The camera’s red light blinked in the dim light as Riley adjusted the lens. Her voice, cheerful and slightly nervous, filled the empty space of the abandoned mansion.
“Alright, folks, welcome back to Riley’s Reality! Today’s adventure is a little different. We’re here at the infamous Blackthorn Manor, where countless ghost stories were born. They say no one spends a night here without seeing... something. Well, challenge accepted!”
The chat on her livestream platform lit up with a flurry of comments:
Spooky vibes already!
Don’t do it, Riley!
This is going to be epic!
Riley smirked, the flickering chat giving her courage. Her channel had grown from quirky travel vlogs to daring adventures, and tonight’s episode promised to be her most ambitious yet. Armed with a flashlight, a few cameras, and a spirit box, she pushed open the creaking front door of Blackthorn Manor.
The Entryway
Inside, the air was thick with dust and the faint smell of mildew. Moonlight filtered through shattered windows, illuminating the grand staircase that dominated the foyer. The place felt like it had been frozen in time, every object coated in a layer of neglect.
“So, here’s the deal,” Riley explained to her viewers. “I’ll be exploring the manor room by room, and I’ll spend the next few hours documenting anything weird. You guys let me know if you see or hear anything, okay?”
Deal!
You’re so brave!
Riley glanced nervously at the screen, then took her first steps deeper into the house. Her sneakers squeaked against the warped floorboards, the sound echoing eerily.
The Library
Her first stop was the library. Shelves lined the walls, their contents spilling out in disarray. Books lay scattered across the floor, their pages yellowed and torn.
“This is amazing,” Riley whispered, running her fingers along the spines of the books. “Imagine the history in these pages. Hey, chat, anyone else think this looks like the start of a horror movie?”
Her audience responded with an overwhelming YES. She chuckled, setting up her camera to capture a wide-angle shot of the room. Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw movement.
“Did anyone else see that?” she asked, spinning toward the source.
The chat exploded:
There was something by the bookshelf!
OMG, rewind it!
Riley replayed the footage. On the edge of the frame, a shadow darted between two shelves. Her pulse quickened.
“Alright, let’s investigate,” she said, picking up her flashlight. But when she reached the spot, there was nothing there.
“Weird,” she muttered, but her viewers were eating it up.
The Kitchen
The kitchen was a stark contrast to the library. Rusted pots hung from the ceiling, and the tiled floor was cracked and stained. Riley’s flashlight beam caught the edge of an old wood-burning stove, its iron surface scarred with age.
“Look at this relic,” she said. “They don’t make them like this anymore.”
As she spoke, the flashlight flickered.
“No, no, don’t you dare,” Riley groaned, smacking the flashlight against her palm. The light stabilized, but a new sound filled the room—a faint tapping, like fingernails on glass.
“Chat, do you hear that?” she whispered.
Yes, it’s coming from behind you!
Heart pounding, Riley turned. The tapping continued, now louder, coming from the cracked window above the sink. She stepped closer, peering out into the overgrown garden. Nothing. Then, a loud BANG made her jump.
“What the hell?” she gasped, spinning to find the source. A cupboard door hung open, its contents spilled onto the floor.
The chat erupted:
Poltergeist alert!
Get out of there, Riley!
But she couldn’t leave. Not yet.
The Master Bedroom
As midnight approached, Riley climbed the grand staircase to the master bedroom. The air grew colder with every step, and her breath puffed out in front of her like smoke.
“This is it,” she said. “The room where Lady Blackthorn supposedly died. Legend has it, her spirit still lingers, searching for her lost love. Romantic, or just plain creepy?”
The room was a time capsule of decayed elegance. A canopy bed dominated the space, its once-luxurious curtains now moth-eaten. A vanity stood by the window, its mirror shattered into a spiderweb of cracks.
Riley set up her spirit box and began to ask questions.
“Lady Blackthorn, are you here with me?” she asked, her voice steady despite the tension in her chest.
The device crackled with static. Then, a word emerged: “Yes.”
Riley froze. “Can you tell me your name?”
More static. Then: “Leave.”
The chat went wild:
Did you hear that?!
Get out now, Riley!
“I mean no harm,” Riley said, her voice trembling. “I just want to understand.”
The spirit box fell silent, but the room didn’t. A cold wind swept through, rustling the curtains. The door slammed shut, and Riley screamed.
Trapped
Riley ran to the door, tugging at the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. “No, no, no,” she muttered, panic rising. The camera captured her every move as she pounded on the door.
“Let me out!” she shouted, her voice echoing.
The spirit box crackled to life again. “Stay.”
“Why?” Riley asked, tears streaming down her face. “What do you want?”
The box answered: “You.”
Suddenly, the room’s temperature dropped further, and Riley’s breath came in ragged gasps. The mirror on the vanity fogged up, and a single word appeared, written as if by an unseen hand: Mine.
Escape
Desperate, Riley grabbed her camera and used it to smash the window. The glass shattered, and she climbed out onto the roof, the sharp edges cutting into her hands. She didn’t care. Below, the overgrown garden stretched out like a dark sea.
“I’m ending the stream,” she said, her voice shaking. “Thank you for watching, and—”
Before she could finish, the camera’s battery died, cutting the feed.
Riley didn’t stop to think. She slid down the slanted roof and jumped, landing awkwardly in the garden. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she limped toward the gate and didn’t look back until she was safely on the road.
The Aftermath
The next morning, Riley uploaded the footage to her channel. It went viral within hours. Comments flooded in, debating whether the events were real or staged. Some praised her bravery, while others called her reckless.
Riley never returned to Blackthorn Manor. She didn’t need to. The memories of that night were enough to haunt her forever.