The ancient, dusty floorboards of the old mansion groaned underfoot as the four-members of the Spring Valley Mystery Society quietly crept through the deserted house. Outside, the rain still poured down in sheets, lashing against the dirty window panes. The shutters clattered, blowing in the wind. A bolt of lightning briefly flashed across the sky, lighting up the long, narrow hallways. Just as quickly, it vanished, leaving only the thin, quivering beam of the girls’ flashlight. A second later, a clap of thunder rolled through the mansion, shaking the house.
“Ah! What was that?” Hilary said, jumping. The 18-year old blonde girl glanced around nervously. “Why don’t we just go home?”
“It’s just a little thunder, Hil.” The second girl, a tall brunette named Bethany replied. She stood at the front of the group, holding their single flashlight. “Don’t be such a scaredy-cat! We’re this close to discovering what’s behind all these ghost sightings here lately.”
“Besides,” The third, and oldest member of the Mystery Society, Amy, added. “The van is out of gas anyway, and none of us can seem to get a signal.” She shrugged sheepishly. “My bad.” At 20, the Asian girl was the only one of the four with her own car. She glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Victoria, hurry up! You don’t want to get lost! This place is spooky enough with you three and the flashlight, I’d hate to be all alone here in the dark.”
“Coming.” Victoria said, jogging after the other three. She shook her head. It was probably just her imagination, but she could have sworn that painting had been watching them…
At the end of the hallway, the four came to a large, wooden door, which proved to be stuck shut. Beth was tugging on the door, but it wouldn’t open. “Don’t tell me it’s locked!” Hilary complained.
“I don’t think so…” Beth grunted. “It’s just stuck!” Victoria and Amy grabbed the large handle along with their friend. With their combined efforts, they managed to get the door open. It creaked, swinging along rusty hinges.
“Looks like a library!” Beth said, waving her flashlight around. “Could be a good place to find some clues…” She grinned. “Let’s look around a bit…”
The four of them shuffled through the portal, into the large room. Tall shelves, brimming with old, leather bound books loomed over them in the gloom. The sounds of the storm outside were muffled by the walls, leaving an oppressive silence. The girls whispered to each other in hushed tones as they crept through the darkness, huddled close together.
“What the…” Victoria muttered to herself, glancing over. She turned and walked over to one of the shelves. Something looked out. It was hard to make out in the darkness, but the dust on the floor around the shelf wasn’t like the dust coating everything else in the library. It had been disturbed. Looking up at the shelves, some of the books seemed odd as well…
Victoria turned to call to her friends, who had moved on to another row, to tell them to bring the flashlight over, so she could examine the shelves in the light. With her back turned, she didn’t notice as she shelf slid aside, on well-oiled rails, to reveal a dark opening. She didn’t notice until a hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed her. A gloved hand clamped tight over Victoria’s mouth, silencing the girl’s startled cry. The other arm wrapped around her chest, dragging her into the opening. As the struggling girl disappeared through the black portal, the shelf slid back, leaving no evidence of her sudden abduction…

“Well, this looks interesting, girls…” Beth said, trying to hold the flashlight and read the large book in her hands at the same time. “According to this, the man who built this house, back in 1873…”
“Hey! Where’s Victoria?” Amy said, glancing around. “I could have sworn she was right behind us. Now she’s gone.”
“You’re right.” Beth said. She waved the flashlight around, looking in vain for her missing friend. “Victoria! Where are you?” The three spread out and searched through the library. A minute later, the met up again, unsuccessful.
“There’s no sign of her. It’s like she just vanished!” Beth said, shaking her head is dismay. “Where could she have gotten to?”
“Maybe the ghosts got her!” Hillary said, nervously.
“There’s no such thing as ghosts, Hil.” Amy chided her friend. “I’m sure she just wandered off somewhere.”
“Well, we’d better find her.” Beth said, shrugging. “Come on. Victoria!” She called out. The other two called out as well as they started towards the door.
In the cramped, secret space behind the bookshelf, Victoria cried out, as loudly as she could, trying to get her friends attention. The band of cloth bound between her teeth did its job, muffling her terrified cries to barely more than a frightened whimper. The thick wood walls around her did the rest. Her calls for help didn’t escape her cramped prison.
Victoria grunted as her captor pulled the last loop of rope tight. Coils of rope circled Victoria’s chest, lashing her to a heavy wooden chair. Her hands had been bound behind the back of the chair, her feet to the chair legs. The phantom grinned as he tied the last knot tight. Outside, the calling faded as the three girls got further and further away.
“Don’t worry, my dear.” He teased, patting his squirming captive on the head. “Soon, your three friends will be joining you, and then no one will stop me!” With a spectral laugh, the phantom pulled the secret switch, sliding the bookshelf aside. Pulling his black cape up, he slunk through the opening, into the dark library. Victoria moaned through her gag, helplessly, as the shelf slid back into place, closing her in…