I was a warm summer’s day as the group of three girls walked up the wooded dirt road that led away from their neighborhood. They approached an old graveyard that had been all but forgotten for nearly a century. Many of the grave stones had long since given away to the ravages of time, crumbling or wearing away, lost in the tall grass. The few that were recognizable bore dates from times long before anyone still living was born.

The apparent leader of the group, or at least the bravest was a tawny skinned red-head with short hair and strong features named Jessica. Her toned muscles showed plainly her love of sports, and her outfit did nothing to disguise this. She wore a tattered denim vest over a simple grey cotton sports bra that proudly displayed the curve of her shapely, if not ample bosom. Her flat, toned belly was bare, and a pair of cutoff jean shorts hugged her firm, round ass. A pair of black hiking boots finished off her outfit.

Just behind her and to her right walked a pale, nervous looking girl named Allison. She had long brown hair pulled back into a somewhat messy ponytail and wearing thick, dark-rimmed glasses. Her frail features and demure posture left her best described as ‘mousy’. Even on such a warm day, she wore a light sweater and baggy, ankle-length blue dress completely concealing her slender frame.

To Allison’s left walked her twin sister Monica. Monica could be described as her sister’s opposite in many ways. Where Allison was meek, Monica was boisterous. Where Allison was nervous, Monica was care free. Where Allison was bookish and intelligent, Monica was…well, not. Monica, while sharing her sister’s features, had a very different appearance. Her hair was lighter, almost blonde, and swayed freely about her head, and she had long since discarded her glasses in favor of contacts. She wore a bright yellow T-shirt, an off the hip pair of white koolats, that hugged her slender legs.

The girls talked as the continued down the dusty old road. “There’s no such thing!” declared Jessica with a sound of authority.

“No, way Jessi” Monica disagreed “I totally heard the place was haunted!”

“Heard?” Jessica shot back, “Heard from who? If this place is so cursed, how is it anyone’s come back with the stories?”

Monica shot right back “Sarah’s grandmother told her! She said that when she was little, a girl went in there, and never came out!”

Jessica turned around, walking backward and looking at Monica skeptically, “And no one went to look for her? Or did the entire search party disappear too? Her grandma was probably just saying that to keep her out of a dangerous old house. Alli, would you talk some sense into your sister?”

Allison grimaced “There’s no such thing as ghosts or curses Monica, but Sarah’s grandmother may have a point…it IS an old dangerous house.”

“Oh, you’re not helping!” shouted Jessica as she turned back around, the forest closing is around them, and the graves in the field becoming harder to see. She continued “In any case, I’m going to prove to you both that there’s nothing to be scared of out here. It’s just a dusty old house in the middle of the woods!”

As the girls turned the final bend in the road, the old house came into view. It was really a colonial mansion. Four stories tall, it must have been a sight to see in its day, but its white paint had peeled, and most of its windows had been broken out, leaving it looking like a beaten decaying corpse. The three stopped, taking in the sight.

Allison squeaked, “A-are you sure about this Jessica?”

“Yeah,” Monica added “It’s not a good idea to mess with curses and stuff!”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “Oh please you two, stop being such a couple of chickens! It’s just a big old house! There might even be something good in there!”

As the group argued, the sky clouded over, and a few drops of rain began to fall. Looking up to the sky, Jessica said “Looks like the decision’s been made for us!” and turned toward the house’s front door, walking quickly. The rain began to grow heavy as the two sisters squealed and ran after her, attempting to shield themselves from the rain with their hands.