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| - Trevor ran back to the wooden wall, covered in blood. The room was dark, as night never ended in this place. Forever to be covered in darkness. It was trying to get in as the door shook. A screen faced Trevor as he desperately ran towards it. The door could only take so much. It was only wood after all. “Doctor. Help me,” Trevor shouted into the screen as he could hear footsteps in the room. The wind picked up as it got nearer and nearer to him. The screen flickered for a moment as it got near. Trevor breathed out as his breath stopped, inches away from his face. “Bring the camera. This place is meant to be haunted,” Caleb chuckled as he made an ooooohhhhhh sound. “Stop it. There is nothing here. Nothing more than a myth,” Stacey brought out the camera. The two went up to the gates of the old house. It was surrounded by a high wall with barbed wire on top. This gate was partly open as the two went through it. The gate immediately shut behind them. “Did the gate just shut?” Stacey gulped “perhaps we should not have come here at night.” “Scared? Stop being such a child,” Caleb pulled ahead of her. He led the walk to the door as Stacey reluctantly followed. Clouds gathered over them as a cackling of thunder sounded out in the night sky. The door was made of wood covered in moss and door handle which had rusted considerably. “Looking on Wikipedia. The Trojan Mansion has witnessed many disappearances over the years,” Stacey flicked through the article on her phone. It showed a picture of the large castle with a number of articles about it including the heritage of the mansion which had previously been a place of partying and luxury. That all changed in the 1700’s when the disappearances had started. Stacey went further through the article. “Reports of movements in the mansion and shadows moving around are common.” “Stop trying to scare me. It is not going to work,” Caleb put a hand to knock on the door. The door slowly opened as Caleb slowly went in. Stacey followed although she wanted to go back to her home. “I’m Miles,” Miles pulled them in as he shut the door. He was wearing an army uniform which seemed worn out and torn in places. A look of alarm crossed his face. Miles ran away from the door as the other two followed. Caleb looked to Stacey as her face had visibly dropped as the atmosphere was dark. The entire room was dark. Even Caleb’s clothes were dark. “Why the running?” Caleb asked as Miles continued on running. They ran up the stairs and into a small room with a screen at the end of it. It was entirely dark as Miles ran to it. He hit it but nothing happened. “We are running to survive. You never know when they will come,” Miles answered as he pressed on the keyboard. The screen flickered as a face momentarily appeared. Miles attempted to get it working again. Footsteps sounded along the ground. It went quickly as it neared the room. A man then appeared in the doorway. “More new people?” Trevor asked as he looked left, then right and stepped into the room as he slammed the door. He stood tall with a receding hairline and being slightly overweight. This was in a sharp contrast to Miles whose hair went wildly around and was skinny, often referred to by Trevor as stickman. “Just people. How are the other women?” Miles asked. “Jenny and Kelsey? They are fine. Perhaps one day you will remember the name off one of us,” Trevor suggested. “Too many deaths. Will not need to know their names for long,” Trevor dismissed “I’ve been here for several years. Came straight out of the trenches and saw this place. I miss the Great War.” “The Great War?” Stacey asked. “It was supposed to be over by Christmas. But it was still going on the last I heard,” Miles gulped. *** Jenny and Kelsey were in the library of the house, going through the books. They were hoping to find some information about the house but their search had given no results. “What was that?” Kelsey screamed. The two looked to the door. More often than not it was Trevor pulling a prank on them. He liked to see others scared. “Trevor?” Jenny shrugged as she went back to the books. “Don’t those things knock?” Kelsey muttered. “Don’t give Trevor the satisfaction. Every time you fall his stupid games,” Jenny looked to the door to be sure of her remark. The wind whistled underneath the floorboards. The room darkened. Their night lantern was the only thing lighting up the room. The floorboards creaked and lightning cackled in the distance. “All the signs are there,” Kelsey took several steps