Starlight Explorers

“All right, let's do a head count. One” said Tom.

“Two”

“Three”

“Four. End of count” followed Atlas, Nick, and Dan.

It was a dark and windy night when they all decided to explore a haunted mansion. No one was really that courageous to go in, but they felt that if they were all together, then there would be nothing to fear. Even then everyone was shivering. Due to the strong winds? Yes. But I would say mainly because of fear.

“We have one missing” exclaimed Nick.

“Unfortunately, we cannot do anything about Edwin. But the more time we take to enter this thing, the more dangerous it will be.” Said Atlas who tried to show that she was not scared but still ended up grabbing Tom’s shoulder who was standing in front of her.

All of them were standing in a line behind Tom. Tom was in the lead because he had somehow found a ‘Ghost Detecting Radar’, the credibility of which was yet to be tested.

“All right, let’s do this.” Said Dan.

Everyone started taking baby steps, following Tom’s lead when Tom suddenly stopped and looked back, “Hey, don’t push.”

“Hey, don’t push” repeated Atlas while turning back to look at Nick.

“Hey, don’t push” repeated Nick while turning back to look at Dan.

“Hey, don’t push” repeated Dan while turning back to look at… well no one. “Oh no!” Dan turned back with horror on his face.

“Guys, I am done being scared. What you saw was just an act to support you all and to tell you that it’s okay to be scared,” said Nick as he straightened his back and got out of the line formation. His walk displayed confidence as he went to overtake Tom. But just then, a strong wind blew that led the leafless bushes on the side to rustle loudly and the huge metal door in front of them to make an eerie noise. Nick dashed back to hide behind Atlas. “Sorry guys, let's just go together.”

Atlas could only give him a look of disappointment before they all started moving. Combining whatever little courage everyone had and the power of the yet-to-be-tested ‘Ghost Detecting Radar’ they all moved or even dragged themselves through the metal gate into the front entrance of the mansion.

“Alright guys we are here. This day will be marked in history when starlight explorers will discover the secret of-”

“When did we decide on a name?” Atlas interrupted Tom.

“That is not the point. He was just trying to build up on our courage.” This time it was Nick’s turn to give Atlas a disappointed look.

“There is nothing on the ghost radar yet. Seems like the path is clear.” Tom tried to sound a bit cheerful as he went to open the door.

The whole crew, or rather the starlight explorers walked inside the mansion. As soon as they were all in, Dan quickly turned around to check something and after a few seconds stammered as he said, “Ummm… guys…isn’t the door supposed to close on its own as soon as everyone is inside?”

Everyone turned back at this observation and to their surprise, the door remained wide open.

“Maybe the ghosts here have found new ways of scaring humans because they think that the ones shown in movies are now way too obvious and predictable.” Exclaimed Nick.

Everyone now gained a tad bit of confidence since they knew that if things went south, they could escape through the open door. “I’ll go check that painting” Dan pointed at the painting that looked like a family portrait down the hall. “They say, that by looking at the painting, you always get to know about the secrets of the family that lived here.” Dan breaks off from the line formation to take a closer look at the painting.

“I’ll check the stairs,” said Atlas as she went toward the long stairway that led to the mansion's first floor. “I’ve seen enough movies to know that stairs hold the secret to how ghostly the mansion is.” As Dan and Atlas went on their paths, there was something strange that happened. The floorboard did not creak as Dan stepped on it, but it started to creak as soon as Atlas stepped on it even though both took almost the same path. Indeed strange, I would say.

“I am having a bad feeling, Tom. I suddenly feel cold, and I have read that sudden cold breezes mean that a spirit is around” said Nick as he got even closer to Tom.

“If there is anything, this ghost-detecting radar will tell us.” Reassured Tom.

“But we do not know if it actually works!”

“But there is a chance that it actually does. Technology is pretty advanced these days.”

“Even if technology is advanced, ghosts are even more advanced. They are supernatural. Please, Tom. Can we please leave?” Begged Nick.

Tom just aimlessly looked around thinking of words to reassure Nick and his eyes widened as he realized the source of Nick’s distress.

“Or maybe, I can close that wide-opened door” Tom pointed at the entrance of the mansion “It’s pretty chilly outside.”

“NO no no no….. I think I am good.” A flustered Nick stopped Tom before Tom could even take a step towards the entrance.

“Guys” with just a single word, Dan got everyone’s attention. “The little girl in the painting holds a dinosaur plushie. Maybe the haunting of the mansion is related to this plushie. I even felt that it moved a bit through the corner of my eye when I was looking at the girl.”

“I think he is right” Atlas chimed in “The stairs creek more in the middle than the sides. Plus, the railing is also quite dusty. If a spirit of a dinosaur plushie lives here, then I would assume it to be big, and big objects usually want to come down fast, so they avoid railings.”

Atlas’s theory seemed absurd but it all kind of made sense when put together. Maybe there was a dinosaur ghost. Or maybe, the dead girl’s spirit possessed her toy dinosaur and lived in the mansion. Or maybe the dinosaur ghost was created by combining a part of the soul of all the family members. Nothing could be said for sure without the encounter with this dinosaur ghost.

Everyone paused to think about this theory for a minute. Maybe what Dan and Atlas suggested did connect to a story and maybe they could find more evidence to prove their theory. Before anyone could say anything, their thoughts were interrupted by a beep… beep… sound which seemed to come from Tom’s ghost-detecting radar. This meant that the radar worked. It is meant to show the presence of ghosts starting from a distance of 50 meters, depicted by a red dot. Everyone dashed toward Tom to get a closer look at the radar. After all, they should stick together if they are about to encounter a ghost.

“It’s at 50 meters now.” Said Tom as he carefully looked at the radar. “Oh no, it is moving. It is coming closer. 40 meters. 35… 30…20…10…. That would mean right at the gate” Tom looked up with horror in his gaze followed by the others. Even though only a silhouette was visible, they could see spikes on the back that continued to its majestic tail and a wide-open mouth. It seemed like a dinosaur. Perhaps the spirit of the dinosaur plushie from the portrait. The starlight explorers were rooted to the ground. Their eyes were bulging with fear and the only thought all of them collectively had was to escape. No one would like to be the meal of a dinosaur that was as tall as them.

The dinosaur slowly started to approach them. Walking lazily as if taunting the prey and soaking in its fear. After all a fear-stricken dead human would be more satisfying to eat than a mercifully killed human. Without even a word, as if there was a common understanding, the starlight explorers closed their eyes and ears and sprinted for the door to go as far away from the mansion as humanly possible. After all, the best way to pretend that there is no danger is to completely deny its presence.

But if any of them had looked at the creature, they would have seen not a hideous face, but a confused one. “I know I overslept but they should have called me at least. Why did they run away like they had seen some ghost” Edwin said with a dejected tone as he walked into the mansion in a dinosaur onesie. He just woke up and came directly to help his friends but all he saw was them running away, terrified. “Maybe I should leave too. Get some nice, good sleep and talk with all of them tomorrow morning.”