Roxas was walking back from a late night party when he saw the dark stretch of road that led up to a supposedly haunted place. He turned back and saw that Cloud, Sora, Riku, Kairi and Namine were close behind him. He recalled the stories people had told about the house. People have said that they have seen strange and spooky things along the road and when the wind would blow they could hear eerie sounds. It was raining hard so Roxas made a quick decision that he was going to prove that the place wasn't haunted at all. He looked back at his friends and then ran down the road that led for the spooky house. The others watched Roxas run down the road and they looked at each other before they followed after him. Roxas was running down the road when something, looking a lot like a ghost, appeared before him. However it was gone the second it was there, but that was enough to cause Roxas to skid to a stop and slip on the wet road. He fell to the ground, but sat up as quickly as he could and looked around. He saw nothing but he could hear his friends catching up with him. What Roxas hadn't noticed was that the rain was coming down harder and harder. He got to his feet and brushed himself off before he continued again towards the house. Cloud and the others finally caught up to Roxas, when he made it to the bottom of a hill that led up to the house. Roxas had to rub his eyes when he thought he saw someone watching them from the old place. Everyone looked at each other, the girls looked rather terrified but Roxas was determined to prove that there are no such things as ghosts, so he continued down the path that led to the house. Cloud, Sora and Riku looked at each other before they ran after Roxas and soon the girls followed, not wanting to be left alone. Roxas shook his head, to rid his hair of some of the water, as he approached a huge wooden door. He looked at the door a minute before looking at the others.
"Can we go back?" Kairi asked
"Yeah, you can" Roxas said
Sora looked at Roxas as he slowly pushed the large door open. When it was opened Roxas slowly and quietly stepped in. Soon Cloud followed Roxas in, while Riku, Sora, Kairi and Namine decided to investigate the sounds that were coming from the bushes.
It was hard to see in the dark halls of the house, but the place looked like it had been here for years, well more like centuries. Roxas looked back at Cloud before a light was seen in the distance; it was as though the light was beckoning to them. With a nod of agreement the two headed down the hall towards the light. When they got to the room that held the light they saw portraits that depicted a family, and by how they were dressed it definitely had been centuries since people have come here. They continued down the hall, and soon they heard a sinister cackle and they spun around. There was only a misshapen shadow on the wall, which was only shown when the lightning would flash. Roxas grabbed the sleeve of Cloud's shirt and was now wishing he hadn't come at all. Cloud urged Roxas to continue walking, in hopes that they could avoid whatever was there.
Sora was looking through some of the bushes when he saw a trapdoor. He motioned for the others and they walked up to him.
"Where do you think it goes?" Sora asked
"Let's find out." Riku said
Riku opened the trapdoor and headed down. Sora looked at the girls before following his friend. There were rats that squeaked and bit at their feet as they walked into the darkness. When they got down there, there were boards blocking the path, Riku rubbed his hands together before he pulled at the boards. It only took a moment for him to break them down. Past the boards was a well lit room that held many books, it was like a basement library. Sora walked over and began to finger the books, looking for something that might be helpful or interesting. Soon Sora found a book on the history of the house and he began to read it. Riku was walking around the room, looking for a way up and into the house.
"Riku," Sora said "listen to this."
Riku stopped what he was doing and turned to face Sora.
"This place is said to be inhabited by the souls of all that have lived and died here. They continue to haunt the place and are looking for those who are brave enough to enter, so they may have new company for the rest of eternity."
"You think that means we're going to die here?" Riku asked
"I hope not." Sora said
Only a moment later they heard a horrible sound that was like that of a tortured soul. Riku and Sora grabbed each other for a moment before turning and running in the opposite direction of the noise.
Kairi and Namine had also heard the sound and they began to run for the back of the house, where they found the backyard. In the backyard they saw a fountain filled to the brim with disgusting, slimy water. On the other side was a cage that looked like it was someone's personal zoo. Kairi and Namine had decided to head for the cages; if anything came they could hide in the cages to keep it out.
Roxas and Cloud also heard the terrified cries, this caused them to become spooked and they began running down the corridor, when they came to a room. They ran in and slammed the door behind them, when they looked around they saw the room was vast and had stained glass windows and in the corner was an old organ. There beside the organ was a tall man that must have reached at least 12 feet tall. The two were leaning up against the door, they could hear someone heading their way and so were too afraid to walk out of the room, however they were also to afraid to stay in the room.
Sora and Riku were running down a hall that seemed never ending, until they came to some stairs that led to the main house. When they made it up they looked around quickly, and Sora spotted a staircase. He pointed them out to Riku and they ran up the old stairs that creaked when they made any kind of movement on them. When they finally made it up the stairs they found that the upstairs was twice as creepy as the downstairs. Riku started forwards as Sora followed close behind. The floor creaked with every step as they tried to walk as quietly as possible towards a room. Riku opened the door and saw someone standing at the window, he wanted to speak out to them but he knew better than that. He turned away from the door and headed down the hall; however Sora poked his head in and looked at the person at the window. They had long blonde hair and were wearing an old, but nice, looking dress. Sora moved towards this person and stood next to them.
"What are you doing here?"
"Uh I don't really know." Sora answered
"This place will kill you."
"How do we get out?" Sora asked
"You can't. Not unless you kill the man in the hat."
Roxas and Cloud waited in silence, hoping that whoever that was didn't know they were there. And it seemed as though they didn't, instead the person walked out the back door and headed for the backyard. Roxas finally allowed himself to breathe again, while Cloud stood up straight and walked towards the back door. Roxas watched Cloud with fear written all over his face, and thankfully all Cloud did was close the door and then he walked back to were Roxas had slid down and was now sitting on the floor.
Namine was starting to get impatient and wanted to leave the place, so she got up and headed for the entrance to the zoo-like place they were hiding in.
