Spoiler: show
In a town called Treehallow, there are many stories. Stories about ghosts, and paranormal activity, to be more specific. There are a few places in this town that are believed to be haunted. Every year, there is one holiday to celebrate different creatures from the after life, and other myths. This holiday is known as Halloween. Halloween is a holiday that residents in Treehallow especially like, including me. I am Jasmine, and 18 year old girl who goes to Branching University, studying to be a professional musician. The town I live in is a little small, but things happen a lot when they're least expected, here, which makes things rather exciting.
6:00 p.m.
"So, the abandoned mansion on Lantern Street, at ten, right?" I asked. "Yeah. Remember to wear your costume." Replied AJ. AJ is my boyfriend. He's handsome, but a little on the short side, being about three inches shorter than me. He has short, black hair and brown eyes. "Alright. It's a date!" I said, while smiling. "See you there." He said with a wave, then walked away. I walk the opposite direction he went, on the way to my house. For Halloween, instead of going to a party, we decided to spend time together in a place that no one would dare go near, let alone inside it: The abandoned mansion on Lantern street.
A few years ago, there lived a girl, at the age of 18, in that mansion. One day, on the night of Halloween, she mysteriously died. There were no sign of illness, nor was she hurt in any way, and there was no substance if poison or drugs anywhere in the entire mansion. After the funeral, they were planning on selling it, but no one would buy it because they thought it was haunted. The construction workers who were assigned to tear the place down refused to, for the same reason. They thought it would disturb the ghost, who is said to be the very same girl who lived there. I don't believe in paranormal activity, such as ghosts, but I do think that it would be really cool if there were spirits from the after life. I have never been in the mansion before, but everyone I know who went in, came out terrified.
7:50
I arrived at my house and opened the door. When I got in, I went to my room, sat down in front of my computer, and turned it on, then opened up the Internet browser. I logged into the forum I go on regularly to check my messages. One unread message from my friend, Feathers. It said: "Hey, Gamergirl! Happy Halloween! You planning on doing anything, tonight? Going to any parties? What about dressing up? What are you going to dress up as?" I clicked the reply button and started typing. "Happy Halloween, Feathers! I'm going on a date with my boyfriend, tonight. We're going to an abandoned mansion that's believed to be haunted, in my town. It's so scary, even the tourists believe it's haunted. I'm going to dress up as a werewolf."
I pressed the send button, and it doesn't take too long for him to reply. "Oh, that's awesome! I hope you and Poke have fun!" He said in the message. Both AJ and I are members of the forum. His username is Pokemonaces, and mine is Gamergirl64. "Sounds like that mansion is really scary. What if it really was haunted with a ghost, inside? Or a zombie? Oh, that would be scary!" I started to laugh a little, before hitting the reply button to start typing.
"The zombie, I wouldn't like, but a ghost would be awesome, unless if she puts a curse on us. I would love to meet a ghost, but I doubt there actually real." I clicked the send button, and get a reply a few minutes later. "Well, what if it was haunted? I mean, it could be possible, right? Think about all those things that happen that usually prove a place being haunted. Wouldn't those give signs of knowing if ghosts are real, or not?" I clicked the reply button and started to type. "That's either people overreacting, or acting it out on those shows about paranormal life just so their show gets more views. Either way, they're pretty much fake, in my opinion. Well, time for me to get ready. Talk to you later!" I clicked the send button and closed out of the window, then shut down the computer.
I got up, walked over to to my dresser, and opened the top drawer. Inside was a headband with brown, wolf like ears on it, and a belt with a wolf tail on it. I took it out and walked to my closet, where I got out a lavender shirt and a purple skirt. I chose the option, 'werewolf,' so I can wear any clothes I want, and it wouldn't look too out of place with my costume. I wasn't aiming for scary werewolf, just the "wolf girl" look, as if I were a character in an anime show who was half wolf. I changed into the clothes I got out, then put on the headband, and the belt. I looked in the mirror and adjusted the headband so it looks almost like the ears are actually attached to my head. I walked over to my phone, picked it up, and started to dial a phone number. When I pressed the "talk" button, it doesn't take long for the receiver to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ally. It's Jasmine!"
"Oh, hey Jas!" Ally said in a cheerful voice. "Happy Halloween! So, what's up?"
"Happy Halloween! I was wondering if you could drive me somewhere." I said to her. "Sure. Where to?" She asked. "I was wondering if you could take me to that mansion on Lantern Street." There was a short period of silence. "Why there?" Asked Ally. "Well, I'm meeting AJ there for a Halloween date. Thought it would be a good place where we can be left alone." I said. Due to everyone believing that the mansion is haunted, kids rarely trick-or-treat in that neighborhood, because their parents don't want them to go up to the mansion. "Are you planning on going in the mansion?" Ally asked. "No, not really. Just kind of hang out, there, for a while. Like, in the front yard, or something." I replied. Ally sighed.
"Ok, fine. What time do you have to be there?"
"Ten o' clock."
"Alright. I'll be there in an hour, or so. I have stuff to do, first."
"Thanks, Ally!" I said, before we both hung up. I got my purse off the handle of my bedroom door, walked out of my room, and into the living room, where I sat on one of the couches, and waited.
8:15
I heard the beep of a car horn, and walked over to the door. I opened it to see Ally's car in the driveway. I smiled and waved, then walked over to the car, and got in. Ally greeted me with a friendly smile. "Hey wolf girl! Cute costume!" She said. "Thanks, Ally! Thanks for giving me a ride, too." I said to her. "Hey, no problem! Not to sound like I don't want to drive you, but couldn't you get there on bike, or something? It's not really that far. Probably, like, an hour away when walking." She said to me, as I hooked my seatbelt on. "Yeah, but I want to get there before AJ. I want to see if I can scare him." Ally tilted her head in confusion.
"Scare him? How, exactly?"
"Just hide somewhere, and surprise him from behind, or something."
