The moon hung low and heavy in the night sky as Jae and Sheva—the ParaCore duo—rolled up to the sprawling, decrepit mansion on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas. Their black van, emblazoned with their team logo, idled before the wrought iron gates. Tendrils of mist wove their way through the spindly bars, as if beckoning them to enter.
Jae adjusted her headset, her sleek black hair pulled back into a low ponytail. “This place has bad vibes written all over it,” she muttered, glancing at the house through the windshield.
Sheva, her curly auburn hair bouncing as she leaned forward, smirked. “Exactly why we’re here. Paranormal activity? Check. Poltergeists? Check. Freaky old mansion? Triple check. Let’s do this.”
The family who owned the estate—the Winstons—had contacted ParaCore in desperation. Over the past few months, objects had flown across rooms, doors slammed shut on their own, and unsettling wails echoed through the corridors at night. They’d reached their breaking point when their youngest daughter had been locked in a room for hours, her screams barely audible over the blaring of an ancient phonograph that no one had touched in years.
Jae and Sheva were no strangers to the supernatural, but this was shaping up to be one of their most dangerous investigations yet.
The creak of the front door echoed ominously as they stepped inside, the air thick with the scent of decay and mildew. Their flashlights swept across the grand entryway, illuminating a dusty chandelier swaying gently overhead. The ornate banisters of a sweeping staircase loomed ahead, carved with strange, intricate patterns that seemed to shift under the light.
“Do you feel that?” Jae asked, her voice hushed. She rubbed her arms against the sudden chill that had settled over them.
Sheva nodded, gripping the handle of her EMF meter. The needle twitched violently. “Oh, I feel it. The energy here is off the charts.”
As they took a step deeper into the house, the sudden crash of a piano echoed through the space. Both women froze, their flashlights darting toward the source of the sound. A grand piano, its glossy surface smeared with dust, had skidded across the marble floor, blocking the entrance they had just used.
“Not a warm welcome,” Jae muttered, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her flashlight.
“That’s one way to say hello,” Sheva quipped, though her voice betrayed a flicker of unease.
Jae crouched, shining her light beneath the piano. “Nothing under here. Whatever moved this didn’t do it the old-fashioned way.”
“It’s definitely trying to mess with us,” Sheva said. She pulled a small camera from her bag, pointing it toward the piano. “Let’s document everything.”
The air grew colder as they moved deeper into the house. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floors, each creak and groan of the old mansion making their hearts race. They passed through a grand sitting room, its furniture shrouded in white sheets, and into a long, narrow hallway lined with portraits. The faces stared down at them, their expressions twisted into grimaces that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles.
“Creepy art collection,” Jae said, eyeing the paintings warily.
“I’ve got a reading,” Sheva said, her EMF meter spiking. She pointed to a doorway at the end of the hall. “It’s coming from there.”
They entered what appeared to be the dining room. A massive table stretched the length of the space, set with tarnished silverware and cobweb-covered candlesticks. A faint, metallic clinking sound filled the air, like utensils tapping against porcelain. The hair on the back of Jae’s neck stood on end.
“Do you hear that?” she whispered.
Sheva nodded, gripping her camera tightly. “It’s coming from the table.”
As they approached, the clinking stopped. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of the EMF meter. Then, with a deafening crash, the candlesticks toppled over, and the silverware flew into the air, clattering to the floor.
“That’s new,” Sheva said, stepping back as a chair slid across the floor, slamming into the wall.
Jae held up her audio recorder. “Who’s here with us?” she called out. Her voice was steady, but her knuckles were white as she gripped the recorder. “Why are you doing this?”
A low growl rumbled through the room, sending shivers down their spines. The table shook violently, its legs scraping against the floor. Sheva’s camera captured the scene, the red light blinking furiously as it recorded.
“Time to go,” Jae said, her voice tight. They backed out of the room, the growling growing louder with each step.
The next few hours were a blur of activity. Doors slammed shut on their own, shadowy figures darted through the halls, and cold spots chilled them to the bone. The spirits of the mansion were not pleased with their presence, and they made it known.
