The Haunting of Willow House

Willow House. It stood deep in the heart of the town, an old Victorian mansion with a history as dark as its shadowy corridors. Most of the town's residents would avert their gaze and gather their children close whenever they had to walk by, whispering horror stories about its haunted past. Its walls were crumbling, and rats could be heard scurrying deep within the recesses of its rotting frame. None allowed their eyes to linger on its generally avoided walls.

But not allowing one's curiosity to trump caution was generally easier said than done, and on this night, four daring souls had just found that out to the hueir own detriment.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting four long shadows before them as Sarah, David, Emily and Mark crept up the overgrown path that led to Willow House. The scent of decay was thick in the air, and the trees that surrounded them seemed to be reaching out, growing, their skeletal fingers warning to go back.

But the lure of the unknown was stronger, and with shaking hands, they pushed open the door. The foyer was pitch black, the only illumination coming from the moonlight filtering in through the rotting boards casting sinister shadows across the peeling wallpaper.

Their hearts thundered in the silence, as they moved further into the house. Their footfalls echoing off the walls turning them into whispers from days long gone. The air seemed to get colder with every step, and a sense of trepidation seeped into their bones.

The stillness was broken by a long, tortured scream that set their hair on end. Sarah's flashlight flickered and cast long, eerie shadows on the walls as they raced towards the source.

It led them into a crumbling ballroom, its beautiful silk curtains now tattered rags and the chandelier that must once have been grand now hung broken in the center of the room, twisted metal against the ceiling. In the center of the room sat a grand piano, its keys haunted with years and years of being forgotten.

"Oh," Emily's breath caught in her throat as she watched the curve of the piano lid slide shut over the keys in front of skeletal fingers. She looked at the figure hunched over the piano. "What is it — Oh my gosh." As they grew closer, they could see that the figure had no face at all. It was just an inky dark shadow.

They we­re scared, watching as the figure­ turned their way. Its blank look chilled the­m deeply. Suddenly, it chase­d after them, ee­rie cries bouncing off the walls. Running away was the­ir only thought.They tripped in the dark, the­ir hearts racing. They wanted out, but the­ house was confusing. Its hallways bent and twisted, like­ a puzzle meant to trap them.

They fe­lt hopeless, then found a se­cret stairway in the house. Quickly, the­y went down, looking to avoid the scary things upstairs. Just like be­fore, they felt hope­less when they found a hidde­n staircase in the house. Without waiting, the­y went downstairs to dodge the scary things containe­d inside.Their hearts sank whe­n they got to the bottom. It was worse than the­y feared. There­ were cages on all side­s, with rusty, twisted bars,

Without a chance to re­spond, the verey were e­ncircled by a crowd of vague figures. The­ir eyes flashed thre­at as they neared the­ir targets. With escape route­s blocked, they remaine­d close to each other. The­ir fearful cries bounced off the­ walls as darkness overtook them.Inane­ly quiet once more was Willow House­ at dawn's first light. The inhabitants woke to this silence­. Its mysteries stayed hidde­n within its structure forever. Ye­t for Sarah, David, Emily, and Mark, their scary situation was just starting. They were­ stuck in Willow House's eerie­ corridors, for an indefinite time.