Ally nodded. "Oh. Ok. Well, next stop, the Lantern Street mansion!" She said, before backing out of the driveway, and driving away from the house. After a while, we got to the mansion. The place looks like it's about three stories high, with nine windows on each side of the house. The bricks are very dark, and the windows are cracked. The roof has a few spots that look a little broken, due to natural disasters. The wood frame around the door is rotted, and the middle of the three steps to get to the door is broken. There's an old tree in the front yard, which is still alive, with wood that looks almost black and leaves bright, with colors like red, orange, and yellow. "We're here!" Said Ally. "Thanks for the ride." I said to her with a smile, then unbuckled me seatbelt, and got out. "You have fun, now!" She said. I nodded, closed the door, and watched as she drives away.
Once I can't see her car anymore, I turned around to look at the mansion. "So, this is the mansion everyone is so scared of..." I said to myself. I started to think of a way to scare AJ, when he gets here. After a minute of thinking, I got an idea: I'll hide in the mansion, and scare him when he comes to look for me. I snickered at the idea, and started to walk to the entrance. When I get halfway across the pathway to the entrance, it hit me. How will AJ know I'm already here, if I'm in the house? I hesitate for a moment, then drop my purse, and walk to the entrance.
I go up the steps, barely making the jump from the bottom step to the top without falling backwards, and slowly opened the door. It makes a loud squeaky sound as it opens. I walked in and closed it, surrounding myself in darkness, with little light coming from the windows. I walked further in, and looked around, barely able to make out what I see. There are two big couches meant to hold up to six people, each, arranged in an L shape, with a big, square glass coffee table in between them, with a few unlit candles, and a fireplace on the wall one the door was on. "Dang, I wish I had a match with me, or something..." I said to myself. As I continued to look around, I see a staircase to the right of room with the couches, and what looks like a kitchen, past that.
I walked over to the kitchen, and see a white, marble tiled countertop, with a sink right where a window is, and cabinets next to it. On the opposite wall, I see a stove, connected to an oven, along with a pantry. "Maybe there's a match in there." I said to myself. I opened up the door to the pantry, but it's too dark to see anything inside. "Darn it! I can't find anything to use as light." I closed the pantry door, and walked upstairs, to where I got to the second floor. I went to my left, where I see what looks like a bedroom. It's very plain, with just a bed for two people and a nightstand next to it. "This couldn't be her bedroom." I said, as I walked up to the window in the room, and looked out. No sign of AJ. My purse is still there, laying in the middle of the yard. "He's not here yet..." I said to myself.
"Who's not here yet?" Asked a voice behind me. In shock, I turn around to see a girl. Her skin is very pale, and her eyes glow a light blue. She has blond hair, and a white dress on. As I look at her, I realize that I can see right through her. My eyes widened with fear, as my legs became stiff. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. I end up standing there, staring at her. Her body gives off a dim glow that almost lights up the room. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Are you scared? Are you going to run off, like everyone else?" For a moment, I stayed silent, but then I managed to say something.
"You're... A real ghost?" She nodded in reply. "Yeah. I'm a ghost. I'm surprised you came in here. For years, no one came to visit because they're too scared." Said the ghost. "The day I died is today, correct?" I nodes in agreement. "Well, that would make people extra scared to come. I never thought someone like you would be brave enough to come in on Halloween." She said with a smile. "Well, I never really believed in ghosts." I said, while looking down. The ghost laughed. "I didn't either when I was still alive. By the way, what's your name?" I looked up at her. "Jasmine." I told her.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Alexia." She said with a smile. Alexia turned around, and started to walk, using a hand gesture to tell me to follow her. We walked upstairs, and into a bedroom. It has pink wall paper, and posters from different animes and video games, and one bed with a white blanket, and three pillows with a tv in front of it, and an NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, XBox, and a PlayStation on a little shelf below it. There is a purple carpeting on the floor, and a wardrobe on the wall on the left, along with a window on the opposing wall, and a dresser next to it. "This is my bedroom." Said Alexia. "It's a little plain, but I don't like things being too fancy." I smiled when I heard Alexia say that. "Neither do I!" I said, while looking at the posters on the walls.
"You like anime, and video games?" I asked. Alexia shrugged. "Yeah. It seems nerdy, I know-" she said, before I cut her off. "Me too!" I said while looking at her with a smile. "Really? That's awesome!" Said Alexia. "You know, the current games look so fun, but since I'm a ghost and all, I can't play them." She said with a laugh, then I started to laugh. "Yeah, I bet that's as annoying as seeing a fun game for a console you don't have." I said, then walked over to the window to look out. No sign of AJ. Alexia came up behind me. "Who are you looking for?" She asked. I turned to face her. "I'm looking for my boyfriend, AJ. We planned a Halloween date here, and I felt like coming in to hide, to see if he would come in to find me, so I can scare him." I said with a mischievous smile. "Oh, that sounds fun!" Said Alexia. "Would it be ok if I help?" She asked. "Sure! That would be awesome!" I replied. "Have anything in mind on how to scare him?" I asked.
"Well, first thing's first. Does your boyfriend believe that this place is haunted?" Asked Alexia. I shook my head. "No, he doesn't believe in paranormal activity." I replied to her. "Well, why not we make him believe, and think that the 'ghost' that everyone's afraid of did something to you?" She suggested. "That's brilliant!" I said, excitingly. "So, how is this all gonna work?" Alexia hesitated for a moment. "I got it!" She leans forward to tell me, and I listen closely as she explains.
9:30 p.m.
"So, everything sound clear enough to you?" Asked Alexia. I nodded in reply to her question. "Great! I guess we'll have to wait." She said. "So, what shall we do while we wait?" I think for a moment. "Maybe we should talk for a bit, and get to know each other." I suggested. "That's a good idea!" Said Alexia. "So, how did you and your boyfriend meet?" She asked. "Well, we met back in elementary school, a long time ago. He was in the fifth grade, and I was in the third grade. That's when we were just friends. The next year, we decided to act like boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, like, a young couple." I said. Alexia started to laugh a little. "How cute!" She said with a smile. "So, you guys were dating ever since?" I smiled as I shake my head.
