Haunted Rumors

I heard the rumors. More accurately, whispers. No one wanted to speak of the ancient ruins atop the hill. Out of curiosity, when I asked folks in town, all I received were frightened or angry looks with comments under their breath. I was the new naive person in town, unaware of the town’s history and lore.

On a cool October Saturday afternoon, I went for a hike around the town and surrounding hills. The scenery was beautiful, with the fall colors in full splendor. The reds, purples, pinks, oranges, and yellows among the leaves were spectacular. As I walked around, I could see a dark, shadowy place in the distance. In the distance, I could see the outline of an old fortress. The sky above was darker and more menacing than the surrounding sky. “Why is that area so dark and different,” I asked myself.

Being curious, I convinced myself that I needed to hike toward the ruins and discover what all the fuss was about. It was late afternoon, and I figured I could make it there and back before nightfall. I began walking along a path upward along the forest area outside the town. The path to the ruins seemed to become narrower and, at times, almost invisible to the naked eye, as though it was intentional to keep people away. Additionally, the sounds of the forest became quieter. I couldn’t hear the sound of birds or animals running through the trees. Suddenly, breaking the silence was a loud squeal by a large black raven staring down at me. Its dark eyes stared at me and watched my every move. I wasn’t sure if the raven was attempting to warn me as I continued along the path or served to warn someone or something up ahead. I looked back, and the raven had disappeared.

I had walked for close to an hour and could see the ruins ahead. As I walked, I kept thinking of the rumors I heard about some evil genius who lived there. Of course, I had heard such stories before. When I was younger, I didn’t live far away from another small town and the legend of a headless horseman. I had convinced myself that the lore of where I was currently walking toward was equally harmless and designed to keep people away; however, the reaction of the local townsfolk made me question my assumptions.

As I got closer, I heard eerie sounds. It sounded like a tortured soul among the ruins. As I approached the walls, the afternoon sky had turned dark, and rain clouds were hovering overhead with light rainfall. I looked at my phone and realized that it was getting late, and more importantly, my phone’s battery was less than 30%.

I continued up the path toward the entrance and came upon a large wooden door. With no one around, I pushed open the door and walked in. As I stepped in, the door closed behind me and locked. It seemed like I had locked myself in when I realized the door wouldn’t budge. I turned around and looked at the interior courtyard and the stone bridge leading to the main building. As I walked, I had a sense that I was being watched. I felt like eyes were staring at me from every window or stone opening.

As I slowly walked, a murder of ravens appeared atop the ruined walls. I could hear them calling each other as though they were angry at my intrusion. Suddenly, I heard a roar in the distance near a stone overhand and could see the silhouette of a colossal figure. I froze in place for a moment as the ravens became agitated. At the same time, the rain grew heavier, and lightning bolts began crashing nearby. One bolt hit atop the building with a large metal rod, immediately making me realize what the rumors were about. In shock, I said, “It can’t be true…the stories…the evil genius…who created life from death.”

In the distance, I saw the sizeable hulking figure move quickly towards me. I knew I had to run and call for help. As I began to run, I felt the ground become slippery, and it seemed like hands were reaching for me. I ran toward the outer wall, hoping to find an exit or safe spot to jump from the wall back into the forest. At the same time, I heard his footsteps and angry moaning get closer. I saw a doorway ahead, ran toward it, and opened it. I found myself in a pitch-dark room. I turned my cell phone light on only to realize it was not powerful enough to illuminate the room, and worse, the battery had dropped to 10%. I tried to dial for help, but there was no signal either. I knew I was trapped.

Out of nowhere, I felt powerful hands grab my throat and lift me off my feet. His strength was unbelievable as he lifted and squeezed. My vision became blurry as I felt the life drain from my buddy. Before I blacked out, I saw his grotesque face. The face of a man who died long ago and was disturbed from his peace. The image was of a science experiment gone wrong. It was none other than the face of Frankenstein!

I thought I had died. I woke in darkness but could see a light in the back end of the room. I slowly rose and made my way toward the light. It led down into a stone patch along another outer wall section. I came across a small wooden door and tried to open it. My noise had alerted the monster. He must have thought I was dead when he left me on the floor; now, he was angry and coming to finish me off. I knew I had to escape and kicked the door as hard as I could. The door budged enough for me to slip through and slide down the hill.

I gathered my senses and ran into the woods until I came across a gathering of people next to a bonfire who appeared to be drinking and celebrating. As I approached them, I asked for their help. I realized it was a collection of the townsfolks whom I had previously asked about the ruins and who had given me frightened or angry looks. As I looked at them, they looked beyond me in the distance. I turned around and saw the unmistakable figure of Frankenstein standing there.

As I was about to scream and run, the townsfolk erupted in laughter. I realized I had been a part of their prank the whole time. The night ended with laughter and drinks as I was shown hidden camera footage of me approaching and entering the castle. The reaction of seeing Frankenstein in the distance and the chase. They explained it was their tradition to welcome the new folks to the community and to help continue the traditions and lore of Halloween in the area.