Black Night

The rain fell in heavy sheets as Jason pulled up to the old mansion at the end of the long driveway. It was past midnight and the house looked like something out of a horror movie, dark and foreboding against the inky black sky. He put the car in park and cut the engine, staring up at the towering structure before him.

A text message had woken him up only an hour earlier, a message from his long lost cousin Mary asking for help at the family home. She said it was urgent but provided no other details. Being the only relative she had left, Jason couldn't refuse her request for assistance. So here he was on this miserable stormy night, summoned to the house on the hill not knowing what to expect.

Jason grabbed a flashlight from his glove box and opened the car door, immediately being assaulted by the cold rain. He pulled up his hood and made a run for the large front doors, pounding on the thick oak with his fist. After several moments with no answer, he tried the handle and found it unlocked. Pushing open the creaking door, he shined his light inside and called out "Mary? It's Jason, I'm here."

Silence.

The foyer was dark and dusty, the elegant furnishings covered in years of neglect. Jason slowly made his way further inside, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous entryway. "Mary?" he called again, louder this time. Still no response. A sense of unease crept over him as he swept the light around, taking in the decaying state of the once grand home. Where was his cousin and what was so urgent that she needed him here in the middle of the night?

As Jason walked deeper into the mansion, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Turning around quickly, he shone the light behind him but saw only shadows. His heart was pounding now as he picked up the pace, searching room to room for any sign of Mary. "Please say something if you're here!" he yelled, the panic rising in his voice.

At the end of a long hallway, Jason's light fell upon an open doorway leading down a stairwell to the dark basement. A sinking feeling took over as he slowly descended the creaking wooden steps, dreading what he might find below. Reaching the earthen floor, he swept the flashlight beam across a large open space filled with cobwebs and dust. And then, in the far corner, a huddled shape came into view.

"Oh god, Mary!" Jason cried out, rushing over to where his cousin sat trembling in the shadows. She was soaking wet and looked half dead, her clothes tattered and face as white as a ghost. Taking her battered form into his arms, she began to sob uncontrollably. "What happened to you? Who did this?" he asked, horrified by her condition. Between gasping breaths she managed to choke out the words "He's still here...you have to get out."

Just then, a heavy scraping sound echoed from above, like furniture being dragged across the floorboards. Jason's blood ran cold as he slowly peered up into the darkness, dreading what might be making that noise. Gripping Mary and his flashlight tightly, he helped her towards the stairs on shaking legs. They had almost reached the bottom step when suddenly, a booming crash came from directly overhead followed by the splintering of wood.

Dust and debris rained down as a massive hole was punched through the basement ceiling. Jason swung the light upward just in time to see a hulking shadow lunge towards them with an ear piercing howl. Dropping the flashlight, he pulled Mary out of the way just as a massive form came crashing down where they had been standing only moments before. Rolling to his feet, Jason got his first good look at the creature that had attacked them - a massive, nightmarish figure twice the size of a man with glistening claws and empty black eyes.

It was at that moment Jason knew - the legends were true. This was the beast that had allegedly haunted these woods for centuries, preying on the unwary and unfortunate. The local townsfolk had given it a name - the Black Night. And now it had set its sights on he and Mary.

As the monster slowly turned towards them with a guttural growl, Jason knew they were outmatched. Grabbing Mary's hand, he yelled "Run!" and took off towards the only way out, dragging his injured cousin behind him. They dashed up the basement steps as fast as their legs could carry them, the thunderous footsteps of the Black Night closing in fast. Bursting through the basement door, they sprinted headlong down the hallway with their pursuer right on.