"Elsie!! Hurry up!" echoed her mother's voice from downstairs. "We don't want to keep our neighbors waiting."

"I'm coming!" Elsie dashed down the stairs, stomping along her way, her irritation evident in her hurried steps.

"Keep that attitude down," Jodie cautioned her.

"Leave her alone for one day," Mr. Baker interjected as he made his way from the living room to the staircase.

"I will, if she behaves," Jodie replied, still keeping a watchful eye on Elsie.

"I'll keep my mouth shut, if that's what you want," Elsie muttered as she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. Jodie followed suit, and John helped Elsie put on her coat before they all exited the house.

The party was being hosted in a nearby manor, its radiant lights casting a stark contrast against the surrounding darkness. As the Baker family approached the grand house, they couldn't help but marvel at its opulence.

Elsie couldn't help but voice her curiosity, "Why are we even going? It's not like they personally invited us. We don't even know them."

"They sent us an invitation, dear," Mr. Baker explained. "It would be rude not to go. Plus, it's an excellent opportunity to get to know our neighbors. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, whatever," Elsie replied dismissively.

They entered the manor's compound, taking note of the peculiar decorations that filled the front lawn. The abundance of grotesque pumpkins and headstones made it resemble a miniature cemetery. Since the manor was even larger, the bizarre decorations extended beyond their line of sight, hidden in the darkness. Elsie decided to explore the rest of the Halloween decor on her own.

Approaching the massive wooden door adorned with a distinctive door knocker, Mr. Baker gave it a firm knock. The knocker's clang echoed within, and the door swung open to reveal a stoic butler.

"They've got servants?" Jodie whispered to John, who couldn't help but smile in response.

As the door opened wider, the Baker family was greeted by a warm and inviting family standing inside. In the center stood a middle-aged woman in a deep red corseted ballgown with black laces, presumably the mother. To her right was a man of similar age, dressed in a tuxedo. Flanking them were two young boys who looked like twins, both wearing knight costumes reminiscent of medieval times.

"Mr. Remington," John said, extending his hand to the man.

"Stop with the formalities. Call me Rufus," he replied with a warm smile, pulling John into a friendly hug. "I'm John Baker," Mr. Baker introduced himself.

"Oh, I know. I know everything that happens in this neighbourhood," Mr. Remington winked.

Meanwhile, Jodie approached the woman, extending a friendly hand with the casserole she had meticulously prepared since the morning. Jodie had been anxious since receiving the invitation from the manor, and her eagerness to make a good impression was evident. She had even prepared a speech, but the sight of the manor's interior left her speechless. The house exuded a distinctive 1920s ambiance, illuminated by electric candle replicas that cast an unyielding, moody glow. Ornate paintings, tapestries, and hunting trophies adorned the walls.

"Your house looks beautiful," Jodie complimented Mrs. Remington.

"Just wait until you see the rest of the house," Mrs. Remington replied with a smile, turning her attention to Elsie. "And what's the name of this young lady?"

"I'm Elsie, Mrs. Remington."

"Call me Lola, dear. Mrs. Remington makes me feel too old," she chuckled, then directed them to the living room.

The families settled in the living room, where servants promptly offered them champagne. Elsie sought her mother's approval, and upon receiving it, she gladly accepted a glass.

"How stupid of me! Let me introduce my two sons - Wilhelm and Theo". Both of them waved their hands at the same time at the Bakers and then Wilhelm went and sat beside his mom, while Theo went to the pool table that was set beside the living room. He picked up the pool cues and began to play without paying much heed to the conversation.

"What do you do, John?", asked Rufus.

"I'm a commercial pilot. I keep travelling a lot and I make enough money, but we've never really had a home all this time. Now that my daughter is all grown up and a second is on the way, we wanted to settle in a good community like this."

"How lovely!" Lola clapped in excitement. "When are you due?"

"In 4 months", said Jodie, gently rubbing her belly.

"This is happy news. We haven't seen babies in a long time around here. This place needs young blood. Don't you think Rufus? ", said Lola, smiling at Rufus.

"Of course! The younger, the better", he said, clinking the glass with his wife.

"How long have you guys been here?" Jodie inquired.

"Oh!" Lola smiled. "It's been a really long time; we can't even remember. We moved here shortly after we got married, and both my sons were born here."

Just then, servants entered the room once again, this time carrying small appetizers shaped like creepy bugs and spiders. Jodie hesitated briefly at the sight.