"Actually, we did that for that school year, but then he went to middle school, and I never saw him again until I went to high school. At the time, the two of us thought the other moved on, so we were just friends at the moment." Alexia looked down for a moment, then back up at me. "So, you guys broke up?" She asked. "Well, you can sort of say that. We technically never dated in the first place, though. Just acted like it." I replied. "Anyways, at one point, we were talking, then he asked if I had a boyfriend. I told him I was single, then he told me he really liked me, then asked if I would be his girlfriend." My face started to blush a light pink. "Aww! That's so sweet!" She said. "What was your reaction?" I smiled and started to laugh. "I didn't really know what to say. I was trying to hold all my excitement, because I had such a big crush on him ever since we met back up. I pretty much said yes, and that I would be glad to be his girlfriend."
"Aww! That's just cute!" Said Alexia. "How long have you guys been dating after that?" I shrugged. "Hm... Well, we were only in high school for two years, then he graduated, and we pretty much talked on Skype after that. When he got his own place and learned how to drive, that's when we actually started going out. During high school, we weren't able to go on a real date, nor able to spend time together outside of school, because..." I hesitated for a moment, before speaking again. "Well, his mom didn't like me." Alexia slightly tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Didn't like you? Why was that?" I shake my head and let out a sigh. "A lot of reasons. She didn't even meet me before saying she hated me." I said.
"Well, back to the topic, he visited me pretty much everyday for the next two years until I graduated high school. Now, I have collage, and he has work, so we just visit for a little bit a few times a week." I said with a smile. "At least you guys get to see each other." Said Alexia, with a smile. "So, what made you guys to decide to come here for a date?" She asked. "Well, we thought that, instead of going to some wild party, we thought we'd go somewhere more quiet, and this place came to mind." I told her. "That's nice." Alexia said with a smile.
"Considering everyone's afraid, I don't really get to talk to anyone, so having you here is really nice." She said with a smile. "So, Alexia, what was your life like while you were alive?" I asked. "It was pretty nice, being probably one of the richest kids in town, in my childhood. My dad owned a really successful business, so when he retired, he bought this place. While my parents really liked the luxurious life, I wanted a more regular life without all glamour, and such. I usually hung out with other my friends." Alexia continued to talk about herself and I listened to everything she was saying, occasionally laughing at some funny little stories.
9:55 p.m.
I looked out the window to see a blue car pull up and park next to the sidewalk. "He's here." I said as I turned to look at Alexia. "Alright." She said with a nod. "Remember the plan?" I nodded in reply, then looked out the window again to watch as AJ gets out of the car. He looks like some sort of demon, with black and red wings, and a devil like tail, along with horns on his head. I can tell that he had the same idea I had with the clothes, considering he's wearing a tuxedo. "That's your boyfriend?" Asked Alexia. I nodded with a smile. "Yup. That's him. AJ is also a big nerd for anime and video games, like me." I said, while still watching AJ. "That's awesome!" Said Alexia.
AJ notices my purse laying in the middle of the front yard and walks over to it to pick it up, then looks up at the house. When he looked at the window to Alexia's room, both of us ducked down below the window, so he doesn't notice. I peeked out the window to see that he started to walk to the entrance. I looked at Alexia. "He's coming in!" I said to her. "Alright. You know what to do!" I nodded in agreement and left the room to go further upstairs. At the top of the stairs, I waited. It got really quiet, then I heard the faint sound of the front door opening and closing.
"Hello? Jasmine, are you in here?" AJ called out. I took in a deep breath, and let out a loud, high pitched scream. "JASMINE!" AJ shouted in response. I quickly ran to the room on the right, which was a storage room, with a lot of boxes. I left the door slightly open, to peek watch what's going on. I hear the sound of AJ's footsteps going up the stairs. "Jasmine! Where are you?" He called out. Then there was a faint sound of wind blowing, which was my signal. "AJ!! I'm up here! HELP!" I shouted out. I hear his footsteps coming closer to the floor. "Don't worry, Jasmine! I'm coming." He came up the third floor, and looked around. "Jasmine?" He called out. I got on my hands and knees, and crawled around in the storage room, until I feel what feels like a handle to a door in the floor. I opened it up carefully, and let down a nearby latter.
I get ready to climb down the latter, then pause for a moment. "NO! NO, PLEASE DON'T!" I shouted, before letting out another scream, then climbed down the latter and slammed the door shut. Once I'm down, I'm in a room that looks like a master bedroom. I put the latter in the closet on the wall to my left. From above, I can hear AJ's footsteps. "Jasmine, can you hear me? I can't see a thing in here!" He said, followed by a bunch of crashing noises, indicating that he probably knocked down a bunch of boxes. "Can you hear me, Jasmine? Please say something." There was complete silence, then a quiet sound of a howling wind came out of nowhere, followed by Alexia's voice. "You shouldn't have come like that foolish girl!" She said right before I let out another scream.
"Jasmine, where are you?!"
"AJ! Help!"
I go out the door and left it barely opened, so I can see what's going on inside. The door from the room above opened up, and AJ falls, landing on his hands and knees. Once he gets up, he looks around. "Jasmine?" He said in a voice quieter than the previous times. "Where are you?" Alexia appeared behind him. "Aw, looking for your girlfriend?" She asked, before immediately disappearing before AJ turns around. Alexia then phased through the floor behind him. "You're not gonna find her, you know." She disappeared once again, and AJ turns around. He started to tremble. That's when Alexia appeared behind him, once again. "Because it's already too late."
I quickly get to a room nearby, and kept the door slightly opened. AJ ran out the room. His whole body is trembling as he looks around quickly, in a panicked manor. "J-jasmine... Please tell me you're still here!" He looked behind him, then let out a quick, high pitch scream before running away, followed by Alexia, chasing him. "You're next, mortal!" She called out. After a moment, I followed them from a safe enough distance behind. We ran through a long hallway, and AJ eventually got to a dead end when he ran into a room on the right of the hallway. When Alexia followed after him in there, I watch the whole thing from outside.
