Monday 10 August 2015

Haunted House - A Short Story




             Luke Kendrick parked his old Range Rover under the oak tree and started unloading the car. His wife, Kylie and seven-year old daughter, Claire, were too impatient and ran towards the lake without helping.

            This was their first time leaving the big city and moving into a quaint neighbourhood that was a two-hour drive away from the nearest town. The price they paid for this lakeside villa was way below the market price and the Kendricks grabbed it immediately… But little did they know that they wouldn’t be alone.

            The furnishings were covered with heavy drapes and a thick layer of dust on it. Claire sneezed a number of times. The musty smell was overbearing for their city noses. Kylie started cleaning up and unpacking whilst Luke went to pick up some hardware from the basement. Claire was making a mess with her toys and raising Kylie’s temper.

            “But Mom … Mack wants to play too. She’s bored and lonely,” Claire pleaded. Kylie paused a moment and glared at her. Just then, she caught Claire’s reflection in the mirror; she was not alone. There was a small girl a few years younger than Claire sitting next to her. She had dark circles under her eyes and her gray eyes were staring at Kylie and her chin lowered.

            Kylie’s jaw dropped along with the steel bowl she was polishing. That instant, the reflection went missing.

            That night, they had prepared an extravagant feast, hoping that The Pandolfos would join them. Unfortunately, they picked on some cheese and crackers and hurried off with just a glass of wine each. Luke and Kylie were puzzled by their bizarre and odd behaviour; they kept staring at the clock and left just before the clock struck seven.

            Luke and Kylie were kept awake all night by the creaking sounds, water droplets and the owls’ hooting.

            Kylie was up early to pick some fresh blueberries from their garden and was planning to make warm pancakes for breakfast. As she walked back in with her basket full of berries, she dropped it and started trembling.

            ‘THE GAME HAS STARTED. YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO HIDE’ was scribbled in blood on the mirror. Kylie shouted to everyone to hide. She heard Claire and Luke scrambling everywhere.

            She immediately ran to the bathroom and hid behind the toilet seat. Kylie tried her best to pant silently. She saw Claire running in too, and instructed her to hide behind the door.

            A few minutes later, she saw the same girl walk in. But this time with a lady who looked like she was in her thirties. They both wore a white nightgown with lots of dried blood on it. They held hands and walked towards Kylie. The little girl had a small knife and the lady had an axe in her hand.
           
“Do it, Mommy, do it!” the little girl screamed in excitement. The lady raised her axe and looked around for people. Kylie cupped her mouth to prevent any sound. They walked around. Claire, who was hiding behind the bathroom  door, let out a horrifying scream in fear.

            They both turned at once. Eerie grins spread across their faces. They lifted their weapons above their heads, whilst the mother’s axe buried itself with a sickening crunch in Claire’s head. Blood spattered out forming an arc on the wall behind her. The little girl, with a satisfying grunt, pushed the knife into Claire’s mouth, severing her spinal cord. Kylie watched as the knife became visible behind her back.

             Claire fell like a rag doll to the floor. The blood congealed as Claire’s eyes clouded over.

            Kylie’s eyes opened wide with fear. She watched them approach her, eyes fixed on her. She closed her eyes. And waited. And waited…


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