"Dead Man's Barn."


"If you think so," Lucy says as Mason nods encouragingly.


Ant nods nervously.


"Good choice," Mason says.


You nod. The group begins to stand, and starts walking towards Dead Man's Barn.


"I'll... I'll stay here!" Kyle slurs, collapsing into the back of the pick-up truck.


Lucy shrugs, and continues leading the group out of the forest. The group drops the various empty cans among the shrubs as you emerge in yet a bland, empty field with an old, clearly abandoned and boarded up barn in the center. It's a particularly large barn, but other than that it's just an old, boring barn.. The sun's fallen, so Lucy brings out her phone and turns on the flashlight. She leads you to the barn, and Mason grabs the edge of a piece of plywood and pulls it back.


"This is stupid guys," Ant says.


"What, scared of a ghost?" Mason chuckles.


"No! I'm just scared of tripping and getting tetanus from a rusty nail!"


"Pussy," Mason says, rolling his eyes.


Mason pulls the plywood back further, creating a large enough gap for you to step through. 


"Thank you," you say as you step through.


"Of course, Ma'am," Mason smiles. 


As you step through, you enter complete darkness penetrated by a single beam of pale moonlight coming from the gap. Ant steps in afterwards, looking around nervously.


"OK, we've went inside, dare's over," Ant says.


Mason sighs, pushing the plywood back in place. You hear his muffled voice a few seconds later.


"Go upstairs and open the boards at the window. Then we'll let you out, Ant," Lucy says.


"You're a bitch!" Ant says, thumping on the plywood, before turning to you.


"Let's explore," he says nervously.


You pull out your phone, turning on the flashlight. The inside of the barn is immediately illuminated. Several horse stalls made of rotten wood takes up most  of the barn, with the floor covered in dried, rotten hay. 


"It smells like shit in here," Ant complains.


"Hush," you reply.


You spot a partially rotted out stairs leading to the upper floor. You walk over to it. You put your foot on the first stair and put some weight on it to make sure it'll hold. You slowly make your way up the stairwell, reaching the upper-floor. There's a dead silence inside, even the wind dying as complete silence consumes you. You scan the room with your flashlight. You wince as you notice a blood-stained noose hanging from the ceiling.


"Jesus. Is that what I think it is?"


"No, Hazel, it's a fucking... I can't even think of a mocking example. Of course it's a...!"


There's a creaking of the floorboards behind you, and you quickly turn to find... nothing.


"Hazel, please. If you're trying to freak me out, just... don't."


"I'm not doing..."


You feel something knock into your back and you fall forward with a yelp. Your phone flies from your hands. It falls forward down the stairs, thudding before it lands on it's back, obscuring the flashlight and plunging you into total darkness.


"What the fuck, Ant?"


"I swear to god, that wasn't me!" Ant says. "Let's get out of here, fuck the window."


You hear haggard, wet breathing in at the stairwell, and you freeze.


"What...?"


"Shut up!" you hiss.


The breathing continues, before turning to a wet, squelching chuckle. Ant whimpers, as you begin to back away from the stairwell.


"It ain't your night tonight, kids," a deep voice says, each word interspersed with the wet squelching you've heard before. "What the fuck makes two dumbass, chicken shit kids come into a place you don't belong?"


"What the fuck...?" Ant says, half whimpering and half shrieking.


"Sssh... save your breath. I ain't even given you a reason to start hollering... yet."

You attempt to converse with the figure

"Please... I don't want to die."


"I didn't either, kid. It ain't so bad. Tell your grandparents I said "Fuck you.", ok?"


"Please!" you say, breaking into a sob.


"HEY! Mason shouts from outside. "Are you OK in there?"


You feel cold metal touch your throat.


"Tell him you're fine, darlin'."

You tell Mason you're fine

"I'm fine! There was a rat!" you shout.


"OK!" Mason replies.


Ant continues whimpering, as a gloved hand runs through your hair.


"Good girl... I don't recognize you in the dark. Let's see who you are... don't scream, by the way."


Your hear the flick of a lighter before a flame splutters to life in front of you, illuminating all three of you. Then, you get the first sight of the Dead Man. His skin is grey and dead, his eyes cold, lifeless and pure black. His mouth has been carved open, the cuts carving upwards into a smile. Blood stains his rotting skin and his shirt. He wears a classic cowboy hat and leather duster, and his neck is covered in the deep bruises caused by a noose. Ant tries to scream, but can't find the air to do so. You freeze, immobilized in terror, as the Dead Man grin.


"Well look who we have here. A Ceder and a wanderer."


You stare at him as he caresses the side of Ant's face."


"What's your name, boy?"


"Anthony Ceder."


"I remember you. I remember your people. I remember seeing your great-great-grand mama. A little Jewish girl who ran the store and didn't have shit. You're one of the few families that didn't string me up in this town. I ain't got no feud with you."


He turns to you, and presses the knife to your lips.


"Darlin', you should smile more. It'd make you a hell of a lot prettier."


He traces the path of a smile along your face with the cold blade.


"Don't hurt me."


"Ah, I'd never hurt a woman 'less I had a reason. I don't recognize you. You're a wanderer, ain't ya? You ain't from Dawnwoods originally,"


"I'm from New York."


"Hell, might cut you up for that if I weren't as nice a guy as I am."


"Are you sure you're OK?" Becca shouts, and the Dead Man presses the knife to your throat.


"What's her name?" he hisses.


"Becca," you whimper.


"I fuckin' know that voice! I fuckin' know that voice! I fuckin'... Becca Montgomery. The great-great however fuckin' many greats grand daughter of Horton J. Montgomery. That bitch..."


The Dead Man is clearly quite distracted by his vengeful rant. If there's a time to do anything, it's now.

You wait patiently

"...that goddamn bitch, I'll... Call her."


"What?" you ask.


"I said call her, you yankee bitch! Tell that Mongomery whore to come in!"

You tell Becca to come into the barn

"Becca! Can you come in here, please? We need a hand. Ant got his leg stuck!"


"Sure, we'll come in!" Mason shouts.


Fuck, you didn't mean for them all to come.


"Good job, darlin'. Sorry 'bout this, but I can't let any of you kids get out. God, I'm bagging a Montgomery tonight!"


You scream as his blade slices open your throat, cold steel mixing with warm blood.