The Red Room

"Darren,” Matilda said, “your Uncle Henry was found dead in the wine cellar. I really need you to come by the mansion and help me straighten out my affairs. You are the only one I can trust with this matter. I hope your family doesn't mind if you come to stay with me for a while until I get this all sorted out."

“I will talk it over with my wife tonight, and I don't anticipate any problems,” Darren replied. “Just get some rest, and I'll be there in the morning to start the process."

“I feel so much better knowing that you'll be helping me out. I know your Uncle Henry would've wanted it that way,” said Matilda.

“Henry was always proud of your accomplishments. He cared about you so much that he wanted you to have the mansion should he ever leave us. What do you think about that Darren?”

Before Darren had a chance to reply she interjected, “Before you say a word, there are no living relatives besides you and I, and we both know that my age and my health would not allow me to take on the huge task of making sure the mansion is in tip-top shape. Your family belongs here. I know this place has a horrid past, but maybe you and your family can bring many years of happiness to it.”

She paused for a moment, “Your Uncle should've never gotten mixed up in the occult with his father Merlin. Henry said that if we were to get married someday he would give up his father's wicked ways. I was so naïve and in love with him… I didn't see the secrets that he kept from me until it was too late.

“Since the death of your uncle, I have now discovered hidden passages in some of the rooms that I never knew existed. The Red Room on the east side has a large pentagram in the middle of the floor and a table with blood stains on it—which I assume was used for human sacrifices. I also noticed when I touched the walls, there was heavy padding covering them, and the door was thick with blood. I would imagine the padding was done to soundproof the room so that if any visitors came by and happened to pass the Red Room, they wouldn't be able to hear any screams.”

She hesitated. "Darren, you're not going to believe this, but I found a diary Henry was keeping about the rituals that took place inside the Red Room… including all the gory details. The number of people that died inside that room is inconceivable… I just can't believe I knew nothing about what went on.

“I did notice that the door was always kept locked. But whenever I would ask the maid, she would tell me that it was locked because Henry and his father were working on a breakthrough invention. Apparently, it would bring the family a great fortune and they didn't want anyone to steal their secret.

“So, me, being the naïve person that I was, I just left it at that and never brought it up again. If only I had been the kind of wife who knew all of her husband's business, I might have been able to stop my husband from getting involved and moving away from this horrid mansion. My husband may still be alive today...”

Matilda composed herself and continued.

“The damage is done. Now that Henry's father is gone too, there is no one to carry on their murderess deeds. It's all up to you, Darren, to destroy any remaining books, diaries, and anything else that could conjure up an evil presence. Please hurry, I can't bear to spend another night alone in this place!”

“I’ll board the next flight to Savannah, I promise,” Darren said, trying to comfort his distraught Aunt.

He could hear her breathe a sigh of relief. “Oh, that sounds wonderful! Thank you…” Her tone then turned somber. “Listen… Henry always was very protective of you. This was because he knew that you were the only true heir to the mansion. You had no idea—no one did—that your uncle had planned for you to take his place.

“You see when you were a little boy, Henry would enter the Red Room as you slept and perform certain rituals that went unnoticed until his passing. I only know now because of his diary. It was written on the very last page as if the process was complete and it was your destiny to take over.”

Darren chuckled a bit, “Matilda, there is no way my uncle would have the power to choose another human being’s destiny! This is all hogwash, and that's all it can be. I'll prove it to you when I arrive! We'll go through each room in the mansion, and I'll read all of his writings to show you that it's all just words. There is no way there is any truth to any of this.”

“Real murders were committed in the Red Room, Darren. I have seen the blood,” Matilda replied.

Darren shrugged it off, “Please get some rest. I'll be there before noon tomorrow, and I'll put all your fears to rest once and for all.”

Matilda took his advice and tried to sleep it off. It only took about an hour before she had fallen into a deep sleep. Suddenly Matilda's bed began shaking violently and she could hear screams coming from the Red Room. The voices of Henry and his father were telling her she would die before sunset.

Matilda jumped out of bed and ran to the door only to find that it was locked. She screamed and beat on the door, hoping that the maid would hear her. Little did she know, the maid had already met her end. Henry's ghost came into her room and summoned her to the Red Room. The maid’s will wasn't strong enough to resist his force. She rose from her bed and followed the voice to the Red Room. Henry and his father Merlin were waiting for her there.

Tears were flowing down Matilda’s cheeks and her body was trembling as she lay in her bed. All she wanted was to run out of her room and out of the mansion, but her fate was already sealed. She took a deep breath and repeated to herself, “There are no ghosts in this place…there are no ghosts in this place...there are no ghosts in this place…"

All of a sudden, the room grew silent. She slowly approached the door and turned the knob. The door opened without hesitation. Matilda slowly stepped out of her room and started walking towards the Red Room. As she inched closer, her heart was beating out of her chest. She knew that if she could make it past this room, she could run down the stairs and out the door and never return.

However, Henry and Merlin could not allow the authorities to find out their secrets. Just as Matilda's foot was dead center of the Red Room, the door flew open. Matilda screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to run, but it was as though someone was holding her back. Matilda was frozen with fear and bewilderment. She had really thought she could make it to the front door and never return to the mansion again. Matilda's eyes were blinded by a bright light coming from the Red Room. A strong force whipped Matilda's frozen body into the room and slammed the door behind her. She was never heard from again.