The Haunting of Blackwood Manor

It is in the forsaken village of Blackwood where time endured through heavy secrets with a silent manor. A story has been going around the locals which said that this mansion was haunted and that it was followed by a curse of restless spirits. There are three such restless spirits: Jolu, Ratu, and Yami-three ghostly siblings stuck to the house by one tragic past hiding in the shadows.

Jolu, Ratu, and Yami had their story coming long before when the three were the children of the ruthless Lord Blackwood known for being cruel to people. In this case, they were enjoying wealth, but evil ways of the father were sure to bring a kind of tragedy to them. It so happened on one night in the storm, some sort of mysterious fire caught into the manor and took the children within, and it was never seen again. People heard they died in the fire, but then there were those people who said that children were not dead, but were cursed and should be locked in the house until eternity.

The Arrival of Amelia

The mystery of Blackwood manor house was still too haunting for centuries to go by. For young historian Amelia, who had always been thrilled to discover the truth, stories of three ghostly siblings didn't frighten her back. She did not believe in ghost stories, but as she approached the dilapidated mansion, a sort of creeping unease began to dawn upon her.

All the villagers, of course, had warned her not to enter, but Amelia was not a believer in empty credulity and superstition. "Ghosts don't exist," she said repeatedly, as the voice quivered under words to herself. And so she stepped over the threshold into Blackwood Manor, clutching research notes in one hand and a torch in another.

The house, both indoors and outdoors, was one from a fantasy horror novel, be it the dusty cobwebs clinging about dusty walls or even a thick air crammed with an unsettling chill. But Amelia moved further into the house, eerie noises rang around her. She stopped, heart thumping against her chest as she realized that she is not alone.

Jolu, The Protector

To Jolu, eldest of the three siblings, belonged her view. The protector unto his brothers and sisters in life, so he continued in death with the same fierce intent: to watch over them. Much reluctance did he show in appearing until manifesting in the corners of the room. It was faint when Amelia finally set eyes upon him, the shadow of a boy with sorrowful eyes.

"Leave," Jolu whispered, so soft Amelia barely heard the word. "This place is unsafe for the living."

Amelia trembled slightly but continued. "I just want to know the truth. Who are you? What happened here?"

Jolu's shadow danced, but it didn't leave. "We were betrayed," he said his voice smeared with such an intensity of sadness that it was as if he were personally wronged.

Ratu, the Playful Trickster

However, the middle sibling, Ratu, was no exception either. Death had not robbed him of his sense of humor either. Mischief had an importance in his heart, and not much later than that, Amelia learned she was the perfect target for it. Doors slammed shut behind her, things appeared and disappeared by themselves, and laughter danced in the corridors.

She found him a boy no more than twelve years of age, with a merry grin and bright eyes. "You're fun," he said grinning as he flipped his torch on. "Nobody ever comes to play anymore."

Despite her disbelief, Amelia's eyes showed a flicker of sympathy for Ratu. "Sorry about what's being done to you," she murmured quietly. But I have to know the truth. Can you do me a favor?

Ratu's smile begins to wane and his face takes on a quite serious look. "Yami knows the truth," whispered, "But she's… different."

The Shadowy Side of Yami

But the youngest, the most mysterious, and most certainly not the most like of the brothers was Yami. Always in fear.

Yami, on the other hand, was the youngest and by far the most mysterious, and by all means, not the most like the brothers. Some parts of their human side were left for Jolu and Ratu to clench onto, but surely not so for Yami. She was a little sister reborn into the darkness within the manor halls.

Amelia found Yami in an abandoned nursery of the manor, where broken toys and old furniture are found scattered on the floor. When Amelia found her, Yami was a small girl with dark and hollow eyes, with a voice that had turned into a screeching whisper: "We were sacrificed," she said, with a bitter look: "Father gave us to darkness in return for power.

This was Amelia's moment of realization. This was a cover. Lord Blackwood traded his children for eternal life with some evil form of creature, and the curse kept the spirits of his children prisoner, held captive forever to the manor.

The Unfinished Story

She realized she had to break the curse, but there wasn't a path for her to follow. The cramp of their tragedy squeezed down on her as she stood there before Yami, Ratu, and Jolu. The ghostly siblings watched her with hope and frightfulness as the others wondered what the future held for her.

Only time will tell whether Amelia will free the souls or be a victim of Blackwood's wicked history.