The town of Blackwood had many problems.

The bakery owner complained that his cakes disappeared every midnight.

The mayor complained that someone kept replacing his speeches with funny poems.

The police complained because nobody took their investigations seriously anymore.

But the biggest problem of Blackwood was something nobody wanted to talk about.

The old mansion on Shadow Hill.

Everyone called it:

The House of Endless Screams.

It had been abandoned for fifty years.

People said strange things happened there.

Some people claimed they heard footsteps walking on the ceiling.

Some said they saw shadows dancing in empty rooms.

Some said they saw a ghost standing beside their bed.

But the strangest rumor was the newest one.

The ghost was laughing.

Not a scary laugh.

Not an evil laugh.

A ridiculous laugh.

A laugh so loud that windows shook.

A laugh so annoying that even birds flew away.

And that was exactly why Max Miller was interested.

Max was not a normal detective.

Normal detectives carried notebooks.

Max carried snacks.

Normal detectives searched for clues.

Max searched for comfortable chairs.

Normal detectives stayed awake during investigations.

Max once solved a robbery while sleeping because the thief accidentally woke him up.

Everyone in Blackwood knew Max as:

“The detective who is lucky enough to be stupid.”

One rainy evening, Max was sitting inside his tiny detective office.

The sign outside said:

MAX MILLER INVESTIGATIONS
“We solve mysteries… sometimes.”

Max was sleeping on his chair.

His feet were on the table.

A half-eaten sandwich was beside him.

Suddenly the door opened.

BANG!

Max jumped.

“WHO ENTERED MY SECRET HEADQUARTERS?” he shouted.

A girl walked inside holding a newspaper.

“Your office is not secret,” she said. “There is a huge sign outside.”

Max looked at the window.

“Oh.”

He nodded seriously.

“That explains why so many people find me.”

The girl rolled her eyes.

Her name was Luna Blake.

She was the most famous reporter in Blackwood.

She loved mysteries.

Especially supernatural mysteries.

“I need your help,” Luna said.

Max looked surprised.

“Really? You came to the greatest detective in town?”

“No.”

Max’s face changed.

“You came because everyone else refused?”

“Exactly.”

Max smiled.

“Still counts.”

Luna placed the newspaper on the table.

The headline was huge.

HAUNTED MANSION RETURNS!

LAUGHING GHOST TERRIFIES BLACKWOOD!

Max read the article.

“The old mansion has become active again. Strange sounds are coming every night. Residents report seeing a ghost laughing inside.”

Max looked at Luna.

“So?”

“So?” Luna repeated.

“Yes. A ghost laughing sounds like a happy ghost.”

Luna stared.

“You don’t understand. The ghost laughs before something terrible happens.”

Max stopped smiling.

“What kind of terrible things?”

Luna opened another page.

“Three people entered the mansion last week.”

“And?”

“They came back.”

Max sighed.

“That doesn’t sound terrible.”

“But they came back different.”

Max leaned forward.

“Different how?”

Luna lowered her voice.

“One started speaking backwards.”

Max blinked.

“Okay.”

“Another started believing he was a chicken.”

Max nodded.

“Very strange.”

“And the third one…”

She paused.

“What happened to the third?”

“He refuses to leave his house because he says his own shadow is following him.”

The room became quiet.

Even Max looked worried.

Then suddenly…

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

A loud laugh came from outside.

The windows shook.

Max slowly turned his head.

“Please tell me that was you.”

Luna shook her head.

Another laugh came.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Max stood up.

“Okay. I officially hate that laugh.”

BANG!

Something hit the window.

Both looked.

A piece of paper was stuck to the glass.

Luna grabbed it.

There was a message written on it.

COME TO THE MANSION IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I LAUGH.

Below the message was a drawing.

A smiling ghost.

Max stared.

“This ghost has better handwriting than me.”

Luna looked excited.

“We are going tonight.”

Max immediately sat down.

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because haunted mansions usually contain ghosts.”

Luna crossed her arms.

“You’re a detective.”

“Yes.”

“You solve mysteries.”

“Yes.”

“You investigate strange events.”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you scared?”

Max pointed at himself.

