Mansion

Barren land and grey skies. ...in between stood alone a middle age manssion. Nothing to surround it but barren lonelyness of the atmosphere. Cold environment, full moon night. No other source of light except the moon, itself. For miles the nothingness can be felt. Not a sound,complete pindrop silence.

In that lonely night the manssion stood like a soldier. A silhouette of itself. Mist hovering above it. Thunder strike! and in that flash of light for a second the appearance of the manssion reveals itself..old paint but not chipped, only roughed by time and weather. Stone steps to the main entrance, one broken glass window in the left, on the second floor. It was five storied building. Tightly closed doors and windows, broken name plate. Not a single soul to welcome life. And then again it's covered in the darkness.

Miles away from the manssion, a road connecting two cities through that barren land, straight like knife left a trail of dark blood on the body. No sign of light on that either. No night traffic , may be a less preferred route or may be a less used one. The road was as fresh as laid a month ago. On both sides nothing but barren land for miles and miles along the road can be seen as far as eyes could see.

Two dimming head lights coming near and then the whole car comes in the vision. A sports model mettalic red color with white stripe running from the bonnet to the dikky. Inside the car young driver not able to control the speed accompanied by his group of friends, turns the car off road in trial with slowing down the car. The steering goes crazy and car seemed to dance in that lonely night as if a young got her freedom to celebrate her youth. And with a sudden screech of break the car comes to halt and lights go completely off. Boys get down to heck upon it. The boy on the driving seat opens the bonnet and asks the friends to throw some light. All surrounded him and switch on the flash lights in their mobiles. The engine had become very hot. Radiator was fuming like angry bull, without a single drop of water. They looked arround in vain and the group decided to stay in the cat, till the sun rises. In the morning the first thing they will do was to go in search of water and then a mechanic, this decided, all hopped back in the car and closed doors. They were adjusting to make themselves comfertable for the night, when suddenly again thunder striked and in that light they could see the lonely manssion. The impression they got was that some old tyrant not liking the trespassing on his property. For a second they were shaken then ignored the strange feeling and slipped down a bit in their seats to doze off.

Hardly half an hour had passed when they could hear a loud thud sound which woke them up. Looking arround, gave them no clue as it was completely dark. Within five minutes interval one more thudding sound came from nearby. Now they were completely awake and in senses. Two of them de idea to get down and investigate the source of sound. Rest two were to stay back in the car and be ready to backup the first two, if required.

The two started to move in the direction from where the sound came. The driver boy suddenly stumbled upon something and pulled his friend along as both were holding hands, as they could not risk the reuse of phone lights lowering the battery and they had no source to recharge. When they got up and stood straight one of them took the phone and switched on the screen and in the dim light they noticed they were standing near the footsteps to the main door of the manssion.

Meanwhile the boys in the car dozzed off. a screeching sound jerked the sleepy heads straights. They looked from the half shut eyes for their friends, to find no one in else in the car except them. Again a screeching sound came, but this time more loud and just behind them. With a shrudder they turned arround to look for the source. They could only feel something against the glass behind but couldnot see. They were drenched in the sweat and breathing very slow and unsteady. None of them had the guts to switch on the phone and look at "it". The sound turned into a knocking thud but not on the window glass, from the rear view glass instead. This was enough to scare shit out of them. One behind the driving seat opened the door and jumped out of the car followed by the anotherone. Both ran for their life in the direction they thought their friends went.

The boys climbed up to the main door. And in the same dim light of the mobile phone looked for the door bell. the moment driver reached for the doorbell, the mobile screen turned off and he felt one more hand over the bell below his. He jumped in sudden terror as if got shock. His friend with phone, whispered asking him what was the matter. This time another mobile screen lighted. In that he could see his other two friends. They were recovering from the shock when they could feel the opening of the door. A soft ruffling or just a gush of air that told the door was opened.