In the library, an entire shelf of books tumbled to the floor, narrowly missing Sheva. In the attic, a music box began to play on its own, its haunting melody filling the space. And in the basement, they found a trapdoor leading to a hidden room, its walls covered in strange symbols and markings.
“This isn’t just a haunting,” Jae said, her voice barely above a whisper. “This is something much darker.”
“A ritual,” Sheva said, examining the symbols with her flashlight. “Someone summoned these spirits—or worse.”
As they pieced together the history of the house, the true horror of the mansion became clear. The previous owner, a reclusive man named Victor Hargrave, had dabbled in dark magic, performing rituals to communicate with the dead. But something had gone wrong, and he had unleashed a malevolent force that refused to be contained.
The realization hit them hard, but they knew they couldn’t leave the family to face this terror alone. Armed with their knowledge and equipment, they prepared for the final confrontation.
The climax came in the grand ballroom, where the energy was strongest. The air crackled with electricity as Jae and Sheva set up their gear: salt lines, protective talismans, and a device designed to channel and dissipate spiritual energy. The room seemed to come alive around them, the chandeliers swinging wildly and the floorboards groaning under an unseen weight.
“We’ve got this,” Jae said, her voice firm despite the fear in her eyes.
Sheva nodded, clutching a talisman. “Let’s send these things back where they came from.”
As they began the ritual, the spirits fought back with a vengeance. Furniture flew across the room, and an otherworldly scream filled the air. Shadows coalesced into a towering figure, its eyes glowing with a sinister light.
“Keep going!” Jae shouted over the chaos, holding up the device as it pulsed with energy.
Sheva recited the incantation, her voice steady and strong. The figure roared, lashing out with tendrils of darkness that shattered the chandeliers and sent shards of glass raining down.
With a final, deafening scream, the figure dissolved into a blinding light. The room fell silent, the oppressive energy lifting as the spirits were banished.
Jae and Sheva collapsed to the floor, their breaths ragged. The mansion was still and quiet, the malevolent presence finally gone.
The next morning, the Winston family returned to find their home peaceful once more. They thanked the ParaCore team profusely, tears of gratitude streaming down their faces.
As Jae and Sheva loaded their equipment into the van, they exchanged a weary smile.
“Just another day at the office,” Sheva said, climbing into the passenger seat.
Jae chuckled, starting the engine. “Yeah. Let’s hope the next call isn’t quite so eventful.”
The call came just two months after Jae and Sheva’s first encounter with the haunted Hargrave mansion. This time, it wasn’t the Winston family reaching out but a group of desperate paranormal researchers. The mansion, though seemingly cleansed, had erupted with new and far more terrifying activity.
“They should’ve just let it be,” Jae said grimly as the duo parked their black van in the same eerie spot they had last time. The wrought iron gates groaned open as if expecting them.
“You know how these guys are,” Sheva replied, adjusting the strap on her camera bag. “They probably thought they could study it. Now they’re neck-deep in trouble.”
A group of four shaken researchers greeted them at the gate. Their faces were pale, and their hands trembled as they recounted the horrors: voices taunting them through the walls, bloodlike stains seeping from the ceilings, and worst of all, one of their team members vanishing without a trace after entering the basement.
“They’ve awoken something darker,” Jae murmured as she and Sheva passed through the front doors. The mansion’s oppressive energy was thicker than ever, a tangible weight pressing down on their chests.
The entryway was eerily silent as they stepped inside. The grand chandelier, once gently swaying, now hung at a crooked angle as if twisted by invisible hands. A rancid smell permeated the air, sharp and chemical, and their flashlights illuminated streaks of black ichor running down the walls.
“This is new,” Sheva said, wrinkling her nose. Her EMF meter buzzed aggressively, the needle pinned to its maximum reading.
A guttural scream erupted from upstairs, followed by the sound of pounding footsteps. The duo froze, their eyes locked on the grand staircase. Slowly, a figure appeared at the top—a man, his eyes hollow and unseeing, his body convulsing as though pulled by unseen strings.
“Is that…” Sheva began.
“It’s the missing researcher,” Jae finished, her voice grim.