"I guess we went a little overboard with the theme," Lola admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh, no. It looks lovely," the Bakers reassured her as they picked up the appetizers. But before Elsie could take a bite, Wilhelm, who sat opposite to them, interrupted.

"Can we proceed to dinner?" he asked with a solemn expression.

"Darling, you've got to be patient," Lola scolded him. "If you keep acting like this, you won't have food anymore." She exchanged knowing glances with Jodie, acknowledging the challenges of dealing with children.

Elsie, momentarily irritated, rose from her seat and walked toward Theo, who was engrossed in playing pool. "Can you show me around?"

"Sure!" he said, putting down the cue, while Lola placed her appetizer plate untouched on the pool table and followed Theo as he showed the manor house. They walked through a narrow path that led to a bigger living room, which Theo mentions as the "family room". Through the large room, two large staircases lead upstairs that have lots of rooms. They continued to walk through each room and he explained her what the room was for. Elsie was amazed that the house was so large and only 4 of them lived there. Finally, they came across an altar that had a gallery of pictures and hundreds of candles lit in front of them.

"Why do you have so many pictures?"

"These are all the friends and family who lost their lives. My father says that we need to seek peace from them."

Elsie looked at him suspiciously, muttering to herself that it was weird. "I need to use the loo"

"Straight and right", Theo points to Elsie and she walks across to find it. After relieving herself, she exits and tries walking back, but gets pulled by an old woman with wrinkled skin wearing a white cotton dress.

"You

need to get out of here now!", she warned in haste.

"Why? What's going on?"

"These people... they're not... normal. Just leave", she said and disappeared into the nearby room.

Elsie rubbing her head, walked back to where Theo left her, but she couldn't find him. She tried to recall the path she took from the living room and started walking back. On her way, she didn't see anyone else. The rest of the house was empty and eerily quiet.

As Elsie cautiously approached the living room, the faint strains of music grew louder, filling the air with an eerie, haunting melody. Her heart raced, and an unsettling feeling gnawed at her insides.

When she finally entered the room, her eyes widened in shock. The opulent space had transformed into a surreal scene. The Remington family, who had seemed perfectly normal just moments ago, now appeared anything but. They were gathered around a long, ornate table covered with crimson velvet and adorned with glistening silverware and crystal glasses.

The Remingtons were no longer the friendly neighbors Elsie had met earlier. Their eyes gleamed with an otherworldly crimson light, and their once-human features had taken on an uncanny, vampiric quality. Their faces bore sharp fangs, and their skin seemed unnaturally pale. They looked like creatures out of a dark, Gothic tale.

Lola, now more radiant and foreboding than ever in her deep red gown, rose from her seat at the head of the table. "Welcome, Elsie," she purred in a voice that sent shivers down Elsie's spine.

"You can't do a single job properly", she chastised Theo.

She then noticed her mother and father lying unconscious on the couch. Small tubes were connected to their arms, leading to a blood bag on their sides.

"We're sorry you had to see this, dear", Lola said, walking closer to Elsie.

"Who are you people? What have you done to my family?"

"Oh! They're fine, love. They'd wake up in a few hours", Jodie said, stepping closer to Elsie.

"Stop! Don't come near me."

"You don't have to be afraid of us anymore. We've learned to control our hunger these days. Besides, we really like to be friends with you guys for a long time. We can't lose you."

Elsie stumbled back, her mind struggling to process the impossible sight before her. She had walked into a vampire family's dining room, and they were now revealing their true nature.

As the room filled with an eerie silence, the Remingtons stared at her with an unsettling hunger in their eyes. Elsie's heart pounded in her chest, and she knew she needed to escape this nightmarish scene.

With trembling legs, she turned and fled the room, her footsteps echoing in the vast, empty corridors of the manor. Panic consumed her as she desperately searched for a way out, all the while haunted by the memory of those crimson eyes and sharp fangs.

As she found a door leading outside, she yanked it open and attempted to step through. But before she could escape, a heavy hand pulled her back inside, lifting her off her feet. Mr. Remington set her down and closed the door firmly behind him.

"Boys!" he called out. Those were the last words Elsie heard before Theo and Wilhelm sank their fangs into both sides of her neck. The world around her faded into darkness.

The next thing she remembered was waking up in her own bed, safely tucked in and covered in sweat. Elsie let out a sigh of relief, realizing that she was still alive and that it had all been a vivid, terrifying dream.

Little did she know that it wasn't.

-----

How did you find this story for the prompts given by Olivia_Benedetti for the Halloween Bash contest! 

Do vote and let me know what you think of this!