There was a house, nestled deep in the woods of Angel Creek, that no one dared to enter. A house whispered to be cursed—haunted by a vengeful spirit who killed anyone foolish enough to disturb its peace.
"Do we really have to go inside?"
"Yes."
"But why?"
"Because this is the last place the Garcia kid was seen."
The Occult Club members stood at the threshold of the decaying house, their faces a mix of fear and uncertainty. The usual bravado that characterized their escapades was nowhere to be seen. This place was different. The air itself seemed to hum with malevolence, and the weight of their decision pressed on them like a heavy shroud.
"So, you're actually willing to let a small child die?"
Blue's voice cut through the silence like a blade. Her electric-blue eyes, sharp and full of disdain, pierced each of her friends. Her raven-black hair, tied in a high ponytail, bounced as she shifted her weight impatiently.
The group avoided her gaze, shame casting their faces in shadow. Blue huffed in disappointment, stepping forward toward the weathered steps.
"Fine. Stay out here and let the child die," she snapped, gripping the rusted doorknob. She paused, glancing back at them one last time. When it became clear none of them would follow, she pushed the door open and disappeared inside.
The door creaked shut behind her with a hollow groan, and silence enveloped the group outside once again.
Inside, the house was as haunting as its exterior. Dust coated every surface, cobwebs clung to the corners, and the faint smell of mildew hung in the air. A deathly stillness permeated the space, broken only by the occasional creak of the old floorboards beneath her sneakers.
Blue made her way toward the kitchen, her footsteps slow and deliberate. She ran a finger along the counter, grimacing at the layer of grime that clung to her skin.
"Guess no one's been here in years," she muttered, shaking the dust off her finger. She moved to the cabinets and pulled them open one by one, finding nothing but emptiness.
Then, a faint clattering sound from the far end of the kitchen made her freeze. Her hand instinctively moved to the hilt of her sword, her pulse quickening.
Cautiously, she approached the source of the noise and found a metal bowl bouncing repeatedly against the wall. "What the—"
She bent down to lift the bowl, only for a rat to dart out from underneath it. She stumbled back, her heart racing.
"Shit," she cursed, placing a hand over her chest.
"Boo!"
A voice came from behind her, startling her even further. She whirled around and instinctively swung her fist, connecting hard with the intruder's jaw. A loud yelp of pain followed.
"Ethan?" she gasped, recognizing the boy before her
A flashlight beam illuminated his face, revealing his messy brown hair and chocolate-coloured eyes. He was rubbing his chin, wincing. "Did you really have to hit me that hard?" Ethan complained.
"Don't sneak up on me, and I won't," Blue shot back, her voice tinged with exasperation. Her grip tightened on her sword's hilt, but she quickly released it. "You're lucky I didn't pull this out."
"Okay, okay. My bad," Ethan muttered, holding his hands up in surrender.
"Can't believe I'm actually doing this."
A smooth voice interrupted them, and they both turned toward the kitchen counter. Raphael stood there, his shoulder-length dreadlocks framing his almond-coloured eyes. A smirk played on his lips.
"And here I thought you two weren't going to help."
"We weren't," Raphael admitted with a casual shrug. "But then we remembered the prize money for finding the kid."
Blue rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. That's totally why you're here."
"Believe what you want," Raphael said, slinging his orange backpack over one shoulder.
Blue shook her head and turned toward the staircase. "Let's go."
"Wait," Raphael called, rummaging through his bag. After a moment, he pulled out a pistol and tossed it to Ethan.
"Where the hell did you get this?" Ethan asked, his voice laced with disbelief as he examined the weapon.
"Found it at a crime scene," Raphael replied nonchalantly.
Ethan blinked, stunned. "You're joking, right?"
"Wish I was," Raphael said with a smirk.
Blue, although amused, ascended the stairs, her sharp senses on high alert. The boys followed behind her, still bickering softly.
"Quiet," she hissed once they reached the top.