The man’s head jerked to the side unnaturally, his gaze snapping to them. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words, a low, inhuman growl poured out. Before they could react, he bolted down the hallway, his movements erratic and unnatural.
“We need to find him,” Jae said, already moving toward the stairs.
Sheva hesitated. “This feels like a trap.”
“It probably is. But we’re here to end this.”
Their chase led them to the ballroom, the site of their previous confrontation. The space was unrecognizable. The floorboards were warped and rotting, the once-lustrous chandeliers reduced to twisted, blackened metal. A thick fog clung to the ground, and the air hummed with malevolent energy.
The man stood in the center of the room, his body slack like a puppet waiting for its strings to be pulled. As Jae and Sheva stepped cautiously closer, the fog swirled around his feet, and his head snapped upward. His eyes were jet black, voids that reflected nothing.
“You should not have come back,” a guttural voice growled. It wasn’t his voice—it was something using him as a vessel.
Jae pulled out a protective talisman and held it up. “We’re here to finish what we started. Release him!”
The figure let out a deafening roar, and the fog exploded outward, knocking both women off their feet. The air grew icy, and shadowy tendrils began to snake toward them from every corner of the room.
Sheva scrambled to her feet, grabbing her camera and activating the infrared mode. “Jae, these shadows… they’re alive!”
Jae reached for their spiritual energy device, flipping it on. The device emitted a piercing whine as it charged, its light casting fleeting patterns against the encroaching darkness.
The possessed man lunged at them, his movements jerky and feral. Jae threw up the talisman, its glow halting him mid-charge. He screamed, clawing at his face as black smoke poured from his mouth. The tendrils recoiled momentarily, as if in pain.
“The device isn’t enough this time,” Jae shouted. “We need a stronger incantation.”
“I’ve got it,” Sheva said, pulling out an ancient tome they had acquired after their last visit. She began chanting in a firm, clear voice, her words reverberating through the room.
The shadows writhed violently, the fog thickening to near opacity. The possessed man collapsed to the ground, convulsing as the smoke evacuated his body, swirling toward the ballroom’s center. The tendrils merged into a single, towering mass of darkness, its form shifting and coiling like a living nightmare.
The mass of darkness began retreating, slithering toward the hallway leading to the basement. Jae and Sheva exchanged a glance before sprinting after it.
The basement was far more decrepit than they remembered. The walls were slick with the same black ichor, and the symbols they had seen before glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with a deep, unearthly thrum that resonated through the floor.
The entity reassembled in the center of the ritual room, towering over them. Its featureless face turned toward the duo, and a voice boomed in their minds, ancient and overwhelming.
“You cannot banish me. I am bound to this place by blood and will.”
Sheva’s hand tightened around the tome. “Let’s see about that.”
She resumed the incantation, her voice unwavering even as the entity lashed out with tendrils of darkness. Jae activated a second device, a containment grid designed to trap and weaken spiritual entities. The grid’s beams of light crisscrossed the room, forcing the entity to retreat to the center.
It roared, its form flickering as it strained against the containment. The symbols on the walls flared brightly, and the ichor began to bubble and steam.
“It’s drawing power from the house,” Jae yelled. “We have to sever its connection!”
Sheva nodded, flipping through the tome. “There’s a counter-ritual here, but it’s going to take both of us.”
They knelt on opposite sides of the room, reciting the counter-ritual in unison. The entity’s form writhed violently, its roars shaking the very foundation of the mansion. Objects from around the house began hurtling into the room, smashing against the walls and narrowly missing the duo.
“Keep going!” Jae urged, her voice hoarse but determined.
The ritual reached its climax as the final words left their lips. The containment grid flared with blinding light, and the symbols on the walls shattered like glass. The entity let out one final, earsplitting scream before imploding into a swirling vortex of light and shadow. The vortex collapsed in on itself, leaving behind only silence.
The oppressive energy lifted instantly, replaced by an eerie stillness. The ichor evaporated, and the mansion’s walls seemed to sigh with relief. Jae and Sheva sat on the cold floor, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.
“Do you think it’s really gone this time?” Sheva asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jae nodded, though her eyes lingered on the faint scorch mark where the vortex had been. “It’s gone. But this place… it’s still tainted. No one should ever come back here.”
