Haunting Passion

Samantha gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove down the abandoned country road. The thick forest loomed on either side, branches scratching against the car like gnarled fingers desperate to get inside. A chill ran down her spine at the thought of breaking down out here in the middle of nowhere.She shouldn't have taken the back roads to get to her cousin's wedding ceremony, but her phone's GPS had re-routed her after a multi-car pileup on the highway. Now the sun was setting rapidly, long shadows stretching across the cracked asphalt.Up ahead, the road curved sharply. As she followed the bend, an old mansion appeared, its silhouette unmistakable against the fiery orange sky. The sight of it made Samantha's heart flutter.She had heard rumors about this place - Ravenwood Manor. It had been abandoned for decades after a series of grisly murders. Some said the property was haunted by the lingering spirits of the deceased. Spinning ghostly tales had become tradition among the local teenagers looking for thrills.Suddenly, her engine coughed and sputtered. The car jerked as it lost power and rolled to a stop right in front of the rusty gates of Ravenwood. Samantha twisted the key frantically, but it was no use. She was stranded.With a groan of frustration, she reached for her phone to call for a tow truck. But the screen remained black - no signal, no battery life. She was well and truly trapped here in the middle of nowhere.A wolf howled in the distance. Samantha froze, her breath catching in her throat as goosebumps rose on her arms. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she peered out at the crepuscular mansion.All the windows were dark, the brickwork crumbling with age and neglect. And yet...the ornate double doors seemed strangely ominous and beckoning at the same time.Staying out here alone in her dead car with night falling didn't seem like the wisest choice. Surely the mansion would afford her better shelter until help could arrive.Her hand trembling, Samantha pulled the handle and stepped out of the car...