Delilah stared at the house across the street from hers. It was eerie. Rumors have been going around that house for years. She had just moved there with her family two years ago. Her family had to move due to her mothers’ job and the “good opportunities” that this town had to offer. Her family moving didn’t matter though, the rumors around the house brought more interest to her. There were multiple but the biggest and most commonly known rumor was the house was haunted. It was the most believable. The house was black, it was run-down. Some of the windows were boarded up with a messy patio. A tree rested on the stretched out lawn. The twigs were everywhere, they reminded her of frayed wires that her dad would work with when he was out working.
Delilah kept staring, lost in thought. Small taps came from her window, knocking her out of her thoughts. She opened her window, looking down with a raised eyebrow. DJ waved while Chowder hid the rocks he was throwing behind his back. Chowder waved, a bright smile on his brown face. “Can you hang out today?” DJ asked, leaning on Chowder.
Delilah nodded, “Give me a couple minutes!” She closed her window, stepping away with a light hum leaving her lips. DJ and Chowder had become friends with her two years ago. Her family had to move due to her mothers’ job and the “good opportunities” that this town had to offer. Delilah grabbed her jacket since the autumn breeze was starting to set in. The leaves were already changing from their forestry green to the nice copper and brown that signified the change from Summer to Fall. She ran out her room, closing the door behind her as she made her way down the steps. Jumping over a suitcase near the bottom of the steps, she made her way towards the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?” A male’s voice could be heard from the living room.
Delilah halted her steps, “Outside with DJ and Chowder,” she responded, her tone impatient. She steadily made her way over to the living room to see her brother laid out on the couch, watching nonsense she had no interest in.
“Be back to say goodbye to Mom and Dad before they leave for their trip.” He didn’t make eye contact, still laser focused on the screen in front of him. Delilah resisted the urge to roll her eyes, heading back towards the door, “I will.” Her voice carried as she left the house, closing the door behind her. She had a couple hours to do what she wanted until her parents left for their anniversary weekend, where she would again, be allowed to do anything she wanted. Her brother wasn’t the best babysitter, but her parents didn’t need to know that.
DJ got up from leaning on the garage door of Delilah’s house, “What took you so long?” He asked, starting to walk over. “We just talked?”
Her eyes rolled before both the children headed over to Chowder, who was standing at the sidewalk, staring at the house across the street. DJ pushed Chowder, “I dare one of you to run across the street and knock on the door.” DJ challenged, a smirk on his face.
“ARE YOU INSANE?!” Chowder yelled, turning around to look at DJ, “You’re sick in the head.”
Chowder glared while Delilah matched DJ’s smirk. “I’ll do it,” she spoke proudly.
DJ and Chowder stared at her like she had 3 heads before bursting out laughing, “That was a good joke!” DJ laughed, holding onto his stomach. A glare came from Delilah. DJ and Chowder continued to laugh, not paying attention. They thought Delilah was joking. She was joking, right? Both of them got down from their laughing fit, turning to face Delilah, only to see an empty spot from where she once was. They were confused before seeing her across the street, walking towards the house. She was close to the doorstep.
“Delilah! We were joking!” Chowder yelled. He went to run across the street but DJ stopped him, “She’s not going to actually do it.” DJ said with an anticipated look on his face. She wasn’t going to do it. DJ began to turn around, ready to call Delilah’s bluff.
Delilah’s heart was pounding as she got closer towards the house. She had an eerie feeling deep in her stomach. So many things screamed at her to go away and just laugh with DJ and Chowder, but her pride wouldn’t let her. Placing one foot on the bottom of the doorstep, her heart began to beat quicker. The step creaked loudly, causing her to pause. She looked back, seeing DJ and Chowder.
“I told you she wasn’t going to do it!” DJ yelled, turning around and sitting on her porch to watch comfortably.
Delilah scoffed, clenching her fist as she continued to travel up the doorstep onto the porch. The old wood creaked at her weight as she made her way towards the rotted looking door. She was closer to the door than she thought she would be. There were many cracks. It wasn’t modernized like the rest of the houses on the block were. She brought her hand up to knock, giving it three tries before taking a step back. She felt her body start to tense up. Her sense of unease started to become overbearing. She felt like someone was watching her. It wasn’t Chowder and DJ…It couldn’t have been? She looked at the window next to the door. She knocked. That’s all she had to do. She turned around, ready to run back to her porch and finally breathe normally. She only took two steps before the sound of the door creaking could be heard.
Turning her head back, she saw the door now open. Her breathing hallowed out, fear spreading through her body. Everything in her told her to scream and run, but she couldn’t. The smell coming from the house was rancid. She wasn’t that close to the door anymore and she wanted to throw up, but she had to prove DJ and Chowder wrong.
She made her legs move towards the door, the feeling of fear and reasoning screaming at her as she watched the door and the darkness of the inside of the house get closer. Closer, closer, closer until she was finally inside the house. She gagged, covering her mouth in an attempt to not throw up. She turned to leave, but found the door closed. “NO!” She screamed, running to the door. She banged on it, tears starting to swell up in her eyes.
She kicked at the door, “LET ME OUT! DJ THIS ISN’T FUNNY! PLEASE LET ME OUT!” She screamed out before rushing to the window that was near the door. She tripped, landing on the floor with a loud thud, earning more creaks from the old house she was in. She fought back yelling in pain to get back up and bang on the window. She saw DJ and Chowder running over. They looked scared. They were screaming? Were they screaming?
She saw her parents. Her parents…They were crying. Why were they crying?
“MOM! DAD! HELP!” She screamed, banging on the window. “PLEASE HELP ME!” Choking on her sobs, she continued to bang on the window until she saw it wasn’t working. The floorboards continued to crack underneath her as she backed up from the window, hyperventilating. She tripped again, falling back on her head this time. She felt sick, like she was going to throw up. She tried to lift up again, but she couldn’t. It felt like something was holding her down.
“HELP! HELP ME!” She screamed, but no sound came out. Nothing was coming out. She felt cold. She was scared. She moved her head down, seeing what she finally tripped over. The door slammed open. The red and blue lights shining through.
“Mom! Dad!” She cried out, trying to stand up. Her parents ran in, followed by her brother. She saw her mother drop to the floor, crying and screaming. Her screams couldn’t be heard anymore as she just cried. She was finally able to stand up. She turned around, looking down at herself, her face frozen in fear. Dried tear streaks were seen as the red and blue lights reflected it. Her body was pale. That wasn’t…That didn’t look like her? Her clothes were bloodied. Where was her jacket? She couldn’t find her jacket. Why was she so cold…? She heard a creaking sound, looking up to stare at a big black figure with gruesome white eyes. They were shaking like deranged pupils. Delilah wiped her face, trying to wipe the tears. She looked at her hands to see red. It wouldn’t stop. It couldn’t stop. The red kept coming. Where was her jacket? Why was she so cold? Where was her jacket…