They ascended the stairs, leaving the ritual room and its horrors behind. The mansion, though quiet, still loomed with an air of melancholy. The researchers, relieved but shaken, thanked them profusely as they packed up their equipment.
As they drove away, the mansion’s silhouette faded into the distance, but neither Jae nor Sheva could shake the feeling that this was far from the end of their journey with Hargrave’s mansion.
It had been weeks since Jae and Sheva’s return from the Hargrave mansion, and life seemed to have settled into a tense calm. Both women were busy cataloging and analyzing their findings when Sheva began to change.
At first, it was subtle. She complained of recurring headaches, nightmares she couldn’t quite remember, and a lingering cold she couldn’t shake. But then her behavior grew erratic. She’d drift off mid-conversation, her eyes glassy as though staring into something unseen. She spoke in whispers to herself, words that didn’t make sense, and objects around their shared office began moving of their own accord.
Jae knew something was wrong.
One night, she woke to find Sheva standing at the foot of her bed, her silhouette illuminated by the moonlight pouring through the window.
“Sheva?” Jae’s voice cracked as she reached for the flashlight on her nightstand.
Sheva’s head tilted unnaturally, her eyes glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. Her voice, when she spoke, was not her own. It was deep and resonant, layered with an echo that sent chills down Jae’s spine.
“You should not have meddled,” the voice growled. “She is mine now.”
Jae’s instincts took over. She reached for the protective talisman she kept under her pillow, holding it up like a shield. The glow in Sheva’s eyes flickered, and the entity inside her hissed before retreating. Sheva collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Jae spent the next day pouring over every book, journal, and note they had collected over their years of paranormal investigations. She knew Sheva’s possession was connected to the Hargrave mansion. Whatever they had banished wasn’t completely destroyed; a fragment of it had latched onto Sheva, waiting for the right moment to strike.
One entry in an ancient tome caught her eye. It described a ritual to sever the bond between a host and a malevolent entity, but the process was dangerous. If performed incorrectly, it could doom the possessed to eternal damnation.
“I have to try,” Jae muttered to herself, determination hardening her resolve. She began gathering the materials needed: candles, salt, protective symbols, and the ceremonial dagger mentioned in the text.
That evening, Jae set up the ritual in their garage, converting the space into a makeshift sanctum. She drew a large protective circle on the floor and inscribed it with symbols of banishment. Sheva, still unconscious, was placed at the center.
As Jae lit the final candle, Sheva’s eyes snapped open. But they weren’t her eyes anymore. They glowed with the same faint light as before, and her lips curled into a malicious smile.
“You cannot save her,” the entity snarled. “She belongs to me now.”
Jae ignored the taunts, focusing on the incantation. She began chanting, her voice steady despite the growing fear in her chest.
The air in the room grew heavy, and the temperature plummeted. The candles flickered violently as a gust of wind seemed to erupt from nowhere. Sheva’s body convulsed, her limbs straining against the invisible force holding her within the circle.
“Jae,” Sheva’s voice broke through, weak and trembling. “It hurts… please.”
Jae’s heart wavered, but she knew she couldn’t stop. The entity was using Sheva’s voice to break her concentration. She continued the ritual, her words growing louder as she poured every ounce of her will into the chant.
The entity roared in fury, and a shadowy form began to rise from Sheva’s body. It was massive, amorphous, and seething with malice. Its tendrils lashed out, striking the edge of the protective circle but failing to penetrate it.
“You dare challenge me?” it bellowed.
“Let her go!” Jae shouted, gripping the ceremonial dagger. She stepped closer to the circle, her hands trembling but resolute. “You’re not welcome here.”
With a final chant, Jae plunged the dagger into the circle’s center, channeling the energy of the ritual into a concentrated burst. The entity shrieked, its form writhing as it was pulled from Sheva’s body and into the dagger.
The room fell silent, the oppressive energy lifting like a weight from Jae’s shoulders. Sheva lay motionless in the circle, her breathing shallow but steady. Jae dropped to her knees, exhaustion washing over her as she crawled to her friend’s side.
