The Haunt

_{image by Mads Schmidt Rasmussen}

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That night, the full moon shone down on everyone and everything, lighting up the streets and buildings for the travelers. The neighborhood was quiet, even the sound of nocturnal life could not be heard. In the silence of the night, one could easily believe he was deaf.

And suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of hurried footsteps. Tiny thuds that seemed sacrilegious in the quiet night. It went on and on until three teenagers tore out of an alley and staggered to a halt.

They were two boys and a girl, all dressed in tight jeans and hoodies for their night trip. They had their smartphones with them, and that was all they needed for their plans.

They were best friends and classmates in high school, and they did everything together. This was made better by the fact that all three of them were neighbors and their parents were friends. This also meant that if one of them got caught, then all would be sure to get punished. So they were always extra careful, not just for themselves but for others.

“Okay,” Anita, the only girl among them muttered after a while. “I think we are done catching our breath. Let’s get moving.”

Anita was a smallish teenager who made up for her height with wit and lots of cunning. She was easily the smartest in the group and the most adventurous. Most of their daring escapades had been suggested by her. Just like tonight’s trip.

“I agree,” Simon replied, he was the oldest and the biggest of them. He was the one that made sure the bullies at school stayed away from them. It was no news that he liked Anita and anything she said was gospel to him.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” Abel muttered exasperatedly, unlike Simon all he ever saw in Anita’s ideas were only trouble. He was like the anchor in the group, always stopping them from doing stupid things like what they were about to do. But tonight, like every other time, they were not paying attention to him. “We can still return homes without our parents finding out a single thing.”

“Don’t be such a chicken, Abel,” Simon muttered, they were all keeping their voices low so they would not be overheard. “All we have to do is enter the house and make sure the rumors are false. Imagine if we were the ones to find that out.”

Abel was in no way interested in that, but he was always swayed by the sense of adventure, “I’m just not too eager to go hunting for a ghost.”

“But I am,” Anita said brightly, as she led the way.

“Of course,” he whispered. “We are so dead.”

They were on their way to the haunted house located in their community. It had been rumored that the house had suddenly become haunted ever since the owner, a convicted felon had escaped police custody.

“Don’t be so scared Simon,” Anita said when he caught up with them. “I don’t believe the ghost story is true, that’s why I want to go check it out.”

“He’s a criminal, of course it’s real.” Simon replied, “He probably died in the house after escaping and now his ghost is out for anyone who wants to come and arrest him.”

“If he was dead, it would be in the news.” Abel muttered, “he’s not the one haunting the house, it’s the ghost of the clerk he killed.”

Anita let out a sigh, “how many times must I remind you guys? He did not kill anyone. He robbed the store and injured the clerk, but she survived, okay? Moreover, we need a murder for us to have a ghost.”

“I still don’t believe that, it’s probably all just a cover-up so they don’t get to punish him for his real crimes.” Abel replied, “it happens all the time. I can assure you Anita, we are going to see a ghost. And it would be of the dead clerk.”

Soon after, they stopped before a bungalow. The building was shrouded in darkness, the light of the moon didn’t seem to be touching it. As no one alive was living there, there was no sign of humans. The interior was dark and it looked abandoned. It had a foreboding and intimidating look as it stood in the dark.

“This is a bad idea.” Abel sighed.

“We’re here already, we might as well get inside,” Anita replied, then activating her phone’s flashlight she led the way again. The boys followed her.

The wooden staircase creaked underfoot as they climbed up towards the door. They all held their breath as if releasing it would cause a cataclysmic event. They stopped before the door.

She took it by the handle and twisted. There was a sharp creak that echoed into the night, startling them all. Then she pushed the door open all the way. With their flashlights guiding them, they slowly stepped into the house.

The house didn’t look abandoned at all, the floor was looked swept and there was no accumulation of dust and cobweb to show that no one was indeed living here.

“The clerk must have been a sucker for cleanliness while alive,” Simon muttered thoughtfully.

“Ghosts can’t touch things, idiot.” Anita admonished, “how would she hold a broom?”

“Don’t say that,” Abel replied, “they don’t need to be able to touch before they can move things.”

Anita let out a chuckle, “of course.”

Suddenly, there was a loud flap from their left. They all jumped in fright as they trained their light in the direction of the sound. They saw nothing.

“What the…” Simon gasped in shock. “What made that sound?”

“Oh my God… it’s happening!! I knew I should have stayed at home!”

“Keep quiet guys!” Anita said, “something is happening, see.”

They looked in the direction she pointed and they saw something that looked like a whiff of smoke floating eerily in the air. Under the glare of their lights, it looked discolored and had a sickly sweet smell.

“I don’t like this at all,” Abel muttered, “we need to leave. Now!”

“Hold on.” Anita replied, taking a step closer.

Just then, before their eyes the smoke expanded, filling up the room and choking them with its smell. Then the smoke began to compress and shrink, every part of it gathering into one place.

“What the hell is happening?” Simon cried out, no longer bothering to stay quiet.

“The smoke is forming a shape!” Abel cried out, “let’s go!!”

The smoke had formed the shape of a human.

“The clerk…” Simon gasped in shock, feeling sick to his stomach.

“Oh my Jesus!!” Abel rasped as Anita staggered backward and toppled over the couch.

The ghost was floating over them, close to the ceiling. Its mouth gaping open at them just like two voids for eyes. Then the eyes widened, and the mouth widened. Then the ghost flew towards them.

“No!!” Simon cried out in abject fear, jumping out of the way so the ghost sailed over his head.

“Let’s get out of here NOW!!!” Abel screamed, and this time they listened.

Holding onto their phones tightly, they raced towards the exit. The ghost spun at once and dashed towards them once more.

“It’s coming back!” Simon cried, throwing a look over his shoulder.

Anita yanked the door with all her might, pulling it open. And they tore through at once, jamming the doorway with their bodies. They fell through, tumbling down the stairs till they landed on the lawn, panting for breath.

The door swung shut with a loud bang.

They were breathing hard, trying to catch their breath. Abel sat up first, “can you guys listen to me from now on? And I like you, Anita, but we’re not going to follow your ideas again.”

She sat up and looked at him; the fright was still evident in his face. Now that they could smell fresh air once more, she was thinking clearly. She began to laugh.

“Did I say something funny?”

“I did it!” She laughed again, “I did it, guys! The ghost is not real!”

“Oh, God…” Simon groaned into his palms, “Anita has lost her mind! We’re so dead!”

“What are you talking about?” Abel reminded her. “ Three of us saw it, and we ran from it. That was the clerk! You don’t have to save face because you know I’m right.”

“There was no ghost, Abel. What we saw was a hallucination. The flap we heard before it all started is the same sound our gas cylinder makes when we open it. The smoke we saw was hallucinogenic gas. And it was opened by the criminal. He has been hiding here all along, that’s why the house is still clean. I knew it!”

Both boys stared at her, speechless.

“I can’t wait to tell the police. We’ll be famous!”

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_{The end.
Thank you for reading.}

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