AJ is standing in the corner, of the room, with Alexia floating high in the air, in front of him. "And just like that girl, you too will be punished for coming into this house." Said Alexia, followed by an evil laugh. AJ stood there, frozen in place, trembling. When Alexia stopped laughing, she looks down at him. "Don't worry. Once I'm done with the girl, I'll start with you. Then, you'll both see each other, again." AJ looked at the ground, and closed his eyes, while making his hands in the form of fists. "Jasmine..." He said under his breath. He then looks back up at Alexia. "Where is she?!" Demanded AJ.
Alexia shook her head and shrugged. "She's somewhere you will never find, getting the punishment she truly deserves." She said with a giggle. "But don't worry. You'll soon be there short after, once she's had enough." AJ dropped to his knees, and covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Jasmine. I never meant for this to happen." Alexia started to laugh. "Foolish boy... She can't here you right now. No use apologizing." AJ looked back up at her. "Let her go!" He shouted. "Now, why should I?" Asked Alexia.
"Because..." AJ sands back up. "Because it was my idea to come here in the first place!" There was a moment of dead silence. AJ stared at the ground for a moment, before looking back up at Alexia. "It's my fault we both came here. Not hers. So, please. Set her free, and..." AJ hesitated for a moment. "Give me the punishment meant for the both of us." There was more silence. Alexia stared at AJ as he stared at her. "You want twice the amount of punishment?" Asked Alexia. AJ nodded. "Yes. To cover for the both of us coming in. It was never her idea to come into this mansion, so she doesn't deserve any punishment." After more silence, Alexia started to laugh. Not an evil laugh, but a humorous laugh. I started to laugh as well, before entering the room.
"Well, you don't need to be so serious about it." Said Alexia, as she lowered herself to ground level. I walked up next to her and looked at AJ. "It's ok. I'm perfectly safe. This was all just a prank to scare you." I said. "A prank? But how?" AJ asked, then looked at Alexia. "And who are you?!" Alexia smiled. "I'm Alexia. The ghost that haunts this mansion. The same girl who died on Halloween." She said proudly. I started laughing. "You say that like your proud of it!" Alexia turned to look at me. "Because I am. I mean, I don't usually try to scare people when they enter. Doing this much was nothing!" She said, then we both looked at AJ, who was staring at me. "You have a right to be mad at me, though." I said. "I didn't really expect you to be that scared." AJ stayed silent, still staring at me.
"I'm sorry, AJ. I should have known you would get concerned, considering how protective you are of me." I said. "We're both sorry." Alexia added in. Without saying anything, AJ walked up to me, and hugs me. "You're ok... I'm glad." He said. "Didn't you hear everything I said, just now? Aren't you mad?" I asked. AJ tightened his grip on me. "No. I'm not mad. I thought something bad happened to you, but you're safe. That's all I care about." He said. I put my arms around him to hug him back. "I didn't mean to make you worried." I said to him.
"I know. I can never be mad at you." He replied, then pulled away and put his hands on my shoulders, with a warm smile on his face. "Why? Because I love you, of course." I smiled back, not sure what to say, then I heard Alexia's voice."Aww." I turned to look at her. "Jeez, you sound like my friends!" I said in a joking voice. She laughed in reply. AJ stood up, and offered me his hand. I take it and he helps me up. "To be honest, I wasn't that scared." He said with a smile. "Yeah right! Did you even hear yourself earlier?" I said back to him.
"That's called acting, dear."
"Right... Acting."
I rolled my eyes, and turned to Alexia. "That was fun!" I said with a smile. She nodded her head in agreement, and walked up to me. "Just dqon't tell anyone about this, alright? I have a feeling one or two out of the three of us will never be left alone if the word was out." She whispered. "Don't worry. I'll keep this our secret." I told her. I turned to look at AJ. "Hey, the night's still young, how about we have a little fun? It'll give you some time to know Alexia!" I said with a smile. AJ nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me!" He said. "Hey, let's go to my room and hang out!" Suggested Alexia. AJ and I both nod in agreement and the three of us went to her room, where we started to talk.
Midnight
"Thank's again, Alexia!" I said as AJ and I walked to the entrance. "Hey, no problem! Thanks for coming!" She replied. "Can we come again next year?" I asked. "Sure, no problem! You two are both aloud any time you feel like coming." She said. AJ stopped walking. "Hey, I have an idea." He said. I turn around to look at him. "Why not the three of us take a picture to remember this night?" He asked. "That sounds a good idea!" Said Alexia. I hesitated for a moment.
"What would it look like, taking a picture of a ghost?" I asked. They both shrugged, and AJ starts to laugh. "I guess we'll have find out." He said while pulling out a digital camera from his pocket. "Alright, let's all get together." Alexia and I walked over to AJ. AJ stood on my left, putting his arm around me, while Alexia stood on my right. AJ held out the camera and aimed it towards us. "Smile, everyone!" He said. We all smiled, and he pressed the button, making the flash go off. AJ looked at the screen on his camera. "Wow. Looks amazing!" He said. Alexia and I looked at the picture.
The background looked completely normal, as if there were lights on, and AJ and I were there, along with a girl. Not a ghost, like Alexia, but a human girl. She had blond hair with blue eyes, and a beautiful white dress. "I look alive..." Said Alexia. I looked at Alexia, to see a bright smile on her face. "You look beautiful." I said to her. She looked at me and smiled. "Thanks. You two look cute, together." She said. I turned to look at AJ. "If you can, print out three copies of that picture. One for me, one for you, and one for Alexia." I said. AJ nodded, then checked his watch. "Dang, it's past midnight!" He said. "We better get going!"
