Jaune Arc: Goosebumps Story Teller
Chapter 1: The Headless Ghost
"ANOTHER!" The younger reaper known as Ruby Rose shouted.
"Are you sure, Ruby? I mean, it is already getting close to midnight. While we don't have any class tomorrow as it's Saturday, I don't want to risk angering Yang." I asked nervously.
"Risk angering Yang for what?" A new voice asked. Looking up, we saw the hyper-active, hammer-wielding member of Team Jnpr skipping towards us before sitting down next to Ruby.
"Hey, Nora." I said, smiling when I noticed that she was wearing her favorite sloth pajamas. And in her hands was the stuff sloth plush that Ren won for her in a contest last week.
Currently, we were in my dorm room about to go to sleep. Well, I was about to but couldn't when Ruby came into my dorm and asked for another story. Ren and Pyrrha were not here with us. Ren was with Fox and Yatsuhashi as part of an assignment where Beacon sent first-year students on a mission with second-year students. On the other hand, Pyrrha was back in Mistral for a promotion event from her sponsors and to visit her family. As such, Team Rwby, Nora, Coco, and Velvet decided to have a slumber party for the next few days. Although to be more accurate, Yang, Ruby, Nora, and Coco decided to have the slumber party with the others being dragged into it. This meant that I had the entire dorm room to myself. But, I didn't mind it as I enjoyed the solitude. After all, spending nearly fifteen years living together with seven sisters and sharing just about everything makes you appreciate alone time. But, before I could fall asleep, Ruby zoomed into the dorm and asked if I could tell her a story. This isn't the first time, however, as Ruby began coming to me after a month of being at Beacon so I could tell her stories. Although, at first, it was only bedtime stories when she had difficulty falling asleep and her usual methods didn't work. But after a while and an embarrassing incident, she learned that I also had cheesy horror stories. And since then, she only wanted me to tell her cheesy horror stories, which, thankfully, I had plenty on me.
"Hey, fearless leader. Hey, Ruby. What are you both doing?" Nora asked, curious.
"Jaune was about to tell me another story." Ruby said, excited.
"Ruby. It's getting-"
"A STORY! WHAT KIND!?" Nora shouted, now as excited as Ruby.
"A cheesy horror kind. You know the good ones where you might get a scare but are just so great." Ruby answered.
"Ruby, I-"
"I LOVE THOSE STORIES! WHAT STORY ARE YOU GOING TO TELL NEXT!?" Nora shouted, stars in her eyes as she got comfy and looked at me with child-like wonder.
"Um-" I began, unsure should I continue and risk Yang's anger or stop and see Nora and Ruby's upset. However, before I could finish what I was saying, Nora and Ruby did one of the few things I was still weak against after all these years.
"Please." They both said while giving me the biggest puppy-dog eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. Knowing that they had me in the palm of their hands, I relented with a sigh as I stood up from my bed.
"Alright. What story would you two like to hear?" I asked as I kneeled, reached under my bed, and pulled out a case.
"A ghost story." Ruby answered.
"OH! A HAUNTED HOUSE GHOST STORY!" Nora added.
"Alright. Going need to be a little more specific, though." I said as I opened the case and pulled out an ancient and worn-looking book.
"What's that, Jaune-Jaune?" Nora asked, curious yet excited.
"A book I made in arts and craft a long time ago. I never really had a use for it for the longest time. But now, I use it to write down stories." I explained as I began to flip through the pages.
"Who's that dummy on the cover?" Ruby asked, curious.
"And what's behind it?" Nora asked. Closing the book, I turned it around to show them the cover.
"Oh, that's Slappy the Dummy. And behind him is the entrance to Horror Land, a theme park that's been dubbed as the scariest place on Remnant." I answered before opening up the book and flipping through the pages. "So, what story did you two want to hear again?"
"A HAUNTED HOUSE GHOST STORY!" They shouted.
"All right. I got a couple, though." I told them. "How does this sound? Hill House; the biggest tourist attraction in town. That's because it's haunted, haunted by the ghost of a thirteen-year-old boy. A boy with no head! Duane and Stephanie love Hill House. It's dark. And creepy. And totally scary. Still, they've never actually seen the ghost. Until the night they decide to go on a search. A search for his head..."
"THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!" They answered.
"Alright. But try and keep it down as I don't want the others to hear us." I told them.
"Right." They said, not really paying attention as they were eagerly awaiting for me to start the story. Chuckling, I flipped through the book to the correct page where the story was. Honestly, seeing their smiling faces reminded me of my younger sisters when I told them stories before tucking them into their beds. Well, before I left to come here to Beacon.
"Okay. We start with our two main characters, Duane and Stephanie. They are good friends and live in the uninteresting town of Wheeler Falls. They love to pull pranks on everyone in the town, especially during the tours of Hill House. And Hill House is notorious for its rich history and supposed rumors of being haunted..."
