Chapter 2 The Harper House

Danny stepped over the creaky threshold, his heart thudding in his chest. The inside of the house was dim, with long shadows stretching across the hardwood floors. The air smelled like dust and old wood, and somewhere in the distance, water dripped steadily, adding to the eerie vibe.

"Cool, right?" Hazel asked, spinning around in the middle of the room like it was the most magical place on earth. "My dad says it's got 'character.'"

"Yeah, it's...something," Danny said, trying not to look too freaked out.

Tommy wandered over to a dusty couch covered with a faded sheet. "So, your dad just bought this place? Why? It looks like it's about to fall apart."

Hazel shrugged. "He's a writer. Says old houses inspire him or whatever. Personally, I think he just wanted to get out of the city. But I like it here. There's a lot to explore."

"Explore?" Sarah perked up. "Like what?"

Hazel grinned and motioned for them to follow her. "Come on, I'll show you."

The group trailed behind her as she led them through the house. The kitchen was massive, with an old-fashioned stove that looked like it belonged in a museum. The dining room had a long, dusty table surrounded by mismatched chairs. But it was the basement door that made everyone stop in their tracks.

"What's down there?" Danny asked, staring at the heavy wooden door. It had a rusty padlock hanging from it, which didn't do much to ease his nerves.

Hazel's grin turned mischievous. "That's the best part. We haven't opened it yet."

Tommy's eyes lit up. "What? Why not?"

"My dad says it's unsafe," Hazel said, rolling her eyes. "But I think he's just scared. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Ghosts? Monsters? A portal to another dimension?"

Sarah shivered. "I don't like this."

Danny wasn't sure he liked it either, but Tommy was already tugging at the padlock.

"It's stuck," Tommy grunted, yanking harder. "We need something to cut it."

Hazel reached into her pocket and pulled out a small key. "Or we could just use this."

Tommy stared at her, open-mouthed. "You had the key this whole time?"

"Of course," Hazel said, smirking. "I just wanted to see if you'd try to break it open first."

She inserted the key into the padlock, and with a satisfying click, it came loose. Hazel pushed the door open, and a cold gust of air rushed out, carrying the faint scent of mildew.

"Creepy," Sarah whispered, clutching her bag of Skittles like it was a security blanket.

The stairs leading down were steep and rickety, disappearing into darkness. Hazel flicked on a flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom.

"Let's go," she said, descending the steps without hesitation.

Danny hesitated. Every horror movie he'd ever seen was screaming at him to turn around and leave. But Tommy was already following Hazel, and Sarah reluctantly trailed after them.

"Great," Danny muttered under his breath. "This is how we die."

He took a deep breath and followed them down.

The basement was bigger than Danny expected, with low ceilings and stone walls that made it feel like a dungeon. Old crates and rusted tools were scattered around, along with a couple of broken chairs. But what caught everyone's attention was the large, circular object in the middle of the floor.

"What is that?" Tommy asked, crouching down for a closer look.

The object looked like a giant stone disc, covered in strange symbols that Danny didn't recognize. It was partially buried in the dirt, and the edges were chipped, like it had been there for centuries.

"It's a-" Hazel started to say, but she was cut off by a loud thud from upstairs.

Everyone froze.

"What was that?" Sarah whispered, her voice trembling.

Hazel's grip on the flashlight tightened. "Probably just the wind."

"Yeah, sure," Tommy said, though he didn't sound convinced.

Another thud echoed through the house, louder this time. Danny's stomach did a nervous flip.

"Maybe we should go back upstairs," Sarah suggested, edging toward the stairs.

But before anyone could move, the stone disc started to glow.

"Oh no," Danny muttered. "This is bad. This is really bad."

The symbols on the disc lit up one by one, casting an eerie blue light across the room. The air seemed to hum with energy, and the ground beneath their feet began to vibrate.

"What did you do?" Tommy shouted, glaring at Hazel.

"Nothing!" Hazel yelled back, looking just as freaked out as everyone else.

The vibrations grew stronger, and a low, rumbling noise filled the basement. Then, with a blinding flash of light, the disc released a burst of energy that knocked everyone off their feet.

When Danny opened his eyes, the basement was silent again. The disc was no longer glowing, and the symbols had faded. But something was different.

"Uh, guys?" Tommy said, his voice shaky. "I think we have a problem."

Danny looked up and felt his heart drop. The basement door was gone. In its place was a solid stone wall.

"What the heck?" Hazel whispered, shining her flashlight around. "Where's the door?"

Danny's pulse raced as he realized the truth.

They were trapped.

I'm