Chills & Thrills Anthology

A Daring Halloween | Welcome to Darkwood Mansion

The following is a top entry from our A Daring Halloween contest in conjunction with Ghost and Paranormal. Congratulations to our winner!

The full list of winning entries can be found here.

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PROMPT

It's All Hallows' Eve, and you're gearing up for the most eventful night of your life. While young children are out trick-or-treating, you've made your way to the one house people always skip. It's the abandoned mansion, rumoured to be haunted.

Dared by your friends to spend a night in the haunted house, will you survive the night, or will you uncover the truth behind the rumours?

  

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Welcome to Darkwood Mansion

EllisEOwen

A chill ran up his spine, a shudder gradually following behind as he stood across the street from the old, creepy Mansion. It had to be ten times scarier at night, especially on Halloween, where every house had decorations that lit up their property. This one had nothing but darkness, surrounded by dead and dying trees, the gate was chained shut with just enough space between them thanks to one of the hinges being busted.

Deakon swallowed and tightened his grip on his bag strap, taking a deep and shaky breath at the thought that he had to stay in that place overnight. He had been reluctant, he had made it clear that he didn't like the place and that just seemed to hype his friends up into daring him to spend a few hours there, until Dawn. What a great bunch of friends he had. He needed to reevaluate what Friend actually meant.

"You scared, Markain?" he shot Levi a dark look, the one that originally suggested that he stay here and made the others join in on daring him.

"No!" Deak snapped back defensively, hiding his lie rather well for what it was worth. He looked back towards the building, tension building in his muscles as the time grew closer to Twelve. They were out far later than they should and, unfortunately, the boys had seen to it that they all had a good alibi as to why Deakon wouldn't be home that night, using the excuse that they were having a sleep over at each other's house, when they were staying at Levi's. What could go wrong...?

"He's totally scared!" another of them blurted and laughed, the others joining in and one of them slapped his shoulder as he practically choked.

"No, I'm not!" he shot back and quickly glanced up and down the street before stepping out onto the road, keeping an eye out for cars along the way. Forcing himself to keep going, Deak stepped onto the curb and headed for the gates, taking his bag off to get it through first.

"See you later, Deakon!" one of the others called out as he slipped a leg between the gates, slowly shifting his body through the opening.

"Don't get killed by Ghosts!" Levi suggested unhelpfully and Deak paused to send a glare their way. Did he forget to mention that the mansion had rumours of being haunted? "Don't forget to take pictures! We want evidence!" he added and the boy huffed, continuing to get between the gates until he tumbled to his hands and knees inside the property.