Darkness Falls (standard:horror, 4104 words)
Author: Maddie's socks	Added: Jul 07 2005	Views/Reads: 3142/2165	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
an old haunted house on a hill that has lain silent for centuries is woken from its slumber by three curious teenagers eager to prove themselves. horrors and strange happenings await them inside the house's dusty halls. monsters and mind tricks are at ev

Darkness Falls 

A bell rang insistently inside, causing all the students to pour out of
the college building like ants from an anthill. Leona blinked in the 
sudden sunlight, having been cooped up inside all day listening to 
lectures and taking notes. 

Sitting on a bench, she started to relax before making the long journey
home, basking in the February sun that gave her a sense of peace. But 
this was then broken by a shadow falling across her face, and its owner 
blocking out the sun. Mina sneered down at her, hands on her hips. 

Despite it being early February, Mina was wearing a short denim skirt
and an open collar shirt with a glittering necklace round her neck. 
Blonde hair immaculate as always, Mina raised a hand and flicked it 
over her shoulder. Leona knew it to be dyed, but she was still envious 
of it. 

“I thought you'd be here again. You sit here all day and don't go
anywhere. It's like you're afraid of moving or something,” she sneered. 


“I'm not afraid of anything, Mina.” 

“Oh really? Then why didn't you go up to the house on the hill last week
when Tony and John went? They invited you. ” 

“You know as well as I do that John broke his leg and Tony's gotten ill
since he went there.” 

Mina made a disparaging noise. “Oh, that's just superstition. Why don't
you go tonight and prove to everyone that you're not such a wuss.” 

“Why don't you come with me?” Leona spat contemptuously. “Or are you
afraid?” 

Mina made an expression of disgust. “I don't have to prove anything to
you, loner.” Leona was about to retort when someone else cut in, 

“Leave her alone, Mina. If you want someone to go to that house tonight,
then I suggest all three of us go. At least to stop you doing anything 
stupid.” Leona smiled up at her saviour gratefully. Dan grinned back. 
Deep green eyes and long brown hair, Dan was admired by many of the 
girls at college. Always making anything look better when he wore it, 
he was dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt, his hair just 
brushing the collar. 

Mina looked decidedly uncomfortable, but there was no way to back out
without losing face. 

“Fine,” she snarled, then spun on her heel and stalked off. 

“See you there at eight!” Dan called to her retreating back cheerfully. 

“Thanks Dan,” Leona sighed gratefully. 

“Don't mention it. I'll pick you up from your house at 7:50. See you
later, there's my bus.” He raised a hand in farewell and walked briskly 
toward the bus stop. 

With a sense of foreboding, Leona too departed. But the dark prospect of
spending a night in a creepy old house was brightened considerably by 
the thought of spending it with Dan. 

The car pulled up beside the pavement smoothly, and Leona unclipped her
seatbelt, trying to put off what was to come. With a whizzing sound, 
the seatbelt rose up into its holder, and Leona turned her head to look 
at Dan. His dark green eyes showed no spark of mirth or happiness, only 
apprehension and, perhaps, fear. 

During the afternoon, Leona had been able to temporarily forget what was
going to happen that evening, or at least push it into one of the 
farthest corners of her mind. But when Dan had turned up at her door, 
the reality came rushing back, drowning her in anxiety. The car journey 
had been mostly silent, except for a few polite nothings at the start. 


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