towards the door. Jenny followed hesitantly. Bringing the night lantern along. The whistling of the wind became unbearable as Jenny and Kelsey covered their ears. “Remember. These things strike quickly. Do not stop,” Jenny ordered. A cold mist descended onto the room. Kelsey was almost at the other side of the room. Then the door slam shut. A ripping noise occurred. The wall paper was being torn away. It began spelling out a word. “C-H-O-O-S-E. Choose,” Kelsey looked terrified. “This is where we have to decide which one it will kills,” Jenny remembered. More ripping happened on the wall as another word appeared. “K-E-L-S-E-Y, me?” Kelsey shuddered, feeling horrible “I cannot possibly choose.” “You have to. The last time they didn’t choose they were both killed,” Jenny reminded her. “I choose,” Kelsey looked to Jenny. They were both terrified “me.” Kelsey waited a few seconds. Jenny looked around the room trying to see the shadows. Kelsey felt something rip into her. The shadow went inside Kelsey. She felt it eating away at her insides. Her heard was being squeezed and her brain being pulled apart. “Stop,” Jenny kicked Kelsey down attempting to get the shadow out of her body. After a few seconds Kelsey was little more than half eaten remains. Her face had half melted off and her legs had been ripped a part. Jenny ran out of the room as the wind died down and the various noises that the shadow made was now gone. Jenny was crying, she had just witnessed a lifelong friend of hers being ripped apart from the inside. It was the most horrifying thing that she had ever witnessed. *** “Kelsey’s dead. The Shadows killed her,” Jenny sobbed as she went onto a couch with the others. “Names do not matter. No personal attachments. It is the only way to survive in this place,” Miles said. “Jenny I take it,” Stacey said. Caleb was recording as he zoomed in to get Jenny’s sad reactions. Stacey hit the camera away. Caleb put it back. “Did you plan all this Caleb?” Stacey asked. “No. I just wanted to see what would happen and something so much better than my wildest dreams is going on,” Caleb grinned. Jenny went to the ground. Head in hands as her body jerked violently as she cried, heavily. The others in the room were unsure of what to do. “Can’t we just escape?” Stacey asked as she felt frightened by what was going on. “Impossible. Nothing seems to work. Try running outside and you are ripped a part. We think that if you want to escape then you will be killed but if you want to come in then you can wonder around outside,” Trevor explained. “Split up. We do not want to be in pairs in case the creature makes us choose,” Miles told them. He had a revolver in one hand. His hand was trembling. “How much of this place has been explored?” Caleb asked as he went into his bag. “Quite a bit. Only a few rooms which we suspect have a strong connection with the shadows. But we aren’t entirely sure,” Trevor explained. “Split up,” Miles ordered as they split up into singles. They each went into a separate room. Stacey wondered around the mansion making sure to get to know every room. The wallpaper contained pictures of dolls with their eyes seeming to be following those within the room. The floorboards creaked underneath her feet. Stacey could not see far into the distance as the darkness consumed much of the area. It seemed to take up every corner and ensured that it was as menacing as possible. There was silence throughout except the creaking off the floorboards. “Stacey,” something whispered. It was barely audible. Stacey looked around to see if there was anything there. She could see an outline off something in the distance but could not make out what it was. The line then disappeared. The wind picked up. Stacey opened the door next to her and quickly shut it. A small candle was light as a figure could be seen in the light. “Hello,” the figure smiled. It was wearing a red outfit with gold stripes and several medals. It was a man, in his early 20s with a sword by his side. “I’m Luciano. And have been trapped in this place for centuries. So they tell me,” Luciano was next to a lowly lit flame. “Who told you?” Stacey asked. Luciano pointed to a screen. “The magic screen that projects the images of one man with others sometimes interfering,” Luciano swung his sword about “who are you? Such a majestic being.” “Majestic? You really are from a different era. I’m Stacey. Just trying to survive,” Stacey looked to the door “why have you not contacted the others?” Luciano tapped the desk for a few moments. He lit another candle. He