None of them wanted to go in but as if some force was pulling them in, they entered the door as if floating. It was some what suffocating in there. They kept moving holding hands. In here it was more scary, in the absense of the dim moonlight available outside. They had no other option but to switch on the phones. But only two of them did so keeping rest two phones for emergency. In that meager light they saw a hallway and started to move in that direction. When suddenly they felt cool breeze slapping their face, they turned in that direction to see what caused it. They were standing close to an open coldstorage room! thry were frightened to death! Continuing towards hallway, thye reached a point from where the steps went up. Instead of going to hall they decided to explore upstairs. reaching on the first floor they saw five doors on either side of the passage and one bigger door at the end of the passage and staircase going up to the next floor. What got into them even they didnt know and decided to climb up. While they were going up, some foot steps were felt behind them. Stuck with fear they freezed where they were. None of them dared to turn back and look. The moment they stopped the footsteps also came to halt. Boys swallowed hard, sweat dripping from their mane, heart beating fast and loud. They could hear it thumping against their ribs. They took one more step and then one more feeling as if stones were tied down to their feet, when they could hear the footsteps again. And on the count of three all turned back to see and find staring back at themselves descending down the steps. They went white. It was then that thye took notice of their surroundings. Velvet wallpaper in marroon with black floral mottifs covered the wall, stairs were covered with same color drape with black strips running along the length on both sides. One big window at the platform step, which let the moonlight in, casting shadows of window sill on the steps, giving deapth to the shadowey appearence. Rosewood railing to the steps gave it the rich look. They took the flight of steps in hurry to get away from themselves, still climbing down!

Reaching the second floor they entered the first room they could reach and closed the door behind. In the room there layed a king size four polster bed. Clean linen and properly folded blankets gave the idea as if someone had made the bed just now. The room had two windows looking outside on the barren land. It had candle lamps too. One of them took out the lighter and lighted the candles. In the golden light of candles the room glowed like warmth itself. The room was quiet welcoming after what all they had experienced till now. They started to explore the room. It had an adjecent bathroom which was large enough to be the half the size of the room. It had a dressing table, cupboards and walkin wardrobe in the same rosewood. Four of them were too tired to notice anything else that they fell on bed and went to sleep immidiately. After sometime they felt cold chilling their bones and their sleep was disturbed and to their surprise they found the window open and to their surprise the lamps were all blownup! They arose from the bed and went near the window, to close it. The boy with the lighter lighted the candles again. When the warmth returned, all the four sat on bed not ready to give in to sleep. When they were getting comfertable one of them saw the bathroom door was opened slightly and suddenly he got frigid and stiff. Others followed his direction of view and gave same reaction. From the door ajar, they could see someone's shadow in the bathroom. One of the boy managed to get up and inspect the bathroom closely when that presence was suddenly gone. He was in state of shock when he felt someone digging nails in his feet. He screamed at the top of his voice without even looking down and jumped onto the bed. All of them sat as close as possible. The flames of the candles started to flicker and then suddenly everything stopped as if came to stand still. The boys hold their breath and waited for something drastic to happen, at this point the walking closet door shruddered voilently. The knocking was comming from inside the closet door and with great force and sound both the windows opened and a gush of wind entered room throwing the boys off the bed, smashing them against the dressing table and the cupboard. It felt like some one lifted and threw them. The boys gasped for breathe and sat straight, adjusting themselves. Suddenly one boy felt someone over his shoulder but had no guts to shout so closed his eyes tightly and clutched the hand of his friend sitting right next to him. Friend then saw a black shadow like figure knealing over his friends shoulder and staring in their direction with red darting eyes. The blood in their veins froze when they felt the shadow smiled a wicked smile with steel white teeth gleaming. The moment they were to shout they found their voice was muffled with one hand of the shadow and the other was coming to pentrate their friends chest where his heart was. It was then the sound of mobile alarm jerked them all out of the sleep. They found they were asleep in the position they were sitting on the bed before they noticed the bathroom door ajar. The cold sweat was dripping down and they were shivering. Wiping their face they noticed the blue marks across each other's face. They looked puzzled and reach for their mobiles which were in silent mode at that time. It puzzled them even more to find out that none of the mobiles were set for alarm. They were about to say something when again mobile rang, but whose, was the big question as all the four mobiles were kept in front of them and none was ringing. But the sound of ring grew louder and louder till they couldnot bear the sound and shut their ears. It was now ringing in their head and they started to bang their head on the bed and pressing the ears more hard but the sound didnot stop. The boy who drove the car went crazy and ran towards the window madly and jumped out. With the crashing sound of the glass the ringing mobile stopped. The three friends ran towards the window and looked down, their was nothing to be seen but the barrend ground.

