The Williams family was in the process of moving into Ashford House, an old Victorian Mansion located on the outskirts of town.
It was a dream come true for Sarah and James, who had always wanted a quiet secluded life away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The house was huge with tall creaking doors and windows that looked out into an overgrown backyard but what intrigued them most was it's history.
Built over 80 years ago, Ashford House had been abandoned for decades but the locals always spoke of it with hushed voices they called it cursed.
Whispering about strange happenings and bizarre occurrences in the house but Sarah and James had heard none of it.
The price was right and the house seemed perfect for their growing family.
Their children Emily age 12 and Jack age 8, were excited about the move, especially the spacious backyard.
As the unpacked, the kids were drawn to the backyard where thick trees created a wall of shadows; Jack being the adventurous one raced out the backdoor to explore... Emily more cautious hesitated glancing back at her grandmother who had come to visit for a while as she was unwell and needed a break from her home.
"Grandma are you coming?" Emily asked but her grandmother a frail and quiet woman named Edith merely smiled her eyes lost in some distant thought, "no dear you go ahead I'll be fine...fine here".
The family felt at peace blissfully unaware of the dark history.
The house harbored as night fell but from the moment the moon rose something unsettling began to unfold.
The first night in the house was filled with strange noises creeks whispers and faint tapping like footsteps in the attic but Sarah and James brushed it off.
As the house settling, however as Midnight approached the atmosphere became thick with an oppressive feeling. James was lying awake staring at the ceiling when he heard it soft slow footsteps coming down the hallway outside their bedroom, he opened his eyes listened intently the footsteps grew louder closer he could hear them right outside their door. His heart raced but when he opened the door nothing was there... he glanced down the hallway but all was quiet again he shook his head trying to calm himself.
The next day strange things began happening Edith who had seemed weak and frail suddenly appeared much more energetic, she was speaking more cryptically her voice shifting in tone becoming colder almost commanding when Emily asked her, "what was wrong?" her grandmother only smiled and whispered, " the house has found me....Emily it wants me to stay".
That night Sarah found Edith standing by window staring out in the backyard it was late and the moon cast a strange glow on the trees when Sarah asked her if she was okay Edith turned to her...her face twisted in a sinister grin, "the house calls to me Sarah you should leave...leave before it takes you too" Sarah laughed it off thinking her mother- in- law had simply become confused due to age but when Edith started muttering to herself in an unknown language her tone became dark and malicious, "we will all be together soon the house it knows your fears".
The next day things took a darker turn Edith was no longer acting like herself she was no longer just frail she was menacing her eyes were clouded distant and her movements unnatural, she would often be seen standing motionless in the corners of rooms staring into empty space. Emily woke up to strange noises in the middle of the night she ventured out of her room to find her grandmother in the loving room, speaking in a guttural voice her words were incomprehensible but there was something about them that sent a chill down Emily's spine " Grandma " she called. Edith turned her face twisted in an unnatural grin "come to me Emily" she said in a voice that was not her own.
At that moment the house seemed to come alive with an energy, that was terrifying the walls groaned the lights flickered and shadows danced across the room as if they had a life of their own.
Edith now completely overtaken by whatever dark force had taken root in the house lunged at Emily. Sarah and James rushed in time to pull her away but Edith's strength was unnatural far beyond, what a frail old woman should possess "it's not her" Sarah cried struggling to hold her back "it's something else something evil".
The family quickly realized that Edith had become a vessel for something malevolent. The house it seemed had a life if it's own and it wanted Edith to be its anchor, determined to understand what was happening; the family began to investigate the history of Ashford House.
They found old newspaper clippings about the original owners the Ashford family, the patriarch a man named Arthur Ashford had been a notorious occultist rumored to have conducted dark rituals in the house trying to summon a powerful spirit to grant him immortality. When he and his family mysteriously disappeared, the house was left abandoned until the Williams family moved in.
The key to ending the possession they learned was connected to the backyard, the place where the rituals had been performed. The trees twisted and gnarled held the remnants of the dark magic.
Arthur Ashford had invoked, the family had to destroy the source of the curse which was buried deep in the soil beneath the largest tree in the yard but as they ventured into the backyard to unearth..Earth it, they were met with a terrifying sight.
Edith now fully possessed was standing at the base of the tree chanting in the same eerie language from before the Earth beneath their feet began to tremble as a shadowy figure formless and dark began to emerge from the ground.
The house seemed to scream it's wall shaking with fury as the entity fought to break free with no time waste Sarah, James and the children grabbed shovels and began digging around the tree desperately... trying to reach the source of the curse.
Ediths voice echoed around them becoming louder and more distorted like a thousand voices layered on top of each other.
Suddenly the earth gave way and they uncovered an old rusted chest, inside they found a broken amulet.... blackened by years of dark magic, as soon as Sarah touched it a wave of cold rushed over her and the dark entity shrieked in fury it's form swirling violently in the air.
James realizing they had no other choice took the amulet and hurled it into the heart of the tree ground trembled violently and a loud deafening crash echoed throughout the yard.
For a moment everything fell silent then Edith collapsed to the ground gasping for breath her body returned to its frail aged state the darkness lifted from the house and the oppressive energy that had haunted them for days began to fade but as they turned to leave they noticed the shadows of the trees still seemed to watch them as if something was waiting.
Just beyond the edge of the light the family managed to escape leaving Ashford House behind but they would never forget the horror incident they had witnessed.