Her brother would always say, don't go into the house at the end of the street. The one with the grandfather clock you could see through the front window. It's a bad house. When she'd ask why, he'd give her a sad look. He'd say he had a friend who went in there once with a girl, a friend who'd never come out. Then, he'd smile, and she'd wonder if he was making the whole thing up. He'd just shrug and tell her to be careful, and to trust him on this. |
And she did. She always listened to her big brother, even after the accident left him speechless and immobile. Anytime she passed the house, his words would always ring in her head, and she'd speed past with her work held close to her chest and her head held down.
It made her wonder why she'd decided this was a good idea. With her hand on the doorknob and her breath caught in her throat, she turned to her friend, May, who stood beside her. May flashed her a smile.
"Come on, Ali," she encouraged, her hand falling onto the doorknob above said friend. "I just wanna check it out."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ali said. "I mean, this place is really giving me the creeps. And my brother always said this place was bad news."
"What, are you seriously listening to his dumb stories? He was just messing with you!"
Ali nodded. "I know, I know. But isn't this like, breaking and entering?"
May shrugged. "My family's owned this house for years. My dad said I could check it out whenever I wanted. Hell, maybe I'll even live in this house. How cool would that be?"
"Yeah, that'd be cool I guess." She sighed. "Okay, let's get this over with."
Together, the two of them pushed the door open. Inside, it was dark. Dust filled the air, and cobwebs hung from the walls and corners. Ali took a step inside. The floor creaked under her feet.
May whistled. "Man, this place is really sort of creepy once you're inside. I'm going to do some exploring. What about you?"
Ali shrugged. "I don't know. I'll just. Um, explore too, I guess."
May smiled. "Great. I'm going upstairs."
"You sure it's a good idea to split up?"
May laughed. "Are you serious, Ali? This isn't some sort of stupid horror movie. I'll be fine." She headed up the stairs, pausing and fiddling with the grandfather clock. "I'll tell you if I find anything cool, okay?"
"Yeah." She watched as May took off up the stairs. "Just trying to be helpful," she mumbled to herself.
Ali wandered into what must have been the living room. Inside was a couch, a coffee table, and an old-looking television. Ali ran a finger over the coffee table. She lifted it up, looking at all the dust that covered her finger. She scrunched her lips. This place was disgusting.
Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her. It sounded like a whimper. She tensed up.
"May?" she said cautiously. She heard more whimpers, and what sounded like crawling.
Ali whipped around, and let out a scream as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. It was her, or at least someone who looked exactly like her. A huge gash on her chest welled with blood. The other her reached up towards her, and Ali fell to the floor in fear. She could feel tears pricking her face as the other her softly touched her leg. She tore her hands away from her mouth, desperate to try crawling away. She looked into the distraught eyes of her double.
"Don't…" The other Ali seemed to have trouble forming the words, her eyes struggling to focus. "Don't trust May…" With that, the other Ali's face fell to the ground. Ali could see her double's chest struggling to breathe. She crawled away, still crying. She forced herself to her feet, and bolted to the door.
She pulled at it, but it refused to budge. "Why aren't you opening?" Ali cried, kicking the door in desperation. She noticed a piece of wood wedged under the door, and bent down to pry it out.
She didn't notice when May walked up behind her, a smile on her face and an axe in her hand. She didn't notice when May lifted the axe up over her head, ready to swing. She didn't notice the soft giggle of delight that left May's lips as she brought the axe down on Ali's back.
Ali fell to the floor, and the axe followed suit, landing beside her head. Ali let out a scream.
"Poor Ali, you look like you've seen a ghost," May said. Ali reached behind her back, desperately feeling for her wound. She felt it, a deep gash with blood pouring out. She whimpered, and tried to get back to her feet, only to find her legs wouldn't move.
"Come on, Ali. This isn't even that bad. I could've done so much worse."
Ali felt herself being dragged across the floor. She hadn't even realized that May had grabbed her legs. Her blood had left a large spot on the floor, and she could see it smearing as she was pulled through it. May stopped under the staircase, dropping her down. There, Ali saw it. A whole pile of herself, all dead, She bawled even harder.
"Oh, be quiet," May said, kicking her in the face. Ali felt some teeth get knocked loose. She spit them out.
May left her under the staircase. After a moment, Ali felt the stairs above her begin to creak. She started to pull herself with her arms across the floor. With every move she made, she could feel herself grow weaker.
She managed to crawl towards the staircase before her arms gave out. May was standing at the grandfather clock, the top opened to have access to the hands.
