A Pinesmore Riddle Unravelled

Nadia, Ashley, John, and Hailey had been best friends since they were kids. Growing up in the small, rural town of Pinesmore, they had heard the rumors of a haunted house perched atop the hill, but never considered investigating until school let out for summer. When their curiosity got the best of them, the four determined friends set out to uncover the secrets of the mysterious old house.

As they approached, the dilapidated facade left Nadia and her friends feeling uneasy and they were only able to investigate the exterior of the house before the sun went down. Armed with only cameras and a bin of tools, the group began examining the doors, windows, and decaying structure, periodically stopping to take pictures of their findings.

But beyond taking pictures and looking for evidence, the group wanted to know what secrets the old house held, and why the locals still told stories about it. Insisting on getting to the bottom of things, Nadia talked the group into waiting until night and see what secrets the darkness would reveal.

Come nightfall, the group meet up outside the house and opened the decrepit gate to the backyard. Once in, they could see a small house in the distance that had not been there before. Panting softly, they crept stealthily around the grounds, tiptoeing around broken and decaying furniture that lined the perimeter of the property.

Then, as if right out of a movie scene, a disembodied voice-- booming with an authority and yet echoing with an ancient sadness -- spoke directly to the kids: "This house stands on an ancient battlefield, imbued with centuries of pain and bloodshed. It holds the forgotten stories of tragedy and loss"

Flabbergasted, the kids all jumped at the sound, turning around abruptly to find the source of the ethereal voice lost within the darkness. After a few moments of silence, the kids' attention was drawn to the windows of the mysterious little house-- windows opened from the inside. Quietly, Nadia and her friends moved slowly towards the house, determined look in their eyes.

Cautiously, the group tried to make as little noise as possible and peered through the windows. To their shock, they saw a hunched figure, with silver-blue eyes, wearing a monk-like outfit reminiscent of a bygone era. The figure spoke once more and his words worked like a spell; for in an instant, history opened up before their very eyes. File after file, artifacts and stories of war, tragedy, and sorrow illuminated the dark tales of Pinesmore's past.

Suddenly, fear overwhelmed the group and they raced back home. Upon laying their eyes on the morning light, they devise a plan; to share a terrifying truth. Day after day, they spent hours toiling over archives and cross-referencing stories until they meticulously reconstructed the timeline of Pinesmore's history. Their findings revealed a generationally-veiled yet heinous scheme wrought upon Pinesmore's townspeople at the hands of their own leaders.

Fueled by rage and justice, Nadia and her friends gathered the courage to lock arms as a united group and stride into the Town Hall steps. The four arrived with a vengeance and presented their discovery to the whole town. To everyone's surprise and disbelief, the plan was revealed by the town elders and with justice being served, the curse behind the haunted house was finally brought to light. And in doing so, the four courageous friends were credited with saving their beloved town, one piece at a time.