Saturday, September 18, 2021

At 6 p.m., a silver Honda Odyssey pulled up in the Berry house's driveway, and six people got out.

"Okay, everybody, listen up," Amy explained to the three participants. "Starting now, you three are going to stay the night in this so-called haunted house. You can only use whatever is in your suitcases. We'll be texting you to see how you're doing. If you end up breaking ANY of the rules, you won't earn the $100."

"What if we gotta take a piss, though?" asked Xavier Kramer, an African-American participant. He had a buzzcut and a competitive personality.

"There's a pond nearby," Amy said with a smirk.

Zoe Hathaway, a relatively shy participant with dark brown, curly hair, shuddered at the idea. "Is this seriously what I signed up for?" she thought.

"Any other questions?" Lauren asked.

"Not really. I mean, what else is there to ask?" stated Patrick Robbins, the last participant. He had an unkempt appearance and a snarky personality that was hit-or-miss with whomever he met.

"Okay, then. I guess we'll be going," said Lauren. "You can turn on the cameras strapped to you now."

"Good luck, everyone," said Cooper.

With that, the popular kids drove off.

The three remaining people stared at the house. It almost seemed to stare back at them.

"So... this is where it all began," Xavier observed.

The trio then walked up to the front door with their suitcases.