Just Keep Asking

Chapter 16

"The Haunted Mansion?" I said in what seemed like more of a question. Staring at the huge white and grey building along with the cloudy skies offering a very creepy effect to the visitors.

"Yeah, it'd be fun" she smiled dragging me to the crowd of people entering the ornate gates which led to the queuing line. A few our fans stayed behind the attraction, seeing the scared looks on their faces.

The line led to the Mansion's garden and courtyards. Passing through a pet cemetery and a mausoleum filled with pun names. Laura took notice of the white carriage hearse led by an invisible horse.

"Disney sure knows how to design a Haunted Mansion" she stresses her eyes up at the Mansion's rooftops. "Everything looks so creepy, I love it" she said, amazed by everything, even if I think this was like her 5th time here.

A guy in front along with his 2 friends looked back at us and smiled at Laura. "A chick that likes horror, I like it" he smirks, eyeing Laura from head to toe. I instantly returned my arm around her which sent them the message to turn back around. They look like the kids that would skate on the streets at midnight. I did that once, it was fun but not an everyday doing.

"Stay close too me" I whispered in Laura's ear causing her to laugh. "Its fine, Ross" she assures me. But I still didn't let her go, knowing the guys in front are there.

The line didn't take long as we made our way to the porch, being admitted by a sober, green uniformed house servant. We enter the far right door of the front side of the mansion, being greeted by a dark foyer lit dimly by a chandelier and flickering candles.

Everyone paused as a voice overtook the foyer, it was deep and resonant voice. The voice which I presume was a ghost effect, sets the tone and started things off with a short monologue. It was accompanied by a funeral dirge played by an unseen pipe organ. A sliding door opened to reveal one of two identical octagonal portrait galleries.

The servant ushers us inside as the spiritual voice mocks us, calling us "foolish mortals" at the same time introduces himself as "Ghost host". Pretty clever name. Rhymes. The room contained 4 paintings on each side. Each from chest high. The sliding doors closed, blocking the doorway, leaving us trapped inside. The voice taunts us as 4 walls started to stretch vertically. The floor descends which sorta shocked Laura as I felt her keep her left arm on my waist. The portrait frames began to elongate, revealing the grim fates that depicted the previous residents on the paintings, symbolized in humorous situations, such as dynamite on the guy's boxers.

"Consider this dismaying observation: this chamber has no windows and no doors... Which gives this chilling challenge, to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way..." the ghostly voice taunts.

a sudden thunderclap shook the room and the lights went out and the ceiling disappears. A ghastly vision manifests above: the skeletal corpse of the Ghost Host dangles from a noose inside an octagonal cupola. illuminated by lightning flashes. A few seconds later, the room becomes pitch-black, and a scream is heard ,falling from the ceiling to the floor, ending with the sound of shattering bones. It made Laura shake a bit as she grips my waist tighter. The grin on my face was huge, knowing she can't see me.

So far I'm actually liking this ride, and it hasn't even started yet.

A wall opens, and everyone was then led down a hall of portraits. As lightning flashes from the windows on the opposite side of the hall, the portraits transform into images of ghosts and monsters in sync with the lightning. At the hall's far end are two statuary busts depicting a stern-looking man and woman. The statues appear to turn and gaze at us, following our every move.

Laura's grip loosened a bit, feeling the horrific scenes going downhill.

We turn to a corner where we all enter a dark room where laid the never ending stream of black carriages or "Doom Buggies", falling from one staircase and ascending another. We were assisted in being secured in the so called Doom buggies, signaling the start of the ride. Me and Laura sat by next to each other, obviously. Letting the secured rail set down in front of us. "Here we go..." Laura slightly sings.