When hinges creak in doorless chambers...

[hatchethanging]

 
 

 

 
 







Welcome, foolish mortals,
to the Haunted Mansion.



Watch your step on the way in, please.

 

Comments

[cookswithspite]

That should be reassuring, spark some kind of hope in him. It doesn’t.

Noah sniffles, curling up further.

He really does want to go home but… even if Sally’s telling the truth and he’s able to leave the Mansion behind, he can’t help but think about what’s going to happen with Cameron. Noah doesn’t know what’s going to happen with Cameron. His cousin is suddenly hellbent on throwing himself into this dangerous situation and even if Cam gets out on his own, they still had the fight about it.

Cameron at the least is irritated with Noah, and Noah doesn’t know how long that’s been coming. He’s afraid it’s been for a while. And he’s angry with Cameron too, but…

If they’re not friends after this, or if Cameron even dies- where does that leave Noah?

He has to choke back a sob.

"Sorry. I really do want... I'm just... Sorry."

[hatchethanging]

"...There's no hurry, I suppose," she replies uncertainly. "I'll let you stay in here for as long as you feel like." Her room, that is. He doesn't look like he'll be moving much on his own anyway.

But she must find out what's going on, or at least tell Madame Leota about it. Sally flattens her dress out and takes a few ballet steps towards the wall, and she's halfway through it before she thinks to pause and look at him again. "I'll be back soon! I'll...give you some time to collect yourself?" Is that a good idea?

[cookswithspite]

It’s hard, right then, for Noah to pay proper attention to Sally, but even curled up with his vision blurry and his thoughts spiraling downward he catches a bit of that uncertainty. God, he thinks. He must be making her so uncomfortable, acting so weird and babyish like this.

“Sorry. I just-” Noah sniffles, scrubbing ineffectually at his face. “A lot’s been happening.”

He attempts to straighten up, although it doesn’t add much to his dignity. “I don’t want to… bother you…Maybe I...” Maybe he should just go. Even if he’s not sure how to get to the exit. Or would that make things worse? “Um. Can you… give me just a minute?”

[hatchethanging]

"Of course! I'll be back as quickly as I can," she emphatically assures.

With a polite curtsy (still halfway through the wall), Sally vanishes.

And Noah is left to himself. The room is darker without the silhouette of a spirit within it.

Not long after this, another noise comes down the outside hall. A hoarse, croaking call.

Someone else has finally caught wind of the Mansion's chaos-causing visitors, and she's sent out her favorite not-so-little birds to check up. The door shifts itself open, and massive raven swoops in to perch on the headboard of the recently-vacated bed.