Chapter 5: Trapdoor Into Darkness

With the first task done, it was time for the second: go to the second floor, down a long, dark hallway, and enter the locked piano room to play a song. The key was hidden somewhere along the hall.

Sounded simple, but in this atmosphere, my heart couldn’t take it. Clutching Savannah’s arm, I wouldn’t let go. Maybe because I’d shared my crosses and bat earlier, she let me hold on this time.

She didn’t even roll her eyes. Progress!

We climbed the stairs together. The second floor had even fewer candles; the hallway was pitch black. If not for my glow sticks, we’d be fumbling in the dark.

The old stairs creaked under our weight, every step sending shivers up my spine. I handed out glow sticks like Halloween candy.

This was a test of speed and nerves. I handed glow sticks to the guys. Carter refused, squeezing in next to Savannah, trying to edge me out. Blake thanked me—what a polite little bro. Unlike some people, all smiles on the surface, rotten underneath.

I shot Carter a dirty look, but he ignored me. Blake gave me a thumbs-up, which helped a little.

Personal drama aside, we made our way up. The hallway was long and dark, like a black hole ready to swallow us. Bells hung from the walls, jingling at the slightest touch. My hair stood on end.

Every jingle sounded like a warning. I hugged the wall, trying not to make a sound.

Savannah, usually brave, was shaken by this hallway. Portraits lined the walls—all of the same young woman in a red dress, perfectly made up, smiling at the camera. Beautiful, but in this setting, her smile and eyes were haunting.

The eyes seemed to follow us, and the red dress looked almost like it was glowing in the dim light. I shivered.

Our group fell silent. Carter finally spoke, gently: “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you both.”

He said it with a hero’s confidence, but I wasn’t buying it.

Savannah blushed and nodded. I forced a smile. The chat gushed over Carter:

“No wonder he’s the top actor—so reassuring!”

“What’s with Lila’s look? Does she think she’s better than my Carter?”

“Everyone knows she chased him to his hotel, shameless!”

“She’s just trying to get attention. Now that Carter’s ignoring her and getting close to Savannah, she’s here to stir up drama.”

“Ugh, schemer!”

The hate kept coming, but we had to keep going. Even though I was mostly useless, we all searched the walls and floor for the key, hands shaking, barely able to look.

My hands shook as I felt along the baseboards. Every little bump made me jump.

Sticking close to Savannah, she brushed against a portrait, triggering something. A flash of red appeared at the end of the hall—enough to make my life flash before my eyes. Even knowing it was just the crew, I was still terrified.

The red light flickered, and for a second, I thought I saw the woman in the painting step out of her frame. My heart skipped a beat.

Savannah froze, but kept searching. Carter tried to help, but before he could, Savannah triggered another mechanism—a soft click, and the floor under her feet began to sink. The bells jingled wildly. The opening grew, and Savannah fell through before I could react. Instinctively, I grabbed her, but she was already halfway down, and I couldn’t hold on.

My grip slipped, and she vanished into the darkness. Panic surged through me.

“Carter, Blake, help!”

At that moment, it didn’t matter if it was a show trick or a real mansion secret. As the bells rang, a woman’s laughter echoed through the house, and red light glowed ahead. Carter, who’d just promised to protect us, took one look and bolted. Blake ran over, but was too far away. By the time he reached us, Savannah and I had already fallen through the floor.

I barely registered Carter’s retreat—my world narrowed to the sensation of falling, the sound of bells, and the laughter that chilled me to the bone.

The chat:

“What just happened? Was this planned?”

“Carter said he’d protect the girls, then ran faster than anyone. That’s embarrassing.”

“Did you notice the trap wasn’t set up by the crew? We can’t see Savannah and Lila’s camera feed.”

“Yeah! It’s just darkness.”

I could only imagine the chaos unfolding online. But down here, it was dead silent.

Savannah and I tumbled into a small space. As we fell, I realized this wasn’t a planned trick—this was a real secret chamber.

The landing was rough, but I was grateful for anything soft to cushion the fall. My nerves were shot.

Savannah, caught off guard, screamed in pain as she landed. I landed on something soft, so I was okay. In the dim glow of my last few glow sticks, I saw Savannah clutching her ankle, blood pooling beneath her.

