The living room was dimly lit, the only sound the faint hum of the mansion's ancient air conditioning. We sat in a loose circle on the floor, the tension in the room so thick it felt like it could suffocate us. Hendrick had suggested a game to pass the time while we waited for Evelyn to return with groceries. It was supposed to be fun, but the way he smirked as he shuffled the deck told me this was anything but.116Please respect copyright.PENANARbgiounCNC
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"Alright," Hendrick said, his voice dripping with mockery. "Truth or Dare. No backing out."116Please respect copyright.PENANAZesbBZSGtd
116Please respect copyright.PENANAs2ahUFYC19
"Seriously?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "We're not twelve."116Please respect copyright.PENANAUfDiQIco1h
116Please respect copyright.PENANAGYF5hDpBWd
"Come on," Hendrick shot back, his grin widening. "Don't tell me you're scared."116Please respect copyright.PENANAbQGi2XByCN
116Please respect copyright.PENANAe4y17xeQ5L
"I'm not scared," I snapped. "I just think it's stupid."116Please respect copyright.PENANAtEvPh9QwE1
116Please respect copyright.PENANABY9hjFDHn8
"Then it shouldn't be a problem," Hendrick said, dealing the cards with a flick of his wrist. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he turned to Maya. "You're up first. Truth or Dare?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAtMKhfILPea
116Please respect copyright.PENANAmIiybel3Vs
Maya hesitated, glancing at me before answering. "Truth," she said, her voice quiet.116Please respect copyright.PENANA4Vc7ONeGZc
116Please respect copyright.PENANAKRP7MLGAmF
Hendrick leaned forward, his smirk stretching across his face. "Do you really think your sister's been clean since rehab?"116Please respect copyright.PENANANeU8yYaI88
116Please respect copyright.PENANA6YejJxPmH1
The room fell silent. Maya's eyes widened, and she glanced at me, her expression torn. "I… I don't know," she said finally.116Please respect copyright.PENANA8Sl6IOzyYN
116Please respect copyright.PENANAEPV9LkJ1mD
"Maya," I said, my voice sharp. "You know I haven't relapsed."116Please respect copyright.PENANAnxagtnq8Ax
116Please respect copyright.PENANANfT88nIqMl
"Do I?" Maya shot back, her tone defensive. "You've been so distant lately. How am I supposed to know what you're doing?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAxe0hnW9B44
116Please respect copyright.PENANAJYOc51WBmz
"Because I'm your sister," I said, my voice rising. "You're supposed to trust me."116Please respect copyright.PENANA74HwT5d6Ei
116Please respect copyright.PENANABz1cDCLWzg
"Trust you?" Maya said, her voice shaking. "You're the one who pushed me away. You're the one who stopped coming to the clubhouse. How am I supposed to trust you when you won't even talk to me?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAQdnf371JCP
116Please respect copyright.PENANARviqqVkeI0
The room was silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Hendrick leaned back, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Looks like we hit a nerve."116Please respect copyright.PENANApROwHOTXg7
116Please respect copyright.PENANA7KinhMpHGn
"Shut up, Hendrick," I snapped, my hands clenched into fists. "This is your fault."116Please respect copyright.PENANADwVSju04z3
116Please respect copyright.PENANAZd9JqenZz6
"My fault?" Hendrick said, his tone mocking. "I'm not the one who's been avoiding everyone. I'm not the one who's been lying."116Please respect copyright.PENANA18FrmdAhGG
116Please respect copyright.PENANAulbaVSuNFd
"I haven't been lying!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the room.116Please respect copyright.PENANAFOMqy13LoO
116Please respect copyright.PENANAnxeiUrGQQn
"Prove it," Hendrick said, his eyes narrowing. "It's Maya's turn now. How about you let her pat you down as a dare? If you've got nothing to hide, it shouldn't be a problem."116Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZGZAAiq0j
116Please respect copyright.PENANAaEY82ie2dN
"You're unbelievable," I said, my voice low with anger. "I never agreed to a dare, and I'm not doing this regardless."116Please respect copyright.PENANAAoxeNl9zUg
116Please respect copyright.PENANADwAHTTXvPC
"Why not?" Maya said, her voice trembling. "If you've got nothing to hide, why won't you let me?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAFVmLAWn36j
116Please respect copyright.PENANA1SLInpRHHQ
I stared at her, my heart sinking. "You're really going to side with him?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAX0BKtIktm3
116Please respect copyright.PENANAP4vYkGYZZj
