The decrepit mansion loomed just ahead of me as I slunk my way up the cobblestone path towards it. An old wrought iron gate greeted me, barring my path, but as my hand touched it, the hinges gave way to drop the gate to the ground with a crash like thunder. There were no lights or voices from inside, but the moment my foot crossed through that gateway it become clear to me that this place wasn't just empty—but that someone or something wanted it to remain that way.
No matter how much moonlight fell upon that house, no shadows moved within. I felt awfully stupid now for losing that bet made with my friends now; my punishment was to spend the night alone in this supposedly haunted spot. Just great, what a rotten night of fun.
"Hi! Are you okay?" came a soft voice from behind me. A sudden rush of excitement surged through my veins, and fear tingled through my being like a palpable phantom. Could it be? Was it really—
"Hii!" another voice chimed in; and then more. The whispers were light, flitting on the air, not quite audible yet. My heart thudded wildly at the sound of more voices: seven of them now, making eight if you counted mine. Suddenly there were too many to count.
The darkness seemed to grow even denser around me with every new voice calling out. A cold sensation crawled over my skin when my neckline began to chill in anticipation of a figure manifesting itself before me. Before long a certain something did indeed materialize; it came from the blackness like a blur and blossomed in my mind's eye into the most beautiful woman—a perfect apparition whose beauty shook my very foundations and forced a gasp to leave me.
She wore an old fashioned dress with full sleeves that more than reached her ankles, the hem dragging on the cobblestone. Her hair flowed down to her waist in heavy curls of purest snow, while her eyes glimmered like deep pools of sapphire.
"You may as well come inside, it's getting chilly out here. You'll catch your death—or maybe worse." She pointed towards the large old house. "Come, hurry; don't make me carry you."
I obeyed without question and followed her into the gloomy mansion. Yet once inside, every touch of air against my skin made me shudder with fear. She seemed to hear it because she glanced back at me with a sympathetic smile before leading me into a sitting room. With a wink from her, the candles sprang to life; the flickering light cast dim shadows everywhere that spun and twirled like ghosts—too numerous to count.
I moved to sit upon a chair, and she sat across from me at another, watching with keen interest in her eyes. Now the candles were just right for us both to see one another clearly, though they didn't illuminate much of the rest of the room until she tossed her hair and they grew brighter.
"What brings you to my dilapidated abode?" she asked, her voice almost singing softly in my ears.
"I lost a bet with my friends," I admitted, a little sheepishly. "So—they're forcing me to spend the night here."
"How charming," she sighed. "Rather mean-spirited of your friends, but it is nice to have company on this lonely Halloween night." A tiny giggle left her mouth, like sweet music. Suddenly she seemed more approachable: no longer a spirit to be reckoned with and feared. Yet still there remained a certain weight of authority, coupled with an air of mysteriousness about her that prevented me from pursuing any idle flirtations; it didn't stop me from appreciating her beauty—the soft glow of her skin, the outline of her lips, and most especially those eyes that burned through me with their unnerving intensity.
She fiddled with her dress sleeve, playing absentmindedly with the lace while keeping an eye on me. "So, my new friend, how do you propose we pass the time? It is far too early to sleep, but I do have many books, puzzles, games, or trinkets that might amuse you. We could even just spend some time chatting!"