“Sheva,” she whispered, shaking her gently. “Wake up.”
Sheva’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze unfocused but free of the eerie glow. “Jae?” she murmured weakly.
Tears welled up in Jae’s eyes as she pulled Sheva into a tight embrace. “I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
The dagger, now blackened and cold, hummed faintly with residual energy. Jae placed it in a locked case, ensuring it would never be used again. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that the entity wasn’t entirely gone. It had been weakened, trapped, but not destroyed.
As Sheva recovered, the duo vowed to be more cautious in their investigations. They knew the world of the paranormal was unpredictable and unforgiving, but they also knew they were stronger together.
Their bond, forged through fire and shadows, was unbreakable. Whatever came next, they would face it head-on—as ParaCore.
Three months after Sheva’s possession and miraculous recovery, Jae and Sheva found themselves at the edge of another paranormal nightmare. This time, the request came from a local historian researching the infamous Beaumont Asylum—a sprawling, decrepit facility on the outskirts of Austin, Texas. The asylum had been shuttered for decades after a violent riot claimed the lives of staff and patients alike. Rumors spoke of malevolent spirits, tortured souls, and a darkness so profound that even seasoned investigators had been too terrified to stay the night.
Jae and Sheva weren’t ones to shy away from a challenge. They loaded their van with every piece of equipment they owned and made the drive to the crumbling remains of the asylum. Yet, as they approached the towering structure, unease settled over them like a thick fog.
“This place feels… wrong,” Sheva said, gripping the strap of her camera bag tightly.
“Yeah,” Jae replied, her voice tinged with apprehension. “But we’ve dealt with worse, right?”
Sheva shot her a look. “I’d rather not tempt fate.”
The asylum’s front doors were chained shut, but Jae and Sheva found a side entrance pried open, likely by curious thrill-seekers. The moment they crossed the threshold, the air turned icy. The smell of mildew and decay assaulted their senses, and their footsteps echoed ominously in the vast, empty corridors.
“EMF’s already spiking,” Sheva said, holding up the meter. The needle danced wildly. “This place is alive.”
Jae scanned the hallway with her flashlight. The walls were adorned with faded graffiti and peeling paint. Wheelchairs and rusted gurneys were scattered like forgotten relics.
“Let’s start with the main ward,” Jae said, leading the way. “That’s where most of the deaths happened.”
The ward was a cavernous space lined with rows of decaying beds. The faint sound of whispers echoed through the room, though the women were alone. Sheva set up their infrared camera and began recording while Jae placed motion sensors around the room.
“We’re not alone,” Sheva said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Before Jae could respond, the door they had entered through slammed shut with a deafening bang. The temperature plummeted further, and an oppressive energy pressed down on them.
“Stay close,” Jae said, pulling out a protective talisman.
The whispers grew louder, overlapping into a cacophony of tortured voices. Shadows began to move along the walls, forming shapes that seemed almost human. One by one, the motion sensors lit up, indicating movement where there should be none.
“We’re dealing with more than just residual energy,” Jae said, her eyes scanning the room. “These are intelligent entities.”
Suddenly, a guttural scream erupted from one of the beds. The mattress caved in as though an invisible weight had slammed down on it. A black, amorphous figure rose, its form shifting and writhing like a living shadow.
“Run!” Jae shouted, grabbing Sheva’s arm.
The duo bolted for the door, but it wouldn’t budge. The shadow figure surged toward them, its form stretching unnaturally as it closed the distance. Jae fumbled with her bag, pulling out a salt grenade—a makeshift device designed to disrupt spiritual energy. She hurled it at the entity, and the explosion of salt and light sent it recoiling with a bone-chilling screech.
“Move!” Jae yelled, and they managed to pry the door open just enough to slip through.
Breathing heavily, they found themselves in a narrow hallway leading to the asylum’s underground tunnels. According to the historian’s notes, these tunnels were used to transport deceased patients away from the main building, hiding the scale of deaths from the public.
“We shouldn’t go down there,” Sheva said, her voice trembling. “It’s a death trap.”
“And if we don’t?” Jae countered. “That thing isn’t going to stop until we deal with it.”