They were wondering over the issue when a thudding knock came on the room's door. They were freezed in their place and could not move an inch from their places. The knocking became more vigorous and loud. Then they heard their friend's voice shouting for help. In their disbelief they took some time to digest the matter that their friend was alive and then boy who accompanied him in the first place, moved forward to open the door. As he was about to open one hand from beside the dressing table pulled him away from the door. The boy was taken by fright and when looked at the face of his same friend he was shocked. All of them gathered and were about to question, when the boy in question himself told them that when he dashed to the window he saw one figure jumping out and he fell down and rest of the incidents took fast turn and he had no time to show up before now. The boys were still in doubt over the story when the sound from outside stopped and pindrop silence fell. The boy in question asked his friends whether they saw his body or not? When they replied in no, he said that it was because "it" was not him but "something" else. They decided to leave the room and opened the door to let themselves out. They started to descend the stairs and on reaching the first floor they saw a room door open and it was looking like the one they just got out of. Wondering, they went to see and found they were in the same room. Again they raced down the stairs and reached in front of the same room. Three times they tried in vain to get down but failed. Finally they decided to stop trying. They were standing in the passage for a while now holding each other's hands and praying. When a growling sound came from side and the figure followed it was horrible beyond description. Without breathing out, the breath they took in, they start to move towards the room inch by inch. When they got in, the door closed by itself behind them. They looked at each other's faces puzzled and swallowing hard. Sweat running down at the back of their nape, over the nose,behind the ears and a drop stopped at the corner of their eye, heart beating as fast as a nonstop superfast train runs. Slowly they close the door behind them and exhaustedly fall on the bed. They close their eyes just to reopen by the shaking of their body, as if someone was trying to wake them up but didn't want to make a sound. Slowly the boy who was driving the car opens his eyes first to see what the hell was happening. With his half closed eyes he sees a hazy figure looming over him and fanatically shaking him up. He sits up with a jerk realising that the figure was one of his friend trying to wake him up. Before he could open his mouth his friend kept his palm over it and signed to be quiet putting his index finger on lips then poi ted towards the dressing table.

Looking that side he saw his own reflection in the mirror standing just inches away from the table although he was not even near the damn thing. But the glint in the eyes of his reflection that there was something wrong. Then they both started waking up the other two. Whoever looked towards the mirror saw his own reflection in the same manner.

They were confused over situation and were scratching their heads to solve when boy with the lighter suddenly sat still and whispered that he heard a voice of a little girl outside the room calling him by his name. Suddenly by the corner of his eye he noticed something felling to the ground and crawling slowly towards them, he grew stiff and turned pale. Boys on noticing him became uncomfortable knowing something horrible is either present in the room or coming for them. In the dead silence of the night a clicking sound as if someone opened the door knob, made their heartbeats race. They slowly turned their heads towards the door half expecting to see someone, but were relexed that there was no one in there. But the room temperature suddenly started to fall and it was so cold in there that the dresser's mirror and window glass were coated with fog. Boys' teeth were clittering when a sudden sound of fingers rubbing on the wet glass made them aware of someone's presence. They turned towards the windows to find a dark hollow see through presence in front of the dresser, though it had no face but it looked as if it was grinning and floating moved towards them. A boy screamed and fainted. The shadow vanished. Other friends lifted him to bed. One of them went to bathroom for getting water to shower on his face when a sudden sound of glass bottles crashing against floor and some people shouting and querying was heard. Leaving one friend with the fainted one the other two went out to check but as soon as they came to the steps the sounds were silenced. Meanwhile in the room when the two were left alone, thud of window startled the boy sitting on the edge of the bed that he fell off the bed. He was getting up when he saw his fainted friend lying under the bed. With eyes boggling and mouth dropped down he barely stood up and saw his friend over the bed. He got frightened for his life and stumbling over, ran out of the room. He had no guts to look back for his friend and he dashed into th other two, who halted as soon as the sounds and voice were shut. Seeing him there they asked him the reason. And after telling them h was in no mood to return back to the creepy room. But had no other option then to follow friends as passage seemed more scary in that darkness. Somehow three managed to comeback to the room and looked over their friend who was now sitting like a paranoid. They tried to talk him over but he refused to response. It seemed he withdrew from the experience. It was then that one of the friend's noticed Scribbling on the mirror. He cried in disbelief and then took hold of other's hands and tried to pull them out of the room fanatically. None was in a position to question him so they let him drag them out of the room. Once

