I thought my life was going to end. The hand hooked itself around my ankle and I fell onto my front. I quickly climbed up and scrambled on the carpet to get myself up, the hand wasn’t letting go.

“Help!” I shouted out to the guy from earlier.

Why didn’t I ask for his name?

“Someone help me! Please!”

My voice echoed in the hallway but no one heard me. After all the screaming and shouting, my throat was feeling raw and dry.

“Miss Raine, please help me,” the voice said. It was still holding onto me, his voice sent shivers down my spine and I started to cry in terror.

“Get away from me!”

It was useless getting up because my legs were numb and wobbled like jelly when I try to stand. The other doors on this landing began to open. I looked up and saw many pairs of shoeless feet beside me. Their toenails were clustered with dirt and mud and their trousers were ripped around the hem. I thought this was only shown in movies, maybe I’m dreaming. I screamed louder when the many pairs of dirty hands grabbed my hair and my shoulder and lifted me up. I struggled away from their grips.

Blood was soaking the carpet beneath me. My feet were drenched in blood. There were splatters of blood all over my t-shirt and I was quite sure my hair was entangled with the liquid substance as well. I flung my hand in different directions to swat the ghostly arms away from me. All of them had blood pouring out from their eye sockets. Some had long messy hair covering their faces. Some faces are disfigured from cuts and bruises. What they all had in common were that they were covered in mud.

They mumbled words and phrases which I couldn’t comprehend. I continued to scream and treaded my way out of the crowd. I was shaking so much that I stumbled as I tried to walk. Tears were streaming down my face.

What is happening?

Why is this happening to me?

Speeding up my pace, I stumbled further and further away from them. The hallway however was getting longer and longer. It didn’t seem that long when he took me to the room earlier tonight. I started running, but it felt like I was on a running machine, though I was moving, my surroundings were staying the same. I turned around to look behind me and the bloody ghouls were following me.

“Help!” I shouted, is there even anyone in this massive house?

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed my left arm and yanked me into a room.

“Shh!”

The hand clamped around my mouth to keep me quiet as I sobbed. The tears continued to flow down my face. This was the most frightening thing I have ever encountered. I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry after my parent’s death because I had to be strong and live my life how my parents would have wanted me to. My heart was hammering and pounding against my chest. I clutched my chest in agony as I tried to breathe.

“I think it’s over now,” the voice whispered next to my ears.

The hand slowly released itself from my mouth and I in a breath of air. I sunk down onto the floor and my shoulders trembled as I just remembered what happened. A small light appeared from a watch. The little gleam of light revealed his face. The person who opened the café door and took me to this mansion, I was relieved to see him but also scared because I knew nothing about him.

“It’s half past twelve now, so it’s over.”

He turned the light on and it was a bedroom. His bedroom I presumed. I was still covered in blood and sitting in the corner of the room by the door.

“Don’t worry, it’s all over now, they’ve gone,” he assured me.

“What was that?” I squeaked, still recovering from shock.

“They were ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” I repeated. I didn’t believe in them because I thought they were made up creatures that people used to scare others.

“They ain’t going to do anything to you, don’t worry.”

He helped me stand up and walked me over to the bed. I was still trembling. My hands were covered in blood and I stared at them in horror.

“Don’t worry, it will wash off. Go and have a shower and I’ll get you your suitcase from your room,” he said and started to walk towards the door.

“Are you sure they won’t come back?” I asked, my voice shaking. I wanted him to stay here with me but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“They won’t be out anymore, don’t worry. Just stay in here and don’t move until I come back.”

So I stood there. Motionless. Waiting.

I tried to calm down but my body carried on shaking. I just wished the morning could come soon and he will tell me the way out of this haunted mansion. Out of this haunted village.