Nightmare Houses

History
There are many cases of haunted houses in the world, ranging from the odd to the genuinely bizarre. Going beyond being lairs of ghosts and other supernatural sorts, what of those houses that seem to be phantoms in and of themselves? There have long been tales of whole houses looking to dissipate from view, to blink into nothingness, often to reappear just as mysteriously.

One instance of a pervasive tale of a phantom house occurred in the early 20th century in Versailles, France. There is also the tale of a phantom house that seemed to randomly warp about in the region of Suffolk, England. Sightings of this red brick structure were documented by several persons in 1860, 1912, 1926, 1934, and even as recently as 2007. On most occasions, this stunningly beautiful red brick manor would linger long enough for several persons to note it had not been there prior and would have disappeared when they returned with others, leaving only weeds and an empty lot in its wake.

Moving over to the United States, there have been reports of the same stone structure appearing upon and near the many different battlefields of the American Civil War. Sometimes this structure's sudden disappearance even left behind fences and a well that had not been there prior. Also in the United States is the spectral house of Cuba Road, in Lake Zurich Illinois. The road in question meanders through the affluent towns of Lake Zurich and Barrington, and is already imbued with all manner of tales of the strange with the many reports of inexplicable, and eerie lights reported from the nearby White Cemetery, as well as numerous ghost sightings. This ghost house lies is so expansive that it is believed to have been an old asylum. The estate sits right by the aforementioned White Cemetery, which dates to at least the 1820s and known for numerous hauntings and bizarreness, including phantom vehicles, dancing orbs of light, and shadowy wraiths. It is said that there is also a modest shack that occasionally will appear in the woods right next to the cemetery when this house appears. This shack is inhabited by an elderly woman who is sometimes reported as holding a lantern.

What are these vanishing houses? Have these structures somehow been etched into the location through some mysterious means, as if an image burned upon film? Can a place have the memory of a house pervading it? Or are these instances of time slips, in which scenes from different eras become visible for brief stretches? Could it even be that other realities are bleeding over into our own, with these houses being denizens of another dimension temporarily crossing over into our own reality through some thin spot in the veil that separates us? Perhaps it is just mistakes and memory glitches? These are questions for which we have no real answers until Mystery Incorporated gets around to investigating these specific cases.

However, a similar, though also profoundly different phenomena exist among the seven Nightmare Houses. These manors are all structures that share their real estate with the real world and the Dreaming. Believed to be built by the same unknown architect, these powerful occult relics are capable of changing their structure to suit the needs of their occupants or torment those who trespass within. Most of these manors choose a caretaker or caretakers and house them for years, decades, or even centuries, though what role these caretakers fulfill is unknown as the houses seem to be sentient and quite capable of caring for themselves. Interestingly, many of these caretakers seem to become curators of tales or storytellers themselves.

1. HOUSE OF SECRETS
(also known as the "House of Victims")
 * Caretaker: Abel
 * Residents: Emily Nygma, Scandal Savage, Kaye Ou, Thomas Blake, Lori Zechlin, Izzy Bowin, Jeannette Lamothe

The House of Secrets is an old dilapidated mansion located on the site of a cemetery. Its weather remains consistent with an area of rural Vermont leading many to believe that is where it was originally constructed. It is always appears across the road from a similar edifice commonly referred to as the House of Mystery or the House of Murderers (see below). The House of Secrets is the home of Abel, the Biblical "First Victim" and a master storyteller. It is not known how long Abel has occupied the building, but considering that he is immortal, it is fair to assume that Abel has resided in the house for many years.

The architecture is indeterminate and actually changes periodically. The same holds true for the inside of the house: the rooms constantly shift about. The House of Secrets is a focal location at the crossroads into the Dreaming. Recently, Abel has leased much of the residence to the Secret Six in exchange for "tales of their adventures."

2. HOUSE OF MYSTERY
(also known as the "House of Murderers")
 * Caretaker: Cain
 * Residents: None

Data pending...

3. SINISTER HOUSE

 * Caretaker: Eve
 * Residents: Fig Keele, Ann Preston, Harry Bailey, Rina, Cress, Eduard St. Germain, the Coachman

Interestingly this house houses a bar and grill on the ground floor. It "employs" many different persons, holding them captive to run the bar and urge the patrons to dedicate a story to the house on a nightly basis.

4. GHOST CASTLE

 * Caretaker: Lucien
 * Residents: Dream of the Endless, Matthew the Raven, Rover

Home of the Lord of the Dreaming. Usually the largest of the Nightmare Houses. It is guarded by a massive gryphon and continues an impossibly large library as well as Dream's magical gallery. It rarely moves, remaining in a set location in Eastern Europe and the central focal point of the Dreaming.

5. WHEELHOUSE
(also known as the "Doorway to Nightmare")
 * Caretaker: Nimue Inwudu
 * Residents: John Constantine, Jason Blood, Alba Garcia, Alec Holland, Abby Holland, Tefé Holland, Boston Brand

The Wheelhouse is the main base of Dark Justice. It is currently "haunted" by Boston Brand and his crypt is located therein. It is the only Nightmare house that exists simultaneously in three locations Slaughter Swamp (Gotham City, NJ), Nanda Parbat, and Khandaq. It is also the only Nightmare House that isn't always found in the Dreaming. Where it should be in the Dreaming is an empty fenced-off lot with a sign that reads "Be Back Soon. -John"

6. HOUSE OF WHISPERS
(also known as the "House of Forbidden Love")
 * Caretaker: Erzulie
 * Residents: Unknown

Data pending...

7. SHADOWPACT SANCTUARY
(formerly known as "Wintersgate Manor")
 * Caretaker: Baron Winters
 * Residents: Bobo T. Chimpanzee, Rex, Eve Eden, June Moone, Danielle Cassidy

Once located in Washington, DC, Baron Winters leased the home out to the United States government in the aftermath of the Manhattaning, which the house survived due to its mystical nature. It is currently a DEO safehouse, having relocated to a classified location near National City and serving as headquarters to the CBI (Covert Bureau of Investigations) specialized task force known as Shadowpact.

Trivia and Notes
Missing Data