Linda and her friends were invited to a
party at End House. But no one was home to greet them. The house stood
dark and deserted before them. It was time for them to knock on the
door.
Chapter 8
End House appeared through the
mist: a massive daunting shadow silhouetted against the black sky. The
house stood tall and imposing before its invited guests.
That was how End House appeared to Linda. Her
first glimpse of the foreboding house caused her body to shiver. The
house resembled all the scary houses in her imagination…and in every
gothic novel she’d ever read. But having to face it on this dreary and
isolated hilltop…with the wind blowing…sharp branches slapping them
across their shocked faces, made the encounter more real and much more
horrifying.
Tom, Edward, Mike, and
David were already walking up the gravel path, while Gregg, Judy, and
Ryan were waiting for them by the massive front door. It was a very
quiet group that stood close together…staring up at the dark, menacing
structure.
The front of the house
faced the mountain with its wraparound porch, wide stone steps, and
thick white columns, while the rear had its large patio and built-in
pool facing the crashing waves of the ocean. A tall black iron fence—its
pointy spikes jutting upward to the sky—encircled the house and pool
before following the stairs in its straight descent to the deserted
beach below.
Todd threw open the huge
steel door and strode in first. Disappearing inside, Todd left them no
choice but to trail along behind him.
Huddled together as one,
they entered the house and stood in the dark hall. The only light came
from two lines of lit candles traveling up the ornate banisters of the
marble staircase, and a third row of candles hanging from wall sconces
in the right hallway. The sconces served to illuminate this hallway,
while leaving the second hallway to the left of the staircase in
complete darkness.
No one was there to greet
them or to tell them where to go. The group stood still, in awe of the
sweeping staircase with its majestic red carpeting. Todd returned from
somewhere in the dark recesses of the house and suggested that they
split up into two groups. He directed Linda, Shana, Gregg, Ryan, and
Judy to proceed upstairs with him, while Mike, David, Edward, Tom, and
Louise were told to follow the long line of candles along the right
hallway.
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