I scrambled over, heart racing. The sight of blood made my head spin, but I forced myself to stay calm.

“We must’ve triggered a real secret room,” I said. The previous hidden room behind the wardrobe was full of cameras—clearly set up by the crew. But this was different. The air was damp and musty, with an odd smell.

It smelled like old earth and something sour. My skin crawled.

Savannah was in too much pain to speak. I rummaged through my bag. Luckily, I’d brought a first-aid kit, just in case. Never thought I’d actually need it.

I fumbled with the zipper, hands shaking. The kit was small but stocked—bandages, antiseptic, even some painkillers. Thank you, anxiety shopping.

“Why’d you bring medicine and bandages to a show?” Savannah asked, sweating from the pain.

I tried to joke, “Because I’m a coward. I figured I’d get hurt, so I came prepared.”

If I hadn’t signed the contract, I never would’ve joined this horror show.

She almost smiled, then winced as I wrapped her ankle. I tried to be gentle, but I’m no nurse.

With no cameras, Savannah dropped her public persona, sitting on the floor while I bandaged her up. She eyed me curiously: “I always thought you were faking.”

Her voice was softer now, almost apologetic. I could tell she was rethinking everything she’d heard about me.

I was just putting on a bandage and accidentally poked her wound. She winced.

“Sorry!” I whispered, biting my lip. The last thing I wanted was to make things worse.

“You think acting scared gets fans?” I shot back.

She shook her head, confused. “If it doesn’t, why do it? Outgoing girls are more popular on these shows. But you really are scared. If you weren’t afraid of the penalty, you wouldn’t be here.”

I nodded, glad someone finally believed me. For once, I didn’t feel like a total fraud.

With no cameras, Savannah spoke freely: “If you’re so timid, why did you try to seduce Carter?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was just being stuck in the dark with her.

Maybe being stuck together made her want to vent. I was baffled. “When did I ever seduce him?”

I honestly had no idea where she got that idea. I’d avoided Carter like the plague since day one.

For the record, he was the one who wouldn’t leave me alone!

Savannah huffed, all her usual gentleness gone. “He’s my boyfriend. You showed up at his hotel all dressed up, got caught by paparazzi—there are photos! Don’t tell me you weren’t trying to seduce him.”

Her voice shook with anger and hurt. I realized how deep the misunderstanding ran.

Oh, so they were together. My gossip radar was spot on.

I couldn’t help a tiny, inappropriate thrill. Even in a haunted house, drama finds a way.

Meanwhile, the livestream was blowing up. This secret room wasn’t part of the show; the crew hadn’t even found it. But the director, ever cautious, had put three micro-cameras on each of us, disguised as hair clips, all feeding live. So while Savannah and I thought we were off-camera, we were very much still being watched.

Somewhere, a producer was probably popping popcorn, watching the drama unfold in real time.

The chat was buzzing:

“Is that gossip I smell?”

“Whoa, so Carter and Savannah are together? They kept that quiet. I thought they were just friends.”

“I always knew there was something between them.”

“I thought Savannah was just passive-aggressive because of a personality clash, but it’s all over a guy!”

“Can’t wait for tomorrow’s trending topics.”

“These two probably don’t know they’re still on camera.”

“Spicy! We’re about to hear all the dirt…”

“But something about Lila’s story feels off. Is she lying?”

“Maybe, but when Savannah fell, Lila, terrified as she was, still tried to save her. Carter, though, just ran away…”

…

Everyone loves a good scandal, and the chat was eating it up.

The producers had promised never to cut the livestream unless something major happened. This didn’t qualify, so they kept rolling. The show’s viewership was skyrocketing—everyone wanted to see how this love triangle played out.

I could almost hear the network execs high-fiving in the control room.

Unaware, Savannah and I spilled everything. I recounted the whole story from three years ago. Back then, I was just a small-time actress with a decent reputation. My manager got me a role opposite Carter. I treated him as a senior, nothing more. But he wasn’t the gentleman he pretended to be. After a few days of filming, he slipped a hotel room key into my pocket and gave me some suggestive looks. Grossed out, I tossed the key. The next day, he confronted me for not coming to his room. I snapped back. He held a grudge.

I could still remember the look on his face—like he couldn’t believe I’d turned him down. After that, things went downhill fast.

