"Here it is, I'm sure!"
Bradley drove in the direction Alyssa indicated.
"Why do you think this is going to be your story?" Bradley glanced at his friend.
"I have a gut feeling."
"Because of an old book? Let me tell you what happened: they ran out of minerals in the mine and moved elsewhere. The end!"
"No, there is a good story here, trust me."
"Yes, the story you're making up in your head."
"Ha ha ha… Very funn.." The words abruptly stopped.
"What's happening?"
"Bradley, in front of you…"
Before the young man's eyes appeared a huge orange mountain.
"Is that Big Thunder Mountain?"
Alyssa nodded.
The mountain was surrounded by a vast lake, and on its shore sat the town of Thunder Mesa.
"Wow, it looks like we're in a Wild West movie."
After parking the car, the friends began to explore the town.
"This place seems frozen in time…" Alyssa said as she peered through the windows of one of the buildings.
"Tell me about it."
They visited several places: a bar, a barbershop, a bank, a train station, and even discovered a harbor.
"Alyssa, look, there's a boat here!"
Alyssa looked over, surprised.
"It looks like it's in perfect condition, but maybe we shouldn't board, just in case."
"Hey, don't be a party pooper! I've always wanted to ride on an old boat…"
"It's your call if you sink, who knows what's in these waters."
"You know what? I'm not in the mood anymore…"
Alyssa pulled out a camera and took as many pictures as she could of the boat and the area.
Then she saw it, a huge Victorian mansion up on a hill.
"Ravenswood Manor…"
"Is that the mansion you've been looking for? It looks… a bit eerie."
"Bradley, inside there lies the greatest story ever told, believe me."
The young woman headed towards the mansion, noticing a sign along the way that said Boot Hill.
"What's Boot Hill?" Bradley scratched his head.
"I think that's the name of the hill."
A huge fence welcomed the beginning of the ascent to Boot Hill.
Carefully, Alyssa opened the gate and entered the place.
A huge round fountain was the first thing you encountered upon arrival. And in front, the massive mansion.
"Up close, it's more impressive," Bradley shivered.
"It's beautiful."
"Beautifully eerie…"
Alyssa advanced towards the mansion… Unaware that something was watching them closely.
The vestibule was dark, only illuminated by the light from the door. At the back, a large staircase allowed access to the upper floor. In the center of the room, a painting of Henry and Melanie Ravenswood hung, with cold and distant expressions.
"Those Ravenswoods don't look like the life of the party…"
"They look sad…"
Alyssa approached the painting. Melanie had a lost look, while Henry seemed to be intensely judging you.
"This place seems like Dracula's home." A mocking smile formed on Bradley's face.
Alyssa rolled her eyes and ignored the comment.
"It was a joke…"
The young woman continued to inspect the place, looking at the dusty stairs, the candles hanging on the walls, the painting of Henry and Melanie smiling…
"Wait a moment!"
Alyssa looked back at the painting, which had completely changed.
"This painting isn't the one we saw before…"
"Maybe we saw it wrong before…"
"Both of us?"
The friends were momentarily surprised but continued on their way after a while. After all, it is impossible for a painting to transform into another, right?
Past the vestibule, a huge hallway extended before the two friends, with the light from the cellphone in their hand.
"The mansion is bigger than it seems from the outside…"
On the walls hung paintings of different sizes, all depicting the two residents of the mansion.
"I feel like the paintings are staring at us…"
The dark hallway continued on and on, with the cold and judgmental gaze of the portraits of Henry Ravenswood.
"This is the longest hallway I've ever been in, goodness…"
Alyssa suddenly stopped.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Bradley stumbled into his friend.
"I thought I saw… a floating chandelier at the end of the hallway."
The boy looked ahead carefully, but saw nothing resembling a chandelier.
"And you saw Casper too, right?" After saying this, a raven cawed right above them.
Bradley leaped at least two meters off the ground.
"That's not how you crack a joke, huh?" Alyssa found it amusing.
The friends continued walking, under the watchful eye of the raven.
After walking and walking, they arrived at a large, round room where four portraits hung, each depicting Melanie with a different man in each one.
"Wow, what's this?"
"I don't know, they don't look familiar," Alyssa answered, "Perhaps they were her old boyfriends?"
"Why make a painting of your old boyfriends?"
"Maybe because something happened between them…"
With nothing else to see, they continued on their way until they found a library.
"I guess Melanie and her father would come here to spend time."
As they looked at the books, something approached from behind them…