Chapter 1
Professor Hughes was looking forward to this experiment. He had hand-picked four of his first-year college Psychology students and brought them out to the countryside, to a very special place.
"Is this it?" asked James, a brown-haired theater major, as he peered out the window of the professor's SUV at the large, overgrown estate as they drove alongside.
"Yes, we're here." The professor replied as he turned up the driveway, which was framed by dilapidated metal gates, barely hanging on their hinges. The gravel crunched under the vehicle's tires.
"Gosh, it's so...dreary!" said Laura, a sweet-natured, brown-haired beauty, as she leaned forward to get a better view out the windshield. The grey manor rose out of the gloom on this chilly twilit night, dark and foreboding. A classic haunted house.
The vehicle braked hard in front of the ornate entryway, jostling the passengers in the rear seat. "Whu--? Hey, careful, Prof!" Beefy, dark-haired jock Lance and blonde cheerleader Mandy disentangled from each other. They hadn't noticed the last half- hour of the drive.
Professor Hughes got out of the car and headed up the entryway stairs, calling back, "Unpack the car, students. I'll meet you inside." He unlocked the great oak front door with an old key and went inside. The kids grudgingly unloaded the vehicle.
As they walked into the manor, fully laden with luggage, they stopped. Mandy's bags dropped to the floor with a thunk. "Holy shit!"
The foyer was huge, the carved, vaulted ceiling rising 50 feet into the air. Before them, the marble floor led off to several side doors, but the group's attention was taken by the grandiose stairs, 20 feet across at the bottom, curving up another 20 feet to the second floor. The stairs were also made of marble, but grotesque and macabre carved heads dominated the bannisters.
Laura was immediately uncomfortable. Her Christian upbringing made her think these horrible faces were...demonic.
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
The girls screamed out, and the rest of the bags dropped to the floor. The professor had snuck up behind them, gazing over their shoulders at the strange carvings.
James, ever the card, put on his best "Lurch" face and turned to the others. "You...rangggg...?" he monotoned. They laughed, but uneasily. The professor's expression was unreadable.
Professor Hughes assigned separate rooms to himself and his students on the second floor. The girls were assigned to the West hall and the men the East. The professor's room was closest to the stairs, so he would keep an eye out for any shenanigans, especially from Lance and Mandy.
He let them settle into their posh bedrooms while he unpacked and made sure his equipment was still working. Unbeknownst to the students, they were the subject of a bizarre psychological experiment. The professor had secreted cameras all about the place, and had planned a few fake "ghostly" happenings. The front door was locked and he had the only key, plus all the other exits had been sealed on his last visit. The windows were already boarded up for storm season.
Chapter 2
The inside of the manor was huge. Dinner was in the large dining room on the first floor, lit by tall candle stands. Unlike the original occupants of the house long ago, they had to settle for sandwiches and soup from a thermos. As they ate, they discussed their situation:
"What's up with this place, professor?" asked James, in between bites. "This house is right out of a George Romero movie."
The professor paused, then stood up, looking quite serious. All faces turned to him. "This...is a haunted house."
Lance spit out some of his cola. The others arched their eyebrows, and James looked amused. The professor sighed and sat. Leaning forward, he continued: "In the late 1700s there was a young woman named Annabelle Carson. She lived here with her stepfather, Nathaniel. Nathaniel owned the farm out back of this property, and was obsessed with his stepdaughter. Before she came of age, she fell in love with a young man named Winston Jonas. They courted, and married in secret. The story goes that on their wedding night, in this very house, Nathaniel came upon them as they consummated their love. He brutally slayed both before succumbing to a heart attack. It is said that their spirits dwell here still, the two lovers, and the vengeful Nathaniel tied to them by his obsessive hatred."
The students were silent. They looked at each other uneasily, then James spoke: "Um, Professor Hughes, I thought this was a Psychology class, not PARApsychology."
"Real or no, the story's love triangle runs the gamut of emotions," the older man replied. "Can you decipher the psychology of those who no longer live?"
"Ghostbusters, man, 'cept we don't have the proton packs" Lance interjected.
The room seemed darker. A couple of the candles had gone out. Laura dropped the remains of her sandwich to the table, and stood to leave: "I've lost my appetite." She rushed from the room as the men rose from their chairs. The two young men looked at each other, confused by their spontaneous gentlemanly act, then sat back down. Mandy was still slurping her soup, disinterested.
The remainder of dinner passed quietly and uncomfortably, then they all returned to their rooms.
Chapter 3
Mandy had changed into her nightgown, and had just put some more wood into the fireplace when she heard her door quietly open and close. She turned to find Lance staring at her, seemingly hesitant.
"Managed to sneak by him, huh?" Mandy beckoned him to her as she sat back on the bed seductively.
He came forward, his eyes locked to her chest, barely hidden by her sheer nightie. "I was quiet as a mouse, my love."
Mandy caught her breath, butterflies in her stomach. He had never used the big "L" word with her before! She held out her arms and he came to her, kissing her lovingly, leaning her back onto the bed.
"Mmm..." She found he was using a new technique. He seemed apprehensive, but also full of urgency, like a kid opening a present on Christmas morning; like he was when they first started fooling around, before they had become more familiar with each other's bodies. She liked it, and spread her legs for him. She had neglected her panties tonight.
"Ohh...my love...at long last..." Lance gasped as he undid his jeans and pulled his boxers down, climbing up on the bed. Mandy scooted herself back so her head was on the pillows.
