After shooting the breeze with the guy at the entrance booth, the four teenagers passed through a broken archway and entered the courtyard in front of the Spook House. The ramshackle building loomed over them in an intimidating fashion, and seeing it, one of the group hung back, eyeing its boarded-up windows and broken shutters with distinct wariness.
"What's the matter, Scott?" Gary taunted. "Afraid the ghosts will get ya?"
"It's not that," the other replied, "The place looks a death trap!"
"It's meant to, dummy. Come on!"
Bobby was the first to reach the big oak door. Putting a hand on the discoloured brass knob, he twisted it and pushed. The door gave a slight creak but wouldn't budge - its hinges seemed to have rusted.
"Help me out here," he called to the others, who were lingering at the foot of the crumbling stone steps. With Carl on one side of him and Scott and Gary on the other, they all put their shoulders to the door. "On the count of three," Bobby ordered. "One, two.. three!"
With a loud groan, the door gave way, swinging inwards so suddenly that the group piled in after it, winding up in a heap on the floor.
When the lads got to their feet and dusted themselves down, Scott peered into the gloom of the house's interior. It was hard to make out much beyond the shaft of light coming in through the door, but he could see they were in a large hallway of sorts.
"D'you think that works?" Bobby asked, pointing to an antique chandelier overhead.
"I doubt it," Gary replied, "But we can give it a try..."
He immediately wished he hadn't. As he flicked the switch beside the doorway an unearthly howl emanated from the bowels of the house and two luminous green mummies lurched out of archways to their left and right, moaning grotesquely.
"Fuck!" Carl exclaimed, jumping backwards into Bobby.
"Ow!!"
They immediately determined to leave any further switches well alone!
By now their eyes had adjusted to the poor light and they could all make out the large staircase rising up from the hallway. At its foot stood two enormous wooden newel posts, carved to resemble rearing, braying donkeys. Two more could be seen further up, flanking the next flight of stairs, which headed up to the left.
Gary pushed Scott forward. "You go first," he told him.
"Why me?"
"You're nearest!"
Flipping him the bird while the others laughed, Scott started climbing the staircase...