Episode 5: The Hill

The mansion looked even bigger up close.

The 8 friends stood at the bottom of the

hill, staring at it.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

The abandoned building loomed over them

like a giant shadow.

"Well," Tripp said.

"This seems like a terrible idea."

"You're the one who wanted adventure," GD

replied.

"I wanted fun adventure."

"This is horror movie adventure."

Drake pointed the camera toward the

mansion.

The lens zoomed in.

Broken windows.

Cracked walls.

Vines crawling across the stone.

The building looked abandoned.

Yet somehow...

It felt alive.

Watching.

Waiting.

The group began waking up the hill.

Leaves crunched beneath their feet.

The closer they got, the colder it become.

Eilln rubbed her arms.

"Dose anyone feels cold."

"Yeah," Sohee replied.

"It's weird."

Hari checked her phone.

"No signal."

Jackson checked his.

"Mine too."

One by one, everyone checked.

Nothing.

No signal.

No internet.

No connection to the outside world.

"Great," Tripp said.

"Now then we die," nobody can tweet about

it."

"Can you stop saying we're going to die?" Jackson groaned.

"No."

Half way up the hill, GD suddenly stopped.

"Guys."

Everyone turned.

"What?"

GD pointed toward the ground.

There were footprints in the mud.

Fresh footprints.

Lots of them.

The group gathered around.

Hari crouched down.

"These aren't ours."

A chill run through everyone.

"Then whose are they," Sohee asked.

Nobody answered.

Because they already knew.

The missing four.

Or someone else.

Drake filmed the footprints.

As he lowered the camera, something flashed

across the screen.

A boy.

Standing near the mansion.

Smiling.

Drake blinked.

The figure was gone.

"Drake?"

"Huh."

Percy looked at him.

"You okay?"

"yeah."

He wasn't sure why his heart was racing.

A cold breeze brushed past him.

Drake looked back toward the mansion.

"Nothing."

Just the old building standing silently on

the top of the hill.

"Come on," Percy said.

"We're wasting daylight."

The group continued climbing.

The mansion grew larger with every step.

The close they got, the more

uncomfortable Eilln felt.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

She couldn't explained.

She just knew.

Soon they reached the front gate.

Rust covered every inch of it.

One side hung crookedly from its hinges.

The gate stood half open.

As if someone has already welcomed

them.

"Well,"That's not creepy at all," Tripp said.

"Can you stop saying that," Jackson

groaned.

"No."

GD pushed the gate gently.

It opened with a long screech.

The sound echoed across the hill.

Everyone froze.

The noise seemed unnaturally loud.

Then...

Silence.

Complete silence.

No birds.

No wind.

Nothing.

Sohee moved closer to Hari.

"Why is it so quiet."

Hari didn't answer.

Because she was wondering the same

 thing.

Drake slowly lifted his camera.

"This is insane."

"Remember To get my good side if I die,"

Tripp said.

"So none?" Jackson replied.

For the first time all day, everyone

laughed.

Even Eilln smiled.

But the smile quickly disappeared.

Because for a split second.

She thought she saw someone standing behind one of the upstairs window.

Watching them.

Blink.

Gone.

The window was empty.

Eilln swallowed hard.

Maybe it was her imagination.

Maybe.

Percy stepped forward.

The mansion stood directly before them

now.

The front door was massive.

Old.

Dark.

Waiting.

Percy placed a hand on the doorknob.

Everyone held their breath.

And somewhere inside the mansion...

Something knocked.

Once.

Knock.

the 8 friends froze.

"End Of Episode 5"

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