The Seven Unconventional Friends of Daniel Ezra Raine

2

The front door of Raine Manor was difficult to open. That was the first problem with the house. The second problem was that dust was easier to find than even the stalest of air. Third, and perhaps most glaring, was that the house was haunted.

Yes, Raine Manor was haunted by not one, not two, not six, but seven spirits.

Daniel realized this when he spotted a lanky boy with dark, wavy bangs running through the hall to get away from him.

"Hello?" Daniel called out weakly. The house was so cold and empty, that Daniel felt smaller and more insignificant than usual. "Hello?" he asked again. "I'm not really sure if I did, but I think I saw someone so if you could come out and, I don't know, introduce yourself, um, that'd be great."

Daniel walked towards an ominous-looking door and reached out to open it. A loud noise shocked his hand back to him, and he darted a glance around the hallway, finally landing on the same boy. He sat atop a cabinet; eyes wide. On the floor by the cabinet lay a shattered vase. It looked expensive.

Shaking with fear, the boy mouthed, "He saw me!" The two were frozen, staring, each waiting for the other to move. Out of the wall, a perfectly manicured hand curled around the teen's arm and yanked him back through the wall.

Daniel screamed.

After he had recovered, he decided to continue to giant house that now belonged to him. The kitchen was empty, but that didn't worry him, because Daniel had eaten on the way over and could hold out until he had an opportunity to buy groceries.

He opened every door he could find until he stumbled upon what had to have been the master bedroom. A giant bed with dark red curtains sat impressively against one wall. An ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling like an earring from a wealthy woman's ear. Surprising to Daniel, the chandelier illuminated the room at the flip of a modern-looking switch. His watch read eleven twenty-four: time to go to bed. Too tired to change, Daniel rolled on to the bed and fell asleep.