Story
"Are you here?" A young boy wearing old-fashioned clothes asked while looking out his window. He then began looking around his room, almost as if he was trying to find something only he knew was there. "If you're here, show yourself."
Yet, nothing but the sounds of strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, and lightning answered the boy's questioning. However, the boy was not disturbed by this and started moving about his room, keeping his senses sharp, hoping he would receive the answer he wanted. But as the seconds went by, the boy began to become impatient at not getting the response he wanted.
"Where are you?" The boy asked again, wondering if what he was looking for was real or not. However, had he not been so focused on trying to find what he wanted, he would have heard loud footsteps rushing towards his room.
"ANDREW, WHY AREN'T YOU IN BED?" Andrew's mother asked, annoyed as she came into the room while holding a lit candle.
"I was just going, mama." Andrew lied, shivering in trepidation at what punishment his mother might give him for breaking curfew.
"Mm-hmm. That's a likely story." The mother said, disapproval on her face. "You were looking for that ghost again, weren't you?"
"No, I wasn't, Mama. Honest." Andrew said, hoping his mother would believe him so she wouldn't punish him later. Yet, by the look on her face, it was apparent she didn't fall for the lie.
"I don't know why you believe in those stories. There is no ghost in this house. Now go to bed." The mother ordered, sounding exasperated at her son.
"I will, Mama. I promise. Good night, Mama." Andrew said, sounding ashamed. Sighing, the mother nodded before exiting the room and closing the door. However, as soon as the door closed, Andrew grew irritated and annoyed.
"Come out, you stupid old ghost. I'm not afraid of you." Andrew declared, hoping to trick or tempt the supposed ghost out of wherever it was. But as soon as he said this, Andrew heard the sounds of a cat screeching from under his bed. Confused, Andrew kneeled to see what was the cause of the noise.
"Oh. It's only you, kitty." He said, relieved that it was only his cat. Yet, as soon as he said this, fear rushed into Andrew, and the cat's bodies as a strong wind blew all the candles out. Quickly getting up, Andrew looked around and saw that all the candles were snuffed out.
"Who's there?" He asked, fear laced in his voice. Almost as if to answer his question, a loud, bone-chilling sound echoed through his room. Looking up, Andrew noticed a weird yet horrifying black and white striped mass hovering in the corner ceiling of his room.
"No!" Andrew gasped before screaming in terror when hands started to form and reached towards him.
"Now that you have seen me, you cannot leave." The bone-chilling voice, which sounded like an aged man, declared as the weird mass began to take the shape of a man.
"Please." Andrew begged, trying not to collapse in fear or scream as the man's hands inched closer to him.
Real World
"AND WHAT HAPPENED NEXT!?" Nora asked, snapping my attention from the book to her.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"What happened next, Jaune? Did the ghost catch the boy? Did it kill him?" Ruby asked. Turning to her, I noticed that she seemed both excited and scared at the story. Although I couldn't help but smile and internally chuckle when I saw her hugging both the cookie plushie, I got her and Zwei tightly.
"I was getting to that. Try not to interrupt too much as I don't want to lose track. But feel free to ask questions if you need me to clarify something." I told them.
"Okay." They said while leaning closer. Smiling, I looked down at the book and quickly found where I had left off.
"Right. So-" I began.
Story
"And then what happened? What did the ghost do?" An elderly lady asked, both intrigued and slightly scared. Along with ten other people, she was currently in what appeared to be an old-fashioned living room. They were taking a tour in the infamous Hill House. The house was notorious for the supposed restless spirits that haunt it.
"This ghost pulled Andrew's head off and hid it somewhere in the house." The tour guide, an elderly male, answered as he walked to the other side of the room. Yet, despite telling them the supposed history of one of the ghosts haunting Hill House, it was apparent that everyone was having a grand time. "And every night since then, Andrew's ghost wanders these halls searching..."
"For his head." A young male finished simultaneously to the tour guide. However, it seemed like he was doing this to scare the young children that were also part of the tour.
"It's just a story. It's all part of the tour." A mother told her young daughter in hopes of calming her down.
"And now, if you would all follow me, we will view the rest of the house." The tour guide announced before heading towards the stairs on the opposite side of the room. "And who knows? Perhaps tonight, the headless boy-"
"AAHHH!" The young girl from before suddenly screamed, getting everyone's attention.
"Is she all right?" One of the adults currently present asked, worried.
"Get her out of there." Another added, equally worried. Yet, everyone became tired and annoyed when they saw what had scared the young girl. It was a fake monster hand coming from under a table next to her.
"COME OUT OF THERE!" The tour guide demanded as he rushed over to the table. It was apparent that he knew what was happening and had seen it countless times beforehand. He grabbed the hand and pulled on it, forcing the owner, which turned out to be a teenage girl, out from under the table. Yet, despite being caught, the girl was smiling, almost as if she enjoyed scaring and possibly scarring the young girl. "COME OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!"
