In a quiet neighborhood, away from the city, stood an old house abandoned for decades. Most people ignored it, but the neighborhood children called it The House of the Red Mask. Every year, as Halloween approached, rumors about the house circulated, claiming that it was haunted. The bravest said that at midnight on October 31st, a masked figure appeared at one of the windows and silently watched the passersby.
The story fascinated Hugo and his friends, Léa, Julien, and Sophie. They were curious and not really scared by such legends. So that year, they decided they would go inside, just to check if the famous legend was true.
The night before Halloween, they gathered in front of the house. It seemed even more sinister under the gray light of dusk. The windows were blackened with dust, the shutters creaked softly, and the main door hung from its hinges like an invitation to enter.
— Are you sure we really want to do this? Sophie asked, slightly trembling.
— Of course! They’re just stories to scare kids. We’ll go in, look around, and leave, Hugo declared confidently.
They slowly moved toward the door. As they pushed it open, it let out a sinister creak that seemed to echo throughout the house. Inside, everything was shrouded in darkness, except for the few rays of moonlight filtering through the broken windows.
The four friends entered the dusty grand hall. A smell of mildew and old wood lingered in the air. Furniture covered in sheets was scattered about, giving the impression that the house had been abandoned in haste.
— Let’s explore the upstairs, said Julien, looking more excited than the others.
They climbed the creaking stairs, each step seeming to cry out under their weight. Once at the top, a long corridor stretched out before them, lined with closed doors. At the end of the corridor, there was a room with a slightly open door.
— Let’s check that out, suggested Hugo.
They cautiously advanced and gently pushed the door open. The room was large, with a canopied bed in the center, covered in dust. But what immediately caught their attention was a large mirror hanging on the wall opposite the bed. Next to the mirror, resting on a chair, was an old red mask that seemed to be staring at them.
— Do you see that? What is that mask? Léa murmured, uneasy.
Hugo stepped forward and picked up the mask. It was velvet, with gold trim and feathers worn by time. He turned it over in his hands, intrigued.
— Maybe this is the mask that gave the legend its name, he said, holding it up to his face.
But just as he pretended to put it back, something strange happened. The mirror in front of them clouded over, as if a shadow was stretching within. Then, slowly, a figure appeared. It was a human shape, but blurry, wearing a red mask identical to the one Hugo held in his hands. It did not move, but its eyes glowed with a cold light.
Sophie let out a scream of terror.
— We’re leaving! Right now!
They turned to flee the room, but the door slammed shut in front of them, as if an invisible force held them inside.
— What is this thing?! Julien shouted, desperately tugging at the handle.
The figure in the mirror began to slowly advance toward them, still within the glass, its movements slow and threatening. The closer it got, the colder the room became, almost icy. Each breath became visible, as if winter had descended upon them.
Hugo threw the mask to the ground, hoping to break the connection with the apparition. But that only made things worse. The figure finally emerged from the mirror, its feet floating a few inches off the ground. It slowly reached out toward them, as if to grab them.
— Quick, over here! cried Léa, pointing to a small side door they hadn’t noticed.
They opened it hurriedly and rushed inside. It was a spiral staircase descending into darkness. Without thinking, they ran down, the creature’s footsteps echoing ominously in the house.
At the bottom, they found themselves in a sort of cellar filled with old abandoned objects. The door behind them slammed shut, trapping them in darkness. But strangely, the footsteps stopped. Silence reigned once again.
— Is it… gone? Sophie asked timidly.
But just as they caught their breath, a faint reddish light appeared in a corner of the cellar. They turned to see, resting on an old table, the red mask, intact, as if it had never been thrown.
The cellar door suddenly burst open, revealing the masked figure, this time fully in the real world. It advanced toward them with terrifying slowness.
— Run! screamed Hugo.
They dashed out of the house, not looking back, their hearts pounding. When they finally reached the street, gasping for air, they realized that dawn had already arrived. The house behind them suddenly seemed silent and empty, as if nothing had happened.
But deep down, they knew. The red mask had seen them, and the legend was more real than they could have ever imagined.
Since that night, none of them dared to pass by the house again. And every Halloween, a red glow softly shone through the windows of the old building, like a silent reminder of the nightmare they had lived.