The door closed and the lock clunked into place. Together, the group looked around the dark halls.

  “Here. I think I have a candle.” Jiit said and he brought a candle and lit it with a little magic. The light showed the age and abandonment.

  “Mayhem, is this what you were thinking about?” Kilek asked.

  “Yeah, THIS is a haunted house.” Mayhem said, then shivered. “Woo. It’s cold too. Little creepy.”

  “Backing out already?” Shaynen grinned, pushing the caretaker’s insight from him to her. She punched him in the shoulder.

  “Knock it off you guys.” Thunder said and separated them.

  “We need to investigate the place. Make sure it’s clear and then we’ll pick the most defensible spot and make our plan from there.” Jiit said, and drew a hand crossbow and loaded it. “Keep on your guard.” Thunder drew a dagger and slid into the shadows. Mayhem drew a large trident from off her back. Only Shaynen and Kilek remained seemingly unarmed.

  Together, they walked through the halls. Peeking into rooms, finding most of them trashed. As if there had been a struggle. But every corner was empty, without a sound that didn’t belong to the party.

  “It’s clear.” Jiit said, “I think we should make our base of operations in the sitting room. It has the most furniture that be used to barricade the entrance.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Kilek agreed. They went back down to the ground floor and into the mostly untouched sitting room. They moved the furniture around and made the room defensible.

  “Okay, let’s go over what we know.” Jiit said, sitting and bringing out his notes. “We know that this manor was the mayor’s.”

  “And the mayor’s family had lost,” Shaynen said.

  “And the mostly likely ghosts we’ll meet.” Kilek agreed.

  “The people of the city don’t trust the mayor.” Thunder said, crossing her arms and looking up at the ceiling. “The distrust started with the cult coming through.”

  “A cult with a deer skull pendant.” Mayhem said, “Which cult could that be?”

  “There are so many cults being discovered every day. Narrowing them down with just that information will be impossible.” Jiit shook his head. “The caretaker and him go way back, but the caretaker didn’t give any indication he wasn’t involved somehow.”

  “How d’ya figure?” Kilek asked. Sitting on the ground and reclining.

  “He immediately changed the subject when I asked. It’s clear he wanted to hide something.” Jiit said, looking over their notes. “I think he’s behind this.”

  “I don’t think so,” Kilek said, resting his head on his arms and looking up to the ceiling. “The guy just seemed very enthusiastic to tell you about his suspicions.”

  “And that we wouldn’t make it.” Shaynen huffed, sitting down and crossing his arms.

  “No, that YOU wouldn’t make it.” Mayhem said. Shaynen turned, steaming.

  “Focus,” Thunder said. “I don’t want to babysit you two all night so knock it off.” Shaynen and Mayhem looked back at each other and then stuck their tongues out at each other.

  “We know that people go in to the manor and that all the hauntings happen only at night, and seemingly only to the people IN the manor and not out.” Jiit continued recapping. “The caretaker is also suspicious, having full access to the manor.”

  “There’s always a chance that it’s something completely unpredictable.” Mayhem said, reclining back in the armchair.

  “That’s also true.” Jiit agreed. “Let’s get settled for a long night. Let’s get a watch order going.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “I can take first and last, I sleep less.” Shaynen said.

  “I’ll take first watch with the kid.” Kilek said.

  “I’ll do the second.” Thunder said.

  “Makes me third?” Jiit said.

  “And I’ll do the last watch with the kid.” Mayhem said. Shaynen frowned.

  “You aren’t that much older than me.” He said. “What twenty?”

  “Yeah. What are you? Fifteen?” Mayhem sneered.

  “I’m eighteen. We’re the same age.” Shaynen insisted.

  “Get to bed.” Thunder shoved Mayhem. Mayhem rolled her eyes and rolled over in her chair. Thunder found a place to bunk down and Jiit curled up in front of the sofa and Shaynen and Kilek were left in front of the fireplace.

  “What do you think tonight will be like?” Shaynen whispered.