A faint rattling echoed down the right hallway, drawing their attention. Blue's muscles tensed as she stepped forward. The hallway seemed to close in on her, the air growing heavier with each step.
A loud, sickening roar shattered the silence.
"Run!" Blue voice cracked as a large hand shot in her direction. Ethan dove, tackling her out of the way just as the wall behind them exploded in a shower of splinters.
The creature loomed over them, its twisted form illuminated by the moonlight spilling through the broken windows. The top half of its body was human, with skeletal arms writhing at its sides. Its lower half, a spider's bloated abdomen and sharp, clicking legs, towered over them.
"I shall cleanse your sinful existence," the phantom croaked, its voice echoing like a broken choir.
"Get up!" Ethan hissed, hauling Blue to her feet.
From the stairs, a swarm of smaller phantoms skittered into view. Each one stood barely three feet tall, but their speed and glowing purple eyes made them terrifying in their own right.
Raphael swore under his breath. "They're trying to box us in!"
"Stick together!" Blue commanded, drawing her sword.
The first small phantom lunged, its claws slashing at her midsection. Blue barely dodged, her blade cutting through its arm. Black ichor sprayed across her face as the creature shrieked, but another was already charging at her.
Behind her, Ethan fired his pistol, the loud bangs ringing in her ears. One small phantom dropped, but he missed the second shot. The recoil made him stumble, and a third creature tackled him to the ground.
"Ethan!" Raphael growled, lunging toward him. He tore the smaller phantom off with his bare hands, slamming it into the ground.
Blue swung her sword in a wide arc, keeping two more of the creatures at bay. "We can't keep this up!" she shouted.
The larger phantom suddenly lashed out, its claw smashing into the floorboards where Blue stood a second earlier. The impact sent her sprawling. Her sword clattered out of reach.
It didn't miss the chance. One of its legs speared down toward her chest. Blue rolled to the side, her fingers scraping against the wood as she frantically reached for her weapon.
"Get off her!" Raphael roared, ramming into the creature's side. His full weight knocked it off balance, but it retaliated immediately, throwing him across the room with one of its arms. He hit the wall with a sickening crack.
"Raphael!" Ethan yelled, his voice breaking. The smaller phantoms swarmed him now, clawing and biting. He screamed as one sank its fangs into his leg.
Blue breath came in ragged gasps as she finally grabbed her sword. She jumped to her feet, charging toward Ethan. With a quick slash, she severed two of the smaller creatures in one swing.
"You good?" she panted, pulling Ethan upright.
"No," he muttered, blood running down his leg. "But I'll live."
"Handle the others. I will take on the bigger one!" Blue ordered as Raphael got back on his feet.
The larger phantom screeched, its distorted voice making the walls tremble. Its eyes—or the dark voids where eyes should be—locked on Blue.
"Enough!" it hissed, swiping both claws at her.
Blue ducked, but the phantom was faster than she expected. One of its claws clipped her side, tearing through her jacket and leaving a shallow gash. She stumbled, clutching her ribs.
She vaulted from the second floor, her body twisting mid-air as she reached out for the chandelier. Her fingers gripped the cool metal just in time, and she swung precariously, her legs dangling above the chaos below. A wicked grin spread across her face as she stuck out her tongue, taunting the phantom with mock bravado.
"Come and get me, you overgrown spider!" she jeered.
Her ploy worked. The phantom let out an enraged screech, its eyeless face locking onto her. With a violent lunge, it smashed through the second-floor railing, the wood splintering beneath its massive weight.
Blue let go of the chandelier and swiftly landed on her feet and looked up to see the phantom right above her. She bolted out the front door and did not look back to know the beast had followed her.
"Kara!" she yelled as she tripped on her own feet and fell down the stairs right out the front door . The wall behind her was smashed open by the spider lady. She closed her eyes, anticipating her death, but nothing came. Instead, it felt like she was flying backward.
"Just what the fuck is going on in there?"
A girl with fiery red hair cascading down her back and piercing green eyes shouted, her voice sharp and commanding. Her arms trembled slightly from exertion, but her determination didn't waver as she stretched them outward, her telekinesis flaring to life.
