It was a dark and stormy night when Tom drove up to the old abandoned house on the hill. As lightning flashed across the sky, the house looked even more menacing, silhouetted against the night sky. Tom shivered as he looked up at the broken windows and peeling paint on the walls. He had always heard stories that the house was haunted ever since the horrific murders that had taken place there years ago. But Tom didn't believe in ghosts. He was here on a dare from his friends to enter the house and bring something back as proof.

Armed with only a flashlight, Tom approached the front porch. The rotten floorboards creaked under his weight as he crept towards the front door. The wind howled through the holes in the walls and the door swung slowly open on rusted hinges. Tom hesitated, then stepped inside.

The air smelled of rot and decay. Cobwebs covered every surface and dust coated the floor. Tom shined his flashlight around the entryway. To his left was an eerie room, the furniture overturned and stuffing coming out of large scrapes or what seemed to be claw marks in the chairs.

"Hello?" Tom called out nervously. "Anyone here?" Only silence answered.

Tom walked slowly through the hall and into the kitchen. Dishes were piled high in the sink and spiders skittered away from the light. He opened cabinets and drawers but found nothing useful to take back with him. Growing scared, Tom decided to head upstairs to look there.

The stairs creaked loudly with each step. At the top Tom found himself in a hallway lined with bedrooms. Thunder boomed outside, making Tom jump. He chuckled nervously to himself. Then he heard a creak come from the bedroom at the end of the hall.

Tom froze. "H-hello?" he stammered. "Is someone there?"

There was no reply, but Tom sensed a presence in the darkness of the bedroom. Grabbing his flashlight tightly, Tom crept towards the room. The creaking grew louder with each step. His breathing sped up, Tom paused outside the door. Then with all his courage he jumped inside!

The room was empty. Tom sighed with relief and laughed at himself for being so scared. As he turned to leave, lightning flashed brightly through the window. For a split second, Tom saw the silhouette of a man hanging from the ceiling. Then it was dark again.

Tom stood paralyzed in fear. Slowly he shined the flashlight towards the ceiling. The man was still there, his face grotesquely twisted. Tom screamed and sprinted out of the room. He could hear footsteps chasing him down the stairs. Terror gripped him as he fled through the front door to his car. He jumped inside, locked the doors, and sped off down the hill.

Tom never spoke of what happened that night. But to this day, he makes sure to avoid the house on the hill at all costs. Some mysteries are better left unsolved.

“I’ll go next” a voice chimed in. “ Did you ever wonder what happened at the lake deep in these woods? Well here’s the tale.”