House of Desire by GreenMoonKing and Hanomai

[GreenMoonKing]

Before them all was a long wooden table. The table was covered in numerous papers, newspaper articles, and photographs. Years worth of research laid out in front of them. All of it was centered on one house. Hellbrook Manor, or as they called it "The House of Desire".

For centuries it stood as the center of the town, and was well traveled by royalty, presidents, and the like. But, one day a man named Henry Hellbrook took over the mansion, and turned it into a house of sin. Prostitutes, slaves, and demon worshipers gathered there for strange seances, and rituals.

Soon, the mansion claimed the lives of its inhabitants, and was shut down for its extreme activities. Now, over a hundred years later, a group of men and women from Pinesgrove College have gathered to go into that mansion, and see once and for all if it is truly, haunted.

Adam Chamberlain stood up form his chair and approached the desk. He placed his hands on either side of a large pile of papers and looked the man in front of him, straight in the eyes.

"What are we doing here? You do know we have classes?" Adam questioned him.

Dr. Eric Peterson looked up at the youth and merely smiled.

"I've brought you all here to give you a proposition. One that I think all of you will like. If I may?" Eric replied, gesturing for Adam to sit down.

Adam reluctantly sat back down in his chair and looked over at the girl next to him. She seemed to be looking down at her toes.

"As you all know I am the leading investigator of the paranormal, and a professor here at the college." Dr. Peterson explained.

A bearded man in a button down t-shirt stood up.

"So? What the hell do we care?" the bearded man challenged Dr. Peterson.

"Hmm, well, there is $10,000 in it for each of you. If, you care to listen that is." Dr. Peterson proposed, smirking at the tough guy across from him.

"$10,000 you say? All right old man, speak!" The bearded man barked, sitting back down.

Dr. Peterson grabbed a vanilla folder filled with photographs and papers on each of the people in front of him.

"Each of you was selected from the entire student body to enter a contest like no other. A contest of skill, strength, and intelligence. Each of you have the skills necessary to win the prize, but, only if you work together. If you don't, well, you could lose more than just the prize." As the Dr. explained his eyes narrowed, and a dark smirk began to curve its way across his face.

 

[Hanomai]

Folding her arms across her chest and glancing up at the professor, Layla Rayark frowned a bit at the last half of his proposition. "You say that as if it's possible that we might get seriously hurt doing this. What kind of risks are involved in this?"

A sudden weight on her shoulders made the stern young woman grunt in frustration as another girl simply smiled at the offer that Dr. Peterson had made to their little group.

"Aw, what's a little harm to it? If we succeed we each get ten grand!" Chirped Mariah Rosenberg, resting her elbows on Layla's shoulders, making herself comfortable standing behind the other girl.

 

[GreenMoonKing]

Dr. Peterson smiled at Layla. Stepping over to her and Mariah.

"All in due time my dear, all in due time." Dr. Peterson replied, looking up at her beyond his glasses.

"Exactly my dear Mariah, exactly! Ten grand for anyone able to spend the weekend over at the old mansion. If you manage to return that is. Which reminds me, you'll need to sign this waiver form in order to formally take on the contest." Dr. Peterson continued, explaining as he paced the room.

Dr. Peterson began to hand out stapled piles of paper with mountains of text strewn all over the pages.

Jack Horner took the stapled pages and looked it over, and then glanced back up at the Doctor.

"You do know the place is haunted right? I've heard tales from my parents for years about the place." James explained.

"Yes, and they are right, the place is indeed haunted. At least, that's what I and my colleagues believe. But without proof, we have nothing to stand on. So, it will be your mission to document everything you hear, see, touch, taste, or smell. With your help, we will finally prove the existence of life after death." Dr. Peterson concluded, finishing passing around the forms to everyone in the room.

The room fell silent. Some were stunned to hear this, other thought it was a bunch of bull.

One of the students stood up and handed Dr. Peterson his form. It was signed and completed.

"Very good Mr. Bowman. I want to congratulate you on your completion of the form, and on being the first to officially enter the contest. Here is my card, it has my phone number and e-mail on the front. We will be contact as to travel arrangements. But, one thing I will say is to bring plenty of clean underwear." Dr. Peterson congratulated him, and instructed the others on what to do.

Mark Bowman smiled and then looked at the rest of them.

"What's up losers? Can't fill it out?" he said, slightly chuckling to himself.

 

[ChrisGabriel]

[GMK asked me to join in here]

Samantha Holmes was as usual silent, reading and re-reading the contract before she sighed and signed it. Being a little bit nerdy wallflower girl she was looking for a way to jump out of the nameless crowd, and wanted to do it without changing her style too much. Becoming a Paranormal Investigator Assistant soundeed good, but...

