The Estate

The Stanford Estate sprawled across twenty-five acres along the Salmon River's shores. Its sixty-year-old owner had earned a reputation for philanthropic generosity, supporting numerous charitable organizations. Those acquainted with him often found him eccentric—his flamboyant, quirky personality was unmistakable. He was particularly renowned for hosting lavish, extravagant celebrations throughout the holiday season. Remarkably, few understood what transpired at these gatherings. Invitations remained highly selective, and attendees kept strict discretion about what they experienced. As guests arrived, they were required to deposit their car keys in a large bowl just inside the foyer.

The night's festivities were active. Many ghouls and goblins intermixed with the vampires and witches. The undead strutted amongst the monsters. The lively bunch used the entire estate. Bedrooms were full. The kitchen was stocked with food laid out along the counters. A human sushi bar was there for the taking, with three beautiful women stretched out on a large table.

The middle-aged couple stepped out of the sprawling estate around two in the morning, where they'd spent the evening at the Halloween masquerade party. The night air was cool—a welcome relief from the uncomfortable warmth that had lingered inside most of the evening. He'd come as a muscular vampire; she, as a sultry witch. By now, most of their makeup had smudged away, and their costumes bore the wear of an active evening. They hadn't bothered with careful grooming once the festivities wrapped up. The large bowl in the foyer now had one fewer set of keys. The sultry witch chose wisely.

The silver Subaru departed the estate, heading north toward his home. Within a few miles, they noticed the car's interior had grown unexpectedly cold—the air conditioning wasn't running. A strange sensation overcame the woman. Hands began touching certain parts of her body, yet she found herself paralyzed, unable to resist or stop them. She glanced at the gentleman driving; he appeared unconscious beside her. Meanwhile, the car maintained its steady speed without wavering.

The silver Subaru accelerated through the toll booth and onto the bridge spanning the Salmon River, barely decelerating as it crashed through the wooden arm blocking the exit.

The toll booth attendant quickly recorded the vehicle's license plate and description, then promptly contacted authorities following her established protocol for such incidents. Silver Subaru, license plate KLS 555, three occupants. She also noted a peculiar observation in her report: the temperature inside the toll booth plummeted approximately twenty degrees as the vehicle passed through, then gradually returned to normal as it continued away.

Roughly half an hour later, a local sheriff's officer on patrol noticed the vehicle navigating a corner near the town of Brownsville, about five miles from the toll bridge. Upon spotting it, he radioed dispatch and activated his emergency lights as he pulled in behind the suspects. According to his report, three occupants were visible inside the vehicle.

The vehicle didn't slow—it accelerated. The officer logged the refusal to comply, and the pursuit began. The two vehicles raced through the town's streets well above the posted speed limits. The suspect's car headed through town and eventually out of town into a forested area. Speeds were reaching eighty to ninety miles an hour. The sheriff's cruiser stayed with the fleeing vehicle. The sheriff officer also noted that his cruiser's windows were fogging despite the outside temperature reading sixty-eight degrees, while the interior temperature registered thirty degrees.

Ice suddenly crusted across the patrol car's windshield. The officer hit the brakes hard—too hard—sending the vehicle into a skid. The patrol car careened into a roadside guardrail.

The sultry witch, still paralyzed in the passenger seat, was pulled into the back seat. She was helpless to fight back. She felt hands grouping every part of her body. She felt what little clothes she had left being torn apart. The act was forceful but quick. She was pushed back into the front seat.

A recent downpour left the road slick. As the Subaru rounded a curve, it overcorrected, skidded off the highway, crashed through dense brush, and collided with a large tree.

A second patrol car took over the pursuit after the first responder's vehicle crashed.

 The officer witnessed the Subaru careen off the road. He reported the crash and carefully navigated through the dense underbrush. He approached the vehicle cautiously. He observed three individuals with no signs of movement: a driver, a passenger, and a pale-looking individual in the back seat.

He opened the driver's door and assisted the gentleman out; he appeared to be in shock. He noticed the woman in the passenger seat was already exiting on her own, but moved slowly like a zombie as she walked away from the car. The officer turned to check the back seat and found it empty.

Additional sheriff units arrived on scene, and an investigation commenced. Officers thoroughly questioned the driver and female passenger, who maintained they had not passed through a toll booth, had not evaded law enforcement, and had no passenger in the back seat. They had no memory of how they ran into the tree.

The toll booth operator reported three occupants in the vehicle. The first officer on the crash scene also reported three occupants. He stated that the man in the back seat had a pale complexion, which initially led him to believe he was dead before he helped the driver out.

As the investigation progressed, the team uncovered a disturbing discovery: the rear seat belts had been deliberately removed, and straps with cuffs had been meticulously installed at both ends of the rear bench seat. Additionally, a third set of bare footprints was discovered in the soil extending from the damaged vehicle. When the investigators tracked these prints, they found them trailing only about twenty feet into the woods before vanishing without a trace.

Through extensive interviews, the couple maintained consistent accounts of their departure. They left the party alone—just the two of them, with no third person present. However, the sultry witch described her experience of being dragged into the back seat. She remained uncertain whether the incident was real or a product of her imagination. Everything felt hazy and unclear. The gentleman driver had no memory of that event.

The couple was eventually released with a court date scheduled. The sultry witch approached her front door and stepped inside. Her Husband, already home from the party, and his date asked how her date went. After she explained what had happened and that she was alright, the couple called it a long night and went to bed.

As they slept, a tall, pale figure slowly made its way up the driveway. The figure drew closer, and the home grew frigid inside. The sultry witch's eyes sprang open as she felt the sheets and blankets quickly pulled back. She was once again paralyzed. She could only turn her head slightly to the side. She looked at her husband and saw the blood trickling out of his mouth. She tried to scream, but could make no sound. She closed her eyes as she felt the weight on top of her.