Trigger Warning: This chapter contains descriptions of violence and horror that may be upsetting to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Happy reading <3!
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Arden Opera House, 1870 [https://i.imgur.com/HHK8EPy.jpeg]
-Arden Opera House, 1870
Under the dark sky late at night, Hannah stood in front of the old Arden Opera House. It was an old building that resembled a castle that had been left for so long with time and had ivy growing on its stone walls.
She quickly adjusted her ponytail with a pink scrunchie and fixed her big purple t-shirt tightly fitting her slim body. The night was so chilly, it kept messing up her hair and clothes which annoyed her quite a bit but she was mostly excited with her dark brown eyes shining of what's in front of her.
She looked around carefully to make sure no one was there. The streets were empty at this late time, and all she could hear were the leaves and a faraway owl.
Hannah took a big breath and walked up to the fancy gates of the opera house. The gates made one eerie creaking sound as she pushed them open. She winced at the noise, thinking it might wake up the ghosts inside the opera house or alert the guards.
"Okay, guys, we're about to step into the creepiest place ever," Hannah murmured to her recording device, a sly smile appearing on her face. "But first, smash that like button and subscribe if you want to see more spooky adventures like this!"
Hannah was in fact a social media influencer. After hearing about the infamous ghost stories of the Opera House, she ought to actually explore it herself for views. This was a promising opportunity for her as someone with small counts of followers.
She entered the courtyard with the mixture of thrill and dread. The opera house, which looked ancient and eerie at the same time was before her. Step by step, Hannah entered the courtyard as the moon shone through the broken and dusty windows, creating patterns on the ground. Finally, she reached the large doors; they looked very very old, completely worn out and torn apart. She was afraid they would not open if she tried to do so.
But the door opened with a slight creak. Hannah almost thought the door would fall.
She knew she shouldn't probably go in there, but there was something amazing she could film and she couldn't resist. She took a deep breath and entered after hesitating. The interior of the opera house seemed like a dream that had long been forgotten. The moonlight streamed in through stained glass windows and danced across the dusty burnt floor. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and the place had a musty old smell.
The opera house was practically falling apart but still stood strong after all this time. Hannah turned on her flashlight, and its beam lit up the dark, revealing more traces of its burnt past.
"Okay, guys, now it's getting real spooky," she whispered to her audience and tried to mask her excitement with fear as she saw her viewer count rising up.
She walked carefully through the quiet halls. She saw old dressing rooms and a big staircase going up. Paintings and other objects were either burnt or found on the floor. As she kept going, she felt like someone or something was there with her. She thought she heard whispers and felt cold air touching her skin. Her heart beat fast, but she kept going, recording everything with her camera.
Woosh.
She caught a quick glimpse of a figure moving swiftly across the hallway before vanishing into the dark.
"Did you see that?!" Hannah said in a thrilled and anxious way, trying to excite the viewers. "I think we're not alone in here!"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
After some time passed, Hannah began to feel warm and sweaty. Her fear was insufficient to maintain her body's coolness. Warmth was an odd thing to feel during a chilly night which gave her suspicion but she made an effort to appear upbeat while in view of the camera.
"Damn it, it's so hot in here! I can't believe how much I'm sweating. This place is like a sauna."
She then entered a room full of burnt and dirty costumes.
"Perfect," she muttered, "let's see if I can find something to wipe this sweat off."
She searched through the costumes and then experienced a sudden gust of wind passing behind her. Startled, she accidentally dropped her camera.
"What the heck was that?" she exclaimed, scanning her surroundings in a panic.
The door suddenly shut with a thunderous crash, trapping her within the confines of the room.
"Hey! Who's there? This isn't funny!" she shouted.
She heard quiet giggling belonging to a group of women outside the room.
"I swear, if this is some kind of prank, you're all going to be in big trouble! I'm recording everything!"
The ominous snickering persisted, sending shivers down Hannah's spine. The room grew hotter, making her big t-shirt stick to her skin. Frantically searching for an escape, her gaze landed on a dusty, cracked circular mirror standing next to her. Despite its condition, her reflection remained visible.
She glanced at her reflection while trying to break down the door with her body. In the mirror, she saw herself screaming in agony as she melted in the fire.
Help Me
Her reflection mouthed. She didn't know what was happening but she knew she needed to leave- escape.
"No, no, no!" she cried, recoiling in terror from the mirror.
Hannah's reflection shattered into fragments, launching sharp pieces towards her. One shard pierced her right eye, leading to bleeding and scarring on her face. Pain seared through her, prompting a shriek as she gripped her wounded eye.
All of a sudden, there were big fires all around her, and the room started to burn.
"Help! Somebody, please help me!" She yelled for help but no one answered, only her own screams.
Hannah started to get weaker. Her body felt very tired and exhausted and blood dripped slowly from her hurt eye, making a big puddle on the floor. Even though the fire hadn't reached her, she could feel its very hot air getting closer and closer.
She got really worried and thought about the people watching her online. Maybe they could do something to help. She tried to find her camera in the burning room.
She stumbled upon it on the ground, and with shaky hands, she activated the display. What she witnessed immobilized her. The screen depicted herself engulfed in flames, yet instead of the torment she experienced, the reflection of herself was gleefully laughing while on fire. Laughing alongside the women beyond the doorway.
"Wait, what...?" she stuttered, gazing at the screen in utter shock.
Her twisted and contorted face bore a grotesque smirk, cackling wildly while flames engulfed her. The spine-chilling laughter of the women outdoors intertwined with her own.
"No, this can't be happening," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
She felt really scared and couldn't move as she watched a video of herself laughing and while burning alive. She started feeling weaker because the heat and pain in her eyes but this was nothing compared to what she is feeling right now.
Hannah was no longer scared. She felt really mad when she heard people laughing at her. She felt insulted of the idea of people humiliating her.
"They have no right to mock me!" she shouted angrily.
She threw her camera at the wall but it landed on the floor facing her.
"They think they can mock me? I'm the best vlogger out there!" she shouted. "Everyone loves me! They'll pay anything just to get a glimpse of me!"
Her angry face twisted as she kept yelling, not noticing the fire getting closer.
"Scars and injuries? They'll only make me more mysterious, more desirable! Those perverted men will still pay every single penny they have for a sneak peek of my body!"
Hannah's outburst escalated, her eyes suddenly landed on the glaring red light of the camera. Her spirits plummeted the moment she realized that her emotional breakdown was being aired live. Every single word, every wild outcry was being sent out to her audience.
"No... no..." she muttered, dropping to her knees.
Hannah understood that her spectators were observing her breakdown hit her like a punch. She was expected to be indestructible, constantly in charge, but now she was uncovered, her weaknesses revealed for everyone to witness.
Her rage evaporated into an eager, frenzied laughter.
"It's all just a joke, right?" she cackled, her voice breaking. "They'll love me no matter what. They have to..."
Hannah couldn't stop laughing as the fire got closer. She was shaking with laughter. Tears and blood were running down her face. The heat and smoke got stronger, and the fire began to near her.
Then, the it consumed her. Her laughs turned into cries of pain and fear. The camera kept filming, showing her looking twisted and grotesque, laughing as she got engulfed in flames.
Only the camera was left, showing a flickering, static-filled screen to viewers.