The Maiden is a tale about a house, the thing that haunts it, and what ties them all together. Haunted house? Sure. Haunted jewelry? That's more like it. The film starts off with a 43-second scene that sets the mood for the rest of the nine minutes. A little girl wearing a notable necklace is running from what looks to be a mean, old nanny. When the girl leaves through the front doors, we realize the old crone is much more than a nanny. A large amount of time later, the house is now dilapidated, but real estate agent Lucy, played wonderfully by Alia Raelynn, only sees it as a commission check. She sets off into the house to begin taking the top layer of grime off before she shows the house to potential buyers. It doesn't take long for her to find a familiar necklace, and that's when our old friend begins to show up. Now, Lucy isn't one to run and hide from just a little supernatural activity, at least not once she finds out that a prospective buyer wants to take a look at the house in an hour. Lucy begins to clean up the mess of a ritual ring when she hears a sound from a water bucket. As anyone in a supernatural horror film would do, she takes a look over the edge of the bucket. Of course, the evil spawn within tries to drown the real estate agent by pulling her into the bucket. As Lucy pulls her head from the water, the creature within rips the necklace from her neck. After laying down a rug to cover the water, we cut to the potential buyer ripping on the house. Lucy does her best to complete the sale, and after a bit of haggling, they come to an agreement. That's when the buyer's daughter comes out from around back. The man sends his young daughter into the house without a second thought, and after a moment of hesitation, Lucy decides not to intervene. Just before she's about to walk through the doors, she sees a necklace on the ground, picks it up, and is pulled into the house before anyone can react. While the story itself is solid for a 9-minute film, it's not even the best part of the movie. The special effects and lighting are both utterly smooth and seamless, and they're still not the top part, either. The cinematography and the editing in The Maiden are just that. The quick cuts are well balanced with long, developing shots, creating a wonderfully creepy effect. The Maiden is one of the better short films I've seen in a while, and I recommend making time for this one.

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