I nodded my head in agreement, and AJ goes over to the door, holding it open for me. When I was about to go out, I looked back, and waved at Alexia. She smiled and waved back, and the two of us walk out. We go to the car, where AJ opened the door to the passenger seat for me, then got in on the drivers seat. We both put on our seatbelt, and AJ started the car. When we start to drive off, I looked back at the house, where at the third window up, to the far left, I see Alexia, looking out, smiling and waving to us as we leave.
6:00 p.m.
"So, the abandoned mansion on Lantern Street, at ten, right?" I asked. "Yeah. Remember to wear your costume." Replied AJ. AJ is my boyfriend. He's handsome, but a little on the short side, being about three inches shorter than me. He has short, black hair and brown eyes. "Alright. It's a date!" I said, while smiling. "See you there." He said with a wave, then walked away. I walk the opposite direction he went, on the way to my house. For Halloween, instead of going to a party, we decided to spend time together in a place that no one would dare go near, let alone inside it: The abandoned mansion on Lantern street.
A few years ago, there lived a girl, at the age of 18, in that mansion. One day, on the night of Halloween, she mysteriously died. There were no sign of illness, nor was she hurt in any way, and there was no substance if poison or drugs anywhere in the entire mansion. After the funeral, they were planning on selling it, but no one would buy it because they thought it was haunted. The construction workers who were assigned to tear the place down refused to, for the same reason. They thought it would disturb the ghost, who is said to be the very same girl who lived there. I don't believe in paranormal activity, such as ghosts, but I do think that it would be really cool if there were spirits from the after life. I have never been in the mansion before, but everyone I know who went in, came out terrified.
7:50
I arrived at my house and opened the door. When I got in, I went to my room, sat down in front of my computer, and turned it on, then opened up the Internet browser. I logged into the forum I go on regularly to check my messages. One unread message from my friend, Feathers. It said: "Hey, Gamergirl! Happy Halloween! You planning on doing anything, tonight? Going to any parties? What about dressing up? What are you going to dress up as?" I clicked the reply button and started typing. "Happy Halloween, Feathers! I'm going on a date with my boyfriend, tonight. We're going to an abandoned mansion that's believed to be haunted, in my town. It's so scary, even the tourists believe it's haunted. I'm going to dress up as a werewolf."
I pressed the send button, and it doesn't take too long for him to reply. "Oh, that's awesome! I hope you and Poke have fun!" He said in the message. Both AJ and I are members of the forum. His username is Pokemonaces, and mine is Gamergirl64. "Sounds like that mansion is really scary. What if it really was haunted with a ghost, inside? Or a zombie? Oh, that would be scary!" I started to laugh a little, before hitting the reply button to start typing.
"The zombie, I wouldn't like, but a ghost would be awesome, unless if she puts a curse on us. I would love to meet a ghost, but I doubt there actually real." I clicked the send button, and get a reply a few minutes later. "Well, what if it was haunted? I mean, it could be possible, right? Think about all those things that happen that usually prove a place being haunted. Wouldn't those give signs of knowing if ghosts are real, or not?" I clicked the reply button and started to type. "That's either people overreacting, or acting it out on those shows about paranormal life just so their show gets more views. Either way, they're pretty much fake, in my opinion. Well, time for me to get ready. Talk to you later!" I clicked the send button and closed out of the window, then shut down the computer.
I got up, walked over to to my dresser, and opened the top drawer. Inside was a headband with brown, wolf like ears on it, and a belt with a wolf tail on it. I took it out and walked to my closet, where I got out a lavender shirt and a purple skirt. I chose the option, 'werewolf,' so I can wear any clothes I want, and it wouldn't look too out of place with my costume. I wasn't aiming for scary werewolf, just the "wolf girl" look, as if I were a character in an anime show who was half wolf. I changed into the clothes I got out, then put on the headband, and the belt. I looked in the mirror and adjusted the headband so it looks almost like the ears are actually attached to my head. I walked over to my phone, picked it up, and started to dial a phone number. When I pressed the "talk" button, it doesn't take long for the receiver to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Ally. It's Jasmine!"
"Oh, hey Jas!" Ally said in a cheerful voice. "Happy Halloween! So, what's up?"
"Happy Halloween! I was wondering if you could drive me somewhere." I said to her. "Sure. Where to?" She asked. "I was wondering if you could take me to that mansion on Lantern Street." There was a short period of silence. "Why there?" Asked Ally. "Well, I'm meeting AJ there for a Halloween date. Thought it would be a good place where we can be left alone." I said. Due to everyone believing that the mansion is haunted, kids rarely trick-or-treat in that neighborhood, because their parents don't want them to go up to the mansion. "Are you planning on going in the mansion?" Ally asked. "No, not really. Just kind of hang out, there, for a while. Like, in the front yard, or something." I replied. Ally sighed.
"Ok, fine. What time do you have to be there?"
"Ten o' clock."
"Alright. I'll be there in an hour, or so. I have stuff to do, first."
"Thanks, Ally!" I said, before we both hung up. I got my purse off the handle of my bedroom door, walked out of my room, and into the living room, where I sat on one of the couches, and waited.
8:15
I heard the beep of a car horn, and walked over to the door. I opened it to see Ally's car in the driveway. I smiled and waved, then walked over to the car, and got in. Ally greeted me with a friendly smile. "Hey wolf girl! Cute costume!" She said. "Thanks, Ally! Thanks for giving me a ride, too." I said to her. "Hey, no problem! Not to sound like I don't want to drive you, but couldn't you get there on bike, or something? It's not really that far. Probably, like, an hour away when walking." She said to me, as I hooked my seatbelt on. "Yeah, but I want to get there before AJ. I want to see if I can scare him." Ally tilted her head in confusion.
"Scare him? How, exactly?"
"Just hide somewhere, and surprise him from behind, or something."