then threw the candle into a fireplace as a fire lit up. The lights showed the wooden walls. “Can we eat something? A burger? Or some chocolate?” Stacey asked. “Does hunger allude you?” Luciano questioned. “No. But I haven’t eaten for a while and thought that it should be about that time again. Earlier on, did you say you have been here for centuries?” Stacey looked back to the door. It had been deadlocked. Luciano went to the door undid the deadlock and opened it. Checked both ways. He then went out of it and closed the door behind him. Leaving Stacey in the room by herself. “Luciano?” Stacey shouted. Something sounded at the door. Stacey went up to it. It seemed that something wanted to come in as Stacey put her head to the door to listen to what was there. “Is that you?” Stacey asked. No response. “Get away from that door,” the Doctor shouted as the screen flashed on. The Doctor’s face appeared. “Why? Who are you?” Stacey went away from the door. The Doctor looked back to the two companions in the background who were throwing Handles head around. “Shalek. Tetra. Stop it or I will drop you off indefinitely,” the Doctor shouted. “You look to be in a horrific situation being trapped in a nice and bright space,” Stacey sarcastically remarked. “Sorry about that. The thing on the other side of the door is known as the Shadow or if there are more, then it would be called the Shadows. Your one way out is by outrunning it and then hiding from it. This is near impossible as they know every bit of this place but one,” the Doctor looked through a small book. “The place? Somewhere the others haven’t looked?” Stacey asked. “Exactly. Luciano knows it. I need to check,” the Doctor drastically flicked through the book. The screen darkened as the Doctor’s face faded away. “Where are you going? Please help me,” Stacey muttered but the screen had turned off. The door was buckling as splinters of wood flew around the room. Stacey went to the back of the room as she noticed a cold feeling. The wind picked up. A low whistle could be heard through the air as the door went down. The light from the fire showed a shadow on the wall which was nearing Stacey. Luciano then chose this time to finally appear as he was in the doorway. “Come on, fair maiden,” Luciano urged as he pulled Stacey out of the room. They ran through the corridors blindly, in search of a particular area. Luciano grabbed Stacey’s hand ensuring that she stayed close. He then turned as Stacey hit the wall. “Sorry,” Stacey apologised as Luciano picked her up and continued pulling her along. Floorboards creaked behind them but at a much lower volume. Luciano pulled her into a large room and then shut the door. The room seemed to be an old child’s playroom with glass eyed dolls and a wooden horse in the middle of the room. “Why is this room the perfect cliché of a horror movie? There is even a monkey dressed in red with one of those drum banging things,” Stacey thought. “Movie? I’m sorry if I do not understand your language. You must be from a different place,” Luciano spotted. The wooden horse slowly moved. It went very slowly. “Could be the wind. Or perhaps you accidently kicked it,” Stacey hoped. “There are beasts in this room. They come from the devil but this one is not as harmful as the one out there although it does try to go on the offensive when I am in its presence,” Luciano sat on one of the small plastic chairs as Stacey sat next to him. The room had one small red light in the corner which was on. It gave the room a menacing feeling to it which went with there being a harmful being a harmful being in the room. “So what brought you here?” Stacey asked. “This is my house. Stuff has been added over the years. I was the first one here and will be the last one. The others do not trust me so they tend to stay away,” Luciano picked up a small ball from the ground the threw it at the wall. “You must have been alone for so long. Nothing to do and always running for your life,” Stacey sympathised. “Well the running bit is the only okay bit. I was not always alone. My wife and I had been recently married when a curse was brought on the house. It made her choose who she wanted dead. I begged her to let me die but she was too stubborn. Too kind,” Luciano had a tear forming at his eye “several of my servants tried to run away but they were killed only a few metres from the front door. It was horrifying. At least in this room it has something that will not kill me.” Luciano threw the ball at the wall one more. However, instead of coming back to Luciano