"Wait, Namine," Kairi whispered "we should just wait."
"I'm tired of waiting." Namine said
Kairi was about to get up from where she was sitting, when she felt a presence that scared her. In response to the feeling she couldn't move, which she was glad for because whatever was out there was probably not friendly. Kairi was going to call out to Namine when she saw a man that seemed to stand at 12 feet tall grab Namine and throw her to the ground. Namine began to scream as loud as she could, while Kairi remained as quiet as she could, while she watched the man take out an axe and hit her friend many times over. Kairi suppressed every sound but couldn't look away from the horror of the man with the axe as he killed her friend, the blood flew everywhere some even hit Kairi in the face. And with the rain still coming down it washed the blood everywhere, Kairi thought at this point she was ready to lie down and cry.
Sora and Riku heard the screams. Riku ran to the window where Sora and the ghost girl stood. They could see a shadow of a man as he swung an axe at who they knew was Namine, just by the sound of the screams. Sora wanted to jump out that window and run over there, but Riku held him back.
"We have to get out of here." Riku whispered
"Then you must kill the man in the hat."
Cloud and Roxas also heard the dying screams. Roxas covered his ears to try and drown out the sound, but it wasn't helping. Cloud slowly opened the door that led into the hall, and when he was sure that nothing was there he pulled Roxas out of that creepy room and they ran down the hall.
Sora and Riku ran down the creepy old stairs, and as they got to the bottom they ran right into Roxas and Cloud, causing all four of them to jump a good foot off the ground. When they got themselves together, enough to think, they hurried down to the basement where they would look in those books for something that could help. When they got down there, they closed every door and blocked every exit. Roxas and Sora were in hysterics as they sat in the corner and listened to every creepy sound that was made, while Riku and Cloud looked through the books as quickly as they could. Cloud was looking through a book, and noticed it was a photo album filled with every death in the house and how it all happened.
"I know who the man in the hat is." Cloud said
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Cloud
"He was the first person who lived here. While he was spending a nice night in bed, apparently his wife took an axe and whacked him several times before she went to the window and jumped out, killing herself."
"Wait, you think that's who was standing at the window in that one room?" Riku asked
"Probably." Sora said
"Okay," Roxas breathed "what do we do?"
Cloud thumbed through the pages of the book, looking for something that might say. When he stopped on a page that was written in a language he couldn't read.
"Anyone know what this says?" he asked
Everyone looked over at the paper and Roxas began to mouth the words as though he were reading them.
"Can you read this?" Cloud asked
"Uh yeah," Roxas said "it reads…
Atrer unus de mortius
Liberatio vetrum vestri animus liber is maledictio
Amitto quicumque detineo tu hic
Desino nos vacuus unus formido
Tui liber hinc is cruciatus abyssus
Nunc vado alio dissimilis omnis alius"
"What The hell does that mean?" Riku asked
"It loosely translates to…
dark one of the dead
release your soul and free this curse
let slip whatsoever holds you here
and leave us without your fear
you're free from this tormented hell
now go to a place unlike all other" Roxas explained
Suddenly there was banging on the door that made Sora jump behind the others. They waited for a moment before the door was completely destroyed and there stood the man in the hat.
"Uh Roxas read," Cloud said "and Fast!"
Roxas took the book and began to read off the chant. The man noticed this right away and ran towards Roxas, who was too busy to move himself, so Riku jumped over and onto the man's back. Sora and Cloud were in surprise that Riku was actually on a ghost's back, but that was soon forgotten as they too ran at the ghost. Roxas was reading the chant repeatedly and the others could tell the man's power was weakening. But suddenly the man was no longer there.
"Roxas!" Cloud and Sora yelled
The man grabbed Roxas by the throat and lifted him off the ground. The others spared no time and ran at the man as he lifted his axe. Riku grabbed the man's arm, Sora jumped on his back and then Cloud grabbed him around the chest area and he released his hold on Roxas.
"Hurry up dude" Riku said
Roxas grabbed the book and started reading again, the man now so angry he flung everyone off of him. He yelled a horrible howl and lunged towards Roxas, however Riku grab the man again and this time the man brought his axe down on his next victim. Sora, Roxas and Cloud were completely horrified at what had just taken place. Cloud noticed Roxas was frozen were he sat, so he ran over and shoved the man to the ground.
"Read It!"
The command snapped Roxas out of his daze and he continued reading. The moment Roxas finished what he was saying there was a bright light that blinded them as they heard the sound of a woman's voice.
"Come home." she said
Cloud managed to open his eyes enough to see the man in the hat drop his axe and walk to a woman in a white dress. After that the light was gone, and so was the man. Cloud stumbled back and fell to the ground, while Roxas breathed heavily and Sora scrambled over to his, if not yet dead, dying friend. Sure enough Riku was barely breathing, but the three knew that he wasn't going to make it. Cloud looked at Riku, who gave him a nod. Cloud shook his head.
"I can't." Cloud said
"I'm…only in….pain here." Riku managed to say
Cloud took a moment and then he stood and picked up the axe. Sora realized what Cloud was about to do and was going to stop him, but Roxas grabbed him and pulled him back.
"He has to," Roxas said "otherwise Riku will die slowly and in pain the whole time"
Sora knew that this was the best way, but he couldn't watch it happen and neither could Roxas. The two looked away as Cloud closed his eyes, the only way they knew it was done was the sound of the axe breaking into the concrete floor. Sora ran up and out of the basement and collapsed on the ground, where he vomited, while Roxas stood beside him and patted his back comfortingly. Cloud walked out and then looked around and saw Kairi stumbling through the bushes; he ran over and helped to the other two. The four friends embraced each other and then headed for the path that led back into town. The horror of "The Man in the Hat" would haunt them all forever.