Haunted-Mounted

As soon as the torchlight fell on that face, all three screamed loudly. But they could not believe that this was the same Ava they knew. Half the flesh of Ava's neck was missing, and streams of blood were flowing from her neck; blood was flowing from her dark eyes along with tears. Her mouth was dripping with blood.

Her clothes which she had come wearing were not the same. She was wrapped in a shroud-like thing, which had become red with blood. A little girl was sitting on Ava's shoulders and had packets of cookies in both her hands. And between her lips were still the pieces of flesh torn from Ava's neck, which she was chewing along with the cookies. Henry screamed loudly and pounced towards Ava. But Owen pulled him back. But, suddenly Ava and the girl sitting on his shoulders both disappeared.

 Henry: Ava! This can't be possible, I don't want to lose you. Ava, what happened to you? Owen: Are you a Mad? She's just an illusion. She's definitely not Ava. I'm sure Dude! She is not. Bella: That was Ava. I saw her. I think Ava has been eaten by demons. Now it's our turn. Henry: That face was Ava's, that scary girl sitting on her shoulder! Oh my god, Ava, I'm so worried about her. Bella: (putting her hand on Henry's shoulder) Don't worry, it was just an illusion. Maybe we misunderstood, Ava wasn't there. Owen: I think we should try to find Ava quickly now. Then we'll leave this scary mansion without wasting a second. Henry: I have an idea. Bella: Look, Henry, don't tell us that we should go in different directions to find Ava. I won't do that. Henry: Okay, the three of us will stay together. But I am very worried for Ava. She is definitely in some big trouble. Owen: Let's go, we must not waste time.

The hearts of all three were beating fast due to fear. They had actually seen Ava with their own eyes, that scene was still shaking their soul. Bella was walking ahead with a torch, her hands were trembling like a sick old woman. While Owen and Henry were also following her with the flashlights of their phones on. But none of the three of them knew where to go. There was a cold and terrifying silence all around as if the dark clouds of the past were eager to swallow them.

Suddenly, the three of them enter a room where there is complete darkness and cold silence as if the walls are suppressing some unknown fear hidden within themselves, the dust particles in the room are dancing with the light gusts of wind as if they are telling the story of the dark past of this place. Then Bella's eyes fall on a photo hanging on the wall.

Bella: Look here, there is a photo. Come here both of you.

There was a photo of a little girl on the wall. Underneath it was written, "Eliza, 1850-1855." Bella said trembling, "This is the same girl who was sitting on Ava's shoulders. That horrible girl is here, look at her. She died in the year 1855. Oh God, what is happening here?

Henry: Yes, this is the same one we saw earlier. How can this be possible? I can't believe my eyes. Owen: Oh yes Henry, this is the same girl. Henry, there is something written below this, probably in French. You know French. What is written below that photo? Henry: (moving his flashlight closer to the photo) "We lost our sweet Eliza. She failed to fulfill her purpose in life. She was killed by the haunted horseman who rode around town every day with a sack full of cookies hanging from his horse's side. The horseman was never seen again after that day, but his horse's corpse lay across the river. The search for the killer horseman will continue for centuries until he is caught and punished; our sweet Eliza's soul will not rest in peace. Owen: Something very bad happened to this girl; as you read, Henry, that means the killer horseman was never caught. That means it was the soul of that little girl, the one we saw, that is still wandering here. And Ava, oh my god, I don't feel right? Bella: Owen, why are you saying such things? Nothing like this happens; there is no such thing as a soul; if her soul is still looking for her killer, then she should definitely not be here. Because the killer horseman is here No way.

Henry's eyes filled with tears, and his voice became heavy; I can't leave Ava like this; even if I have to die, I will still find her. And the three of them left the room, but the picture of that girl, and her painful and terrible history were etched in their memories. They felt as if someone was following their shadows. But when they looked back, there was only a terrible darkness that they could see. Eager to swallow them, hope for life seemed to be fading away. But still, the fight continued. Suddenly, Owen stepped on something like a carpet and he was thrown straight into the ground, falling into a basement that had been closed for centuries. He screamed loudly due to pain and fear. And with a thud, he hit the ground straight down. And only his scream could be heard outside.

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A/N:- Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the story if you have not read the earlier chapters then do read them also so that you can know the whole story. The next part will be written by Maryam, so wait for a little; the girl is bringing something good to send shivers down your spine. You can read the first two chapters written by Incredible Writer Maryam from here.