The Haunting at Hollow Ridge

It was late October when Sarah and her family moved into the old house on Hollow Ridge, a secluded spot far from the bustle of the nearby town. The house had been vacant for years, but its sturdy structure and sprawling land were a dream come true. However, what seemed like a perfect home soon turned into a nightmare.

The first sign of something wrong happened the night after they moved in. Sarah's youngest daughter, Emily, woke up crying, claiming that a woman in a long, tattered dress was watching her from the corner of the room. At first, Sarah dismissed it as a child's vivid imagination. But when the strange occurrences escalated, she began to worry.

Late at night, doors would creak open on their own, cold drafts would pass through rooms with no windows open, and faint whispers could be heard in the dead of night. The family dog, usually calm, would growl at unseen entities, backing into corners as if terrified.

One evening, Sarah was alone in the house, cleaning the kitchen when she heard faint footsteps upstairs. She called out, thinking her husband had come home early, but there was no answer. Slowly, she ascended the creaky staircase, her heart racing with each step. As she reached the top, the air became colder, and the faint smell of something burning filled her nose.

The hallway was empty, but Emily’s bedroom door stood slightly ajar. Stepping closer, Sarah froze as she saw it—a shadowy figure standing by the window, gazing out into the woods. The figure turned slowly, its hollow eyes locking with hers. The face was gaunt, the skin ashen, and its mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.

Sarah fled downstairs, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. That night, she researched the history of the house and discovered a chilling truth. Decades ago, the original owner, a woman named Margaret, had been accused of witchcraft. She was burned alive by villagers in a gruesome execution right in the front yard. Legend had it that Margaret cursed the land with her dying breath, vowing that no one would ever live peacefully in her home again.

Determined to free her family from the nightmare, Sarah contacted a local medium. During the séance, the medium revealed that Margaret’s spirit had not moved on. Her restless soul lingered, filled with rage and sorrow. The medium performed a cleansing ritual, but as the night wore on, the oppressive feeling in the house intensified.

At midnight, all the lights in the house flickered, and the medium collapsed, whispering that Margaret’s spirit was too strong to be banished. That very night, Sarah and her family packed their belongings and left Hollow Ridge for good.

To this day, the house stands abandoned, its windows dark and foreboding. Locals avoid the property, claiming that on cold, misty nights, the shadow of a woman can be seen standing by the window, forever watching, forever waiting.