THE HAUNTED HOUSE

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“Good day, Mr Smith, you must be our new neighbors," Mr Adams and his wife, a family that lived a few blocks across from them, came to greet them.

"I believe I am," he answered.

“Welcome then. I hope you settle in nicely” Mr Adams said, extending his hands for a handshake.

“Come on in, please?” Mr Smith offered.

“There won't be any need for that, we were just passing by and decided to say hello, that's all.” Mrs Adam interjected, not wanting to go in.

"Alright then, thanks for the warm welcome” Mr Smith said finally as they took their leave.

As they walked away, Mr and Mrs Adam couldn't help but look back, waiting and wondering if the rumors were true after all. The last family that lived there ran away in fear and tremor, as they claimed the house was indeed haunted. Mr and Mrs Smith had just packed in newly, to a house near the lake, in Crystal Valley. It was a beautiful home indeed. There was a nice garden situated around the compound. Ornamental plants and flowers beautified the outside of the compound. However, beneath all that, this little family were about to discover something mysterious and dark.

...

“Kids come down now, or you’ll be late for school” Mrs Smith shouted from the living room downstairs. The two twins ran down excitedly, wearing their uniforms and carrying their lunch box. Soon enough, they were off to school, seated at the back of the car while Mrs Smith drove them to school. When suddenly, she noticed a strange object the twins were holding.

“Who gave you this?” she asked collecting the object from one of the twi.s

Lately, several strange things has been going on in the house, and Mrs Smith was on edge. Firstly, it was the TV, which always seemed to be turned on at night even though she made sure she turned it off before going to bed. Then the other day, while she was alone at home, the kitchen cabinets flew open suddenly. She didn't open them. Terrified, she backed away slowly towards the door when she noticed something moving in the corner of her eye. She turned to check it out, only to hear someone behind her ears, whispering her name slowly. She stood still, turning ever so slowly to see who it was, but there was no one. Just the wind. She ran out of the kitchen in fear, and called her husband. On coming back, everything was back to normal.

It didn't stop there, she kept on hearing small whispers at night. And a newborn baby crying continuously. When she told her husband about her fears, Mr Smith also confessed that he too had been noticing some strange happenings ever since they parked into the house. First, the car radio seems to turn on by itself at exactly 12 midnight. One time, he went to check it out, but the car door was locked. Then suddenly, he heard a voice laughing behind him. But when he turned back, there was no one, just the wind. As he decided to go back in, he saw something otherwordly between the darkness. But as quickly as he saw it, it disappeared.

“ A friend gave it to us" they answered in unison.

“ Which friend is this?" She asked again, curious.

" His name is Billy. He plays with us at home” the children answered happily.

“When does this happen?” she asked a bit fearfully.

“At night”

“This friend, what does he look like”? She asked apprehensively, afraid to hear the answer.

“Here we have his picture”, the twins answered, handing her the strange object for her to see.

Dread filled Mrs Smith's face as she stared at the object. She had seen this image many times around the house. It was an ungodly creature with two horns around it's head. Feeling disheveled, she called her husband, turned on the car ignition and drove the kids back home.

On their way back home, she dropped by an old dusty store. If she needed some answers, it was definitely her. The oldest woman in Crystal Valley who was said to have seen the darkness and escaped it lived there. As they went in, they saw her sitting on a chair, her face to the window which was shut tightly. The room was a bit dark She held a small cross in her hands as she stared outside the window

“How may I help you?” she asked even though her back was turned to them.

“Please, we’ve come to seek answers”, Mrs Smith said, handing her the strange object she found in the twins' hands.

“I know what you seek, but it is too late. The darkness is already on your trail."

“ Leave now while you still can before it is too late" she said in a warning tone.

“I um don't understand, what darkness?” Mrs Smith asked confused.

“Long ago, history had it that there was a certain darkness that lived and dwelt in a house in the Crystal Valley. The evil initially tormented the city, causing havoc and death to its inhabitants until an agreement was reached between it and the people of the land, and a beautiful house was given to this dark presence to dwell in, in exchange for peace. People avoided the house like the plague, not wanting anything to do with this darkness, or to encounter it in any way. Centuries after centuries passed by, and this darkness had long been forgotten up until now.

“Do you mean the house is haunted?” Mrs Smith asked with shaking hands, struggling to get the words out of her mouth.

“The darkness lives there, and you, my dear, are intruders," the old woman said firmly.

" Please leave now, the darkness is already on your trail. "I do not want to be a part of it,” she said, chasing them out, and shutting her door behind them.

Doing exactly as the old woman had said, Mrs Smith went back home and began packing frantically. They were leaving tonight. Together with her husband, they gathered their belongings and their two children and made their way to the door, but it was forcefully shot closed with a loud thud. Mr Smith tried forcing it open, but it was locked. Then, a writing appeared on the wall,

“There’s no escape for you,” it said.

Panic shrouded their faces. They quickly went for the back door, but the same thing happened. It forcefully closed by itself, with a loud thud.

Another write-up appeared on the wall:

“No going back now”

Immediately, all the lights went off, and the whole house grew darker. A large shadow appeared suddenly within the darkness. The whispers grew louder now. Mr and Mrs Smith made a run for it, each carrying one of the twins as they climbed up the stairs, going room after room, looking for an exit, but there was no way. They were trapped in that house. Soon the shadow began grasping them one by one, it took Mrs Smith first, then Mr Smith, then the twins. All that could be heard was the cry of fear and horror as Smith's family struggled not to be taken by the darkness.