"Sorry, Professor, but... this is all about a contest? Sound like an escalated dare from my high-school days... Spend a weekend at a haunted mansion, and tell all about it... Would we at least get some equipment? I mean, as a future P.I.A., we should at least have the right recording equipment, maybe some sensors?" her voice and deamenor was close to being saying 'sorry that I live and are here to bother you', but asking the questions was showing that she had a stronger core and a hidden willpower to overcome her limitations.

 

[GreenMoonKing]

The professor smiled and turned to face Samantha.

"Ah yes, Samantha, how could I have forgotten. Yes, each of you will be given the necessary equipment to investigate the house thoroughly. Each of you will be given a video camera, a ghost box, two dowsing rods, and one of you will be given a "Spectre". For those of you not familar with a a Spectre. It means Spectral phenomenon color transmission relay, or Spectre. It will allow you to see various colors of the light spectrum, which according to my research, will allow you to see the ghosts." The professor explained, digging out the equipment from a box in the back of the room and holding them out, one at a time.

"You expect us to use those things? Without any training?" Jack pointed out.

"No, you will each be given a week to study up on the equipment before you set out for the mansion. I would never, ever, leave you without knowing everything you need to complete the mission." The professor explained, and as he ended the sentence he turned away from them to look out the window.

Mark scoffed, and crossed his arms.

"Yeah right, like you'll get me to use those nerdy little toys. I'm out of here!" Mark scoffed.

 

[ChrisGabriel]

"Boys!" Samantha sighed, then carefully took the camera, ghost box, a dowsing rod, and was almost taking the Spectre too, but first she looked for any manuals for the others, waiting if one of the other girls would want to take it. Her palm tickled, she wanted to have it, at least to learn its use in the following week...

"Are there any information on the mansion? Or at least its history?"

 

[GreenMoonKing]

The professor sat back down in his office chair and put his feet up on the desk.

"Yes, Samantha there is a great deal of information on the mansion. It's right here in this packet." The professor said, tossing a packet filled with hundreds of articles, papers, and newspaper clippings specifically about Hellbrook Manor.

"I think the Spectre fits you Samantha, I can easily see that you are the best to handle it amongst the group. So, take it, if you truly want it." The professor offered, pushing the Spectre towards Samantha.

Jack Horner stood up and started waving his hands around.

"How do you know you can handle equipment like that? Jack challenged her.

 

[ChrisGabriel]

"Thank you, Professor." she grabbed the packet, but was not putting away the Spectre, but waving the users manual towards Jack "I already used the other stuff, but you are right, I know I can't use the Spectre... not now, but I have the manual and a week to get proficient in it!" she was speaking slow, and maybe a little bit louder, like he needed it like some child.

Samantha would also loose herself in the pictures and pages about the Manor, up until the others started to leave.

 

[GreenMoonKing]

"Thank you, Professor." she grabbed the packet, but was not putting away the Spectre, but waving the users manual towards Jack "I already used the other stuff, but you are right, I know I can't use the Spectre... not now, but I have the manual and a week to get proficient in it!" she was speaking slow, and maybe a little bit louder, like he needed it like some child.

Samantha would also loose herself in the pictures and pages about the Manor, up until the others started to leave.

"You're welcome Samantha, now I suggest each of you get a good look at the packet. You might learn a bit about the place and what you're up against. But, I will tell you this. Everything written and presented in that packet is real. So, make sure this is something you want to do." The professor warned, eyeing each person as he said so.

Jack quipped at her sly remark and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, whatever!" He said, rolling his eyes.

Mark stood up and grabbed the dowsing rods, the camera, and the ghost box. Then he turned to the others.

"I know I'm in, no stupid mansion is gonna separate me from that $10,000." Mark boasted.

The bearded man grabbed the equipment and added.

"Same here man, I could use that money."

Adam was one of the only ones who did not like the sound of what he was hearing. He reluctantly grabbed the equipment and then added.

"You know, it would be just our luck that he is telling the truth. I don't know if half of you will last the first night. Much less the first minute."

Then he stepped out the room.

"How do the rest of you feel about it?" The professor asked, eyeing the girls.

 

[ChrisGabriel]

Samantha sighed and shook her head at the boys antics, knowing that even if the mansion was nothing special, she still would be interested in its history.

"Uh... about what?" she asked, for only the professor's question and the big silence reached her mind. "The money? It sure would be nice, but I am doing this because I am interested in the whole thing..."

 

[GreenMoonKing]

Adam quietly slipped out, hearing Samantha as he left. Followed by Mark and the Bearded man.

The professor smiled before shifting in his chair.

"Very well then, Samantha. You're excused to go to your room. I look forward to your work at the mansion." The professor excused her, pointing his open hand to the door.

 

[ChrisGabriel]

"Uh, yes, thank you... Good Bye, Professor..." Samantha gathered up everything she could put her hands on, and with her hands full, eased out of the room, trying to balance her treasure to her room, - and spend hours with it, until she had read everything, and re-red it, to make sure she knew what she could about the place and the equipment.