Exorcism of Black Hollow Manor

Black Hollow Manor sits like a ghost - its walls eaten by ivy, stone front deteriorating - beyond the bounds of a forgotten hamlet steeped in mystery and sadness. The village whispers about this long-ago abandoned home in hushed tones, referring to it as a location where no living man dares set foot. It is said to be most definitely cursed, haunted by the tormented spirits of the Hawthorne family, which lived within its confines up until their inexplicable disappearance one horrific night a century ago.

The story opens with a young journalist, Sarah, who is in love with uncovering the truth about urban legends. The ghost stories told about it when she first visited the estate as a little girl make Black Hollow Manor the relevant subject for her essay. It is a drizzly day of autumn when Sarah decides to venture into the estate in order to study the past history associated with the estate and, in the same breath, investigate the rumors associated with its haunting nature. The chill, sharp wind whips through the leaves in the woods, while an ashen sky provides the perfect setting: the mood for her journey is terrifying.

As Sarah draws closer and closer to the house, the weird allure of it pulls her in. The gigantic wooden door creaks open as if inviting her inside with just a touch of her fingertips. Inside, it is like stepping into a time capsule from decades past. The slowly fading portraits of the Hawthorne family hang on the walls, and the furniture was heavy with amassed dust. She felt the air thick with history, for every chamber spoke to her about love, grief, and tragedy.

But as this nears nightfall, some unsettling vibe creeps around the home. Strange sounds echoed down the corridors: footsteps following her as she hunted for the source, and voices that sometimes seemed to shout her name. With a lot of read horror tales coming to her aide, Sarah manages to write it off to imagination. But as the darkness deepened and deepened, and the rooms were filled with the shadows, she could not shake off the sense of being watched.

In search of any information about the Hawthorne family, Sarah discovers a hidden room behind a false wall in the library. There, she finds an old notebook belonging to the youngest daughter, Eliza Hawthorne. Eliza's notebook chronicles her problems with the expectations of her family and a wish to escape free of the limitations of the mansion. Over time, her notes evolved to become increasingly threatening: a malevolent being that persecuted her and siblings. Most succinctly in the latter most piece, which was quite frenzied in tone, is an incident with some horrific encounter with a dark creature; it seemed to feed off their fear and would always lurk at the edges of their home.

As Sarah reads her words, a shudder goes down her spine. When suddenly the notebook slams shut of its own accord, Sarah is left with a feeling of foreboding. Whatever happened to poor Eliza and her family? What could have caused them all to vanish into thin air? Determined for a solution, Sarah plunged headfirst into the mysteries of Black Hollow Manor.

Immediately, the house seemed to spring to life around her. With the temperature falling further, every breath she exhales fogs in the air; the slamming of doors on their own echoes, sending shivers down her spine. There is no signal when Sarah checks her phone; it buzzes with notifications, though. She finds that she may be stranded, and fear breaks out in her. She walks down dark hallways, seeing from the corner of her eye outlines of people: a sad-looking guy, a lady in a white dress, children giggling.

Sarah sees a family portrait in the dining area as she hunts desperately for a getaway. The faces of the Hawthornes nearly appear to come alive; it seems like their attention follows her every step. It finally dawns on Sarah that the house is not just haunted but houses the spirits of the Hawthorne family, and definitely an evil spirit, as Eliza has said, feasting on the energy of everyone who comes in. She can feel it getting stronger, feeding off her desperation and horror.

Sarah remembers Eliza's journal entry, "To run away, one has to face his demons." She is now standing at the edge of giving in to that demon. It was in this tender moment, as she gains the strength to head out into the corridor and confront a ghostly apparition standing in the hall, that she finally reaches her. It takes on Eliza-her expression contorted in anguish. Sarah finally reaches her in a tender moment and communicates that she understands the level of pain and terror that Eliza has endured.

Color rises in Sarah's cheeks as they share a glance. The horrible energy dissipates and darkness retreats. For the first time in decades, serenity appears in Eliza's eyes as her body relaxes. The house starts to crumble around Sarah as the horrific ghostly entity leaves. She knows this is her chance to flee as the walls begin to shake.

Feeling the air change behind her, Sarah sprints for the door with one last look at Eliza. She bursts through the door as the house collapses in a thunder of sound, leaving nothing but dust and remnants of times long past.

Outside, the settlement appeared exhaled from. Out there, shaking but resolute, is Sarah. She freed their spirits by finding out who each of the Hawthorne family had been, trapped inside some sort of magic in this house. She leaves with a newfound resolution that she will tell their story, and Black Hollow Manor will stand for generations to come as testimony to love, loss, and just how strong one can become when standing up to their inner demon, not a haunted house.