The Man in the Hat: A Haunted Castle’s Dark Secret Revealed

Three friends, Hamza, Ali, and Fatima, were camping out on the edge of a dark, dense forest one cold October night. They were roasting marshmallows and telling spooky tales when they noticed a flickering light in the distance. Then fading and coming back with some vague airy silent invitation, such was the mystery of curiosity so that soon they found themselves walking through dense forests.

Haunting in the woods is drawn like moths to that faint light. It was coming from behind a thick tangle of trees, climbing up the side of a mountain impossibly steep. At last they came on to a great, long-abandoned castle stretched out before them. Its towers soared upward toward the grey darkness above, and the stillness was almost more than they could stand as if it had wrapped itself about this place. “This is empty,” ventured Jack. “Maybe we ought to turn back?” “No, no, “ said Ali, turning his head violently to repudiate. “Too far gone.” Lets go inside, he said grinning mischievously and pushing open the rickety gate, groaning loudly in the hushed silence. The three entered.

The entrance hall was big and, in a way strange, welcoming, with warm golden candlelight dancing over dusty red carpets and chandeliers. As they went further into the room, they were led into a parlor where stood a tall man by the fireplace. He was in an…