“Because I am a detective. Not a ghost sandwich.”

Before Luna could answer, the door opened.

A large man entered.

He was wearing a strange purple coat.

His beard reached his stomach.

His eyes looked serious.

It was Mr. Pickles.

The owner of the haunted mansion.

“I heard you are going to my house.”

Max looked nervous.

“Who told you?”

“You shouted it.”

Max looked embarrassed.

“Oh.”

Mr. Pickles placed an old key on the table.

“If you enter that mansion tonight, you may discover the truth.”

Luna picked up the key.

“Why are you giving us this?”

Mr. Pickles smiled.

“Because the ghost wants you there.”

Max looked at him.

“Wait.”

He pointed at the key.

“Does the ghost also send invitations?”

Mr. Pickles nodded.

“Last month he sent me a birthday card.”

Max stared.

“What did it say?”

Mr. Pickles answered:

“Happy birthday. I hope you enjoy being alive while it lasts.”

Nobody spoke.

Then Max whispered:

“That is the least comforting birthday message ever.”

---

That night, Max, Luna, and Benny Brown stood outside Shadow Hill Mansion.

Benny was Max’s best friend.

He was also the most terrified person alive.

“I have a question,” Benny said.

Max looked at him.

“What?”

“Why are we standing in front of a haunted mansion?”

“Investigation.”

“Why is the door opening by itself?”

“Old house.”

“Why is there a ghost face in the window?”

Everyone froze.

Slowly they looked upward.

A pale face appeared behind the glass.

The ghost smiled.

Then it waved.

Benny screamed.

“THE GHOST IS POLITE!”

Max frowned.

“That is somehow worse.”

The door opened.

CREAAAAAK.

A cold wind passed.

A voice whispered:

“Welcome…”

Everyone stepped inside.

The mansion was enormous.

Dust covered everything.

Old paintings hung on the walls.

The candles suddenly lit themselves.

Benny grabbed Max’s arm.

“I don’t like this.”

Max nodded.

“Me neither.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are we walking deeper inside?”

Max looked around.

“Because running away would make the ghost think we are scared.”

Benny whispered:

“We are scared.”

“I know.”

“Then why lie?”

“Because ghosts have feelings.”

Suddenly…

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

The laughing sound came again.

The lights went out.

Everyone froze.

A voice echoed:

“Three humans entered…”

A shadow appeared.

“Only two will leave…”

Benny screamed.

“WHO IS THE SECOND ONE?”

The ghost appeared from the darkness.

Tall.

Floating.

White face.

Black eyes.

A terrifying smile.

Everyone prepared for the worst.

The ghost looked at them.

Then said:

“Your friend.”

He pointed at Benny.

“Will leave because he is too annoying.”

Silence.

Max blinked.

Luna blinked.

Benny looked offended.

“Excuse me?”

The ghost laughed.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

“You are funny.”

Benny pointed at himself.

“I am?”

“No.”

The ghost laughed harder.

“You are accidentally funny.”

Max whispered:

“I like this ghost.”

The ghost floated closer.

“My name is Sir Giggles.”

Luna looked confused.

“Sir Giggles?”

“Yes.”

“That is your ghost name?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

The ghost smiled.

“Because everyone is afraid of ghosts.”

He leaned forward.

“But nobody expects a ghost who tells jokes.”

Max looked serious.

“So you are not here to hurt people?”

Sir Giggles became quiet.

The room temperature dropped.

“I never hurt anyone.”

“Then why did people change after entering?”

The ghost’s smile disappeared.

“Because…”

Suddenly a loud crash came from upstairs.

Everyone looked.

Something moved in the darkness.

Sir Giggles whispered:

“Because I am not the only thing living inside this mansion.”

The door behind them slammed shut.

BOOM!

The ghost looked frightened.

For the first time…

The ghost was scared.

“There is another monster here.”

Max swallowed.

“What kind?”

Sir Giggles looked toward the stairs.

“A monster that even ghosts fear.”

A deep growl echoed.

Then a voice whispered:

“Nobody leaves Shadow Hill…”

The mansion shook.

And somewhere upstairs…

Something laughed.

But this laugh was not funny.

It was evil.