"Got ya." The girl said while showing the young girl the fake monster arm before bursting into laughter again. However, what was noticeable was the young male from earlier seemed tired and annoyed at the girl. Almost as if wondering why he still puts up with the girl. This was evident by how he shook his head in disapproval when the girl continued to laugh at the young girl that she had scared.
"THAT'S IT! YOU TWO OUT!" The tour guide shouted, infuriated as he grabbed the teenagers' arms and led them out of the room and eventually out of the house altogether.
"Come on; it was just a prank." The girl said, yet it was clear that she wasn't sorry and enjoyed scaring the little girl. This caused the tour guide to become disgusted by her attitude.
"One of these days, you local kids will realize that the spirits who haunt this house do not appreciate pranks. Out with you now, and don't come back until you're willing to show Hill House the proper respect." The tour guide told them before turning around, entering the house, and closing the door behind him. But, had he been paying attention, he would have noticed that the girl was laughing madly as she and her friend left the property.
Real World
"Jaune." Nora said, getting my attention.
"Yes." I said, looking up from the book while keeping my finger on the line so I won't lose track of where I was.
"Why did those two scare that little kid?" She asked.
"And why did the girl seem to enjoy it too much while her friend seemed tired of the pranks?" Ruby added, curious. Even Zwei seemed curious as he tilted his head to the side.
"They are Duane and Stephanie. They are the resident pranksters of Wheeler Falls and have been friends for the longest time. But, their favorite spot to pull pranks at is Hill House. However, after years of pranking people, Duane no longer feels the same joy as before. Plus, he's starting to think that Stephanie's pranks are getting out of hand while she doesn't care as long as she gets a good laugh." I explained.
"They seem really mean. Hopefully, someone teaches them a lesson." Ruby said with Zwei barking in agreement.
"Oh, don't worry. Something will." I said with a chuckle as I shifted my back to the book. "Now. Back to the story. As Duane and Stephanie left the property, Stephanie could not control herself and let out a laugh at what she considered a successful and hilarious prank."
Story
"That was excellent! Did you see the look on the little girl's face?" Stephanie asked as they left the property of Hill House, all the while showing Duane the fake monster arm.
"We went too far that time. She was really scared." Duane argued, the image of the scared girl almost crying still fresh in his mind. However, this did not sit well with Stephanie.
"That's the point, Duane. The twin terrors of Wheels Falls strike again." Stephanie declared as thunder rumbled in the background.
"Maybe we are getting too old for this twin terror stuff." Duane hesitantly said while trying to come up with a way to convince Stephanie to stop pulling pranks.
"ARE YOU NUTS!? We're just getting good." Stephanie said, shocked at what she was hearing. However, her expression changed when a plan came to mind. "I know. Let's come back tomorrow night. We can sneak away from the tour and look for the head of the headless ghost."
"I don't know." Duane replied, unconvinced and sounding tired of all the ideas Stephanie had.
"What? All of a sudden, you're afraid of ghosts?" Stephanie mocked, knowing what buttons she needed to push to get Duane on her side. However, had they not been so focused on their conversation and arguing with each other, they would have noticed that someone was watching them from the second floor of Hill House.
"You heard what Otto said. The-the ghosts don't appreciate-" Duane began before being cut off.
"You believe that?" Stephanie asked in disbelief.
"I didn't say that. I just-" Duane stuttered, seemingly trying to convince himself rather than Stephanie.
"You what?" She asked, knowing that she got him where she wanted.
"Well-"
"Are you scared?"
"No." Duane answered, albeit a bit too high-pitched that told Stephanie that he was lying. Knowing that she got him, she wrapped her arm around him to try and seal the deal.
"It'll be great. Tomorrow night, Hill House will definitely be haunted... by us." Stephanie declared before laughing hysterically. She then tugged Duane away, possibly to their house for the night. But, had they not been so busy arguing, they would have noticed a figure standing in the bushes close by them. The light from the lightning revealed that it was a young male around Stephanie and Duane's ages.
The Next Day
"The history of this house is one of madness and despair. 'Twas over one hundred and fifty years ago that a sea captain built this house for his lady love. When he came back from a sea voyage, he found his beloved had left him for another man. The poor captain died of a broken heart, but his enraged spirit lived on, taking revenge upon anyone who dared live in this house. And upon anyone who mocked the ghosts within." The tour guide said, finishing the story behind one of the ghosts behind Hill House hauntings. And as he finished, he moved to stand behind Stephanie and Duane. "Well, I'm glad to see our regulars have decided to behave themselves tonight. For their own sake."
Little did Otto know, that was only wishful thinking. Had he known what Stephanie and Duane were up to, he would have thrown them out of the house immediately. He then motioned for the rest of the tour to follow him to the adjacent room.
