Haunted Mansion

I stood, glaring at the building before me. It was a giant, foreboding place. Hunched like a beast atop a large hill, it glared down at the village below. Shutters lay broken on the ground. Two of them still clung desperately to the mansion. Soon they would join their brethren in the tangled weeds. Ivy snaked up the far wall. The door hung open, more ivy handing from the frame, and entering the house. Part of the roof and one of the walls had caved in long ago. Grass grew within the rubble. A small picket fence tried to contain the monster, but it too had suffered at the hands of nature. Many of the panels were missing, strewn across the landscape. The overgrown garden ran wild. Weeds ensnaring anything they could get their vines on. It looked like a mini jungle. My sensitive nose picked up on the stench of rotting wood and damp even from out here. Curling my lip up in disgusted, I cursed my luck. Slowly the wind began to pick up, sending chills down my spine. Shivering, I made my way towards the mansion.

Of course, I was here on business. As I miserably picked my way across the front yard, heading towards the door, I thought about the prize that awaited me. I needed this mission to be a success. Back home a large Fire Opal dagger awaited me. The owner had known of my treasure hunting skills, and knew of my love of shiny objects. I had been unable to refuse the beautiful gem. So here I was, standing in the freezing cold, staring down a horrid mansion. The best part was the fact that this place was meant to be haunted.
Sighing I stepped through the destroyed front door, stopping in the large main hall. Allowing instinct to take over, I sniffed the air. Searching for a particular scent. It didn’t take long to pick up on it. Heading around the once grand steps, which swept up to the second floor, I ducked into a small side door. Walking down the narrow corridor, I made sure to tread carefully. The last thing I needed to do was anger any lurking spirits.

Portraits lined the walls, several littering the floor. A few were even wrapped in ivy. It was unnerving, feeling the stares of hopefully long dead people. Hurrying now, I continued on my way. It wasn’t long before I came across a large, ornate door. One quick sniff confirmed that this was the library. My nose picked up the smell of damp, rotting books through the door. I reached out to turn the handle. Unleashing an ungodly shriek, the door swung open, before its hinges gave way. It went crashing to the floor, narrowly missing one of the bookshelves. Taking a step back, my eyes frantically searched the nearby area. My hand hadn’t even touched the door.

A blast of frigid air slammed into me, carrying a faint cackle of laughter. Shaking my head, I rushed through the door, trying to get away from the fading laughter. Glancing around me, I took in my surroundings. A large mirror stood to the left of me. Giving myself a quick glance, I noticed my hair was a mess. My wings were open slightly, in preparation to flee. Wide eyes scanned the surroundings, wildly searching for the culprit to the door. My tail was slightly raised, the markings glowing in the eerie twilight. There wasn’t much light here. Only a few rays filtered through the damaged roof, allowing me a little light.

Stepping forward, my foot collided with something metal. It clattered across the floor. Looking down, I managed to make out the rough outline of a lantern. Picking it up, I placed it on a nearby table. The candle was still inside thankfully. Rubbing my hands together in preparation, I created a small flame. I sent it into the lantern, lighting the wick. The fires warm glow surrounded me instantly. I heard a hiss from behind me. Spinning around rapidly, I caught a shadow frantically disappearing around the bookshelves. Wanting to get out of here as soon as possible, I began searching for the book. A specific book, that my client was desperate for.

Considering it was an extremely rare item, being only one of three in existence, I knew it wouldn’t be kept out in the open. I began searching for a hidden door. It didn’t take me long to locate it. It was a simple one really, just a door hidden behind a bookshelf. Things seemed to be too simple. Being extremely cautious, I made my way down the short corridor, into a small circular room. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined the room, holding many a rare book. The one I wanted was currently resting, open on a large table. The pages were barely dusty.

My eyes did a quick scan of the room. I noticed several bloody hand prints. They were on one of the bookshelves. A trail of blood also spread across the floor, heading towards one of the furthest away bookshelves. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, I reached out for the book. A blast of wind slammed into me, sending me flying backwards. My back collided with wood, effectively destroying one of the bookcases. Groaning, I went to stand. Another blast hit me, trying to force me back down. Gritting my teeth I pushed back, clinging onto the table for support. It probably wasn’t the best of ideas, since the table looked like it was about to give way. Somehow it managed to hold my weight, and I pulled myself upright. The wind died down, and I instantly reached out and snatched the book up. On the opposite side of the room, a shadowy figure began to form. I caught a glimpse of long hooked claws, before my nerve gave out.

Turning I sprinted down the corridor, I skidded to a stop in the library. Everything had been plunged into darkness again, since I had left the lantern behind. Ignoring the ivy that littered the floor, I spread my wings. Yet another gust of wind slammed into me, sending me shooting up into the air. This didn’t bother me too much though; it had given me the necessary leverage to make myself airborne. Gaining height, I aimed towards the largest hole in the roof. Snapping my wings in, I shot through the narrow gap, coming out into the open air. Clutching the book to my chest, I snapped my wings open, flapping hard to gain altitude. Behind me, I heard the familiar cackle. Refusing to look back, I flew away like a bat out of hell.

This Fire Opal dagger best be worth it. Nothing was going to convince me to go back to that haunted house. A few leaves had gotten themselves stuck in my tail fur, the various hues matching my fire nicely. I flew in silence, picking the autumn leaves out of my hair, and thinking about the beautiful dagger that awaited me.