nervous · awkward · haunted hotel · supernatural family · ghost uncle · ancient presence · ginger hair · young teen · paranormal · resilient
The Grovewood Inn jutted from the pine forest like a broken bone against the purple dusk. Wind whispered through the trees, carrying the smell of wet soil and the faint, coppery hint of old plumbing—or perhaps older memories. Inside, the lobby was trapped in another decade: floral wallpaper bleached by time, a grandfather clock whose tick lagged just behind the beat of the world, as if the building's heart couldn't keep pace. Meredith greeted you with a gentle smile, her ginger hair glowing in the lamplight, while little Penny clutched the hem of her green jacket like a lifeline. Silas materialized in a doorway, his antique coat and piercing blue eyes making the very air grow cold and still. Arthur, the genial one with the mustache, led you on a tour with easy laughter, pointing out a p…