Shadows in the Mansion: A Haunting Return

Ethan Blackwood yanked Lucas toward the window, sunlight spilling across his body as he opened the blinds. Under the harsh rays, tendrils of barely visible black vapor began to rise from Lucas, evaporating like steam from a dying fire. After a few tense minutes, Lucas stirred, blinking his eyes open as if from a deep sleep. His gaze settled on Helen, and in a trembling voice, he whispered, "Mom?"

Helen's composure crumbled, her maternal instincts kicking in. She rushed toward her son. "Lucas, don't be afraid, honey. I'm here—Mom's here."

Before she could embrace him, Ethan Blackwood stepped in her path, his expression stern. "Give it a bit longer," he warned, his tone carrying an unspoken authority. From his pocket, he produced a handful of coins, most of them worn and dull. "These were blessed at the temple," he explained, handing them to her. "Have him spend them. They'll help carry the bad luck away."

Helen, a strong woman who had rarely found herself at a loss for words, could only mutter a soft, "Thank you," under the weight of Ethan's commanding presence. Even her usual defensiveness dissolved in the face of his calm yet intimidating demeanor. Watching from the side, Daniel—the camera operator—could barely contain his awe. He rushed over, extending his hand in excitement.

"Ethan, right? That was incredible. I'm Daniel. It's great to meet you."

Ethan, unused to such cordial exchanges, merely frowned at the outstretched hand and offered a mocking smile. "I just exorcised a spirit. My hands are still tainted. You sure you want to shake?"

Daniel retracted his hand immediately, a sheepish smile plastered on his face. "I—I got the whole thing on camera. This'll be great for the next episode," he stammered. "I should go get Helen's approval, though, for using the footage." With that, he hurried off, leaving Ethan smirking slightly at his retreating figure.

Turning his attention to me, Ethan's demeanor grew serious. "I've helped you out. Why did you record me?" he asked, his voice low.

Before I could respond, a nurse entered, helping Helen settle Lucas back onto the hospital bed. I wasn't eager to deal with her or the grim atmosphere in the room, so I gestured to Ethan. "Let's talk outside."

Once we were out of the hospital and into the open air, I offered Ethan a cigarette, lighting one for myself as well. Taking a long drag, I broke the silence. "I know you don't want to draw any attention, but don't worry—I'll blur your face."

"Blur my face?" Ethan scoffed. "Are you serious?"

"Come on, it's not that bad. If you don't want your face blurred, how about I slap an emoji on it?" I teased, grinning. "Look, we've got a show to produce. It's our job. We can't afford to slack off."

I knew I was pushing Ethan's buttons, but something in his eyes told me he was as invested in this project as I was, if not more. He might live a quiet life, surrounded by death and isolation, but this show gave him something different—a sense of accomplishment, a connection to the living. I'd seen how his eyes lit up when we encountered the paranormal, how he meticulously recorded each ghostly occurrence.

After a long pause, Ethan let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Put an emoji over my face. But make sure no one recognizes me."

I grinned, taking another puff of my cigarette. "That's the spirit. Besides, I know you've been thinking about the show more than me. You've watched enough paranormal shows to see where we're lacking. What's your take?"

Ethan took a moment to answer, his gaze distant. "We're falling behind. Our production quality is subpar, and we're too similar to everything else out there. We need something fresh, or we won't stand a chance."

I nodded, already knowing the truth in his words. "You're right. The thing is, the show's shoestring budget doesn't leave much room for improvement. But we need to be more authentic. No more forced drama. Let's film what we find—real experiences, raw footage. If we keep it light and relatable, maybe we'll gain more traction. It's an internet show, after all. We've got flexibility."

Ethan mulled over my words, then nodded. "Authenticity is key. We can work with that."

We stood in silence for a moment, smoking side by side. Suddenly, Ethan's voice cut through the quiet. "The ghosts in Blackwood Mansion are getting bolder. If we don't deal with them soon, we'll see more incidents like this. Lucas got lucky—he's young, full of energy. But if that thing attaches to someone weaker… it won't end well. And don't forget, it's already possessed Sophia once. Who's to say it won't go after her again?"

A chill crept up my spine at the mention of Sophia. "What are you suggesting?"

"We need to return to Blackwood Mansion and finish what we started," Ethan said, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

My heart sank at the thought. The last two times we'd visited the mansion, I'd barely escaped with my life. The malevolent spirits inside were far more dangerous than we'd anticipated. As much as I owed Liam Blackwood, the idea of confronting those entities again filled me with dread. I'd hoped to delay our return, maybe even train a bit more before attempting another exorcism. But Ethan was right—this was our responsibility.

Ethan's voice was sharp as he continued, "The ghost in Blackwood Mansion has possessed both Sophia and Lucas. It's only a matter of time before it latches onto someone else. And once the show airs, we're going to have people flocking there out of curiosity. What if someone gets hurt because of us?"

I hesitated, realizing the weight of his words. We were teetering on the edge of disaster. One wrong move, and we'd be responsible for whatever followed. I wasn't exactly a saint, but I couldn't live with that kind of guilt. Worse, I couldn't let Sophia get hurt again. I'd been reckless not adding a disclaimer to our first episode, and now we were paying for it.

Ethan gave me a look of quiet understanding. "You've got more at stake than just the show, my friend. Think about Sophia. Think about your future. You can't afford to ignore this."

He was right again. I couldn't ignore the threat, no matter how scared I was. And besides, if we could neutralize the spirits in Blackwood Mansion, it might count as a karmic win—a way to reduce the debt I owed to Liam Blackwood. Maybe, just maybe, it could offer some redemption for all the times I'd cut corners.

"All right," I said, taking a deep breath. "We deal with the mansion. But Ethan, you've got to be straight with me. Do you think we can handle this?"

Ethan's expression darkened. "The first time we encountered that spirit, it was clumsy—barely able to control Sophia. But now, it's getting stronger. It even managed to possess Lucas, and his energy should've been too strong for that. Something's changing in there. We need to act fast before it's too late."

I shuddered, thinking of the darkness we were about to face. "What's the plan? Exorcism? Sealing it off?"

Ethan's voice was calm but firm. "If we can exorcise the spirit, we will. If not, we'll trap it. And if all else fails, we'll destroy it."

There was an edge of finality to his words, a confidence I wished I shared. Ethan had always been straightforward when it came to the supernatural, treating it like another job to be done. For me, though, it was still new territory. I didn't have the years of experience or the instincts to fall back on.

As we finished our cigarettes and prepared to return to Lucas and Helen, I made one thing clear. "Ethan, I'm with you on this, but I'm no expert. You've got to keep me alive out there."

Ethan chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Just try not to get in the way. Stick close, and maybe you'll learn something."

His dry humor helped to lighten the mood, but the tension remained. We both knew what we were up against, and this was far more dangerous than anything we'd dealt with before.

Back inside the hospital, we checked on Lucas. He was weak, but recovering. I reassured Helen that he'd be fine, that rest would bring him back to full strength. Meanwhile, Daniel was still buzzing with excitement over the footage, already planning how to edit Ethan's face with a comical smiley emoji. The normalcy of the hospital felt like a brief reprieve from the haunting reality of Blackwood Mansion.

But as we left the hospital and drove back to the funeral home in Ethan's hearse, I could feel the weight of the coming days settling over us. We were heading back to the mansion for a third time, and this time, we'd either put the ghosts to rest—or they'd put us to rest.