Five Friends and A Mansion

Part 1

3 million years later...

Trixy shoved Willow's bag, making it land in a big, hard thump. Laguna scrambled up from her seat, grasping the old, faux leather bag of the cold floor. Trixy let out a malevolent snicker, the rest of the girls laughed with her. Of course, except Willow's three best friends: Laguna, Abbey, Joan, and Stella.

"Can't you just leave her alone!" snapped Joan, trying to defend her best friend.

"Oops!" Trixy lied in her fake syrupy voice.

Joan jumped up from her seat and marched towards Trixy with her fist clenched and eyes flaming dangerously. Trixy stood there, unaffected with Joan's hard glare. Even when she stopped right in front of her face, Trixy just smirked and crossed her arms. Her wicked smile got wider, it was like seeing a grown person being confronted by a baby.

"Cute. What are you gonna do? Sue me?" said Trixy.

The witch cackled, the whole class laughed.

"Obviously not, you'll just beg your daddy to pay it. Just like how you get all those stupid little handbags and overpriced sunglasses. Who even wears sunglasses indoors?!" Laguna shot back.

The whole class chuckled in return. This pissed her off. Her eyes glanced around nervously, trying to find something to say back. Finally, she found her perfect target.

"Ugh, you're just jealous. Besides, why don't you ask whitey over there? Her white hair is totally unnatural! Willow should be getting like a hundred hours of detention for school dress code violation. The school probably just feels bad for her. I mean, who wouldn't? She's stuck looking like a grandma for the rest of her pathetic life! Am I right?"

The whole class guffawed. Random students were pointing their nasty fingers at Willow while she held her hand down, ashamed. This made the girls furious. If it wasn't against law, Joan might have slapped her! Willow doesn't deserve this.

"Have you got no mirrors in your house or something? Try looking away from those fake eyelashes and unnecessary layers of foundation! Under all those, you're just a scaredy-cat!" exclaimed Abbey with her head up high and her arms crossed.

"Me? Scaredy-cat? I am not! How about you? Are you guys scaredy-cats?"

"Of course not!" yelled Abbey, her red-velvet curls matched her attitude.

"Want a bet?" challenged Trixy.

Joan nodded, the other girls stared profusely. The atmosphere became tense and anxious. All the other students stood still, intrigued. For a moment, it felt like the class was only them in the room. Like a lion versus a pack of stags, the odds were balanced. Trixy snarled.

"OK, I bet that you guys wouldn't survive a night in Camden mansion!"

The whole class gasped. "Camden mansion? Is that even possible", "Camden mansion, that place is super haunted", "No one has ever come out alive!", and more just like that.

The rambling became louder. Trixy grinned, satisfied. The girls glanced at each other, unsure. Finally, Joan nodded, followed by the rest of the team.

"You're on! And if we win, you'll apologize to Willow and never taunt her ever again!" exclaimed Abbey.

Trixy snorted.

"And if I win, you guys have to wear a T-Shirt that says: 'Trixy is the best' for the rest of the year!"

"Game on!" yelled the girls.

Trixy smirked and turned her head to glare at Jennifer. Then, she gestured her head towards the girls. Jennifer began to stutter indistinct words but then shut her mouth and began ambled to the center of the class.

"The rules are simple" Jennifer started. "Willow, Laguna, Joan, Abbey and Stella would survive a night inside of Camden mansion, starting from 6 pm to 6 am. It doesn't matter what you do in there but you have to stay inside the building, going out the door means disqualification. If one of you is disqualified, it means all of you lose. And if even one of you doesn't come out alive, you'll all lose. As proof, you guys will record yourselves the whole time."

Willow's eyes widened. Her little pixie body started to tremble, but her face remained valorous and lionhearted. Joan's face hardened to stone. Her expression was like a boxer ready to fight. Laguna's lips puckered, her wits wasn't her only strength. Abbey's hands were on her waist, her flaming hair looked despicable. Stella crossed her hands. Her wavy dark golden brown hair stood out more, making her look fearless and daunting. The girls - fist clenched and eyebrows furrowed - were more than ready to take on Trixy's challenge.

"Deal! And when we come back tomorrow, you'll all be shocked!" exclaimed Abbey with a bold expression.

She didn't even seem scared, her wide smile blocking the coward inside her. If there was a coward inside her. Trixy turned and sashayed away.

"Good luck" she muttered, mockingly.

The girls stepped out of the room. Joan and Laguna were still mad. Abbey, Stella, and Willow calmed down a bit.

"I can't believe her, who liked Trixy anyways" murmured Joan.

"First, she's popular so all the girls basically worship her, and second, instead of rambling about why we hate Trixy rambunctiously, why don't you help us figure out a plan," said Laguna.

"A plan of what?" asked Joan. Abbey rolled her eyes, Joan could be careless sometimes.

"A plan to survive! What do you think we were planning for, a plane ride to the savannas?!" said Willow, sarcastically.

"Camden mansion isn't really haunted. It's just old and abandoned, people just think it's creepy and started making up stories about it. Seriously, my grandpa could come up with better stories" said Joan.

"What story?" asked Abbey, dumbfounded. She was new here.

"The story of the 5 wives and the man. There used to be a man living there. He got married 5 times. All his wives adored him and got along with each other. Except for one wife who wanted the man for herself, so she started killing the other wives. After years of murdering and poisoning the innocent wives, she was the only one left. She finally got the man for herself, but the man decided to get married again and again. Furious, she decided to kill the man too. But this time, she didn't getaway. The police caught her red-handed and sent her to prison. She was sentenced to death for mass murder and was executed right next to the mansion. People say that her spirit lives in the mansion. That's why weird things happen in there like unexplainable lights and mysterious sounds" explained Stella.

"I don't mean plan to survive. I mean plan about who's bringing what. I don't believe in some stupid story or ghosts" said Laguna after a few beats of silence.

"Hm, we'll obviously need sleeping bags" murmured Abbey.

"No way! Let's stay up all night and explore!" exclaimed Joan. Everyone eyed her like she just came out of a mental hospital.

"Are you crazy?! Why would anyone want to do that? It's suicide!" screamed everyone.

"Guys, look. You said it yourself Laguna, ghosts aren't real. So it's not suicide, we're basically just exploring a house. Besides, imagine everyone's faces when we show them the video. Who knows? Maybe we'll find some hidden treasure or something" said Joan.

Laguna was about to scream her head off but instead, she thought about it. They knew that Joan was sometimes crazy but she's got a point. Joan wasn't crazy, she was insane. Insane as in daring, audacious, adventurous, and sometimes recklessly-stupid. Even Willow was intrigued. Who knows? Maybe they'll come out alive and unharmed! If Joan doesn't figure out more ways to possibly kill them.

"OK, fine. But only because everyone seems interested and we'll probably end up getting killed anyway. But hopefully not!" said Abbey.

"Awesome! So, we'll gather in front of the mansion at 5.30 pm. Stella, you'll bring a video recording camera. We'll each bring our own jackets just in case if things get cold in there. Don't want any of us getting Hypothermia. And of course, I'll bring tons of snacks! Just in case it'll be our last meal" said Joan.

The team agreed.