"What was that?" I was abruptly awakened by the sharp scraping of something nearby.

Quickly, I whirled toward the origin of the sound. Aghast, I stared wide-eyed as two luminous figures passed through he wall. They were now in the library.

"Let's get out of here!" Alice screamed.

Slowly, the luminous figure, hatchet raised, stalked its victim. Screaming, the three girls ran to the library door. Opening it, they raced down the stairs. Spellbound by the re-enactment of a murder committed years ago, I could not move. With a dull thud, the hatchet found its mark. A hideous shriek resounded through every corridor of the house. A hideous cackle emanated from the murderer's lips. Then he turned his attention toward us.

Breaking the spell which held me prisoner, I cried out. "Let's get out of here!" The three of us raced down the stairs as the maniacal laughter rose to a crescendo.

Abruptly, there was silence—a hideous, deadly silence—interrupted only by the feverish beating of our hearts as we made our way out of the huge mansion. Before entering the woods, I cast a backward glance. The mansion rose formidably into the air. More terrifying than I had ever imagined it.