Ally nodded. "Oh. Ok. Well, next stop, the Lantern Street mansion!" She said, before backing out of the driveway, and driving away from the house. After a while, we got to the mansion. The place looks like it's about three stories high, with nine windows on each side of the house. The bricks are very dark, and the windows are cracked. The roof has a few spots that look a little broken, due to natural disasters. The wood frame around the door is rotted, and the middle of the three steps to get to the door is broken. There's an old tree in the front yard, which is still alive, with wood that looks almost black and leaves bright, with colors like red, orange, and yellow. "We're here!" Said Ally. "Thanks for the ride." I said to her with a smile, then unbuckled me seatbelt, and got out. "You have fun, now!" She said. I nodded, closed the door, and watched as she drives away.
Once I can't see her car anymore, I turned around to look at the mansion. "So, this is the mansion everyone is so scared of..." I said to myself. I started to think of a way to scare AJ, when he gets here. After a minute of thinking, I got an idea: I'll hide in the mansion, and scare him when he comes to look for me. I snickered at the idea, and started to walk to the entrance. When I get halfway across the pathway to the entrance, it hit me. How will AJ know I'm already here, if I'm in the house? I hesitate for a moment, then drop my purse, and walk to the entrance.
I go up the steps, barely making the jump from the bottom step to the top without falling backwards, and slowly opened the door. It makes a loud squeaky sound as it opens. I walked in and closed it, surrounding myself in darkness, with little light coming from the windows. I walked further in, and looked around, barely able to make out what I see. There are two big couches meant to hold up to six people, each, arranged in an L shape, with a big, square glass coffee table in between them, with a few unlit candles, and a fireplace on the wall one the door was on. "Dang, I wish I had a match with me, or something..." I said to myself. As I continued to look around, I see a staircase to the right of room with the couches, and what looks like a kitchen, past that.
I walked over to the kitchen, and see a white, marble tiled countertop, with a sink right where a window is, and cabinets next to it. On the opposite wall, I see a stove, connected to an oven, along with a pantry. "Maybe there's a match in there." I said to myself. I opened up the door to the pantry, but it's too dark to see anything inside. "Darn it! I can't find anything to use as light." I closed the pantry door, and walked upstairs, to where I got to the second floor. I went to my left, where I see what looks like a bedroom. It's very plain, with just a bed for two people and a nightstand next to it. "This couldn't be her bedroom." I said, as I walked up to the window in the room, and looked out. No sign of AJ. My purse is still there, laying in the middle of the yard. "He's not here yet..." I said to myself.
"Who's not here yet?" Asked a voice behind me. In shock, I turn around to see a girl. Her skin is very pale, and her eyes glow a light blue. She has blond hair, and a white dress on. As I look at her, I realize that I can see right through her. My eyes widened with fear, as my legs became stiff. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. I end up standing there, staring at her. Her body gives off a dim glow that almost lights up the room. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Are you scared? Are you going to run off, like everyone else?" For a moment, I stayed silent, but then I managed to say something.
"You're... A real ghost?" She nodded in reply. "Yeah. I'm a ghost. I'm surprised you came in here. For years, no one came to visit because they're too scared." Said the ghost. "The day I died is today, correct?" I nodes in agreement. "Well, that would make people extra scared to come. I never thought someone like you would be brave enough to come in on Halloween." She said with a smile. "Well, I never really believed in ghosts." I said, while looking down. The ghost laughed. "I didn't either when I was still alive. By the way, what's your name?" I looked up at her. "Jasmine." I told her.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Alexia." She said with a smile. Alexia turned around, and started to walk, using a hand gesture to tell me to follow her. We walked upstairs, and into a bedroom. It has pink wall paper, and posters from different animes and video games, and one bed with a white blanket, and three pillows with a tv in front of it, and an NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, GameCube, XBox, and a PlayStation on a little shelf below it. There is a purple carpeting on the floor, and a wardrobe on the wall on the left, along with a window on the opposing wall, and a dresser next to it. "This is my bedroom." Said Alexia. "It's a little plain, but I don't like things being too fancy." I smiled when I heard Alexia say that. "Neither do I!" I said, while looking at the posters on the walls.
"You like anime, and video games?" I asked. Alexia shrugged. "Yeah. It seems nerdy, I know-" she said, before I cut her off. "Me too!" I said while looking at her with a smile. "Really? That's awesome!" Said Alexia. "You know, the current games look so fun, but since I'm a ghost and all, I can't play them." She said with a laugh, then I started to laugh. "Yeah, I bet that's as annoying as seeing a fun game for a console you don't have." I said, then walked over to the window to look out. No sign of AJ. Alexia came up behind me. "Who are you looking for?" She asked. I turned to face her. "I'm looking for my boyfriend, AJ. We planned a Halloween date here, and I felt like coming in to hide, to see if he would come in to find me, so I can scare him." I said with a mischievous smile. "Oh, that sounds fun!" Said Alexia. "Would it be ok if I help?" She asked. "Sure! That would be awesome!" I replied. "Have anything in mind on how to scare him?" I asked.
"Well, first thing's first. Does your boyfriend believe that this place is haunted?" Asked Alexia. I shook my head. "No, he doesn't believe in paranormal activity." I replied to her. "Well, why not we make him believe, and think that the 'ghost' that everyone's afraid of did something to you?" She suggested. "That's brilliant!" I said, excitingly. "So, how is this all gonna work?" Alexia hesitated for a moment. "I got it!" She leans forward to tell me, and I listen closely as she explains.
9:30 p.m.
"So, everything sound clear enough to you?" Asked Alexia. I nodded in reply to her question. "Great! I guess we'll have to wait." She said. "So, what shall we do while we wait?" I think for a moment. "Maybe we should talk for a bit, and get to know each other." I suggested. "That's a good idea!" Said Alexia. "So, how did you and your boyfriend meet?" She asked. "Well, we met back in elementary school, a long time ago. He was in the fifth grade, and I was in the third grade. That's when we were just friends. The next year, we decided to act like boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, like, a young couple." I said. Alexia started to laugh a little. "How cute!" She said with a smile. "So, you guys were dating ever since?" I smiled as I shake my head.
