-The absence of fear is not bravery.
The group continued their trek, the path beneath them becoming increasingly treacherous. The road was a testament to decades of decay; cracked asphalt which had long since buckled under the persistent roots of encroaching trees, and deep, muddy ruts made every step a challenge for their ankles.
Mia stumbled, her breath catching as she nearly twisted her foot. She stopped, her chest heaving as she glared down at her footwear. "How long have we even been walking? My feet are killing me!"
Ben, ever the observer, glanced at his watch. "Fifteen minutes exactly."
Tyler let out a sharp, mocking scoff. "Fifteen minutes? Only a nerd like you would keep a stopwatch on a dare." He looked down at Mia’s feet, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Besides, who in their right mind wears heels to a derelict mansion? it's a manor technically Ben injected with a sly grin,manor,mansion what's the difference Tyler asked? Anyways you should’ve worn sneakers like the rest of us, princess. Then maybe your legs wouldn't be screaming at you."
Mia snapped her head toward him, her patience worn thin. "None of us planned on coming to this hellhole tonight, Tyler. So unless you brought a spare pair of sneakers in your jacket, shut up." She cast a pointed, icy gaze toward Ben, Jace, and Tyler, emphasizing their collective responsibility for this nightmare. Ben gave a sheepish, apologetic smile while running his hands through his hair, but Tyler only offered a smug, dismissive grin, his expression clearly saying, 'Whatever you say, bitch.'
Mia turned to look at Jace for support, but he wasn't there. She saw him standing forth several paces ahead, his back to them. He was perfectly still, his torchlight fixed on a dense, dark patch of the forest surrounding the manor.
"Jace?" she called out. Silence. "Jace, are you okay?"
Still, no response. He didn't even twitch. Mia hurried toward him, her heart thumping in her ears. As she reached out and touched his shoulder, Jace jerked back violently, stumbling as if he’d been yanked out of a deep trance. He spun around, his eyes wide and unfocused, meeting the gaze of Mia, Tyler, and Ben, who were staring at him with a mix of confusion and irritation.
"Dude, what the hell are you doing?" Tyler demanded.
Jace’s face was pale, his breathing jagged—the look of a man who had seen something he couldn't comprehend. He quickly scrambled to cover it, offering a hollow, forced laugh. "Nothing, man. Just… just thinking about how creepy this place is, right?" The laugh echoed, flat and unnatural in the suffocating woods.
"You're a weirdo," Tyler muttered. "Mia called out to you twice. And you didn't say a word."
Jace looked at Mia, truly confused. "You called me twice? I didn't hear a thing."
"See? Weirdo," Tyler repeated, stepping closer. "What exactly were you looking at? Feeling like sharing it with the class, or do you just like standing there like a statue?"
Jace looked at his friends. Mia and Ben looked genuinely worried now, their flashlights trembling slightly as they pointed them toward the woods where Jace had been frozen. There was nothing there—just twisting shadows and skeletal branches.
"I thought I saw… movement," Jace whispered, his voice tight. "Like something was watching us. Something that’s been following us since we crossed the gates."
Tyler rolled his eyes, though he kept his voice low. "You know, we can call off the dare now. I promise I’ll only call you chicken shit for a year if you’re actually scared."
"Dude, not cool," Ben interrupted, looking at Jace with concern. "It could have been a raccoon, Jace. Or a squirrel. Or your mind just playing tricks on you in the dark."
Mia shot Tyler a blistering middle finger, her resolve hardening. "It’s too late to back out now. We’re already here."
She pointed ahead. They had reached the entrance. Before them stood massive mahogany oak doors, surprisingly free of the rot that plagued the rest of the manor. There was no graffiti, no signs of vandalism—just an imposing, pristine, and chillingly silent entryway with a heavy bronze handle with a small collection of what looked like small angry ugly gargoyles.
"So, what’s the play?" Ben asked, his voice barely a whisper looking ahead at the porch and statues.
Tyler didn't answer. He just stood behind Ben, miming a chicken with his arms.
"We’re already here," Jace said, his voice regaining some of its strength while still looking a bit shaken. "Let's just get this done."
Tyler whooped, stepping ahead of the group with an exaggerated, butler-like flourish, gesturing for them to enter. But as his hand hovered near the heavy bronze handle, a distinct, metallic click echoed through the clearing. Before he could even touch it, the heavy oak doors slowly groaned open, the hinges screaming with the high-pitched protest of long-neglected iron.
"Okay… that's strange," Tyler muttered, though he maintained his confident stride. He turned back, gesturing to Mia with an 'after you' pose. Mia rolled her eyes, muttering "idiot" under her breath as she stepped into the pitch-black maw of the foyer. Ben and Jace followed closely behind, both glancing back at the forest one last time.
Once they were inside, Jace grabbed Tyler’s arm, his eyes narrowing. "Tyler, be serious for a second. How did you pull that trick? How did the doors open on their own?"