As I flipped through the pages of the local newspaper one lazy Sunday morning, an ad caught my eye: "Wanted: Brave Souls to Stay in a Haunted Mansion for a Week. Reward: Lifetime Supply of Coffee."
The offer seemed too good to be true, but the allure of free coffee was too tempting to ignore.
Feeling a blend of anticipation and nervousness, I proceeded to dial the phone number provided in the advertisement.
“Hello. Good morning. I'm calling in respect to the ad about the lifetime supply of coffee.”
“And you read the part about the haunted mansion?” The man at the other end asked.
“Ye..s. Yes I did.” I stuttered.
“And you are willing to embark on this adventure?”
“Most certainly.”
“Then meet me at no.12 Oakhill by 9am tomorrow and if you do not come, I would assume you are no longer interested.” The man ended the call before I could say any other thing.
I didn't expect to embark on a journey to a haunted house and that too in less than 24 hours. At this point, the realisation hit hard. Staying in a haunted mansion for one full week! The scenes from all the horror movies I had seen started playing in my head. People who stayed in haunted mansion never made it out alive as the ghosts inhabiting such places always seemed angry. Nonetheless, we are talking about a lifetime supply of coffee from the popular Perk ‘n Palette coffee brand!
With this conclusion I immediately got to packing. I carried a few clothes, some snacks and loads of coffee powder. The coffee was going to keep me awake through the nights or so I thought.
The next day, I made it to the designated location just a few minutes before 9am and there was the wealthy man, Mr. Dennis, smiling warmly. I walked up to him, introduced myself once again and he offered to give me a tour of the mansion.
Inside, I was shown the room I would be staying in, the kitchen and the living room. After the tour, Mr. Dennis turned and looked me in the eyes for the first time since our contact and said,
“Your adventure begins. I hope to see you same time next week” and walked out majestically.
The dreadful adventure was about to begin. I dropped my luggage in the room and went ahead to make myself a cup of coffee as I was going to need it.
I walked through the halls of the mansion, clenching my cup of coffee each step of the way. All I could see were old unsettling pictures, ancient artefacts and tattered drapes.
I barely slept on my first night as I felt like I was being watched. Days turned into nights, and I grew increasingly exhausted and on edge. Yet, with each passing day, I became more accustomed to the eerie presence that lingered in the mansion's halls.
On the sixth day, during one of my mansion expeditions, I came across a secret pathway. I quickly turned on the flashlight on my phone and followed the path. As expected, the path was filled with cobwebs and dust, but I still continued down the path.
At the end, I saw two opened chests. One contained a coffee machine and every other material one could use to prepare a cup of coffee. The other chest contained some clothes and a portrait of a man smiling at a lady.
Were the last inhabitants of the mansion a happy couple who loved to take coffee? I pondered. A voice from the shadows immediately snapped me out of my thoughts.
“I see you have discovered one of the treasures” the voice echoed.
I was too stunned to respond.
“No need to be afraid of me. I'm just a random ghost who died a miserable man.”
“Died a miserable man?” I managed to ask.
“Yes. The person I loved most–Amelia–was taken from me on the night we intended to elope. Meanwhile, I met my end through murder, condemned to wander the corridors of this mansion as a curse.”
“How tragic.”
“Very much so. The only thing that reminds me of Amelia is the sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee.”
“And I'm guessing this is the reason why you haven't haunted me?”
“Right. You catch up fast, young lady.”
I must have been dreaming because what were the odds of meeting a ghost who adored coffee as much as I did.
Johnny the ghost and I spent time together. He told me all about his life and how he and Amelia fell in love courtesy of coffee. I never thought I could say this but conversing with a ghost wasn't so bad after all.
On the final morning of my stay, as I sat alone in the dimly lit parlour, Johnny appeared. Strangely, his presence brought a sense of calm. He wished me luck in the world of the living and urged me to enjoy every bit of my lifetime supply of coffee.
By exactly 9am, Mr. Dennis pulled up in front of the mansion with his Audi A8. The look on his face confirmed the fact that he was indeed surprised to see me alive and well.
He walked up to me and stretched forth his hand,
“I'm glad you made it out alive Sophia. And congratulations on your lifetime supply of coffee.”
I grinned from ear to ear as this was a dream come true.
“Thank you so much Mr. Dennis.”
“Oh, please call me Brain.” He chuckled. "Come. Come. Share with me all the details of your adventure," he urged, gesturing towards his car.
A lifetime supply of coffee and a free ride from the CEO of one of the renowned coffee brands. Pure Bliss.
Love🤍