  “Probably quiet, at least until long after midnight.” Kilek said. Shaynen nodded. He watched the fire and tried not to let the ticking of the clock drive him mad.

  The shift passed painfully slowly. But finally the clock chimed and Shaynen felt relieved. Not because he was tired but because he was bored.

  “Let’s wake Thunder and get some rest.” Kilek said and stood up. Shaynen sighed and stood. But before he could find a place to sit, he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. Shaynen froze and stared hard into the darkness. He saw something move and then he bolted and yanked a quarterstaff from a trophy hold on the wall. Kilek turned in alarm.

  “What is it?” Kilek asked. Thunder’s ear twitched and turned over wide awake.

  “I don’t know, but something’s moving.” Shaynen said. Kilek moved quickly. Waking up not just Thunder but also Jiit and Mayhem. Out of the shadows, into the light of the fire, appeared a little girl. Shaynen lowered the weapon. The girl was pale white and completely see through. She looked shy as she stepped closer.

  “A-are you heroes?” She asked.

  “You must be the mayor’s daughter.” Jiit said. The girl nodded.

  “My daddy has sent lots of heroes. Are you heroes too?” She asked.

  “We’re here to find out what happened to you.” Kilek said. “Do you remember anything?”

  “Yes,” the girl said and sighed. “All the heroes my daddy sent died or ran away. Are you going to do that?”

  “We aren’t going to run away.” Jiit promised. “Tell us what happened to you.”

  “I don’t remember much anymore,” the girl said. Playing with her fingers in her lap. “I was sleeping. Mommy and daddy were fighting again and daddy left. That’s when I fell asleep, I was sleeping when the demons came.”

  “Demons?” Kilek asked.

  “I think so. When I was able to open my eyes again, I was in the basement.” The girl said.

  “The house has a basement?” Mayhem asked, trying to stifle a yawn. “We didn’t find one on our search through the house.”

  “It’s hidden in the kitchen. Daddy says I’m not supposed to go down there ever.” the girl said. “I know where it is. The demons took my body and mommy down into the larder. It was too dark for me down there.”

  “Can you show us?” Jiit asked.

  “I won’t go into the larder, it’s too dark.” The girl said.

  “We won’t make you. Go down there” Jiit said, inching closer to the ghost girl. “Are there others like you?”

  “Dead?” The girl said so blatantly it took the party aback.

  “Yes.” Thunder nodded first, regaining her voice before the others could.

  “They’re all over. You’ll see them on the way.” She said and held her arms. “It’s cold here.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll do our best to help, but we need you to show us the way.” Jiit said. “Can you do that?” The girl nodded.

  “Follow me,” she said and led them into the dark of the manor. The party looked into the dark archway. Illuminated only by the fireplace.

  “If you want to back out, now’s the time.” Kilek said to no one in particular. “This might be the only chance you get.” Shaynen stiffened, feeling like the statement was directed at him. He kept his grip on the quarterstaff and was the first to follow the girl. The rest of the party hurried after him. Following the girl into the dark hall. Kilek and Jiit had no dark vision and stayed close to Shaynen, Thunder, and Mayhem. But they didn’t need to see in the dark to see the ghostly apparitions that were mulling about the halls.

  They were all sorts; men, women and everything in between and outside. From humans, to elves, to dwarves. Tabaxi, tieflings, a few goblins, and many others. They looked at the still living party with pity and disdain.

  Run

  The party jumped as one of the ghostly apparitions spoke to them. But it was only the first one.

  Go back while you still can

  Run! Run!

  This town isn’t worth it.

  You are all going to your doom.

  The girl didn’t say a word. Only leading the unsettled party from the halls and rooms of the manor and into the kitchen. From the kitchen to the pantry. Though spacious there were no obvious doors from the pantry to the basement.

  “Here,” the ghost girl whispered and pointed to a shelf.

  “Ah, a secret staircase behind a shelf. Classic.” Jiit said. Mayhem cracked her knuckles and went to the shelf. She put her back to it and squat down. Mayhem moved the fully stocked shelf aside. Revealing the hidden staircase.