The Ghoul's Little PlayThing

Inside the mansion, it was huge—the center large enough for a ballroom dance.

Forward stood a large staircase leading up, dividing into two on the second floor.

The windows were boarded up with pieces of wood, the curtains lazily hanging over. Moss grew in the corners of the walls, cobwebs and dust decoratively lining them. The main source of light came through the cracks in the walls and windows, where the sun's rays spilled in.

Tap.

Keiran took a step forward. The floor creaked, echoing through the halls. Seraphina and Jasper followed suit.

Whatever this place was... it was wrong.

"We have to get out of here," Jasper hissed, folding his arms tighter.

"If we go out there, then they'll just kill you," Seraphina shot back.

Keiran's eyes stayed fixed on the door to the left—wide open with no light whatsoever.

Like it was calling to him.

Then—

Pzzzt.

The lightbulbs flickered within the doorway. Rolls of them lined up across the ceiling.

A little boy stood inside.

Skin pale, hair dark, unhealthily thin, and wearing a school uniform.

He took a step forward.

Tzzz... Pop.

The light above him gave out.

Another step.

Tzzz... Pop.

Again. But now stood a beast—about seven feet tall, hunched forward, its back too broad for the narrow hallway. A black fur coat wrapped around its bulk. Long claws hung from its hands. A shadow cast over its facial features.

Tzzz... Pop.

Another step. The child returned, dragging a stuffed bear behind him.

Tzzz... Pop.

The beast appeared again.

Closer.

And closer.

They clustered behind Keiran.

Whatever held him in place—mesmerism or pure fear—it was strong.

But then he saw the beast's face.

Teeth sharp enough to break bone. Bloodshot eyes burning through the dark.

And that confirmed his suspicions.

RUN.

They all followed him up the stairs—straight up as fast as they could—as bile rose within them.

Jasper was in front as he opened the first door in front of him.

POUND... POUND... POUND.

The beast's footsteps were massive—and gaining fast.

As Jasper opened the door, they all piled in, anchoring themselves against it, ears pressed close, trying to listen through the wood...

But they heard nothing.

Seraphina tapped Keiran and Jasper on their shoulders. As they turned, they saw a dining room large enough for a royal family.

Plates were perfectly set but coated in dust. The windows displayed outside greenery.

"Something's not right here."

Keiran glared at the window.

"We're supposed to be on the second floor… but this is the first floor."

Jasper's eyes trailed across the entire room.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Demonic Displacement," Seraphina said.

Keiran and Jasper both turned to her. Their eyes said it all—What's that?

"It's like my divinity," she explained. "Demonic Displacement allows me to switch places with anyone or anything I touch. But... I never knew it could swap two places."

"This doesn't even matter. What matters is getting out of here," Jasper said, rubbing his arm.

"We can't leave with brute strength. Whatever this demon is… they're toying with us—leading us where they want us to go."

Keiran's voice was calm but firm, his eyes fixed on a giant mural painting on the wall.

"We need to find out what went wrong here… and reveal it."

The painting was clearly old, handmade.

It showed a family: a man, with two women at either side of him.

And in front of them—four kids.

Three boys.

And a girl.

They all had the same look on their faces—a smile that stretched unnaturally, and eyes that screamed dead.

Seraphina walked over to Keiran as she muttered,

"Did you find something?"

"No. At least, I don't think so yet. Some things just don't add up in this place," Keiran said as he strained his eyes further, trying to look for any clue of some kind.

"You guys actually think you can figure this mess out? Then you're all crazy," Jasper hissed.

"We don't really have a choice. The other option is to stay here and die—pick your pleasure."

Keiran walked toward the door at the end of the dining room.

He gradually turned back. "You guys not coming?"

Seraphina quickly caught up to him, and after groaning, so did Jasper.

Keiran grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.

A narrow hallway stretched before them, its wallpaper peeling off. A single lightbulb hung loosely above, and at the end—another door.

Keiran took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his brows, and stepped through. He walked slowly, feeling the hot breaths of Seraphina and Jasper on his neck.

They actually think I have any idea what I'm doing here.

The thought made Keiran chuckle in his mind.

He yanked the door open—

A giant, pristine room.

A bed stood perfectly arranged at the center. The sheets were neatly folded, not a ruffle out of place.

To the side stood a work desk—old and wooden, yet clean as a fiddle—with an open book on top of it.

Jasper made his way over to the book. They watched him, waiting for an answer.

"It's blank," he said after skimming through the pages.

Keiran turned to the wardrobe—another wooden, polished structure in a house meant to be decades old.

He walked toward it. With each step, the wooden floors creaked beneath his weight.

He grabbed the handles—pulled them both with force.

Nothing.

Just rows of shirts and coats… and countless belts hanging neatly on the rack, too.

Wait a minute.

Keiran thought as he grabbed a belt—stretched-out leather, worn out, with red streaks on it.

Could be blood… but he didn't know.

Keiran's eyes widened as he turned back to Seraphina and Jasper.

"I think I actually know what the hell happened here."

A hint of joy and hope flickered in their eyes.

GRNNNH.

A low-toned growl echoed from inside the wardrobe.

Seraphina and Jasper's eyes went wide as they saw the beast's bloodshot eyes—no time for Keiran to react.

Seraphina and Jasper stretched forward, trying to reach him—

But the beast was faster.

It grabbed Keiran from behind, dragging him into the wardrobe.

Keiran felt it in that moment, this place was going to be the death of him but at least it'd finally be over.

Immediately, the wardrobe shook—then flew to the floor, shattering into a million splinters as they both jolted back.

But nothing.

Both Keiran and the beast were nowhere.

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