"Each of these portraits represents some poor soul who tried to live in this house and then died a horrible and grisly death. And now, if you will follow me up to the guest room, you will hear the bloody story of a ghost named Andrew." Otto said as he and the rest followed him up the stairs to the second floor.
But at the tail end of the group, Duane and Stephanie stayed at the first step and looked at the painting of a young boy holding his head. Yet, instead of admiring the artwork, Stephanie stuck her tongue out to mock it and the supposed ghosts that reside in Hill House. On the other hand, Duane scoffed, getting more and more tired with Stephanie and her attitude with each passing second. They then resumed walking up the stairs before looking around for the rest of the tour. Luckily, they quickly found them in a nearby room where Otto was telling the others another ghost story.
"Thet ghost's long, icy fingers stretched toward-" They hear Otto say. Yet, instead of entering the room, they stayed right beside the door.
"Now's our chance. Come on." Stephanie whispered as she quietly snuck by the room. Yet, Duane merely walked as he didn't see any point in being sneaky. "Come on."
"What did the ghost do?" A young boy was heard asking Otto as Stephanie and Duane climbed over the stanchion placed to prevent guests from wandering into prohibited areas of the house.
"The ghost pulled the boy's head off." Otto answered.
"Come on. Let's go look for Andrew's head." Stephanie said, annoyed when she noticed that Duane hesitated to follow her. Luckily for her at least, Duane quickly climbed over the stanchion and followed her down the hall. Had they not been in such a hurry, they would have heard a nearby door creaking open. And behind it was the same boy that watched them from the bushes the previous night.
"Wow." Stephanie said, amazed as she opened the door to the attic of Hill House. Inside the room was a multitude of furniture, each spanning numerous years since they were created or placed here in the house's attic. But as Duane entered the room, the first thing he noticed was the items that seemed to belong to a sailor or captain. I the back of his mind, the story of the dead captain surfaced, making him wonder if he should continue to leave.
"I think this place is off-limits." Duane said, noticing the do not enter sign on the door.
"Who cares?" Stephanie asked in a mocking tone as she moved to close the door so they won't be bothered. And as Duane moved back to not get hit by the door, he accidentally bumped into the desk behind him. After making sure nothing fell to the floor, they began looking around for Andrew's head.
"This must have been the sea captain's study." Stephanie said, getting Duane's attention. Looking over to her, he noticed that she had picked up a ship-in-a-bottle. It was then he saw, thanks to the light, the hanging shark teeth on the wall.
"Let's get out of here." He said, trying not to panic.
"Not until we find the head." Stephanie reminded, uncaring at this point for Daune's opinion. Then, almost as if to spite him, she walked over to the other side of the room and, in a mocking tone, asked. "Hmm. Is it here? Nah."
Duane, realizing what she was doing, began to take steps back to the door, with his breathing becoming more labored by the second. Yet, his fear and anxiety kept him from leaving the room as Stephanie moved over to the nearby chair.
"How about here? Nope." She said with a smug grin and teasing tone as she moved the pillows. Then, she turned around while glossing over some other knick-knacks that seemed to belong to the dead captain. However, her face turned to one of terror. "Oh, no. Oh, no."
"What?" Duane asked, worried for their safety as he made his way to stand next to her.
"The- the head." She answered.
"Where?" Duane asked, curious as he stood in front of her.
"Nowhere, you sucker! Are you going to fall for every dumb trick tonight?" Stephanie asked in disbelief, yet was enjoying making Duane look like an idiot.
"Come on, Stephanie. Don't do that." He said, exasperated as she moved across the room again.
"Duane, this time, I'm not kidding." Stephanie said, taking on a serious tone as she opened a closet door.
"What?" He asked, afraid.
"Look." She answered.
"Where? Is it the head?" Duane asked as he moved next to her. But instead of answering, she tried to control her laughter while patting his shoulder. "Oh, man. I can't believe I fell for that twice."
Real World
"I really don't like Stephanie. Why doesn't Duane just leave?" Ruby asked, snapping my attention from the book to her.
"Yeah. I'm hoping the ghost actually takes her head." Nora added.
"Well, they have been friends for a long time, and he doesn't want to abandon her just like that. Plus, despite being scared, he is also slightly curious about if they could actually find Andrew's missing head." I explained.
"Still don't like her." They simultaneously said, with Zwei nodding in agreement.
'And I still don't think Zwei is a regular dog.' I thought, concerned as the dog seemed to understand everything far better than one would expect. "Anyway, back to the story. Being annoyed with himself for falling for the same trick twice, Duane was about to try and convince Stephanie to leave the room. However, before he could do so, he heard a loud thump from nearby."
Story
"What was that?" Duane asked, worried that it was the ghost or Otto. He then moved to the doors to see if he could spot the source.
