Blog Post

A Great Haunt

July 5, 2020

“We are at the famous and mysteriously haunted Hill Mansion.” The young man exaggerated looking into the camera.

“Has it ever been actually proven haunted? Or is it just another one were gonna have to edit to make it believable?” His cameraman asked.

“Silence! And edit what you said. Our footage is always real.”

“Yeah sure. What’s its history?” 

“Oh right.” He looked into the camera and began his dramatic performance, “It is said that it has been used as a safe haven for robin hood like criminals, at one point served as an orphanage, a family home, and then was abandoned.”

“Why was it abandoned?”

“It just was.” 

“Why?”

“The bank foreclosed, ya happy? Edit that out. Leave it at abandoned. It’s more scary.”

“Is it?”

“Silence! Come on. Let’s go upstairs and see if there are any creepy old portraits!”

“You are such a phony.”

“On the contrary my sarcastic friend, I am an opportunist!”

The pair made their way upstairs as the residents unloaded the groceries and other things from their day of errands.

“Are you a Runner for the Cove tomorrow?” The late twenties girl, Amber, asked.

“Yeah. They need me to get a few things for the residents who can’t leave. Are you sure you want to work on the house by yourself?” Coal asked as he put the items in the pantry.

“It won’t ever get done to open the house as a learning tool for other Ghosts if we don’t keep working on it. And Leo will be back tomorrow night. Annie, Elizabeth, Roger, and the other two boys will be back in the next couple days. One day of work in the mansion alone won’t kill me.”

As the floor upstairs creaked both beings of Ghostly origins looked upstairs.

“Not again. Should we put up the other stuff first or,”

“Let’s scare them out first!” Coal interrupted.

“You just want to avoid the work.”

“Absolutely. Let’s go have some fun!” Coal said as he grabbed Amber’s hand.

The two phased through the wall determined to get the current pests out of their home.

Back upstairs two humans began exploring the library. 

“Look at this! This portrait is perfect! Start filming!” 

“Fine. Anything else you want in the shot before we start shooting?”

“No, the best moments happen with no preparation. Now start!”

The camera took in the view of the room and focused on the host preparing his monologue. 

“Here we are in the upstairs library of the Hill Mansion. It is surprisingly cold.”

“You forgot your jacket and it is raining.”

“Anyways! Surprisingly the books still look well taken care of. The furniture looks old, but still like it could hold weight, no jokes please. Maybe we’ll even find a snack when we explore the kitchen.”

“Why would you eat anything here? It’s probably ancient and disgusting.” 

“I’m hungry and I forgot my lunch. Plus look at everything! It is so old, cobwebby, but it still looks good!”

“And everything here isn’t food. Focus.”

“Right. Look at this old ripped portrait. Could it be a family feud that tore it? A disgruntled family member cut from everyone? Or maybe a girl whose dearest love broke her heart and she sought revenge?”

“Or maybe it’s an old portrait torn by a fallen candelabra?” 

“Silence! As I said, an old portrait representing a moment in time of happiness before the family was torn apart. We may still be able to hear the fighting that ended all their lives.”

“Did you look up any history for this mansion?”

“Yeah, it was boring. Too peaceful. This is better. Now silence.”

“Ready?” Amber asked.

“Ready.” Coal responded.

Books began to fly off the shelves, hitting the startled host and his cameraman.

The rocking chairs moved on their own as the curtains billowed without wind.

They felt a warm breath on their necks, but no one was there.

“Are you doing this? The host asked, more scared than he’d been before.

“Sure. I planned all the creepy stuff and decided to include myself in all the fun.”

“Seriously? This is not the time for sarcasm.”

“There is always time for sarcasm.” The cameraman shouted running from the room and found their way to the living room, or what was known as a family room once upon a century.

Paint cans, rollers, paint brushes, and cloths on the chairs and floors sat around the room as if it were being restored.

Unbeknownst to the host and his cameraman, it was.

As paint splattered the walls, a banshee like scream echoed off the walls.

“I swear I will kill you if you make a mess! I just finished the trim on that side!” A woman’s voice called.

“Ah! It’s the heart broken girl!” The host screamed, unsure of what to do.

He was covered in paint. If he moved he would make a mess and the Ghost girl would kill him. 

A sheet raised off the floor looking like a child dressing as a Ghost for Halloween. As another paint can flew the sheet Ghost let out another blood curdling scream.

“You are so dead!” She yelled moving toward them.

Little did they know, Coal was standing behind the two guys taunting Amber with his antics. 

Ready to be done with the mess Amber yelled, “Leave and never come back! Or I will destroy you for all the damage you caused my home!”

The two men ran from the home. Both terrified and thrilled of their extraordinary find.

As they drove away the two Ghostly beings appeared again.

“I swear Coal if you ever do that again I will actually kill you.”

“You said that after I threw fruit all over the kitchen with that other crew. And guess what?” After Amber’s silence he continued, “I’m still alive!”

“You’re lucky you’re alive. You are cleaning this up all by yourself. And do it before Annie gets back. She will have us restoring the house by ourselves if she sees what you did.”

“Coal? Amber?” The door shut behind as Annie’s voice rang out from the hall, “Are you home?”

“In here Annie!” Amber yelled as she disappeared into the wall.

“No! Amber wait! Don’t leave me! Oh. Hi Annie! Like my decorating?” Coal asked, waving around the room.

“Sure. And Coal?” Annie said walking to the door.

“Yeah?”

“You will be cleaning this room and any other for the next month. And next time you scare off Ghost hunters, get the camera.” 

She tossed the camera into Coal’s hands as the leader of the Ghost’s Academic Academy or GAA went off to handle more of their Ghostly ghoals.