Short horror stories: Urban Legend edition

Boo hag: The closer enemy

It was the end of May. At the last minute, I found myself packing my suitcase and having a plane ticket paid for in my hand and I was ready to go back to my home in South Carolina for the summer break. It'd been five years since I had last seen my huge family of six. Unfortunately, I had only seen about three of them since most of my siblings and cousins had moved away to a new state and made up a life of their own. For me though, I was always wanting to go back home and help my mom and dad around with chores and errands, do their yard work for them and possibly see some of my old school friends while I visited too. Once I was done packing my clothes and the essentials in my book bag and suitcase, I headed out of my college dorm and straight to the airport.

When the lady in the front of the place announced the landing, I got awakened. Seeing the sky from my window, I realized it was sunset-colored. While the sun set over the clouds, a fiery orange tint lingered across them. It was a beautiful sight to appreciate in the moment. Sometimes you forget to appreciate the views you're given. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed being outside growing up. I would always make up some excuse to be outside. I'd even offer to mow the lawn for my mom every other day at just the age of nine years old. I couldn't wait to see them again. Everybody stood up once we had safely landed and grabbed their own personal belongings as I grabbed my own and headed out towards the new airport. Upon looking around the wide area, I saw my family waving their hands in the air.

I rushed up to them and hugged my mother first, then my father and younger brother.

"How've you guys been?" I asked them with a wide smile, placing my hand on top of my brother's hair and shaking it.

"We've been doing well! We're so happy to see you and get to spend time with you again." My mom said as her puppy brown eyes glistened.

"Have you got yourself a lady yet?" My father inquired me with a smirk.

I chuckled, "Uh, no, not yet anyways. I've been focusing on my schoolwork."

"Who would wanna date Mason anyway?" My younger brother Noah said in a boyish giggle before I nudged him hard, causing him to immediately stop.

"Tone it down, come on let's get home before it gets dark." My mom says before leading us through the airport.

They all entered the front door. Then I was last to enter but couldn't help notice the wall was a different color than before. In addition, on each side of the front door were brooms on the wall.

"Wow, it's changed here." I say, taking in the small home from my childhood and teen years.

Noah came up next to me, mumbling in my ear, "She still believes in the boo hag. That's why."

I turned towards my mom, "You still believe in that? But— why did that make you change the house?"

"I've believed in it ever since I was a child and I had to change it because the boo hag and other evil spirits don't like the haint blue." She explains, but I still stand dumbfounded.

"Haint blue, baby blue, same thing." My father commented pointing to the blue walls.

"Ohhh, but then why the brooms by the door?" I asked furthermore.

"The boo hag counts the bristles, taking enough time until the sun rises and it dies against the light." She informed me before going off into the kitchen.

"Okay honey enough about your scary stories, time for football!" My father exclaims before rushing into the living room as my brother joins in.

Once dinner was done, two more of my siblings came over. William and Liam, whom I hadn't seen since I was fifteen since they were moving out at the time. Noah, William and Liam were all three messing around with each other until my mother scolded them.

"Why couldn't I have been given one girl, just one?" Our mom joked to herself before taking a sip of her wine.

"Oh just so you know Mason, Grandma is staying for a week, she just got a surgery and she needs somewhere to stay where we can take care of her." My father says to me.

"When is she coming over?" I asked. Just before he could reply, a knock on the door came over.

"Now." My father says with a smile before rushing up and answering the door. We all turned in our chairs to see our grandmother walk in slowly, looking at each of us. Me first, Noah, William until her eyes landed on Liam for a few moments longer. I didn't remember her much, but I know she never acted like this before. Quiet and observant. She was always the life of every party, but maybe it was her old age.

"Hey grandma!" Noah exclaims before hugging her tightly, but her hands didn't reach around him and instead continued standing awkwardly.

"We're finishing up dinner but there's still more left for you." Our mother informs our grandma.

She nods slowly, "I'm okay. I'm tired."

"Oh, okay. Well, you can sleep in our spare bedroom in the back of the hallway." Our father tells her and with that, she leaves into the room.

I woke up in my old bedroom, my mouth as dry as the Sahara desert desperately needing something to drink so I reached for my glass of water on the nightstand, but only felt a sharp bristle, and as I yanked my hand back I realized it was a hairbrush. My mother's belief was causing me pain, literally. I tiptoed down the dark hall and reached the kitchen to get a glass of water, but before I did I hear shallow breathing and when I turned my head toward the living room, I saw my grandmother sitting on Liam's chest breathing in his breaths. Her appearance had changed drastically. However, long white shimmering hair flying everywhere. It didn't take me long to realize that she was a boo hag. When I was a kid, my mother told us stories about boo hags sitting on a person's chest, breathing in their breaths in order to ride on the skin. I looked at the coffee table by the sofa and realized there wasn't a brush of any kind, giving her permission to take him.