it stopped in mid-air. It was then thrown at Luciano with enough power to make him fall back. “The beast in this room?” Stacey asked. “For all of eternity. Any friend you make in this place will just be killed,” Luciano kicked the ball away from himself to avoid it being thrown back at him. “This is not living. This is hell,” Stacey muttered. “It is wonderful to have met your acquaintance. Your company is much appreciated,” Luciano grinned. Stacey smiled as Luciano held her hand. The ball then hit Stacey as she fell back. Stacey threw the ball back. Stacey hated being in this situation but she had made a new friend in Luciano. *** Jenny was in the same room as Trevor and Caleb. They were not supposed to be but each individual was too scared to be alone. Especially when something wanted to kill them all. Caleb continued recording as he had gotten another battery out of his bag. “This is wicked,” Caleb shouted. “How in any way is this good?” Jenny asked. “Keep your voices down. It can hear us,” Trevor looked to see anything unusual “look for shadows that should not be there. Feel for the chill in the air or the breath on the back of your neck.” “How do you know all that?” Caleb asked. “The man on the screen told us. He said he could help us. He is a healer after all,” Trevor explained. “I hate him. He says that he wants to help but never does anything to support that,” Jenny spat on the floor. The room went into silence. Caleb went to the door as he opened it slightly. He put his camera around it. The halls were in complete darkness but Caleb had another look. “In the darkness. There is something there,” Caleb pointed as Jenny took a look. Trevor also took a look as they squinted their eyes in order to have a better look. A shadow seemed out of place as Trevor shut the door and put a padlock onto it. “Stay away from the doors. Wait until we hear a scream then we know that we are safe to go,” Trevor told them. “Why a scream?” Caleb asked. “Because that is when it has killed its next victim which usually means that we will have a few hours until it hunts again,” Trevor explained. “We are basically playing last man standing but with everyone being killed,” Jenny tried to explain further. A scream sounded out. Jenny and Caleb went to the door as they opened it slightly. The hall now had a small stream of light coming in. Caleb brought out his phone and put on the torch. “On a phone? What era are you from?” Jenny asked. “2016. You?” Caleb looked around the halls with the light. “2000. Has technology advanced that much?” Jenny asked as she seemed amazed by the combination of a torch and a phone. “You would be surprised,” Caleb chuckled. Trevor then pulled them both back into the room. He had a hand over each of their mouths. He let them go and shut the door again making sure to use the extra locks and bolts that had been added in between the death of the people who tried to escape. “Sorry about that. But I do not think that scream sounded genuine,” Trevor looked around. “Let us out,” Jenny ordered as Trevor stood at the door. His arms were crossed. “I’m sorry. If you leave this room you will die which would increase the likelihood of the next victim being me,” Trevor shouted. Caleb looked to the table. The computer monitor was still blank. He eyed up a knife as he grabbed it. The camera continued running as he wanted to see how real this scenario was, or whether it was a set up like Stacey had tried on several occasions before. “Step away from the door,” Caleb ordered as he pointed the knife at Trevor “we do not want to be trapped if something is actually coming for us.” “Just listen to me,” Trevor ordered. “No. You listen to us,” Jenny shouted “let us out or I will stab you.” Jenny grabbed the knife from Caleb and held it towards Trevor. He could easily have disarmed her but he decided against it. Trevor stepped aside as Jenny went through the various locks and bolts. The door opened as Jenny and Caleb went out off it. Trevor shut the door behind them. He put on the various locks bolts ensuring that the door was locked. Footsteps walked away from where he was. Trevor went to the keyboard and attempted to get the computer working but nothing happened. How much longer could he live like this? How much longer could he live? *** Miles went through a crateful of guns. He had been carrying these when he had gone into the house to investigate its mysterious insides. Ever since he had met thousands of people, everyone he had met had died except one. Luciano was the only one who had been locked in the house