out, they looked at him with questioning eyes. But a look at his face silenced them. Only question now roaming in their mind was what should they do now,can't go in the room neither can go down. Standing there in the dark passage surrounded by the unseen danger they were penting for their lives when the boy who drove the car said that he would like to try and risk a chance to save them all. All except one agreed as he still was looking shaken from what he saw. They crossed their hands across each other's back as they would do in happy times, taking the semiconcious friend in between and started descending the steps. They continued to descend till they reached the first floor once again. They decided not to go in the room even if they came back to the second floor like last time. On reaching last step of the second floor they looked around and stepped down. And started the second flight of stairs without considering where they were going. On the last step again they looked around and found they were standing next to the hallway, from where they took the stairs up in the first place. They were deciding their next move when they heard some heavy foot steps behind them coming closer and closer and their hearts pumped as one with a loud thudding sound in their chest against the rib cage and when turned to see there was no one out their. They were confused because it felt so real and sounded so clear and still there was no one, their hearts pounded more in unsober manner. They started to walk away from the steps in the opposite direction of the hallway. Reaching the mid point from the steps to the main door they for once looked around and noticed the place was well furnished and very neatly managed as though inhabited.

It was then that they felt again the temperature going below the comfort level. The very moment the boy who was semi unconscious stirred and looked straight in the darkness with his eyes wide open and hissed under his breath that the thing which was there doesn't want them to leave. They are to stay back here for as long as they are alive. He went unconscious as smoothly as he came around. The boys were scared to death and trembled with fear. A whispering sound came from other end of the passage followed by the growl once again and this time it felt just couple of steps ahead, they were freezed with fear that couldn't move a little so just their eyes moved with terrified expression and face covered all in sweat and they saw a dark shape crouching in the hallway. They didn't get the time to make out what it could be when it suddenly sprang up and advanced towards them. The boys forgot everything even the unconscious friend and ran like anything for their dear lives. One of them suddenly turned back and grabbed the friend who was not himself yet and they all ran towards the main door.

Reaching the main door was another nightmare as they turned the door's knob it refused to turn either side. They heard some shuffling sound behind them and looking back gave them jitters as they could see same shadowy figure but this time handful of them in the passage behind. The one they saw earlier was standing halfway from where they were and staring right through them. The stillness of the moment gave them a shiver and the shadow vanished.

The boy who was paranoid came to his senses and took out his mobile and switched on his flash light and with his trembling hands lifted it up to throw light in the passage to see their way when the rest of the shadows vanished. He looked for the time in it and saw that it was nearing dawn. They heaved a sigh of relief as in no matter of time it will be light and everything be visible. They gathered some courage to fight back whatever it was in there. They once again tried to open the door and this time it felt like having its own will. They turned it right but it turned left so they turned it left and to their horror it turned right. But they didn't give up and kept trying and with the first ray of sunlight touching the forbidden ground of barren land near the mansion, to their sheer amazement it did open and with gush of fresh air they hulled themselves out. They stepped down the steps when they remembered that they needed water for the car. But none of them had the guts go back in there but need is greater then fear, so they decided that two of them will go inside for water and other two will stay on guard outside and they will be in constant touch on their phones. Thus two went in talking on phone with other two outside. The moment they went in the door and a couple of steps more they heard their friend on phone shouting to come immidiately. They turned around and bolted the passage as fast as they could out of the door to meet their friends shivering and sweating. They asked each other why did they shouted to come immidiately and what had happen? They were astonished to know that none of them shouted. They left the matter of water there and ran towards the car.

One friend reached out for the only water bottle in the back seat and filled the carborator and headed back on the journey. Nearly 2 hours passed and sun was shining properly but none of them spoke a single word. It was then, they asked their friend who ushered them out of the room that what made him to do so? What was it that he saw? He went pale for the moment as if was again in the same room in the manssion, but recovered and said that when they heard the sound of someone writing on the glass with fingers and that shadow appeared, they all saw only it but he saw warning on the mirror which read they are welcome to hell, the never ending journey,if they cannot make out of here before the sunset.

The next two and a half hour journey was done in deep silence. None spoke and it seemed none breathed either.

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