"Don't even try it." Stephanie said, still laughing and thinking he was trying to get her back.
"No. Shh. Listen." He told her as the sound of footsteps could be heard getting louder.
"Something's coming." She said, becoming serious as she moved to turn off the desk lamp. However, despite turning off the lights, they still had to find a hiding spot.
"What do we do?" Duane asked, trying not to panic.
"Quick, in the closet." Stephanie whispered before moving to stand inside the closet, with Duane following right behind.
For the next couple of minutes, everything was tense. All they could hear were the sounds of footsteps approaching and lightning and thunder outside the house. Yet, from how quiet and tense the situation was, they could swear some of the stuffed animals in the roar were also making noise. And with how quiet they were, the footsteps seemed to echo and grow louder as they neared their location. And after a few moments, the footsteps stopped, but to their horror, they stopped where they were. Soon, they heard the sounds of keys jiggling with the door opening a moment later. Looking towards the floor, they saw the shadow of a man moving towards the close they were using a hiding spot. For the briefest of moments, they hoped the person would move away from their place. Unfortunately, the closet doors opened a second later with a displeased Otto on the other side.
A Few Minutes Later
"You are no longer welcome at Hill House. And if you should ever come back, I shall not be responsible for what the spirits may do. You have no respect." Otto said as he pushed the two teens out of the house before closing the door.
"RESPECT THIS, YOU OLD GROUCH!" Stephanie shouted as she grabbed some snow and threw it at the door.
"DON'T! Duane shouted, trying to stop, but it was too late as she had already thrown the snowball. But had they been paying attention to the house, they would have noticed the doorknocker's eyes glow a menacing bright green for a moment while letting out a threatening growl.
"Why did you do that for?" Duane asked, annoyed.
"You know, Duane, you're getting to be a real drag." Stephanie said, pissed that her fun was cut short tonight and now can no longer prank at Hill House.
"I'm a drag?" Duan said, insulted. "You know, you never know when to stop, do you, Stephanie?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She said, not caring what Duane was saying.
"Never mind. Let's just get out of here." Duane said, tired as the sounds of thunder and dogs barking could be heard all around them. Sighing in defeat, they turned around and were about to head back home but stopped and gasped in terror when they saw someone standing mere feet from them.
"Do you wanna see real ghosts?" He asked, smiling.
"Who are you?" Duane asked, curious but also concerned.
"My name's Seth."
"I'm Stephanie."
"And I'm D-D-"
"And this is Duane." Stephanie finished, trying not to laugh.
"I heard you guys talking last night. If you wanna see the headless ghost, you have to wait for the house to close up and all the tourists to go home. That's when the real stuff happens." Seth told them.
"And how do you know?" Stephanie asked, curious.
"I sneaked in... late one night." Seth answered before quickly pulling them over to a nearby bush when he heard the door to Hill House creak open. "Quick. Over here."
"Please come again." They heard Otto say as he bid the guest goodnight.
"That was great." Some of the guests said as they left the property and headed back to their cars or homes.
"I know this way in through the basement." Seth said, getting Duane and Stephanie's attention. "Shall we sneak in tonight?"
"Yes, let's do it." Stephanie answered, excited.
"Tonight?" Duane asked, sounding scared and unsure. "Maybe tomorrow would be better."
"Well, if D-D-Duane doesn't want to, he doesn't have to." Seth said, knowing what to say to get Duane to tag along. "After all. It's not everybody who can handle a real ghost hunt."
"I can handle it." Stephanie said, excited at being able to hunt for Andrew's head.
"I didn't say I couldn't handle it." Duane said, trying and failing to show that he wasn't scared.
"So, are we on for tonight?" Seth asked, smiling.
"HECK YEAH!" Stephanie answered, barely able to contain her rising excitement.
"Duane?" Seth asked, turning to him.
"Come on, Duane." Stephanie said, trying to encourage him.
"It'd be a real adventure." Seth added.
"Okay." Duane said, relenting.
"YES!" Stephanie cheered at having her friend with her.
"Hill House awaits." Seth said before all three turned to look at the now eerie-looking house with thunder clapping overhead.
Real World
"Wait." Ruby said, interrupting the story. Looking up, I saw her get up before zooming out of the room. I was confused for a moment but smiled when she came back, holding a plate of cookies and milk for everyone to share. "Okay. Continue."
"It was nearing midnight. Stephanie, Duane, and their guide Seth were now in the basement of Hill House. However, they soon ran into the problem of not being able to see since it was so dark, and they didn't want to turn on the lights and risk drawing attention. Luckily, Seth came prepared with some matches and candles."
Story
"Shh." Seth told Duane and Stephanie as he blew out the match. But seeing Duane scared, he decided to have some fun. "We don't want to wake the spirits... yet. Come on."
