Entrance

Aura looked at Firefox in shock. "You are seriously agreeing to go inside a mansion with potential dangers that could kill us all?!"

Firefox nodded. "Yep! We might as well stay somewhere for the night."

The Murkrow grinned into a toothy smile. "Great. Now, follow me, children."

"We're not children," Aura commented. "Or, at least, I'm not."

"It doesn't matter," the Murkrow said. "Just follow me."

Aura and Firefox started to follow it, walking for a few minutes before they arrived at the mansion. They could now see the true state of the mansion. The door was chipped, like a Rattata had gnawed on it. With a little renovation, the mansion could turn from a junkyard to a beautiful work of art. Or, that's what Firefox thought.

When they walked in, she realized that it was beyond repair. The light in the mansion was dim, but it was enough light to see. The curtains were torn, and the tables were turned. There were even small little holes in the walls, but nobody could ever climb through them. It was just too small. Not even a Joltik could fit through one. There were even holes in the ground that led unground. This definitely had the creepy attire to it.

The Murkrow perched on a broken grandfather clock, its red eyes staring at the two Eeveelutions like knives. It gave off a faint smile and flew to a chandelier, then back to the grandfather clock.

"Don't be worried about the… strange attire, it's to get into the Halloween spirit!" it said.

"Are you sure?" Aura spoke up, puzzled. "It seems that there is something rotting away in here." Firefox sniffed the area. Aura was right, she did smell something rotten. She cringed as the foul scent hit her nose.

"Oh? The smell of death?" the Murkrow asked. "I think that's just some rotten apples from… I don't know. A hundred years ago?"

"A hundred years ago?!" Firefox exclaimed in disbelief. "Wouldn't it have decomposed by now?!"

The Murkrow thought for a moment. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Don't worry about it for now."

"I have one more question for you, Murkrow."

"Which is?"

"Are you a boy, or are you a girl?"

"Couldn't you tell that I'm a male by now!" the Murkrow snapped. Firefox sighed and looked down at her paws.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Anyways," he started. "I'll leave you on your merry way." He started to cackle manically and flew into another room. The cackling echoed off the walls, like a trance.

Aura perked her ears up and turned around, with Firefox doing the same. They then looked at the door at confusion.

"I thought I heard something coming from behind me," she heard Aura mutter. "And who closed the door, anyways?"

Firefox shrugged. "I don't know. Let's open it to let some fresh air in."

"Are you sure? That could let a chill get up our spine, and we would enjoy so much," she said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Of course I'm sure!" she piped up. "It would be nice to… block out the foul scent."

Aura sighed. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." She tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge an inch. She tried some more, but it still wouldn't open.

"…Is everything alright?" Firefox asked.

"Yes, but this door won't move at all," Aura replied. "I wonder why…"

"Here, let me try." The Flareon walked over to it and tried to open the door. It wouldn't move at all, like it was enchanted. "…You're right, Aura. Maybe… it's cursed?"

Aura shook her head. "No one around here has the ability to curse it. I'm thinking that someone locked the door on us."

"It's a spooky, abandoned mansion," Firefox pointed out. "Anything could happen, and don't forget about ghosts."

The Umbreon sighed. "Look, if we can't get out soon, we'll die from suffocation."

"Don't be so negative, Aura," she said. "Look on the bright side of things!"

"Do you really expect Dark-type Pokemon to be positive?" Aura asked, annoyed. She shook away the thought. "Look, just don't get me ticked off, okay?"

Firefox nodded. "Alright…" She paused as she thought of an idea. She became cloaked in flames, and slammed against the door. She expected to burn a hole through the door, but the door remained unharmed. Aura looked at her in shock.

"Did you just use Flare Blitz on the door?!" she exclaimed.

"Well… Maybe if we attack the door, it would be knocked down, letting us leave."

Aura sighed and began to charge up a Dark Pulse. A few seconds later, a purplish-black beam shot out of her mouth, hitting the door. Nothing happened. She growled in frustration, and tried again. Still, nothing happened. She frowned after this attempt.

"…I refuse to believe that this door is actually cursed," Aura muttered, determined.

"Just face the facts, Aura," Firefox pointed out. "You can't be right all of the time."

"Well…" she started. "There has to be some way to open this damn door."

If there even is a way, Firefox said to herself. She looked at Aura as she tried to open the door. But nothing worked. Aura sighed.

"…It won't open," she confessed finally. "You were right."

Firefox nodded. "Alright… but who cursed the door, in the first place." Aura simply shrugged.

"I'm not sure. We'll just have to look around for clues."

"Ha! That is unnecessary!" a familiar voice called.

The two turned around to see the Murkrow perching on the grandfather clock again.

"Do you know who enchanted the door?" Firefox asked.

He started laughing. "Well, I think a better question is why?"

"Huh?" she muttered.

"I, in fact, cursed the door. I wouldn't want anyone escaping this mansion, do I?"

Both of them looked at him in shock. "You're trapped with me… for eternity," the Murkrow continued.

"H-How do you get out of here?" Aura stuttered. She was at a loss for words.

"That, you would have to find out!" he instructed as he flew off, cackling. Firefox gulped.

They would be stuck in this mansion forever.

A/N: Phew! I finally got the next chapter done! Sorry that it took so long. Interestingly, the actual word count (not counting the chapter title and A/N) is the same as the first chapter. So, I don't really have anything else to say. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and Branchwing, out!