Darkness fell like an avalanche. Mary had just arrived at the long forgotten mansion deep in the woods. Her pulse pounded in her ears, straining to hear some sign of danger. It was an eerie place with an unearthly silence befitting an abandoned place.

The mansion was obscured within a thicket of twisted vines and trees and it seemed to be stitched together as if it had been sewn from the shadows of the night. Mary felt an invisible threat looming in the darkness and an anxious feeling slowly crept in.

She cautiously entered the foyer and was struck by the scent of mold and decay. There was a large fireplace to her left and stairs leading to the second story. She cautiously ascended the stairs and when she reached the second floor she heard a soft thumping noise.

The sound became louder as she approached the source and eventually she discovered it emanated from an old chest in the corner. Taking a deep breath, she took the lid of the chest and was horrified by what she saw: a skeleton with an expression of terror etched onto its face.

Mary quickly closed the lid and began to back away, her heart racing. Suddenly, the thudding noise returned and the lid of the chest slowly opened. A pair of ghostly hands gently touched Mary’s face before disappearing.

Mary quickly ran down the stairs and out of the mansion, never looking back. She saw then felt a chilling breeze, as if the ghost had followed her. She knew she would never find the answer to the mystery of the haunted abandoned mansion – a mystery that would haunt her forever.