The House

The House

By Stephen A Abell – Monday, 24th October 2023.

Number of Words – 300



         The house on Willow Street concreted my belief in the supernatural. It was your typical “haunted house” candidate: Empty, run-down, and overgrown. And tonight, my friends and I were tasked to spend a night inside that bleak abode. Doing so would establish our reputations and demonstrate our bravery to the school and our followers.
         Fighting brambles and bindweeds, we reached the door. When it opened, I swear, the escaping dankness breathed a warning, “This place is cursed!” With faked fearlessness, I led the way. The creaking floorboards and cracking beams toyed with my anxiety. Shadows loomed from every corner
         Sitting close, Mark lit the few candles we had been allowed. Their meagre light did little to lift our shredding nerves. Frankly, they made the room more ominous.
         “You know,” Mark began, “rumour states the house is on Indian burial grounds.”
         Sara scoffed as a shiver gently ran down my spine, and I remembered the breathless forewarning, “This place is cursed!”
         As the night lengthened, the house resounded with sounds: Creaking, cracking, and moaning winds. Sara genuinely believed she heard whispers in strange tongues. The house freaked us out.
         The temperature plummeted suddenly, and Mark pointed towards a dark corner. Through the dim light, I saw the smokey figure of a girl; stepping forward, she signalled to the door, “Leave now or stay forever.”
         We required no further prompting. We ran and never looked back until Willow Street was far behind.
         The next day, I tracked down the local historian. He recounted the house's dark history, something I wished to forget instantly. Distressingly, the house and that memorable night will be etched forever into my memory. Regardless, I learned a valuable lesson: It is wiser to heed warnings, for you can never know what awaits you, especially in spooky old houses.

For the "Daily Flash Fiction Challenge"   by Arakun the twisted raccoon