Case File #01: The Mystery of Gargoyle Mansion

The scream came as the village clock struck eleven, cutting through the howling wind of a bitter Halloween night. Timothy and Lia froze. Across the cobblestone street, Eve, a classmate returning from a party turned toward the old mansion. Dark clouds raced across the moon, threatening rain. "That was a woman!" Lia insisted. "Sounded like a man," Timothy replied. "Who cares?" Eve shouted over the wind. "Someone needs help!" as they hurried toward the house.

The mansion's enormous front door stood ajar and creaking in the wind. They slipped inside and Timothy pulled it shut behind them. The sudden silence was almost deafening. A fire burned low in the stone fireplace, occasionally snapping and sending sparks up the chimney. Somewhere in the darkness, a grandfather clock ticked steadily. "Hello!?" Lia called into the great hall. "Is anybody here!?"

Nothing.

Timothy switched on his phone's flashlight, sweeping its pale beam across the staircase. Eve moved closer to Lia. "I don't like this" she whispered.

But Lia was staring upward. Three enormous gargoyles crouched along the balcony, their twisted stone faces watching from above as the flickering from the fireplace occassionally changed the color of their faces. She raised a finger. "Look at those..." A gust rattled the windows and the fireplace cracked sharply. Timothy turned his light toward the noise. When he looked back, Eve was gripping Lia's arm, her eyes wide.

"Guys..." she whispered. "Wasn't there another one?"


NOTES:
I wasn't planning to submit another image to the contest, but Tuesday Night Art Night (TNAN) rolled around, and I wanted to have a little fun. So here we are!

I've attempted comic book covers a few times in the past, but I think this might be my best effort yet. I was going for that nostalgic, old-school Nancy Drew mystery feel, with a little Halloween spookiness thrown in. Hopefully, that comes through!

NO AI was used in creating this artwork. Lots of editing in Affinity Canva, especially using Ron's Brushes to achieve the worn, vintage comic-book look. You can see some of that work in the accompanying Affinity screen capture. I also made a few finishing adjustments in the free Google Snapseed app, including brightening the gargoyles above the characters and adding some atmospheric effects.