Halloween night is a night where a lot of strange things seem to happen.

Maybe it's just confirmation bias- after all, if you're looking for evidence to support that claim, you'll probably find it. Strange things happen every day. It's not entirely out of the question.

Though there is an undeniable sensation that seems to wash over you once you put on a costume and wear it out in public. You feel empowered, you feel...different.

Maybe that's why Phan felt the need to investigate the haunted house. Maybe Phan just wanted an excuse to slip away from the public eye for a second-

Maybe Phan just wanted a fun story to tell her friends on boring ole November 1st.

Still, as she stepped towards the decrepit old home, her nerves started to scream at her. She convinced herself it was all in her head, after all- even if all the pieces when put together screamed bad idea.

Her only form of communication was a walkie talkie. She felt the need to commit to the costume, after all- only losers don't go all in on Halloween!

...of course, she hadn't put batteries in the darn thing.

She figured if things got too hairy, she could swap the batteries in her flashlight with the ones in her radio. Simple enough, right?

Creeping closer to that mansion, she heard vague moaning mixing in with the sound of the wind flying by. Ghosts? Ghouls? Pranksters? A trick of the mind? She didn't know, and against her better judgement, she tried not to care.

Pressing her palm flat against that old wooden door, she sighed, convincing herself that it would all be worth it to have a fun Halloween story to tell. She pushed, allowing that old door to sloooooowly push inwards.

She couldn't see anything inside, but that moaning had certainly gotten louder. Much louder. She was starting to get scared now, but she was in too deep to simply turn and leave! A shaky hand raised her flashlight, and as she partly hid behind the door, she peered inside...

She couldn't believe her eyes. Her light shone upon...a mummy? Some sort of figure, encased in wrappings and belts, strapped to a chair...It wriggled and protested, seemingly incapable of coherent speech. Phan thought it was a decoration at first, and debated if she should get a closer look.

She wanted a Halloween story to tell, no?