Part Two

"Come on, Demi, it's just a dumb old house," Kelsey teased as they approached the iron gates of the Von Eldritch Estate.

"Yeah, a dumb old house with a reputation for being haunted. Remember the stories?" Demi said as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please. Ghosts are for kids' bedtime stories,” Kelsey responded with a smile. “Besides, it's not like we're going into the creepy house. We're just cutting through the grounds..." Kelsey added as she led them onto the grounds of the Von Eldritch Estate.

Following Kelsey onto the grounds as she led them across the land for her shortcut, glancing briefly at the old ruined manor on the estate, the passage of time and vandalism clearly present through its broken windows and graffitied walls.

As they continued down the grounds, Peter felt a sense of eeriness with each step the four of them took and he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising and he also found himself glancing back over his shoulder every few seconds, getting the feeling that they were being watched when all of a sudden the clouds darkened.

Looking up at the night sky, the four of them looked up as the rain began pouring down heavily, the path they were on turning to mud while their costumes became drenched. Thunder and lightning quickly followed and the four took one look at each other and began to walk quickly.

"Maybe we should just head back," Bella suggested as the storm grew worse with each passing second.

"It's just a bit of rain," Kelsey said. "We're almost there."

“A bit of rain? Kelsey, it’s a storm!” Demi told her older sister as the storm supported her argument as lightning and the rain picked up.

"Demi’s right, Kelsey!" Peter called out. "We should head inside the manor until this storm blows over. It's gotta be better than getting struck by lightning out here."

“He’s got a point.” Bella nodded.

"Alright, but only until the storm passes," Kelsey said in agreement.

Together the four of them ran back towards the manor, making sure that they didn’t fall over until they reached the manor whose oak door stood open, almost inviting them in and not wanting to stay out in the storm the four of them stepped into the manor, the floor creaking as they did and once all four of them were inside, the door suddenly slammed shut, leaving the four of them inside the old manor, soaking wet and breathless and unsure on how long they would be in the old manor.