"The Haunted Mansion"
by Scott Space Ace Oliverson
Author's Note: The first in a series of adventures featuring the ninja turtle characters from the "4Kids.TV" cartoon show combined with Disney-attraction like adventures. In the first episode, the Heroes in a Halfshell; Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello together with samauri allies Usagi and Ninjara and Leatherhead find themselves trapped inside an abandoned, rundown manor house that's rumored to be haunted!
Our story begins on a dark spring-summer night in Manhatten, New York City in 2005AD. Somewhere in the neighborhood area of the city stands a delapitated, rundown old manor house resembling a cross between a gothic medieval-like castle and plantation manor house which is surrounded by a stone wall and iron fence. Trees bend and sway gently in the wind like hula dancers of Hawaii while an unseen voice sets the stage for things to come.
Have you ever seen a haunted house? You know the kind I mean. That old dark house that's usually at the end of a dimly lit street. The owners haven't been seen for years, no one really knows why. The windows are broken and boarded and the shutters hang loose on their hinges. The trees are grown wild, their branches brush against the sides of the weathering old house, making strange noises in the night. There's a high vine covered fence and stone wall around the property. Is it there to keep somebody out or is it there to keep something inside? It's a house that people avoid walking past at night, strange sounds come from within its walls and it's said that errie lights can be seen both in the attic windows and in the cemetary to the side of the house, our story revolves around this mysterious mansion. Nights not long ago, several mutants were walking home from a movie. The night was cool as lightning broke through the sky. The wind began to blow as the lightning flashed while thunder boomed across the heavens to change this pleasant evening into a night to be remembered. The lightning struck again to illuminate the front of the old mansion, it began to rain. Leonardo, Ninjara, Donatello, Usagi, Raphael, Leatherhead and Michaelangelo ran toward the old house, through the old iron gate and onto the porch for protection. Protection? If only they had known...
The gang huddled together on the front porch watching as the rain began coming down in torrents with occasional lightning flashes and booming crashes of thunder. None of them wanted to run home in this downpour and risk catching the flu or worse.
NINJARA
Oh great, just what we need. Just look at that rain come down, we'll never get home on time.
RAPHAEL
Man, what a way to end a perfect night at the movies.
LEONARDO
Relax, we'll get home, not to worry. It's not quite midnight yet.
LEATHERHEAD
If you say so, Leo. Me, I don't want to continue home in that storm and catch a cold.
MICHAELANGELO
I agree with you, big brother.
DONATELLO
But this old porch isn't gonna keep us dry though.
He could see raindrops falling between cracks in the warped boards over their heads that framed the arched roofway entrance supported by massive pillars which flanked the front door. Even the boards on the porch squeaked and creaked with their weight. The "Mr Genius" turtle began fighting the stuck doorknocker & knob in his effort to force it open.
USAGI
What are you doing?
DONATELLO
Trying to get front door open, no one lives here. We can wait inside till the storm's over.
RAPHAEL
We'll do what? Are you out of your mind?
NINJARA
Not me, I'm not going inside that old house. I'd rather stay out here and get wet.
MICHAELANGELO
Me too, vixen, me too.
NINJARA
Thanks, Mikey.
MICHAELANGELO
You're welcome, samauri.
RAPHAEL
Oh, bother! <mimics Winnie the Pooh's famous line>
LEONARDO
Are you sure that's a good idea, Don? I've heard stories about this place as being haunted, that no one dares come here at night because of strange occurances happening within its walls.
LEATHERHEAD
Haunted?! <shocked> You mean, this house?
LEONARDO
Exactly, bodyguard.
LEATHERHEAD
Oh, my...<mimics Threepio in Star Wars>
DONATELLO
Hey, I know that, I'm not stupid. <glowers back> Besides, we'll just go inside a little while until the storm passes and then continue home with no problem.
USAGI
Okay, I suppose it won't hurt to seek shelter from this rain.
NINJARA
I don't know, <worried & nervous> I got a bad feeling about this.
At last Donnie succeeds in opening the front door wide enough to peer into its gloomy interior, then starts across the thresh-hold before turning back to the others.
DONATELLO
Come on, nothing to be afraid of. I'll light a match.
RAPHAEL
Huh?
USAGI
I hope you're not planning on burning anything down.
DONATELLO
Of course not, samauri. To help light our way so to speak.
LEONARDO
I'll do it, bro.
DONATELLO
Here ya go, leader. <hands over book of matches>
LEONARDO
Thanks.
Then, the leader strikes a match and holding it above his head enters the interior of the mansion as the others follow close behind, huddled together in fear. Once inside the mutants discovered they were standing in a large foyer or front entrance with two wooden doors at the far end, both closed. A large chandelier hangs overhead, its flickering candles cast an ominous glow through the darkness. Picture windows give views of the outside grounds although some pieces of glass were missing from their panes and patched up with wood and/or cardboard, the curtains hung like limp flags in a still breeze. In front of the gang stood a victorian fireplace but no flames could be seen from the grate, only burned out coals and logs instead. For a moment the friends stared in awe at their surroundings.
DONATELLO
Well I'll be, this house is still full of furniture.
MICHAELANGELO
What furniture? I don't see any furniture pieces anywhere in this chamber.
LEATHERHEAD
Just that fireplace and chandelier are the only things in this room.
NINJARA
There's a candelabra, <points out candleholder> light some candles.
LEONARDO
Okay, this match is about to burn out anyway.
But as he attached the near-spluttering match to the candleholder and as the candles flared into life a strange ghost voice echoed out of nowhere, startling the gang.
GHOST HOST
Good evening...
MICHAELANGELO
Whoa, who said that? <he looks around>
RAPHAEL
Who spoke?!
DONATELLO
I think it came from that statue bust.
Nearby was a marble bust of a handsome gentleman on a pedestal facing the mutants but it seemed to be frowning, almost glowering menacingly at the turtles, vixen, rabbit and alligator who stared back with shocked expressions on their faces as they could not believe it spoke to them.
LEATHERHEAD
Yegads, a talking statue bust?! No way, man.
NINJARA
Guys, let's get out of here.
But as they ran back towards the open front door it began to slowly swing shut by itself and before they could stop it - the door closed! Now the gang are trapped inside this house with no way out.
DONATELLO <panics>
The door closed! <he tries opening it again but it will not budge> I can't get it open.
MICHAELANGELO
We're doomed. <mimics Threepio>
USAGI
Good grief! <mimics Charlie Brown>
Meanwhile the unseen voice continues speaking, even though no one present is revealed to be the unknown speaker.
GHOST HOST
When hinges creak in doorless chambers and strange and frightening sounds echo through the walls...Whenever candlelights flicker, where the air is deathlessly still...that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight...Welcome foolish mortals to the haunted mansion...I am your host, your ghost host...Kindly step this way, there's no turning back now...You will not be harmed but you will not be released until you take a tour of my home...We have so few visitors, live ones that is...hmhmmhmmmahahahahahaah...Our tour begins here in this ghostly art gallery...
At that moment one of the two doors facing the gang swung open as if by unseen hands to reveal another room within. Leo, Don, Raph, Mike, Usagi, Ninjara and Leatherhead too frightened to find another way out obeyed their host's voice and entered the candle-lit gallery.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Chapter 2
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