"The Night of the Hollow Moon"

The Night of the Hollow Moon

Halloween was supposed to be a time of fun — a time for costumes, parties, and candy. But in the town of Ravenswood, Halloween carried a darker weight, a sinister history that most residents had long forgotten… or pretended to forget.

For Emma Pierce, this Halloween was supposed to be like every other: a night out with friends, wandering the streets in costumes, indulging in the tradition of trick-or-treating. But when her friends dared her to explore the Hollow Manor, the abandoned estate on the outskirts of town, she unwittingly unlocked something that had remained hidden for centuries.

It began with an invitation. Emma had received a text from an unknown number:

"The Hollow Moon is upon us. Come to the Manor at midnight. Your costume awaits."

At first, she had thought it was a joke. But as the hours wore on and the familiar excitement of the night grew, Emma felt an undeniable pull to go. After all, she was with her friends, and what could possibly happen in a place everyone talked about but no one dared to enter?

The Legend of Hollow Manor

Ravenswood was an old town, its history intertwined with strange events that few liked to discuss. Hollow Manor, a massive, decrepit mansion, was the heart of those stories. Built in the 1700s by the enigmatic Ezekiel Hollow, the manor had once been a lavish estate, home to the Hollow family, who were known for their opulence and peculiarities. The family’s sudden and mysterious disappearance in 1824 left the mansion abandoned — and the town quickly began to whisper of curses, rituals, and the Hollow family’s dark dealings with the supernatural.

Local folklore claimed that on Halloween night, when the moon appeared as a hollow ring, the spirits of the Hollow family would return to the manor. But no one truly believed the old stories, dismissing them as myths. No one but the town’s oldest residents, who still warned young people to stay away, especially on Halloween.

The Dare

By midnight, Emma and her friends were standing before the towering gates of Hollow Manor. The air was cold, the wind whispering through the dying trees, as though warning them to turn back. But the thrill of the dare outweighed any hesitation.

The gates creaked open as if inviting them in.

Inside, the mansion loomed like a giant shadow, its broken windows and decaying walls telling the story of years gone by. Despite the rotting structure, there was an undeniable sense of presence — something ancient, something waiting.

“Alright, let’s see if this place lives up to the hype,” Emma’s friend Jake said, pushing open the grand wooden doors.

They stepped inside, the floor creaking under their weight. The dim light from their flashlights revealed cobwebs, shattered furniture, and faded portraits that seemed to watch them. Emma could feel her pulse quicken, but she brushed off the sensation, chalking it up to nerves. They were just a bunch of teenagers on a dare, right?

They wandered deeper into the manor, their voices echoing through the empty halls. Suddenly, they stumbled upon a large, ornate mirror — something out of place in the dusty ruin. It was polished to a shine, despite the years of neglect.

A strange, pulsating glow seemed to radiate from the mirror. Before anyone could react, a figure appeared within the glass.

It was a man, tall and gaunt, his face partially obscured by a dark, hollow mask. His eyes glowed eerily, and his lips were twisted into a grim smile. He didn’t speak, but his presence was suffocating.

“Did you see that?” Emma whispered, her voice barely audible.

Her friends turned, their expressions pale and anxious. They had all seen it. But as quickly as the figure appeared, he vanished. The room fell silent, save for the sound of their breathing.

The Mask

The group stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. But before they could gather their thoughts, a rustling sound came from the far side of the room. It was a large chest, its edges adorned with strange symbols. Emma stepped forward, drawn inexplicably to it.

She opened the chest.

Inside was an assortment of tattered costumes, each more unsettling than the last. But one stood out — a hollow mask, crafted from pale wood, with deep, hollowed eyes. The mask seemed to beckon her, calling her name silently in the midst of her growing fear.

Without thinking, Emma reached for the mask and placed it over her face.

Instantly, she felt the air shift. A coldness crept into her bones, and the world around her began to distort. The walls seemed to pulse, the floor beneath her feet trembled as if something ancient had awoken.

A voice echoed in her head — the man in the mirror.

“Welcome back,” it whispered. “The ritual has begun.”

The Awakening

As Emma turned to her friends, she saw them in a new light. Their faces, once filled with concern and confusion, now wore expressions of dread. They weren’t looking at her. They were looking beyond her — at something that Emma couldn’t yet see.

Then, the ground shook, and the mansion seemed to groan in protest. The Hollow Moon — the real one — was beginning to rise outside, casting a strange glow through the broken windows. The very air seemed to hum with an ancient energy, and Emma realized the ritual wasn’t just some tale. It was real.

One by one, the other costumes in the chest seemed to move on their own, as though drawn to the people who dared enter the manor. Each of her friends picked up a mask, drawn by the same force that had claimed Emma. As they donned the masks, they too became part of the ritual.

And then the manor came alive.

Shadows moved as if they had a mind of their own. The air grew thick with the smell of decay and something foul. Emma turned to find herself face-to-face with the figure from the mirror — the man with the hollow mask. His grin was wider now, and his eyes burned with an unholy light.

“The Hollow family returns,” he intoned. “And you, Emma Pierce, are our final piece.”

The Escape

A surge of panic shot through Emma. She needed to escape. But her body wouldn’t obey. The mask seemed to have taken control of her actions, pulling her into the heart of the manor, deeper into its haunted corridors.

Her friends were no longer themselves. Their voices were distant, twisted, murmuring incomprehensible words as the masks claimed their souls.

She finally broke free from the trance. The mask was suffocating her, its grip tightening with every breath. With one final surge of strength, Emma ripped the mask from her face, throwing it to the ground.

The world around her stopped.

The mansion was silent again. The fog outside had dissipated. But Emma knew better than to think it was over. She ran, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t look back.

When Emma finally made it back to Ravenswood, breathless and trembling, she realized something chilling. The mask was gone.

And Halloween was just beginning.

Epilogue

The next Halloween, Ravenswood was alive with celebrations, just as it had always been. But Emma knew the truth. The Hollow family had never left. And every year, when the Hollow Moon rose, they would return, looking for new souls to claim.

Emma’s story was told in hushed whispers, passed down through the generations. But no one ever truly believed. They thought it was just another Halloween tale.

And every year, the cursed masks waited for the next group of unsuspecting victims to stumble upon Hollow Manor, where the ritual would begin again.