Reluctantly, Sheva followed as Jae descended into the tunnels. The air grew heavier with each step, and the darkness seemed to swallow their flashlight beams. The walls were lined with pipes that dripped foul-smelling water, and the ground was slick with an unknown substance.
The whispers returned, louder and more menacing. Sheva spun around, her camera capturing fleeting glimpses of faces peering from the shadows—faces twisted in agony and rage.
“Jae, we need to leave,” Sheva said, her voice shaking.
Before Jae could respond, the floor beneath them gave way. They plunged into a cavernous pit, landing hard on a pile of debris. Pain shot through Jae’s leg, but she forced herself to stand. Sheva groaned beside her, clutching her arm.
“You okay?” Jae asked.
“Nothing broken,” Sheva replied. “But we’re trapped.”
The cavern was vast, its walls covered in strange, pulsating symbols that seemed alive. At the center of the space stood an altar, and atop it was a grotesque, shadowy mass—the source of the malevolence.
“This is it,” Jae said, pulling out their final tools: a banishment spell and a set of holy relics.
As they approached the altar, the shadow mass roared to life, its tendrils lashing out. One struck Sheva, sending her flying into the wall. Jae screamed, her heart pounding as she ran to her friend.
“I’m okay,” Sheva gasped, though blood trickled from her temple. “Just do it.”
Jae turned back to the entity, her fear giving way to fury. She began chanting the banishment spell, holding up the relics as a shield. The entity screamed, its form flickering and contorting as the spell took effect. Sheva, regaining her composure, joined in, her voice lending strength to the ritual.
The cavern shook violently, debris raining down as the entity shrieked in defiance. With a final cry, it imploded, its energy dispersing in a burst of blinding light.
The duo stumbled out of the tunnels just as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon. The asylum behind them seemed to sag, its dark energy dissipating into the ether.
“That was too close,” Sheva said, her voice hoarse.
“We’re alive,” Jae replied, though her eyes were haunted. “But we need to be more careful. Next time, we might not be so lucky.”
As they drove away, the asylum faded into the distance. The world felt lighter, but the scars of what they had faced remained. ParaCore had survived another battle, but they knew the war against the darkness was far from over.
Jae and Sheva stood side by side in the dimly lit office, staring at the glowing screen in front of them. The usual message was flashing—another job had come in. But this time, the request was unusual: a new location, a strange haunting reported. The words, “Prankster Ghosts” flickered in bold letters across the screen.
“Prankster ghosts?” Jae raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled. “We’ve dealt with some pretty serious spirits, but this? This sounds… different.”
Sheva smirked, the faintest glimmer of excitement in her eyes. “Maybe it’ll be a nice change of pace. A ghost that just wants to have fun. Could be a good break from the usual poltergeist drama.”
The two packed up their gear—vials, cameras, electromagnetic sensors—and headed out to the new location: an old, creaky mansion on the outskirts of town, which had once been a grand estate. The mansion had a reputation for being haunted, but not in the usual way. People spoke of objects moving mysteriously, doors slamming shut on their own, and lights flickering, but there were no reports of malevolent spirits—just strange, almost comical occurrences.
When they arrived, the air felt unusually light. Sheva stepped onto the mansion’s front porch, giving it a skeptical glance.
“You feel that?” Jae asked. “Like… something’s watching us, but not in the creepy way.”
Sheva chuckled. “Maybe we’ve got a ghost with a sense of humor on our hands.”
They walked inside, the creaky floorboards groaning beneath their feet. The air smelled of old wood and dust, but there was a warmth that didn’t quite fit with the usual cold chill of a haunted house. It almost felt inviting.
“Alright,” Jae said, setting up the equipment. “Let’s do this the usual way. We’ll get some readings and see if anything strange shows up. Then we’ll—”
Before she could finish, a whoopee cushion suddenly appeared out of nowhere, popping right underneath her as she bent down to plug in a sensor.
She jumped back, startled. “What the—?!”
Sheva burst out laughing, holding her stomach. “Okay, now this is different. We’ve got prankster ghosts alright.”