"Actually, we did that for that school year, but then he went to middle school, and I never saw him again until I went to high school. At the time, the two of us thought the other moved on, so we were just friends at the moment." Alexia looked down for a moment, then back up at me. "So, you guys broke up?" She asked. "Well, you can sort of say that. We technically never dated in the first place, though. Just acted like it." I replied. "Anyways, at one point, we were talking, then he asked if I had a boyfriend. I told him I was single, then he told me he really liked me, then asked if I would be his girlfriend." My face started to blush a light pink. "Aww! That's so sweet!" She said. "What was your reaction?" I smiled and started to laugh. "I didn't really know what to say. I was trying to hold all my excitement, because I had such a big crush on him ever since we met back up. I pretty much said yes, and that I would be glad to be his girlfriend."
"Aww! That's just cute!" Said Alexia. "How long have you guys been dating after that?" I shrugged. "Hm... Well, we were only in high school for two years, then he graduated, and we pretty much talked on Skype after that. When he got his own place and learned how to drive, that's when we actually started going out. During high school, we weren't able to go on a real date, nor able to spend time together outside of school, because..." I hesitated for a moment, before speaking again. "Well, his mom didn't like me." Alexia slightly tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Didn't like you? Why was that?" I shake my head and let out a sigh. "A lot of reasons. She didn't even meet me before saying she hated me." I said.
"Well, back to the topic, he visited me pretty much everyday for the next two years until I graduated high school. Now, I have collage, and he has work, so we just visit for a little bit a few times a week." I said with a smile. "At least you guys get to see each other." Said Alexia, with a smile. "So, what made you guys to decide to come here for a date?" She asked. "Well, we thought that, instead of going to some wild party, we thought we'd go somewhere more quiet, and this place came to mind." I told her. "That's nice." Alexia said with a smile.
"Considering everyone's afraid, I don't really get to talk to anyone, so having you here is really nice." She said with a smile. "So, Alexia, what was your life like while you were alive?" I asked. "It was pretty nice, being probably one of the richest kids in town, in my childhood. My dad owned a really successful business, so when he retired, he bought this place. While my parents really liked the luxurious life, I wanted a more regular life without all glamour, and such. I usually hung out with other my friends." Alexia continued to talk about herself and I listened to everything she was saying, occasionally laughing at some funny little stories.
9:55 p.m.
I looked out the window to see a blue car pull up and park next to the sidewalk. "He's here." I said as I turned to look at Alexia. "Alright." She said with a nod. "Remember the plan?" I nodded in reply, then looked out the window again to watch as AJ gets out of the car. He looks like some sort of demon, with black and red wings, and a devil like tail, along with horns on his head. I can tell that he had the same idea I had with the clothes, considering he's wearing a tuxedo. "That's your boyfriend?" Asked Alexia. I nodded with a smile. "Yup. That's him. AJ is also a big nerd for anime and video games, like me." I said, while still watching AJ. "That's awesome!" Said Alexia.
AJ notices my purse laying in the middle of the front yard and walks over to it to pick it up, then looks up at the house. When he looked at the window to Alexia's room, both of us ducked down below the window, so he doesn't notice. I peeked out the window to see that he started to walk to the entrance. I looked at Alexia. "He's coming in!" I said to her. "Alright. You know what to do!" I nodded in agreement and left the room to go further upstairs. At the top of the stairs, I waited. It got really quiet, then I heard the faint sound of the front door opening and closing.
"Hello? Jasmine, are you in here?" AJ called out. I took in a deep breath, and let out a loud, high pitched scream. "JASMINE!" AJ shouted in response. I quickly ran to the room on the right, which was a storage room, with a lot of boxes. I left the door slightly open, to peek watch what's going on. I hear the sound of AJ's footsteps going up the stairs. "Jasmine! Where are you?" He called out. Then there was a faint sound of wind blowing, which was my signal. "AJ!! I'm up here! HELP!" I shouted out. I hear his footsteps coming closer to the floor. "Don't worry, Jasmine! I'm coming." He came up the third floor, and looked around. "Jasmine?" He called out. I got on my hands and knees, and crawled around in the storage room, until I feel what feels like a handle to a door in the floor. I opened it up carefully, and let down a nearby latter.
I get ready to climb down the latter, then pause for a moment. "NO! NO, PLEASE DON'T!" I shouted, before letting out another scream, then climbed down the latter and slammed the door shut. Once I'm down, I'm in a room that looks like a master bedroom. I put the latter in the closet on the wall to my left. From above, I can hear AJ's footsteps. "Jasmine, can you hear me? I can't see a thing in here!" He said, followed by a bunch of crashing noises, indicating that he probably knocked down a bunch of boxes. "Can you hear me, Jasmine? Please say something." There was complete silence, then a quiet sound of a howling wind came out of nowhere, followed by Alexia's voice. "You shouldn't have come like that foolish girl!" She said right before I let out another scream.
"Jasmine, where are you?!"
"AJ! Help!"
I go out the door and left it barely opened, so I can see what's going on inside. The door from the room above opened up, and AJ falls, landing on his hands and knees. Once he gets up, he looks around. "Jasmine?" He said in a voice quieter than the previous times. "Where are you?" Alexia appeared behind him. "Aw, looking for your girlfriend?" She asked, before immediately disappearing before AJ turns around. Alexia then phased through the floor behind him. "You're not gonna find her, you know." She disappeared once again, and AJ turns around. He started to tremble. That's when Alexia appeared behind him, once again. "Because it's already too late."
I quickly get to a room nearby, and kept the door slightly opened. AJ ran out the room. His whole body is trembling as he looks around quickly, in a panicked manor. "J-jasmine... Please tell me you're still here!" He looked behind him, then let out a quick, high pitch scream before running away, followed by Alexia, chasing him. "You're next, mortal!" She called out. After a moment, I followed them from a safe enough distance behind. We ran through a long hallway, and AJ eventually got to a dead end when he ran into a room on the right of the hallway. When Alexia followed after him in there, I watch the whole thing from outside.
