"I dare you"

The night had begun to slowly embrace all with its shadowy fingers. A devilish wind swept it's way through the tired rows of houses, stirring up piles of dead October leaves and tossing them in the air like puppets without strings. Behind a grove of ancient pines, a secretive group gathered.

There it stood, the silent enemy, perched upon its rotten foundry. Its decayed face twisted with the emotionless smile of a hollow skull. Its glassy eyes, sunken into its peeling grey flesh, staring and unblinking.

The darkness within taunted the unwary adventurer towards it. Hypnotizing with the ultimate power of forbidden mystery.

"She was insane. Hid all her money in the walls before she died."

Nervous laughter broke the tension but the glint in their little eyes slowly darkened until gone. Nothing was left except the reflection of the house swimming in the deep pools of imagination.

He stepped forward, the Chosen One, as all disciples watched on with heavy silence. All sound receded into the blowing of the breeze and the beating hearts of those still living.

Slowly he walked, up cracked sidewalks to the ivy grown porch. Their dead tendrils rocking back and forth with the breathing of the sky. Reaching, struggling to grab hold of fresh meat with its dead tentacles.

An audible creak, a little footstep, a sudden booming noise. All this was heard in that single crisp moment of time.

The scream echoed through the streets as my grandmother leaned out of the window to see her Grandson run from the old and pathetic house like the dogs of Hell were on his back.

Little eyes searched through the crowd, looking for their next great saviour.

"I Double Dare you."