Jae gave her a look but couldn’t help the tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Alright, alright. Let’s focus, though. We need to get some data.”
They continued through the mansion, but every few steps, something new and ridiculous happened. The chandelier above them rattled, but instead of falling or causing harm, a string of rubber chickens dropped down, bouncing harmlessly to the floor. The lights flickered on and off in a pattern that could only be described as a ghostly attempt at Morse code for “boo.”
At one point, as Sheva examined a set of old portraits on the wall, the painting closest to her flipped over. On the back was a large, glittery sign that read, “Gotcha!” She turned to Jae with an incredulous look, holding up the sign.
“This is definitely a new one,” Sheva said, trying to stifle her laughter.
They ventured into the drawing room, where a table full of antique china suddenly began to levitate—only to be rearranged into a perfect pyramid before gently lowering back down. A small whoop of joy sounded from somewhere above them, and they realized a ghost was floating just out of reach, tossing confetti into the air.
Jae sighed. “I’m starting to think this isn’t an actual haunting. It’s like they’re just bored.”
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them with a loud bang, and a voice echoed through the mansion. It was high-pitched and sing-songy, like a mischievous child’s.
“Welcome to my funhouse, suckers! Ready to play?”
The voice wasn’t threatening, just playful and oddly friendly. Jae and Sheva exchanged glances. It wasn’t the ghostly threat they were used to, but it was… something.
“We’ve got to talk to whoever’s causing this,” Jae said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I mean, sure, it’s funny… but we need to get to the bottom of this. It’s a bit much.”
“Let’s find out who’s behind all this chaos,” Sheva agreed, her grin still lingering as she looked around. “But if we’re going to deal with pranksters, we better be ready for anything.”
As they moved further into the mansion, a small object suddenly zoomed past Jae’s head, narrowly missing her. She blinked, then looked up just in time to see a whoopee cushion shaped like a giant ghost hovering above them, letting out a squeaky honk.
The voice returned, now sounding almost amused. “You think you can catch me? I’m faster than a fart in a windstorm!”
“Okay, that’s it. I have had enough of this.” Sheva rolled up her sleeves and aimed her spectral analyzer at the air. “Time for some ghost-catching magic.”
The house seemed to giggle at them as they chased after the prankster ghost, knowing full well it was all in good fun… but the mystery behind the playful hauntings still remained. Were they dealing with a rogue spirit? Or a whole gaggle of prankster ghosts, just looking for someone to laugh with?
As they ventured deeper into the mansion, the mischievous sounds grew louder, until it was impossible to tell whether they were dealing with ghosts… or simply the work of the most elaborate prank ever played. Either way, Jae and Sheva knew this would be one for the books.
“Let’s just hope the ghost’s final prank isn’t that we’re locked in here forever,” Jae muttered, pulling out her phone.
Sheva chuckled. “If that happens, at least we’ll have a lot of material for our ghost-hunting vlog.”
Jae and Sheva trudged through the mansion, still trying to catch their breath from the last round of ghostly pranks. The air had grown heavier, though not from the typical chill they usually encountered. This time, there was a strange tension hanging in the atmosphere, and the pranks—if you could still call them that—were starting to take a turn for the worse.
At first, it was subtle. A door creaked open when no one was near it, revealing an empty room. Jae and Sheva shared a confused glance but didn’t think much of it—until they heard a low, slow whistle coming from the dark corner of the room.
“Uh, that’s… new,” Jae said, squinting into the shadows.
“Could be a draft,” Sheva replied, but even she wasn’t convinced.
They took another step into the room, and suddenly, a ghostly figure materialized before them—a tall, lanky shape that seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The figure had no defined face, just an amorphous blur where its features should have been. But what really stood out were the hands that reached toward them, long and claw-like, one of which held a rose.
“Ugh, no,” Sheva said, stepping back instinctively. “That’s not just a ghost. That’s… something else.“
Before either of them could react, the figure tossed the rose into the air, and it landed neatly between them. Then the ghost spoke—its voice deep and smooth, almost oily.
“Well, well, well,” it purred, “what do we have here? Two lovely ladies on a ghost hunt. I must say, you both have quite a… charming energy.”