for longer than Miles had done. “Work you stupid computer. Who do most rooms contain you? Where were you during the first 80 years that I had been held here?” Miles complained. It had been hard not to go mad. Miles had considered ending it all but he knew that he would never do that, he still had hope. Most had lost all hope after a few weeks but Miles fully believed that he would escape one day. As long as he did not die. In a hell hole where you were never hungry and never aged but could be ripped to pieces at any moment. “You okay?” Jenny asked. Jenny and Caleb entered the room. There were multiple guns on the floor. “Have you ever used one of those things?” Caleb asked as he pointed out a gun. Miles stayed silent as he brought out a picture. It was a grainy image and the face was barely visible but Miles smiled as he looked upon it. His gaze was fixed to it. “Miles? You still living?” Jenny tapped him on the shoulder. “Yes,” Miles shouted “I’m fine. Of course I have used a gun. I was a soldier try to join the dots.” They then heard a scream. It was blood curdling as they rushed to where it had come from. Trevor felt the breath off the shadow. He looked to the monitor but it showed no sign of turning on. Within moments Trevor felt his skin being pinched at. He screamed like he had never screamed before. He never thought that he would be able to do that. “Go away you foul shadow creature,” Trevor shouted as he tried to push past the near to invincible shadow. It did not give any room. It seemed impossible to escape from the seemingly unending nightmare. “You alright?” Caleb asked as Trevor felt the shadow going into him. It attacked his brain as he collapsed to the ground. His body hit the ground with a thud as the others walked away from the door. They then ran away from the room making sure that they would not been next. Trevor’s last thoughts were off how much pain he was in. He did not witness his entire life flashing before his eyes. Only excruciating pain before complete darkness and then nothing at all. “This is too crazy,” Caleb put the camera back as a pool of blood was forming around Trevor. “Scary is the correct word,” Jenny told him. “Straight to the one room that it cannot get into,” Miles ran as the others quickly followed. “Why do we not always stay in that room?” Jenny asked. “Because it contains a very soppy rich guy and several annoying spirits. After a while it gets extremely boring,” Miles looked back to make sure they were not being followed. *** “How did you come to being here?” Luciano asked. “My idiot friend, Caleb, brought me here as he was too scared to go into the place himself. You would notice him from a mile away as he is always holding a camera hoping to be the next Spielberg. I thought I was doing him a favour by helping him but I was actually walking into my death,” Stacey looked down. “Don’t worry about that. Just enjoy the fruitful times and soak up the atmosphere that surrounds you. I have spent far too long here, talked to multiple people but I never see them again after a few meetings,” Luciano threw the ball at the wall. “You seem to be a nice guy. There are so few of those,” Stacey smiled. “That is such a compliment from a goddess such as yourself,” Luciano complimented as Stacey blushed. The door then crashed open as three people entered the room. “Is that a camera?” Luciano pointed to Caleb’s camera. “Yep,” Stacey sighed. “So this is the idiot friend who was too scared to come here by himself,” Luciano got up as he inspected Caleb. “Idiot? Too scared? What have you been telling the stupidly dressed man?” Caleb asked clearly hurt by the remarks. “Nothing. Just the truth,” Stacey chuckled. Miles locked the door as they sat in a circle. “Is that other spirit still in here?” Miles asked Luciano. “Yes sir. Welcome back soldier. You presence is a blessing,” Luciano grinned. “Still? After the insults that I hurled at you? I am very surprised that you still treat me well,” Miles was shocked. “Of course. Forgiveness is a pinnacle of our being,” Luciano looked towards the door as he heard something going towards it. “Hello? Anyone there?” Jenny asked. “Is that the shadow?” Caleb asked as the group went into a panic. “It can’t be. Luciano said that it has never entered the room,” Miles looked to Luciano for reassurance. “That statement has held up pretty well. It has never knocked before,” Luciano muttered as the door began to buckle. Something was written on the wall, it said you are trapped. “I take it the other spirit wrote that,” Jenny hoped as the computer