occasional downsides.

SHANNA

Music: Frantic Factory from Super Donkey Kong 64

With all eight of us present, we walk to the front doors of the mansion. Amazingly, they're unlocked. We all walk inside slowly, with no idea or expectation of what to expect. Once all eight of us are inside, Heath shuts the door. Before we can advance further, Avery says, "Hang on. I need to test something." She then pulls the front doors open and shuts them again.