With that said, the trio began making their way throughout Hill House. But as they made their way to the main floor and up the stairs to the second floor, they could not help but feel that Hill House became unsettling. Almost as if it was expecting them to be here at this hour. The paintings and the darkness combined did not help as it made it seem that the artwork was watching them. Add in the sounds of the creaking floorboards, and it proved almost too much for Duane. Luckily, they soon reached the second floor and entered the room they had never been in before.
"I've never seen this part of the house before." Stephanie said as she looked around the room.
"It's not on the tour." Duane explained, equally scared but intrigued.
"None of these rooms are on the tour." Seth added, scaring Duane, causing him to back up and bump into a table, causing everything on it to fall to the floor.
"Smooth move." Stephanie scolded.
"Sorry." Duane whispered, trying to calm himself down. But the wind howling and thunder rumbling outside did not make it any easier.
"What's this?" Stephanie asked, moving to the wall and turning a wheel.
"It's called a dumbwaiter. Goes all the way up to the attic." Seth answered as he moved to stand in front of it. "It was used to bring food up from the kitchen. You see, a long time ago, there was a boy who lived in this room."
"Andrew?" Stephanie asked, curious. "The boy who lost his head?"
"No. A different boy. A very spoiled boy." Seth answered.
Seth's Story
We hear an old-fashioned bell ringing in what looks like an old kitchen.
'A very spoiled boy who loves to eat ice cream. Strawberry ice cream.'
What seems like a maid is seen entering the kitchen and moving towards the fridge. She opened it and pulled out a large metal container with strawberry ice cream. She then grabbed an ice cream scoop and used it to fill a sundae glass with about five scoops.
'Ice cream. Ice cream. He always wanted ice cream.'
The maid then licked her fingers clean of any residual ice cream before moving the sundae to a plate with napkins. Grabbing the spoon next to it, she inserted it into the ice cream before bringing the entire thing to the dumbwaiter.
'And he kept the kitchen maid hopping with his demands.'
The maid then opened the dumbwaiter before putting the ice cream in it and closing the door. She then spun the wheel to have the dumbwaiter bring the ice cream up to the boy.
'Ice cream. He just couldn't get enough ice cream.'
A young boy opens the dumbwaiter door and takes the sundae before closing the door again. And before taking each bite of ice cream, the young boy licks his lips, eagerly awaiting the sweet treat he was about to enjoy.
Story
"Well, one day, the dumbwaiter didn't come all the way up." Seth continued as all the three of them took a seat to better listen to the story.
Seth's Story
'The boy reached... and he reached... until finally, he reached too far.'
The young boy opened the dumbwaiter and didn't see his ice cream. Figuring he could reach it, he began to reach down into the dumbwaiter shaft, hoping to grab his ice cream. Unfortunately, he leaned too far in and fell down the dumbwaiter shaft. Hearing something, the maid opened the dumbwaiter and became horrified at seeing the young boy dead in the dumbwaiter.
'When the maid found him at the bottom of the shaft, it was hard to tell the difference between the boy's face...'
The maid screamed as she looked over the mess and the young boy's dead body. She could hardly make out the difference between the ice cream and the boy's face. Horrified, she began screaming in sheer terror.
Story
"And the strawberry ice cream." Seth said, finishing the story.
"Gross." Daune said, trying to stay calm.
"Some say that the boy fell. Others say he was pushed... by a ghost." Seth added, trying to scare Duane as he looked towards him.
"That's just a story." Stephanie said, annoyed as she got up from her chair. "You said you were going to show us real ghosts."
"Do you think you're really ready?" Seth asked as if he enjoyed Stephanie's impatience in seeing a real ghost.
"Yes." She answered without missing a beat.
"Duane?" He asked, turning to him as thunder roared outside. "You don't have to come."
Yet, he kept quiet as he didn't want to continue. But he didn't have a chance to answer or contemplate as Duane and Stephanie got up and left the room. And as she passed him, Stephanie threw Duane an exasperated and disappointed look. Yet, before he could say anything, he heard the sound of something turning. Looking to the dumbwaiter, he saw that the wheel was turning by itself. He turned back to the others, not wanting to find out if it was a ghost or something else that was turning the wheel.
"I'll come." He said before moving to stand next to the others.
"Then we'll have to go one flight up..." Seth said before opening the door in front of him. "...To the captain's secret room."
Stepping inside, they were greeted by an old, worn, concrete spiral staircase. After a couple of minutes of climbing up the stairs, they saw a door to the next floor. However, they did have to duck to enter as it was an unusually small door.
"Come on, Duane." Stephanie said, urging him to go faster. But once he was inside, they became amazed at what they saw. Paintings and canvases were scattered about all over the room. Yet, they felt something tense in the air as they looked around.
"What's this for?" Duane asked as he took out a palette and showed it to Seth.
