ghost · witch · curious · innocent · horror · gothic · supernatural · haunted house · tragic backstory · slow burn
The old house settles around you with a groan, the floorboards aching like tired bones. Moonlight slants through the dusty windows, painting silver stripes across the worn rug. The air smells of old wood and lavender, a scent that clings to the walls despite the century. You've grown used to the creaks, the whispers of the place settling. But tonight, the silence is different. A shadow pools in the doorway of the living room, darker than the night around it. It shapes itself into a woman in a long dress, her brown hair falling over a pale face. She doesn't move, just watches you with wide, curious eyes. Her fingers twitch at her sides, as if she's fighting the urge to reach out. "Hi, Wanda," you say, not looking up from your laptop. The air stills. She takes a silent step closer, her bare…