With a sweeping gesture, Kara's magic enveloped Blue, yanking her away from the phantom's snapping jaws just in time. Blue hovered mid-air, her body encased in a shimmering aura of green light.
Fighting was not her area of expertise.
The phantom screeched in frustration, its eyeless face tilting upward as it lunged again, its spindly arms outstretched to catch its prey. Kara's sharp gaze tracked its movement. With a precise flick of her wrist, she sent Blue soaring higher, just beyond the creature's reach.
"Now!" Kara shouted, her voice a mix of strain and urgency.
Blue pierced her sword through the demons back. Blood sprayed like a crimson geyser as Blue dragged the blade downward, the momentum of her descent adding lethal precision to her strike.
Then she noticed her fluffy haired friend sprinting out the door, a worried expression adorning his features.
Her feet touched the ground lightly.
The demon wailed as it desperately tried to reach its back and Blue saw her chance. She slid under its legs again, her sword slicing through three of its limbs. It screeched, wobbling as it struggled to stay upright.
"Now, Ethan!" she yelled.
Ethan raised the pistol, his bloodied hand trembling as he aimed at the creature's head. A sharp breath escaped him before he squeezed the trigger. The gunshot echoed, and the bullet struck the phantom's face, sending it staggering backward.
"Is it dead?" Ethan rasped, his voice barely audible over the ringing in his ears.
The phantom twitched. Then, with a guttural roar, it surged forward, hatred radiating from its form.
"Of course not," Blue muttered, her knuckles white around the hilt of her sword.
Before she could react, the creature lashed out, its remaining arms a blur of motion. One massive claw wrapped around her neck, hoisting her into the air as though she weighed nothing.
"Child," it hissed, its head tilting unnaturally to one side. "You should have stayed away."
Blue gasped, clawing at the iron grip as her legs kicked helplessly. Her blade scraped against its arm, but her strength was fading fast.
"Don't touch her!" Ethan bellowed, firing again and again. The bullets struck, but the creature barely flinched. He pulled the trigger one last time—click. Empty.
Desperation overtook him. With a roar, Ethan hurled himself at the phantom, slamming his body against its hulking frame. The creature snarled and kicked him away with brutal force. Ethan's body flew backward, hurtling toward a tree—but before he could hit, Kara's telekinesis caught him midair and gently lowered him to the ground.
Blue seized the opening. She drove her blade into the phantom's arm, her teeth clenched in defiance. The creature howled and dropped her, its grip faltering. Not wasting a second, Blue lunged. Her blade pierced where its heart should have been. The phantom froze, black veins spidering outward from the wound.
"Die," she hissed through gritted teeth, twisting the blade deeper.
The creature let out a deafening screech that rattled the air before crumpling to the ground. Blue fell with it, gasping for breath as she knelt beside its lifeless form.
"Blue!" Ethan shouted, sprinting toward her with Kara close behind. He dropped to his knees, his voice breaking. "I'm so glad you're okay."
She glared up at him, her exhaustion doing nothing to dull her fury. "What did I tell you about putting yourself in danger?" she snapped, jabbing a finger at his chest. "Raphael's a werewolf, Kara's a witch, and you—you're human. That makes you fragile! Stop doing stupid things!"
Ethan caught her hand, his eyes steady. "I thought you were going to die," he said softly.
Blue sighed, she knew he had good intentions but she felt responsible for his survival.
Before she could reply Raphael emerged from the house, limping toward them with a small child cradled in his arms. "I found the Garcia kid," he announced, his voice tinged with triumph.
But his steps faltered. His eyes widened in alarm as he stared past his friends. The phantom, once lifeless form, now stood to its full height. Its wounds had vanished as though they were never there.
Time seemed to slow as Blue, Ethan, and Kara turned around, horror written in their eyes. The grotesque creature loomed above them, its jagged mouth curling into a manic grin.
Suddenly, blood splattered everywhere, drenching them all in a warm, sticky fluid.