"Oh. They say that the captain's ghost paints a portrait of his latest victim." Seth said as he set down the candle before taking out a key. He then moved over to lock the door. Not liking where this was going, Duane put the palette down.
"It's getting late. Maybe we should be heading back." He said, scared.
"I'm sorry. Can't let you leave." Seth said in a tone that surprised Duane.
"What are you talking about?" Stephanie asked, confused.
"Why-why did you lock the door, Seth?" Duane asked while taking a step back.
"I lied to you. My name isn't Seth. It's Andrew." He explained, gaining a shocked expression from Stephanie. "It's been Andrew for over a hundred years."
"But you can't be Andrew. Andrew lost his head." Stephanie said but went quiet at the end when Andrew turned in her direction.
"This isn't my head. I borrowed it. But I have to return it. And so, I'll need a new head." He explained before turning back to Duane. "And guess what, Duane? I'm going to take yours. I need your head, Duane."
"I need it too." Duane said, nearly paralyzed in fear as he walked back.
"It won't hurt. Well, maybe just a little. For only a second. A quick twist. It'll come right off. Snap!" Andrew said as he menacingly walked closer to Duane. Even Stephanie was too scared to say anything at this point. "Just like a chicken leg."
"You're just joking, right?" Duane asked, still moving away from Andrew while trying not to break down in fear.
"Oh, it's no joke, Duane. I'm going to pull your head off." He answered with a twisted smile.
"Wait. M-m-maybe we could help you. You know? Find your old head." Duane suggested, hoping that he would be able to keep his head.
"Oh, it's no use. For years and years, I searched every room, every hallway, every closet." Andrew countered.
"Why my head?" Duane asked, close to collapsing in fear.
"Well, I would take hers, but it'll look kind of funny." He answered, causing Stephanie to take a few steps back in fear.
"My head's not that great either. I mean, it gets allergies. It's not that good at math. Its-its hair never does what you want it to." Duane said in one last attempt to keep his head.
"Nice try, Duane. But it's no use. I'm going to take your head. That's all there is to it. Just hold still." Andrew said, getting tired before walking towards Duane. But before he could take more than a single step, Duane moved out of the way towards the dumbwaiter.
"HEY, THE DUMBWAITER!" He shouted, running towards it and opening the door with Stephanie right behind him. However, as soon as they opened it, they froze in fear. For inside, the dumbwaiter was the head of another ghost.
"What were you expecting, a dish of ice cream?" The ghost asked, sounding annoyed.
"Your head. Now you don't have to take mine." Duane said, sounding relieved.
"Hey! Over here!" The ghost head said. Confused, Duane and Stephanie turned around and recoiled in shock at seeing a ghost body with no head. It then slowly made its way over to the dumbwaiter, where it cautiously picked up the ghost head. However, it seemed that the ghost body was not careful enough as it dropped the head a few seconds after picking it up.
"Ah! OH! Clumsy fool! It's a head, not a bowling bowl! Easy, easy." The ghost head chastised the body. It then slowly picked up the head, more carefully this time, and held it near its waist. "What are you looking at?"
"Who me?" Stephanie asked, confused.
"Don't play innocent with me, girlie girl, or you'll find out my bite is worse than my bark." The ghost head warned as the ghost body slowly moved closer to them. But, as it neared them, it fazed out of existence just as it reached the wall.
"Whoa." Duane said in complete shock.
"Wait a minute!" Stephanie said, realizing the flaw in Andrew's threat. "If you're not Andrew, then who are you?"
"I will tell you who he is." A familiar voice interjected, startling Duane and Stephanie. Looking to their right, they noticed that Otto had somehow gotten into the room without them noticing. "He is a no-good kid who works for me. Or at least, he used to. I have warned you about these pranks."
Real World
"Wait, if Seth isn't Andrew? Then who is he?" Ruby asked, confused.
"And why does Otto seem to know what's going on and isn't fazed by any of it?" Nora added.
"Don't worry. I'm getting to that." I answered before taking a sip of the milk Ruby brought for us. "All right. Otto then moves Seth to the side of the room..."
Story
"I shall deal with you later." Ottos told Seth, who was smiling, before turning back to Duane and Stephanie.
"How did you get inside? The door's locked?" Duane asked, shocked and still trying to process everything.
"There are many ways to get into a room in Hill House. But sometimes, there is no way to get out." Otto explained while showing them a key before unlocking and opening the door. "Would you please leave us, Duane? I would like to have a few words with Stephanie."
"Don't look so scared, Duane. What's he going to do, lecture me?" Stepanie joked when she noticed Duane's hesitant expression. Not wanting to stick around, Duane quickly exited the room with Stephanie closing the door. However, once she closed the door, she turned around and gasped in shock at what she was seeing. Otto was now translucent and wearing what appeared to be sea captain's clothing.
"Now, my cocky little friend." He said while mixing paints on the palette with a paintbrush.