May flashed her award-winning smile. "Catch you on the rewind," she said, laughing as Ali's life faded away.
Ali stood at the steps of the decrepit old house, the one with the grandfather clock you could see through the front window. She turned to look at May, her apprehension showing on her face.
"You sure about this?" she said.
"Absolutely," May replied.
It made her wonder why she'd decided this was a good idea. With her hand on the doorknob and her breath caught in her throat, she turned to her friend, May, who stood beside her. May flashed her a smile.
"Come on, Ali," she encouraged, her hand falling onto the doorknob above said friend. "I just wanna check it out."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ali said. "I mean, this place is really giving me the creeps. And my brother always said this place was bad news."
"What, are you seriously listening to his dumb stories? He was just messing with you!"
Ali nodded. "I know, I know. But isn't this like, breaking and entering?"
May shrugged. "My family's owned this house for years. My dad said I could check it out whenever I wanted. Hell, maybe I'll even live in this house. How cool would that be?"
"Yeah, that'd be cool I guess." She sighed. "Okay, let's get this over with."
Together, the two of them pushed the door open. Inside, it was dark. Dust filled the air, and cobwebs hung from the walls and corners. Ali took a step inside. The floor creaked under her feet.
May whistled. "Man, this place is really sort of creepy once you're inside. I'm going to do some exploring. What about you?"
Ali shrugged. "I don't know. I'll just. Um, explore too, I guess."
May smiled. "Great. I'm going upstairs."
"You sure it's a good idea to split up?"
May laughed. "Are you serious, Ali? This isn't some sort of stupid horror movie. I'll be fine." She headed up the stairs, pausing and fiddling with the grandfather clock. "I'll tell you if I find anything cool, okay?"
"Yeah." She watched as May took off up the stairs. "Just trying to be helpful," she mumbled to herself.
Ali wandered into what must have been the living room. Inside was a couch, a coffee table, and an old-looking television. Ali ran a finger over the coffee table. She lifted it up, looking at all the dust that covered her finger. She scrunched her lips. This place was disgusting.
Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her. It sounded like a whimper. She tensed up.
"May?" she said cautiously. She heard more whimpers, and what sounded like crawling.
Ali whipped around, and let out a scream as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. It was her, or at least someone who looked exactly like her. A huge gash on her chest welled with blood. The other her reached up towards her, and Ali fell to the floor in fear. She could feel tears pricking her face as the other her softly touched her leg. She tore her hands away from her mouth, desperate to try crawling away. She looked into the distraught eyes of her double.
"Don't…" The other Ali seemed to have trouble forming the words, her eyes struggling to focus. "Don't trust May…" With that, the other Ali's face fell to the ground. Ali could see her double's chest struggling to breathe. She crawled away, still crying. She forced herself to her feet, and bolted to the door.
She pulled at it, but it refused to budge. "Why aren't you opening?" Ali cried, kicking the door in desperation. She noticed a piece of wood wedged under the door, and bent down to pry it out.
She didn't notice when May walked up behind her, a smile on her face and an axe in her hand. She didn't notice when May lifted the axe up over her head, ready to swing. She didn't notice the soft giggle of delight that left May's lips as she brought the axe down on Ali's back.
Ali fell to the floor, and the axe followed suit, landing beside her head. Ali let out a scream.
"Poor Ali, you look like you've seen a ghost," May said. Ali reached behind her back, desperately feeling for her wound. She felt it, a deep gash with blood pouring out. She whimpered, and tried to get back to her feet, only to find her legs wouldn't move.
"Come on, Ali. This isn't even that bad. I could've done so much worse."
Ali felt herself being dragged across the floor. She hadn't even realized that May had grabbed her legs. Her blood had left a large spot on the floor, and she could see it smearing as she was pulled through it. May stopped under the staircase, dropping her down. There, Ali saw it. A whole pile of herself, all dead, She bawled even harder.
"Oh, be quiet," May said, kicking her in the face. Ali felt some teeth get knocked loose. She spit them out.
May left her under the staircase. After a moment, Ali felt the stairs above her begin to creak. She started to pull herself with her arms across the floor. With every move she made, she could feel herself grow weaker.
She managed to crawl towards the staircase before her arms gave out. May was standing at the grandfather clock, the top opened to have access to the hands.
May flashed her award-winning smile. "Catch you on the rewind," she said, laughing as Ali's life faded away.
Ali stood at the steps of the decrepit old house, the one with the grandfather clock you could see through the front window. She turned to look at May, her apprehension showing on her face.
"You sure about this?" she said.
"Absolutely," May replied.
THE END