Later, he had the director send me to a hotel room to deliver something to a female castmate. I didn’t think much of it, so I knocked on the door—only to have Carter open it. Paparazzi snapped a photo, and suddenly, I was accused of chasing him to his hotel, trying to seduce him. The rumors were brutal. I tried to explain, but he’d set it up too well. With his status, I couldn’t fight back. My reputation tanked, and I became the internet’s favorite punching bag.

I tried to fight back, but the tabloids ran with his version. My inbox filled with hate mail, and casting directors stopped calling. It was like being erased in real time.

But I swear—I wish I could stay a million miles away from him!

If I never saw Carter again, it would be too soon.

“If my manager hadn’t signed the contract behind my back, I never would’ve come on this show.” I patted Savannah’s shoulder. “Isn’t it better to just live your life?”

She looked at me, eyes softening. For a moment, we were just two women trying to survive the night.

She didn’t reply, but the chat exploded:

“I think living is great.”

“If Lila’s telling the truth, Carter is seriously shady.”

“She’s slandering my idol!”

“Shut up, you delusional fangirls. There’s plenty of suspicious stuff about this story. If Lila’s telling the truth, your idol’s the bad guy.”

“No way! He’s so upright!”

…

Debate raged over who was lying. Savannah looked at me, conflicted.

I could see the wheels turning in her head. Maybe she was starting to doubt Carter, too.

“You don’t believe me?”

I couldn’t blame her. We barely knew each other, and I’d never explained the photos. No wonder Carter’s fans still hounded me online.

I wanted to defend myself, but I knew it was pointless without proof.

“I don’t know what to believe,” she said sadly. “But when I fell, you didn’t hesitate to grab me. My boyfriend, though, didn’t hesitate to run…”

Her voice cracked, and I saw tears glimmer in her eyes. I squeezed her hand, offering what little comfort I could.

We didn’t dwell on it. As our fear faded, we noticed how strange the room was—thick dust everywhere, a single table, a half-height cabinet, and a huge glass tank covered in white cloth, all lit by a faint glow.

The room felt frozen in time, like no one had been here in decades. The tank in the corner sent a chill down my spine.

Savannah tried to stand, grabbing the cabinet for support, but it wobbled. Something fell off, nearly hitting her head. I’m no saint, but I couldn’t just watch her get hurt—especially since I needed company in this nightmare. I shielded her, taking the hit on my arm. The pain was blinding.

I bit my lip, trying not to yelp. At least it was just a glancing blow.

Savannah checked my arm. “Does it hurt?”

I nodded. “Probably dislocated.”

I tried to smile, but my face was pale. The pain was sharp, but I’d survive.

This show was a nightmare. In just over an hour, I’d been trapped, injured, and terrified. Wouldn’t it be easier to stick to scripted roles?

If only I could’ve skipped straight to the wrap party.

She comforted me, then her eyes widened. I followed her gaze—to a skull on the floor.

It looked old, yellowed, and out of place. My stomach twisted.

Getting hit by a skull in here was nightmare fuel. If it were real… even worse.

I forced myself to look away, focusing on my breathing.

We exchanged glances, then looked at the glass tank. My heart pounded. The tank was covered in a thick white cloth.

The air felt colder, heavier. I didn’t want to know what was underneath.

Savannah suggested, “Should we check it out?”

I shook my head furiously. I only gossip about the living, thank you very much.

But Savannah, ever the adventurer, ignored her injury and lifted the cloth.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the worst.

The livestream cut off instantly.

A sudden black screen. The chat went wild. Something was wrong.

The show was canceled on the spot. Why? Because Savannah and I had stumbled into a hidden room and lifted the cloth—revealing a perfectly preserved body in a red dress, hair down, eyes wide open…

I nearly lost it. Even thinking about it now, I want to throw up everything I’ve eaten for three days. It was horrifying beyond words.

The image burned itself into my mind. I knew I’d have nightmares for weeks.

Whatever I did to deserve this, I’m sorry—just don’t make me see something like that again.

I hugged my knees, shivering, wishing I could erase the memory.

With this discovery, the show was over. The police had to investigate. Maybe the missing backpackers were just a myth, and the props were just for scares, but the other rumor… looked very real.

The house was swarming with cops and camera crews by dawn. I just wanted to go home and never think about this place again.