Jae froze. “Did that ghost just—?”
“Did it just flirt with us?” Sheva finished for her, looking deeply uncomfortable. “Oh no. We’re dealing with that kind of ghost, aren’t we?”
Before they could escape, the ghost floated closer, its form rippling like a dirty mirror. It reached out and lightly brushed a finger against Sheva’s cheek, and she recoiled instinctively.
“Oh, come now,” the ghost crooned, “don’t be shy. You have such a… tantalizing aura.” Its voice became increasingly sultry. “You two must be the life of the party. I’ve been so lonely up here… If only there was someone who really understood me.”
Jae raised her hand. “Not interested, buddy.”
The ghost ignored her completely, turning its attention to Sheva with an exaggerated wink. “You’ve got fire in your eyes, I can see it. I like a woman who’s got a little attitude.”
Sheva glanced at Jae, both of them wide-eyed and silently freaked out. “Okay, okay, we’ve got to end this now. Let’s try the ghost trap.”
But before they could activate the device, the air around them thickened, and another ghost appeared—this one a plump, elderly woman with wild, frizzy hair. She floated in the air, eyeing them up and down with an appraising gaze.
“Well, well, aren’t you both quite the lookers?” the elderly woman crooned, leaning forward. Her voice was raspy, but still somehow smooth, as though it had been practiced over many years. “I’ve seen a few ghost hunters in my time, but never two so… alluring.“
Jae and Sheva’s faces went pale. They tried to retreat, but the ghostly couple—yes, couple—had other plans. The lanky male ghost wrapped an arm around Sheva’s shoulders as the elderly woman floated toward Jae, both closing in on them with unsettling smiles.
“You two remind me of my younger days,” the old woman sighed, looking at Sheva wistfully. “Back when men knew how to appreciate a good woman’s curves.”
“Are you serious?” Sheva blurted, her voice sharp with disbelief. “What is wrong with you people?”
The man ghost chuckled lowly, a sinister sound. “We’re just having a little fun, darling. It’s not every day we get such… delicious company.”
“This is not what I signed up for,” Jae muttered under her breath, backing away. “We need to get out of here.”
But every time they tried to leave, one of the ghosts would intercept them, blocking their path with a lingering gaze or a flirtatious gesture. The elderly woman stepped closer to Jae, her translucent form exuding an unsettling warmth.
“I think you and I could be great friends, sweetheart,” the woman purred, reaching out to pat Jae’s cheek. “I was quite the looker in my day, you know.”
Jae slapped her hand away. “Okay, that’s enough!”
The man ghost laughed, floating behind Sheva, making exaggerated “oooh” noises as he practically danced around her. “You’re just like the ones who used to come to our parties, aren’t you? Bold, fiery… ready for a good time.”
Sheva shot a glare at him. “Yeah, if you’re talking about the afterlife as a ‘good time,’ you’re sorely mistaken.”
The elderly woman floated beside her, practically cackling. “Spunky, huh? I like that. You’ve got some bite left in you. That’s exactly what makes a woman irresistible.”
Jae quickly pulled out her ghost-capturing device, which now hummed loudly in her hand. “Alright, we’re done with this.”
With a press of a button, the device shot out a beam of containment energy that locked onto the perverse ghosts, pulling them into an ethereal trap. The spirits howled and cursed, but the energy field kept them locked in place.
“You two are gonna regret this!” the lanky ghost yelled as it was sucked into the device.
“We’ll never forget you!” the elderly woman called out, before both of them vanished into the containment chamber with a final pop.
The room fell silent, and the tension in the air finally dissipated. Jae and Sheva stood there, breathing heavily. Sheva let out a long sigh, wiping her brow. “I did not sign up for that. I was expecting pranks, not… whatever that was.”
Jae shook her head, clearly relieved. “I’m so done with that mansion. Let’s get out of here before anything else gets weird.”
As they made their way out of the mansion, Sheva glanced at Jae with a raised eyebrow. “So… no more ghostly flirting for us, huh?”
Jae gave a wry smile. “Not unless they’re offering a discount at a local spa. I’m done with the pervy spirits for today.”
The End for Now ……..