Maya hesitated, her eyes flicking between me and Hendrick. "I just… I need to know."116Please respect copyright.PENANAvAoM9bGDKw
116Please respect copyright.PENANAtJg2g0Rkkf
"Fine," I said, my voice cold. "Do it."116Please respect copyright.PENANAdS9U0ouoL5
116Please respect copyright.PENANAkssti5NDXZ
Maya stepped forward, her hands shaking as she patted me down. The room was silent, the tension unbearable. She pulled a cigarette from the front pocket of my overalls and eyed me suspiciously.116Please respect copyright.PENANA5evDSmAj2C
116Please respect copyright.PENANA4v7igcFP3w
"That's not an addiction," I said defensively.116Please respect copyright.PENANAkJpVU8eaSV
116Please respect copyright.PENANAd3eAH3xUg6
"Isn't it?" Maya argued, her voice rising. "Because this is how it begins. First it's cigarettes, then it's alcohol, and then it's hard drugs. I've seen it before."116Please respect copyright.PENANAEAlJIVSSSq
116Please respect copyright.PENANA5fVPfMEz2B
"Maya," I started, but before I could say anything else, a sound cut through the silence—a low, guttural moan coming from somewhere deep in the mansion.116Please respect copyright.PENANAKZdbUrmKJU
116Please respect copyright.PENANAAfGvTZyvTb
"What is that sound?" Masha said, her voice low but filled with terror.116Please respect copyright.PENANAsg6ER9hM3F
116Please respect copyright.PENANAxGJAWvde2t
The moan came again, louder this time, and the air seemed to grow colder. I glanced around the room, my heart pounding. "Guys," I said, my voice tight. "Where are Martin and Hendrick?"116Please respect copyright.PENANAjMNk4i9bTH
116Please respect copyright.PENANAdp42b3Rymq
We got up and looked around the living room, the eerie silence amplifying our unease. "Babe?!" Maya shouted, her voice trembling as she searched for Hendrick.116Please respect copyright.PENANAFwTStNw4H9
116Please respect copyright.PENANAmV8xh64bTI
"Martin!" Sasha called out, her tone growing more frantic with each passing second.116Please respect copyright.PENANAe9hxazxyqm
116Please respect copyright.PENANAufwEX0htsm
But instead of a response, we were met with a loud, piercing scream that echoed from the direction of the study. My stomach dropped, and I glanced at Masha, who shared the same wide-eyed expression of dread.116Please respect copyright.PENANAYDPk4HItkC
116Please respect copyright.PENANARt8nnC1UVC
Sasha started toward the study, but I quickly grabbed her arm, shaking my head. My eyes pleaded with her not to follow the sound. She hesitated, her face pale, but before she could argue, a heavy thud reverberated through the mansion, followed by footsteps—slow, deliberate, and growing louder with each step.116Please respect copyright.PENANAGepoGe3alu
116Please respect copyright.PENANALlavmHyMwq
Sasha's hand found mine, our fingers interlocking as we braced ourselves for whatever was coming. The footsteps grew closer, echoing through the hallway like a countdown to disaster.116Please respect copyright.PENANACrX1tTlSsZ
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Footsteps.116Please respect copyright.PENANATOy330UIzR
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Footsteps.116Please respect copyright.PENANAf4gAOolxBI
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Footsteps.116Please respect copyright.PENANAPZuAqJZoyk
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The door swung open, and my heart froze for a beat. But it wasn't a monster that emerged—it was Hendrick, his face pale and his clothes splattered with dark, drying blood. His hands trembled as he clutched the doorframe, his breathing ragged.116Please respect copyright.PENANAdAYv6WYLWr
116Please respect copyright.PENANA1KgQH3uVD4
"Oh my god!" Masha yelped, her voice barely above a whisper.116Please respect copyright.PENANA7Koa6DN99N
116Please respect copyright.PENANAomrEeqLV17
Maya rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she reached for him. "Babe…" she started, her voice breaking. "What the hell happened?"116Please respect copyright.PENANACE4u9ZkOVh
116Please respect copyright.PENANA9LPegvBGQ2
"That's not my blood," Hendrick said, his tone low and hollow, as if he were speaking from somewhere far away.116Please respect copyright.PENANA42qTGEouKJ
116Please respect copyright.PENANAliFoxweH8R
Sasha's eyes darted toward the study, her voice trembling as she asked, "Where's Martin?"116Please respect copyright.PENANA5AIdM47OaJ
116Please respect copyright.PENANATvsDz9ROz4
Hendrick hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I… I couldn't stop it," he said, his voice barely audible.116Please respect copyright.PENANAXLCwbGXg84
