Mulberry House

An original flash fiction horror story

an abandoned 19th century mansion

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Nobody ever spends a night alone in the Mulberry House without losing something precious.

Stephanie laughed at everyone who shared that warning with her and cracked a joke about finding a room filled with missing wallets and jewelry. Some people took these urban legends far too seriously. The Mulberry House was no different than any old mansion in this part of San Cristobal.

She aimed to offer definitive proof of that fact.

Wood creaked under her feet as she climbed the stairs to the master bedroom. Dull light from antique candle holders lit the hall in a shadowy yellow hue. Spending the night with only a wireless power bank as her lone power source was inconvenient. Still, Stephanie was determined to tough it out for one night.

Her bet with Kayla was already as good as won. Plus, she'd knock out a cool debunking video to post to her YouTube channel along the way. Kayla would be eating crow in supersized portions by this time tomorrow.

The master bedroom was smaller than Stephanie imagined it'd be. When she turned the copper knob, the door swung open to reveal a cramped windowless room. A musty aroma greeted her nostrils. Multiple portraits adorned the walls. Shadows cloaked all the paintings. Outlines revealed people, but darkness mostly obscured details of their faces and clothing.

“I wonder who left all these paintings here.” Stephanie cast her eyes around the room. “Seems like a random thing to find in an abandoned mansion.”