Darksdale

Chapter One

Darksdale. That’s how they called it. That’s how we called it. The house across the street from our house. It gained the name because it always seemed dark during the day and even darker at night. Maybe it was the presence of many trees around it that made it seem dark. We usually increased our pace when we passed the house. It was not its appearance that made us afraid of it. Rumors (which maybe true) had it that the house was haunted. We could sometimes hear eerie sounds coming from the house at night and every child was afraid of coming out at night.
The story of Darksdale (which has been retold like a thousand times) went like this: several years ago, a couple moved into the house with their one daughter. The family lived in seclusion and their daughter ( nine years old) did not attend school. They were rarely seen outside their house but the neighbours did not seem to bother.
Trouble had started when children started disappearing, one in a week. The disappearance of the seventh child raised an alarm in the neighbourhood. The children could be traced but some of their friends leaked that they were last seen near the couple’s house. The neighbours could not contain themselves anymore when yet an eighth child disappeared. They gathered themselves at night and armed themselves with weapons. They were going to confront the couple and if need be, there was going to be some bloodshed. The men were in the lead and the women had remained behind. Their children had remained at home.
On arrival at the couple’s house, the women remained at the gate as the men moved in. The women watched as their husbands moved forcefully into the house, breaking the front door. Once all the men were inside, nobody quite knew what happened. From outside, the women heard a loud grotesque sound and the night was lit up with an array of ghostly colours. They dispersed in different directions due to fear. Their men were never heard of again nor did the couple and their daughter. The women never dared to enter the house to find out what really happened. Children were forbidden to even be near the house. And it came to pass that the house was haunted by evil spirits and sometimes, children (according to the rumours) could be heard calling for their parents on some nights. Strangely, the broken door according to the story, was still intact from where we could see it.

"Are you afraid of ghosts?" Paige asked me. Paige was my classmate in school, though she was a year younger than the rest of us in ninth grade. She had skipped first grade. We were from the same neighborhood. I had a huge crush on her (that is if what I felt could be called that). And she was also the prettiest girl in school. All the boys were after her (or almost all). Surprisingly, she had rejected each and every one of them. I couldn't dare blurt out my feelings towards her for fear of being turned down and losing our friendship.
We were from school when she asked this question. It was only the two of us on the street at that time. I have an extreme phobia of almost everything (especially ghosts). But it was not like I was just going to say that out loud in front of her. Mostly, I wanted to impress her. Maybe this was my shot at it.
"What? No way am I afraid of ghosts," I answered fervently. We were fast approaching the Darksdale and Paige seemed to be slowing her walking pace. My armpits started sweating. Darksdale terrified me. I mean, for a guy with so much phobias, what would make a haunted house an exception?
"What's she doing?" My mind screamed.
"If that's so, then you won't mind coming with me tonight to check out the Darksdale," Paige said cooly.
By then, we were right in front of the Darksdale gate. I could literally feel a fat drop of sweat forming on my forehead.
"Are you crazy? That place might be dangerous!" Is what I felt like saying.
"Not at all," is what I had myself say (I felt like kicking myself, literally). I regretted those words as soon as they left my mouth.
"See you at nine then," Paige said then took the street to her house. I was still thinking about my naivety when I turned to look at the uncanny building. That was when I saw her. My heart almost gave up.
She stood right in front the house. I had never seen her before. She was staring directly at me with a weirdly evil smile plastered to her face. I took off. I was not sure whether I had actually seen her or was it my my imagination playing with my phobia. As I ran, dreadful thoughts flashed through my mind, making me terrified more than I already was. In my mind, I saw the house swarming with ghosts and snakes (did I mention I was terrified of those too?). I stopped running and stood to catch my breath. I could hear my heart thumping loudly in my chest. Suddenly, a hand touched me slightly on my right shoulder. A cold chill ran down my spine. Had she followed me? I asked myself, thinking of the girl I had seen back at Darksdale. I shrieked and turned, only to come face to face with Paige. She was apparently panting so much to have noticed my shriek. I felt embarrassed.
"You have my phone," she said breathing heavily. She had placed it in my bag before we had left school. I handed it to her. Before she left, she reminded me of 'our' planned expedition of the Darksdale (as if I could forget).

I got home and went straight to my room. I threw myself onto the bed. Every time I thought of Darksdale, my pulse skyrocketed. It was pure suicide walking into that place in the dead of the night (especially for me). Madness in fact. And being dragged into it by the one you love (secretly). I was even beginning to think that this love thing is just another word for weird.
"Robin, take the trash out," my mom called from the kitchen. I grudgingly got out of bed and went downstairs.