monitor flashed in a corner. “Where did that come from?” Luciano asked “this hasn’t been in here before.” “Who cares? Just get it working,” Caleb ran to the monitor as he fiddled around with the wiring at the back. A picture began to emerge from it. The door splintered as bits of wood went around them. The Doctor’s face appeared in the monitor. “Doctor. We need your help. We are trapped with the shadow. Can you help us?” Miles asked. The Doctor went to the TARDIS as he tapped on Handle’s head. He then went around the TARDIS. “I can try. I am not sure that this will work,” the Doctor pulled a lever. The surroundings of the mansion fell away. Surrounding them was a wild light that ripped apart the doors and walls. They floated in mid-air. “This is awesome,” Caleb grinned as he continued to film it. “It has been a pleasure knowing you fair maiden,” Rodrigo smiled. “You are going back to your own eras. If you want to change then hold the persons hand and think of their era,” the Doctor’s face then disappeared from the monitor as it ripped a part. “Rodrigo? Can I join you?” Stacey asked. “It would be my honour,” Rodrigo smiled as Stacey joined hands with him “but let’s go to your time era. It sounds so much better than mine.” “Definitely,” Stacey smiled. “Jenny? You want to jump ahead 16 years?” Caleb offered. “Yes. It would be an honour to live longer into the future. Perhaps you can grow on me,” Jenny chuckled as she held hands with Caleb. “Goodbye my comrades. I will see you in heaven,” Miles smiled as he carried a rifle over his back. “Do you not want to go with us?” Stacey offered her hand. “No. I want to do die in honour. I will serve my country and ensure that we win the Great War,” Miles grinned as the surroundings then disappeared as they returned to their timelines. *** Caleb went outside as he sat on a deck chair. His mansion stretched far as Jenny joined him. Caleb had made millions in the making off the scary film. It won awards for being a realistic portrayal which is because it was real. Caleb had made several movies afterwards as he was always looking for the next project. “Mr big shot,” Jenny sat on the deck chair next to Caleb “your turn to feed the children.” Caleb and Jenny had twins who were both three years old and they had another child coming in the next few months. “This is a brilliant holiday resort,” Stacey joined them. “Sure is. The colours are so vibrant. It is beautiful. Much like you,” Luciano chuckled. Stacey sat on the deck chair opposite Caleb as Luciano took the deck chair next to her. “A child in the making,” Stacey chuckled pointing to her expanding belly “at least you managed to do something good with your recording.” “The idiot managed it,” Caleb joked as he sat back. “Any room for us three?” The Doctor stood over them. “Four. You brought along the soldier,” Shalek pointed out. “He smells terrible. Why did you bring him along?” Tetra asked. The Doctor brought out four chairs as they sat on them. “Because it is a cool way to close off their story,” the Doctor pointed to the TARDIS “here he is. Only a few years late.” “Hello. This is cool,” Miles smiled as he looked over the mansion. “You are the man from the screen,” Luciano muttered. “I sure am. Now let’s have a nice day,” the Doctor chuckled. “How about the presents? They took me ages to find,” Tetra brought out an arrangement of gifts “amazing to see what you can do, just a step to being forgiven.” After that day they changed their perspectives on life. Miles would live until the Battle of the Somme 1916 as he saved the lives of his squadron by jumping on top off a bomb. Caleb and Jenny would have several other children and continue making movies. Whilst Luciano and Stacey travelled the world. Hunting down the lost treasures of the world. They even visited the mansion which was in bits. It had been near to completely destroyed except from a computer screen that had survived the rubble. Stacey took it and put it into her back. Knowing that she could use it whenever she needed help. The Doctor, Shalek and Tetra got back into the TARDIS to continue having adventures. Making sure that they never entered a spooky mansion. They also made sure to have the sequence to differentiating eras after the mixing of several eras into one by the mansion. The Doctor had simply put them a part and ensured that the mansion had its curse lifted. But little did the Doctor know the curse lived, in a different place on Earth and in a different setting but it would come back.
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