AJ is standing in the corner, of the room, with Alexia floating high in the air, in front of him. "And just like that girl, you too will be punished for coming into this house." Said Alexia, followed by an evil laugh. AJ stood there, frozen in place, trembling. When Alexia stopped laughing, she looks down at him. "Don't worry. Once I'm done with the girl, I'll start with you. Then, you'll both see each other, again." AJ looked at the ground, and closed his eyes, while making his hands in the form of fists. "Jasmine..." He said under his breath. He then looks back up at Alexia. "Where is she?!" Demanded AJ.
Alexia shook her head and shrugged. "She's somewhere you will never find, getting the punishment she truly deserves." She said with a giggle. "But don't worry. You'll soon be there short after, once she's had enough." AJ dropped to his knees, and covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Jasmine. I never meant for this to happen." Alexia started to laugh. "Foolish boy... She can't here you right now. No use apologizing." AJ looked back up at her. "Let her go!" He shouted. "Now, why should I?" Asked Alexia.
"Because..." AJ sands back up. "Because it was my idea to come here in the first place!" There was a moment of dead silence. AJ stared at the ground for a moment, before looking back up at Alexia. "It's my fault we both came here. Not hers. So, please. Set her free, and..." AJ hesitated for a moment. "Give me the punishment meant for the both of us." There was more silence. Alexia stared at AJ as he stared at her. "You want twice the amount of punishment?" Asked Alexia. AJ nodded. "Yes. To cover for the both of us coming in. It was never her idea to come into this mansion, so she doesn't deserve any punishment." After more silence, Alexia started to laugh. Not an evil laugh, but a humorous laugh. I started to laugh as well, before entering the room.
"Well, you don't need to be so serious about it." Said Alexia, as she lowered herself to ground level. I walked up next to her and looked at AJ. "It's ok. I'm perfectly safe. This was all just a prank to scare you." I said. "A prank? But how?" AJ asked, then looked at Alexia. "And who are you?!" Alexia smiled. "I'm Alexia. The ghost that haunts this mansion. The same girl who died on Halloween." She said proudly. I started laughing. "You say that like your proud of it!" Alexia turned to look at me. "Because I am. I mean, I don't usually try to scare people when they enter. Doing this much was nothing!" She said, then we both looked at AJ, who was staring at me. "You have a right to be mad at me, though." I said. "I didn't really expect you to be that scared." AJ stayed silent, still staring at me.
"I'm sorry, AJ. I should have known you would get concerned, considering how protective you are of me." I said. "We're both sorry." Alexia added in. Without saying anything, AJ walked up to me, and hugs me. "You're ok... I'm glad." He said. "Didn't you hear everything I said, just now? Aren't you mad?" I asked. AJ tightened his grip on me. "No. I'm not mad. I thought something bad happened to you, but you're safe. That's all I care about." He said. I put my arms around him to hug him back. "I didn't mean to make you worried." I said to him.
"I know. I can never be mad at you." He replied, then pulled away and put his hands on my shoulders, with a warm smile on his face. "Why? Because I love you, of course." I smiled back, not sure what to say, then I heard Alexia's voice."Aww." I turned to look at her. "Jeez, you sound like my friends!" I said in a joking voice. She laughed in reply. AJ stood up, and offered me his hand. I take it and he helps me up. "To be honest, I wasn't that scared." He said with a smile. "Yeah right! Did you even hear yourself earlier?" I said back to him.
"That's called acting, dear."
"Right... Acting."
I rolled my eyes, and turned to Alexia. "That was fun!" I said with a smile. She nodded her head in agreement, and walked up to me. "Just dqon't tell anyone about this, alright? I have a feeling one or two out of the three of us will never be left alone if the word was out." She whispered. "Don't worry. I'll keep this our secret." I told her. I turned to look at AJ. "Hey, the night's still young, how about we have a little fun? It'll give you some time to know Alexia!" I said with a smile. AJ nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me!" He said. "Hey, let's go to my room and hang out!" Suggested Alexia. AJ and I both nod in agreement and the three of us went to her room, where we started to talk.
Midnight
"Thank's again, Alexia!" I said as AJ and I walked to the entrance. "Hey, no problem! Thanks for coming!" She replied. "Can we come again next year?" I asked. "Sure, no problem! You two are both aloud any time you feel like coming." She said. AJ stopped walking. "Hey, I have an idea." He said. I turn around to look at him. "Why not the three of us take a picture to remember this night?" He asked. "That sounds a good idea!" Said Alexia. I hesitated for a moment.
"What would it look like, taking a picture of a ghost?" I asked. They both shrugged, and AJ starts to laugh. "I guess we'll have find out." He said while pulling out a digital camera from his pocket. "Alright, let's all get together." Alexia and I walked over to AJ. AJ stood on my left, putting his arm around me, while Alexia stood on my right. AJ held out the camera and aimed it towards us. "Smile, everyone!" He said. We all smiled, and he pressed the button, making the flash go off. AJ looked at the screen on his camera. "Wow. Looks amazing!" He said. Alexia and I looked at the picture.
The background looked completely normal, as if there were lights on, and AJ and I were there, along with a girl. Not a ghost, like Alexia, but a human girl. She had blond hair with blue eyes, and a beautiful white dress. "I look alive..." Said Alexia. I looked at Alexia, to see a bright smile on her face. "You look beautiful." I said to her. She looked at me and smiled. "Thanks. You two look cute, together." She said. I turned to look at AJ. "If you can, print out three copies of that picture. One for me, one for you, and one for Alexia." I said. AJ nodded, then checked his watch. "Dang, it's past midnight!" He said. "We better get going!"
I nodded my head in agreement, and AJ goes over to the door, holding it open for me. When I was about to go out, I looked back, and waved at Alexia. She smiled and waved back, and the two of us walk out. We go to the car, where AJ opened the door to the passenger seat for me, then got in on the drivers seat. We both put on our seatbelt, and AJ started the car. When we start to drive off, I looked back at the house, where at the third window up, to the far left, I see Alexia, looking out, smiling and waving to us as we leave.
