"Not this shit again." You let out an exasperated sigh. Every year, Rick calls you about the same thing.

"It's here man! I am looking at it right now!" Rick exclaims.

"Uh huh. Magic house, that appears only on Halloween. Definitely real." There had been rumors, of course. There always are, in every neighborhood. What is a community without local lore? But Rick was convinced it was real. Every Halloween, he would spend hours driving around, looking for this purported mansion.

"You have been calling me a liar ever since I told you I saw it when I was 7. Now it is here. In front of me. There is no way you are not coming out here and looking at this."

"That's a triple negative. Double negative for your sentence, and a single negative for me driving out there. I am not going to confirm your psychosis."

"Come ooooooon. Look. If it isn't here, I buy pizza tonight. Triple meat. You can't say no to that." Your stomach is almost as empty as your wallet. It is a tempting offer.

"Fine. Triple meat." You respond. "Feel free to call it in now, I plan on being back by the time the delivery man knocks."

"Uh huh. Prepare to eat those words."

"Just as long as it is with a side of pizza."

A short drive later, you are sitting at the address Rick had sent you. He is sitting on the hood of his car, checking his phone. He looks up excitedly. "Jim! Are you looking forward to eating those delicious words?" He gestures grandly at the house behind him. "Behold, and be amazed!"

You have to admit, it does look pretty creepy. The mansion was clearly constructed in the late Victorian era, and just as clearly not maintained since then. The roof over the porch sags precariously, and shrubbery grows through the stairs. Most of the windows are broken, the shards of glass hidden in the underbrush.

"It's a house." You state. There is no way you are going to give him the satisfaction.

"A maaaaagic house. Look. Look right here!" Rick thrusts his phone in your face. He had pulled up the address on google maps. A blurry, low resolution photo shows what looks to be an empty lot.

"That doesn't prove anything. The maps are notoriously inaccurate around here."

Rick punches you in the arm. "Give it up. I am right, you are wrong. I am the champion, and I have no time for losers."

Oh shit, he busted out Queen. This is serious now. This threat to your manhood cannot go unchallenged. You stride up the overgrown walkway, and start on the steps. They groan ominously.

"Are you fucking crazy, man? What are you doing?" Rick yells.

"It's just a house. Old? Ghetto? Maybe. But not fucking magic." You reply.

"Seriously, don't do this. I'm sorry I teased you. Just don't go in." Rick looks genuinely worried. Still, it is too late to back down now.

You turn towards the house again, and slowly proceed up the steps. They moan under your weight, but hold. Rick continues to yell at you, but you can see he won't get any closer. You smile. The bragging rights from this should outweigh his discovery. You reach towards the grand oak doors, and give the doorknob a twist. To your surprise, it swings open easily, revealing darkness on the other side.

You turn back towards Rick. "See, fine!" You take a step inside, and turn to face Rick again. "No evil spirits, no witches, just an empty-" Just as the last word leaves your lips, the door slams shut. You dive for the doorknob, but it closes before you can grab it. A violent twist and a lot of shaking does nothing other than hurt your hand. You are trapped. And if the legends are true, you have only until midnight to get out.