"What are you doing, Otto?" Stephanie asked, afraid.
"That's Captain Otto to you." He scolded as paint filled the nearby canvas. It was at that moment the severity of the situation finally dawned on Stephanie. "WELCOME ABOARD!"
"Yes. Welcome aboard." A familiar voice said as Otto began painting on the canvas. Next to Otto appeared another ghost, but one that looked familiar. But once it became clear, Stephanie realized that it was Seth. "I hope you like the story I told you- about how I died."
"You-You're the ice cream boy?" Stephanie asked in disbelief.
"That's him, all right. And you think he ever gives me a bite? Never!" Andrew added as he and his body appeared next to Seth.
"I warned you, Stephanie. I WARNED YOU! To show some respect for Hill House!" Otto shouted before continuing to paint whatever he was making. Yet, each time Otto pressed the paintbrush on the canvas, a cold shiver went down Stephanie's spine with feeling worse by the second.
First Floor Stairs
Duane was nearing the landing of the stairs. As he made his way down from the attic, he contemplated whether or not he should wait for Stephanie or come home. But it was proving difficult as he was still recovering from the scares brought on by Seth and seeing Andrew's spirit. However, he could not help but feel that something wasn't quite right and stopped walking down the stairs. And not a moment too soon, for as soon as he stopped, he heard Stephanie scream from upstairs. Thinking that she was in trouble, he raced back up the stairs to the attic.
Hill House Attic
"I suppose when you become a permanent member of our little household, you'll learn." Otto said as he resumed painting the portrait of Stephanie. And with each stroke of the brush, more of Stepanie's body began to vanish. "You think she'll learn?"
"She'll learn." Seth agreed.
"She'll learn." Andrew also agreed while chuckling.
"Please. I didn't mean it." Stepanie begged, now only her head remained.
"Just another little dab around the mouth." Otto said, chuckling before painting some more.
"Duane. Help me." Stephanie begged, praying that he would hear her. Luckily, her prayers were answered as Duane returned not a moment too soon and became horrified at what he saw. But, he quickly got over it and made the connection between Stephanie and the painting. Looking for anything he could use, he spotted a bucket near his feet with some kind of liquid in it. Picking it up, he threw whatever it was, which turned out to be paint thinner, at the painting, which ruined it and caused Stephanie to return to normal.
"COME ON! ARE YOU OKAY?" Duane asked as he violently shook Stephanie.
"Yeah." She answered as she regained control of herself.
"AAAAHHHHH!" Otto screamed, startling them.
"RUN!" Duane said as he opened the door. They then exited the room and closed the door with Otto still screaming. Running down the stairs, they made it to the second floor and bolted down the hallway. All the while, Otto's spirit chased them throughout the house. Soon they were running down the stairs to the main floor and were out of the house a moment later. Yet, even then, they did not stop running until they were back at their house. But, despite the distance, Otto's rage-filled screams followed them home.
Twenty-Five Years Later
"It's just the fixer-upper we've been looking for." A lady said as she exited the car and walked up to Hill House. Behind her was her husband. In the twenty-five years since Duane and Stephanie's last visit, it has since been converted into a museum and shut down a few years afterward. "We understand they used to give tours here. We heard the place was haunted."
"Haunted. Right. And I'm a ghost." Their guide said, laughing. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be very happy here."
Their guide then turned around and removed his hat, revealing that he was the same Otto that haunts Hill House and nearly killed Stephanie. He then smirked before placing his hat back on and closing the door. The doorknocker's eyes glowed green, and it let out a growl as the door closed.
Real World
"Very happy." Otto said in a chilling voice as he started to show the couple the house. I then closed the book. "The End."
"AWESOME!" Ruby and Nora shouted before letting out a massive yawn. Taking out my scroll, I saw that it was only a couple of minutes until midnight.
"Alright. It's time to go to bed." I told them as I got up from my bed and placed the book back in the case before closing it and putting it under my bed.
"Aw." They pouted.
"Can't you tell us" *YAWN* "Another?" Ruby asked, yawning midway and rubbing her eyes.
"Sorry, Ruby." I answered as I helped her up. "Plus, the others, specifically Yang, might be coming to look for you soon."
"Alright." She said, standing up with help from Zwei. "Good night."
"Good night, fearless leader. Thanks for the story." Nora said as she and Ruby exited the room, followed by Zwei.
"Good night." I said as I closed the door. Turning around, I sighed before heading to my bed and laying down, too tired and exhausted to change into my sleepwear. Yet, despite this, I could not help but smile at seeing Nora and Ruby's smiling faces as I told them the story of the headless ghost of Hill House. It reminded all the times I told stories to my younger sisters. Letting out a content sigh, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep. Although, as sleep came to me, I wondered what will the next story Ruby and Nora would want to hear?
Note:
Something I made for my cousin as he's recently got into the Goosebumps shows and books.