116Please respect copyright.PENANAwjuFnelZXU
"Couldn't stop what?" Sasha demanded, her voice rising.116Please respect copyright.PENANAm5Bc5bjH5u
116Please respect copyright.PENANAckGrtnEYfv
"Martin is… dead," Hendrick said, the words hanging heavy in the air.116Please respect copyright.PENANAMpxnNQ9eWY
116Please respect copyright.PENANACXTnMvNbYD
Sasha let out a shaky laugh, her voice trembling as she shook her head. "No," she said, her tone desperate. "You two are just pulling a prank on us. This isn't funny."116Please respect copyright.PENANAyX6Wsk4I6Q
116Please respect copyright.PENANAYGz4OIOlCa
She started for the study, her voice cracking as she called out, "Martin?" But I grabbed her arm, holding her back. Something in Hendrick's expression told me this wasn't a joke.116Please respect copyright.PENANAdRfJiaW5js
116Please respect copyright.PENANA242LSJivza
"Let me go," Sasha said, her voice firm but trembling. I shook my head, my grip tightening. "Let me go!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she began hitting my chest. "Why won't you let me go?!"116Please respect copyright.PENANAhsA51zV57W
116Please respect copyright.PENANAfVsB9LDsEw
Her fists pounded against me, each blow weaker than the last until she finally broke down, collapsing into sobs. I pulled her close, holding her tightly as she cried into my shoulder, her body shaking with grief.116Please respect copyright.PENANAwQOgPRcCN6
116Please respect copyright.PENANAFgYyCRghFN
The room was silent except for Sasha's muffled sobs. Hendrick stood frozen, his face pale and his hands trembling. Maya stared at him, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief. Masha hovered nearby, her eyes wide with terror.116Please respect copyright.PENANAqMzilWUOiP
116Please respect copyright.PENANAksE97MZDuy
Finally, Hendrick broke the silence, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get out of here."116Please respect copyright.PENANAWMzTYotqTX
116Please respect copyright.PENANAnFSTp1cqIu
The words hung in the air, sharp and final. Sasha's sobs quieted, and she pulled away from me, her face streaked with tears. Maya stared at Hendrick, her expression a mix of fear and something else.116Please respect copyright.PENANA3oaB8QKaqp
116Please respect copyright.PENANAPbl3pLglXr
I nodded, my heart pounding. "Let's go. Now."116Please respect copyright.PENANAvQ1ChoECG9
116Please respect copyright.PENANA4prexjIT9e
We moved as one, rushing toward the front door. The mansion seemed to close in around us, the shadows stretching and twisting as if alive. The air grew colder with each step, and the faint hum of the air conditioning was replaced by an eerie silence.116Please respect copyright.PENANALXDQeOEWQr
116Please respect copyright.PENANAdCC5swpVMn
Hendrick reached the door first, his bloodied hands grabbed the handle then twisted and pulled, but the door didn't budge. He yanked harder, his face pale. "It's stuck."116Please respect copyright.PENANAhwfUQ6NxVI
116Please respect copyright.PENANAap2OzyNPMx
"Move," I said, pushing past him. I grabbed the handle and pulled with all my strength, but the door didn't budge. My stomach dropped. "It's locked."116Please respect copyright.PENANA4sGTy0PUJT
116Please respect copyright.PENANA9Vw7Tbx8bj
"Evelyn has the keys," Masha said, her voice trembling. "She's not back yet."116Please respect copyright.PENANAzuyixOr724
116Please respect copyright.PENANAJfKrY3uIMq
"Then we break it down," Hendrick said, his tone desperate. He stepped back and kicked the door, the sound echoing through the mansion. The door didn't move.116Please respect copyright.PENANA8CtrtXmI2h
116Please respect copyright.PENANAx6nyV8axfJ
"Stop!" Maya said, her voice sharp. "You're going to attract whatever's that is."116Please respect copyright.PENANA4zUS9A5dUw
116Please respect copyright.PENANAk06zHrgzyO
Hendrick froze, his face pale. The room fell silent, the weight of our situation pressing down on us. We were trapped.116Please respect copyright.PENANAozkdp9m5zd
116Please respect copyright.PENANAikVvF1oYxX
-------
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The White's Mansion
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The White's Mansion
Author:
MadWriting7

ISSUE #3
Act III
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The White's Mansion
Horror
Dark
Short Story
Last updated: Feb 24, 2025
Total word count: 7,742
Total reading time: 36 Minutes
Writer:
horror
dark
mystery
tragedy
betrayal
psychological
survival
sacrifice
forgiveness
isolation
eerie
hauntedmansion
supernaturalhorror
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