Zsombor Górán
I looked at the manor before me with awe in my eyes as I slowly drove through the elegantly decorated gates into the courtyard. The courtyard was adorned with thousands of flowers and magnificent shrubbery in the shape of various animals. The blazing sun perfectly illuminated the black brick building making it seem as if it were from a movie. But I wasn’t here to linger around. I had a flight to catch later that day. I parked my car right next to the giant spruce door whose intricate patterns of gold and silver reminded me of flowers . As I got out of my car I saw the true size of this estate . The fence that I came through went on as far as the eye can see and even beyond that. I knew I was meeting a rich buyer, but nobody told me the extent of his wealth. I went up the small staircase to the front door and was looking for a doorbell when the doors slowly opened and a butler greeted me. He was an old man, roughly sixty years old, wearing a tuxedo with wrinkly hands and a strange hairstyle, a result of his not having much hair yet still insisting on styling it like he was in his early twenties. He coldly greeted me and asked me to follow him. The lobby was a work of art . In the centre there was a grand staircase leading up to what I can only imagine was some sort of living room. There were also two hallways just next to the staircase on either side.The walls, unlike the outside, were covered by a layer of old and faded wood, which absorbed most of the light coming from the outside, thus making the lobby surprisingly dark. The walls were covered with several paintings of wildly different looking people in suits without any obvious connection between them. There were at least fifty pictures placed there, from what I can tell. From the ceiling hung an enormous old-fashioned chandelier that looked older than the ones found in museums. The butler urged me to follow him through a hallway on the left side of the building. The hallway was dimly lit with several windows cowered with thick cotton curtains. We walked past several identical-looking doors, the only visible difference being a small number made of most probably silver. After walking for what felt like an eternity we finally stopped and entered a small room. The room itself had no windows nor any other entrances. In the middle sat a small fireplace with a small fire that was struggling to light up the room. On either side were old bookshelves which were about a hundred years overdue on replacement. There was a blood red carpet with a table and a few armchairs on it right in front of the fireplace. The host was waiting impatiently at the table . He looked like a tall yet slightly chubby middle aged with a thick and nicely cut beard and mustache. I couldn’t tell much else about his facial expressions due to the low light. As soon as he saw me he greeted me warmly and asked me to join him for a coffee. I confidently walked up to him, shook his hand, then sat down across the table. Soon afterward, the butler came, carrying a plate with two tiny cups with golden trims on a plate. He put the coffee on the table next to me and swiftly left . The host started making small talk and was insistent on telling a few stories about the latest new redecorating of the mansion. I was not there to waste time, so I took out the small metal box that I had been carrying around for the better part of the day. It was a heavy and dusty box that resembled a simple chest . It had a tiny keyhole on the front and several engraved patterns on the outside. The only thing it was lacking was the key itself. He pulled out a briefcase from under the table and placed it on the table, which shook as the heavy suitcase hit it. Without any words being said I handed over the box and picked up the suitcase.After a few seconds of silence I stood up and walked out the door, leaving my coffee untouched. I wandered through the hallways on my own. I must have taken a wrong turn while leaving because I ended up in a very unfamiliar part of the mansion. The walls had even fewer decorations than before, nor any windows. I walked around and around in circles . After a while I heard a door opening not far from me . A short and slim person came out dressed in a black cloak. He hurriedly walked down the hallway in the direction I think I had come from. I didn’t have time to ask for help but from the way he was walking I could already tell that I should leave him alone. The door he had just emerged from wasn’t closed properly. Curiosity got the better of me . I walked up to the door, looking around in case someone was around. I saw nobody, so I ever so slightly opened the door so there would be a small gap which I could see through. The room was illuminated by a few candles scattered around the room . I could barely make out anything inside but saw a glimpse of a figure moving inside. The room had this weird pungent smell of sage mixed with something I couldn’t put my finger on. There was also a faint noise coming from inside . It was like someone was whispering. Against my better judgement I opened the door a little more. I saw at least eight people kneeling in a circle around a small podium. They were wearing identical black robes with the hood placed over their head. There was a small item on the podium. On closer inspection it looked like the box I had just sold to the host of the mansion. Then someone stepped into the candlelight from the shadows. He was holding a tiny red pillow with a sort of small chain on top of it. He stopped a few inches from the podium and placed the pillow down on it. Then he took the chain into his hands . There was a small key attached to the end of the chain. He slowly and gracefully opened the box. Shortly after that the people kneeling in a circle started to whisper in sync . The whispering grew louder each second until it became close to shouting. I couldn’t make out a single word they said during it. It was like they were repeating a few phrases. Their voice was somewhat melodic yet unexpectedly unpleasant to listen to. At the same time it was mesmerizing, and I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, a chill went down my spine. In the meantime I heard another noise coming from the hallway. As I looked around I saw a familiar face. The butler was standing a few meters from me, staring at me emotionlessly. He didn’t say anything about the room, just said to follow him. Having been lost here for the better part of fifteen minutes I didn’t hesitate to take his help. I was uncertain what I witnessed but it would have been rude to ask. We were walking in hallways I didn’t recognise at all. It also looked like each turn we took led to an even dustier hallway.
After a short time I felt something was wrong. I started smelling the characteristic scent of sage as we got closer to our destination. The butler kept on walking like nothing was out of the ordinary. It also felt like someone was looking at us, but I didn’t see anyone else. After a while we found an especially dark hallway with several of the lamps placed on the wall not working. When we were walking towards it I heard a faint noise coming from the darkness. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw the reflection of a pair of eyes inside the darkness.This is the point where I started to panic. I swiftly turned around and started running in the opposite direction. The butler, realising I wasn’t following him, started to chase me. I hid in one of the many rooms as he went straight past me. I didn’t want to find out what he would do if he caught me or what would have happened if I had followed him into that dark hallway. Luckily as I got out of my hiding spot I recognised the hallway. The exit wasn’t far at all. I retraced the steps I had first taken to get to this location from the frontal entrance. And I made my way to the frontal entrance. The butler was nowhere in sight and the doors were wide open. I didn’t stop running until I got in my car. I broke the speed limit a few times just to get away faster from that place. I am not sure what I had just witnessed but at least I am glad I made it out unscathed with the briefcase. I wish never to come back there ever again.