Truth or Dare

Chapter 1:

It was Halloween weekend and there was a party attitude in the air. The group of friends were headed to a known haunted house. They were all in college and had a strange fascination with the unknown. They had been known to be into ghost hunting or things that go bump in the night and one had found out about the place that they were headed to. It was an old manor house. House was a general description but there was something odd about the layout. In 1985 there was a group of kids that had played a game in the house and only one had survived. They were going to the same house and going to play the same game to see if anything happened to them. The lone survivor from the 1985 encounter wouldnt talk to anyone and only said that the house was dangerous. They wouldnt talk about what game they had played and said that if the group of kids went there that they were only looking for trouble. The group wanted to see if the place was really haunted or as the lone survivor had said it was the game. The game was Truth or Dare.

As they pulled up to the old manor house, Jenny got a strange feeling. She had strange feelings in the past but nothing this strong. Something wasnt right. Something was very wrong. She couldnt put her finger on it but there was something very wrong. She had wanted to do real research and had gotten told that since she wouldnt be part of the party that she would be the designated driver if there was any problems. Most of the others were going to have fun and not try to do honest work on it. Theres something wrong. We shouldnt do the games here. The research is going to be hard enough, but the games are too dangerous. I am here for research for a paper and this place is a known hotbed of activity so playing the games you brought is just not the smartest. Everyone looked at her. I know it sounds strange, but I have a bad feeling about this. You may think that I am being silly, but this is a bad place to do it. We can do the research from somewhere else. We should.

Steve looked at her. He had known Jenny for several years and she had always been able to tell what is going on. He knew to trust Jenny when she had strange feelings in the past. What is it Jenny? What are you feeling? the others looked at him like he was nuts. Jenny and I have been friends for years. I have learned to trust what her gut feelings are. She has had good and bad feelings and they are normally close to right on every time. She always has a gut feeling about things and if this one is not good; I want to know what she is feeling. She has been right in the past. Too many times to not find out what she is feeling.

Give me a break. It is a house, nothing more. Steve you want to be part of the idiots plan to destroy our good time that is fine. We are having a party and I am the one that paid for it. So, lets go! one of the guys said. The others got out of the car. They started to unload the trunk and other car with the stuff that they had for the party.

Steve turned to Jenny, What are you feeling in there?

Pain death suffering. This is there is death here. If we play the game, then we are going to die. I can see it. There is something about the game truth or dare that we need to investigate before we start. The Ouija Board is another danger but truth or dare there is an evil feeling with this place. You know that I dont drink and that I am trying to work on a paper and dont really want to be here. I came because you asked Steve, but this is whatever. Jenny said with soft voice. She could tell that Steve would be hurt if she left. I want to do some research before I go in there. I also want to get some outside shots of the house. The layout of the columns is wonderful, and I want to get some photos of it. I will work out in the yard to find the information that we need. We can set up the cameras and other things but leave everything for the games out.

The box that had the Ouija board (new in its original box), cards, pens, and candles was left out on the yard with Jenny. She pulled out a laptop and began to do some research on what she could find out about the house and the game. She knew too many dirty secrets on everyone. She could have destroyed all their friendships, but the time wasnt right. She hated that they assumed she would be ok with the party when she wanted to do some serious work. Soon she found some very disturbing information. The house was said to be a portal to the other side. Whoever had built it was in love with Ancient Egypt and had tried to recreate a temple in the shape of the house. It was said that when the house was originally done there were even offering tables out in the yard. Jenny wondered what it must have looked like when it was new. It must have been beautiful. There had been several problems with people getting hurt in the house and those that believe in the paranormal often say that it is a portal. From the time that the house was built there were problems with things going bump in the night. Maybe it was a portal to the other side. Who knows, all that they had to go on was the history of the place. Some people have gone missing in the house. Those that had believed in the occult said that the house had eaten them or destroyed them. The police have written the disappearances off as the people taking off. The house had been blessed several times and it was said they tried to do an exorcism of the house only to have things get worse. Jenny was looking up the game of Truth or Dare when she got a strange message – Play the game if you dare – there is only one way to win. Then the internet shut off as if she had logged out of it. Clouds began to form overhead.

Thunder rolled across the sky. Steve helped get the last of the stuff into the house. The rain started to come down. First gently then with more force. It got to the point that they couldnt see the cars on the street. Driving anywhere would be impossible, the street was flooded within minutes. Steve was wondering what had been found. What did you find out Jenny? Anything of interest? he asked in a soft tone. He wanted to have fun and not do schoolwork. Jenny was always a busy body, doing more schoolwork than having fun. She didnt even drink or do drugs. At least she was always a designated driver. Everyone just figured that she was OK with it. No one bothered to ask her if it was OK. There was a general strange feeling in the house. Something that he couldnt put his finger on. It was a dark feeling. As if something was controlling things. Steve couldnt explain it there had been no storm on the radar for over a week and now the storm had them trapped. As if the house had forced the issue. Forced them to go into the house.

There is a lot of dark history that is in the area. People have gone missing. Things have gone bump in the night ever since it has been built. The owner of the house were said to be into strange things but who knows. Those in the paranormal world think that it is a portal. Whatever it is, people avoid this place due to the strange feelings that they have around the house. When I went to do the research on the game that you guys are going to play, I got a strange message on the computer. I know that you are going to do what you want so it doesnt matter.

Marie one of the other young ladies scoffed. She had started drinking from a flask in the car and was one of the skeptics that had come for a party and nothing more. Well you have helped set the mood for the party, Jenny. You act like a game of truth or dare is going to hurt us. It is an old kids game not some strange way of torturing us for information. Seriously this house is a trip. I can image a bunch of crazy parties in this place. There are some wild carvings on the walls.

Nick said, Hang on we have the paper for Ms. Thompson on the psychology of the paranormal and we can use the experiences that we have if any. I dont think we will but who knows. Since we are all together it will give extra validity to what we have. It will help with the paper that we must do on the paranormal and we can get some extra credit points with Ms. Thompson. Plus, it will be fun to debunk the information that our little Miss Studious finds on the internet.