Barns Courtney One-Shots

House On The Hill

'What the fuck is wrong with me?!' I wondered as I walked home. I just couldn't understand why I couldn't make any friends. All I really have is my online friends and my family members. Trying to make friends felt like I was trying to fight gravity. My phone buzzing took me out of my thoughts for a moment.

Mom: Are you heading home from work?

Me: Yeah, but I might go on a little walk before going home.

Mom: Okay. Right now I'm on my break.

Mom: What do you want for dinner?

Me: Pizza would be nice.

Mom: I'll pick us up a pizza on my way home tonight.

Me: Okay.

Me: See you when you get home.

Mom: Yeah, see you later. Have a nice walk and stay safe. <3

Me: Thanks, I will. <3

After texting her I continued on my walk. I put my headphones on and decided to listen to some music. Ordinary by Yonaka graced my ear holes as I admired the scenery. The leaves on the trees were starting to turn red, yellow, and orange. Others were turning brown because they don't really change color. The sky was gray and it felt chilly outside. It made me happy, especially since fall is my favorite season. When the song ended I paused my music to walk into my favorite local coffee shop.

I decided to get myself a little treat. Especially since it this week has been kinda difficult regarding my mental health. I ordered a hot pumpkin spice coffee and an old fashioned donut (a donut dusted with cinnamon and sugar). I put my headphones back on and listened to music as I enjoyed my coffee and donut. This time City Haunts by Nothing But Thieves played through my headphones. When I was finished I threw my trash away and left the coffee shop. I kept walking, but I decided to go a little out of town.

I passed the post office when the song changed to Werewolf by Motionless In White. It made me smile because it was a fitting song for the changing seasons. I was looking forward to Halloween. I was so focused on the music I was listening to, I hadn't realized exactly how long I had been walking. That is until I stopped for a second and looked around. I paused my music and took my headphones off. I was standing at a dead end where the "haunted house" was. I honestly believed that parents told stories about this house to scare the kids.

But because of those scary stories kids dared each other to go inside. Especially during this time of the year, and even more so on Halloween night. As far as I know no one has actually gone inside the house. I admired the black iron gate in front of me. On top of the gate the iron was crafted into a beautiful design. I walked a little closer to it and a slight breeze blew, causing the gate to open a little. 'Should I go inside?' I wondered in my head. A stronger breeze blew and the gate opened more. The rumors about the house flooded my mind, but curiosity got the better of me.

'They're just a bunch of scary stories to keep the kids out. None of them are actually real.' I said inside of my head. I walked through the opened hate and looked around as I walked up the dirt path that lead to the house beyond. I admired the signs of fall as I did so. The path got wider as I approached the house. It was a beautiful Victorian styled home. The entire house was painted black except for the door, which was red. A few of the window shutters were half falling off. Ivy was growing on one side of the house as well. It really did look like a haunted house out of a horror movie.

As I looked around I spotted several apple trees. Each one was loaded with beautiful red apples. I walked closer to the house and carefully stepped up onto the porch. The wooden steps creaked with every movement. I knocked on the door even though I doubted that anyone lived there. I guess I just didn't want to be rude. When no one opened the door I tried the handle and found it unlocked. "Hello? The door was unlocked." I said loudly after stepping inside. It smelled like any other empty and abandoned home. Surprisingly the house looked like it was in good shape on the inside.

No chipping paint or peeling wallpaper. I closed the door behind me and looked around. Honestly I felt a little disappointed. Maybe a part of me wanted the spooky stores about this place to be true. But in reality it was just an empty house. I quietly walked around and found that it was quite homey and comfy. I imagined the families that have lived here before enjoying it. I wondered why no one has wanted to buy it and fix it up a little. It would make a lovely home. 'The stories probably keep people from wanting to live here.' I thought.

I was walking back into the large foyer when I heard a stair creak. I figured it was just the house making noise. But as I passed the stairs something caught the corner of my eye. When I turned and looked I was caught off guard. Someone was standing on the stairs. It was a man with white hair and dark colored roots. He was wearing a white lace shirt, a matching lace jacket, white pants, and white boots. I was frozen where I stood; I couldn't move or even speak. He slowly walked towards me and all I could do was stand and stare.

As he got closer I noticed that his skin was white as porcelain. His cheeks were kisses with a red tinted blush. Red eyeshadow made his blue eyes stand out. His  plump lips were painted with red lipstick as well. He looked ghostly, yet beautiful. His neck, arms, and fingers were wrapped in gauze. A white bandaid was placed across the bridge of his nose as well. Out of all of the stories that have been told about this place, nothing could have prepared me for this. "Who are you?" He asked in a curious tone. I cleared my throat awkward before I spoke. "My... my name is y/n." I replied, stuttering a little.

"You're the first person brave enough to cross that threshold. I assume that you don't believe in ghost stories?" He said as he slowly reached a hand out and brushed some hair out of my face. I noticed that he was wearing a ring on his right ring finger. It was on the shape of some kind of bird. I was caught off guard by what he done, and he noticed. My reaction made a small smile play at the corners of his plump red lips. "No, I do believe in ghost and ghost stories. I just... thought they were made up to scare people away." I replied shyly.

I wasn't even sure if he was ghost or someone pretending to be a ghost. "Some of them are bit extreme. A few kids have spoken about them on the doorstep." He chuckled softly. "Who are you?" I asked curiously after a long moment of silence. He smiled deviously and his blue eyes sparkled with mischief. "I think I shall keep that secret for now. That way you'll come back." He said. "What makes you think I'll come back?" I asked with furrowed brows. "Because you have a curious mind. If you didn't then you wouldn't be here now." He replied. I blinked and he disappeared.

I stood there for a moment while my mind raced. Eventually I walked out of the house, closing the door behind me. As I headed down the path I glanced back at the house. He was right, I intended to come back. He was too mysterious for me not to come back and learn about him. But I wasn't sure when I would end up visiting that house again. I would be busy for the next few days. I pressed my thoughts to the back of my mind as I walked home. My stomach growled with hunger and I was looking forward to eating pizza for dinner tonight.

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A/N: Thanks for reading!! Remember to vote, comment, share, etc. :) <3