The Ghost Upstairs (A Ghost Story)

Chapter 1

    I laughed loudly at my friend's, Ashleigh, joke.  They were sitting on the floor of the living room of my apartment.  We were watching the horror channel, Not Alone.  Yeah, sounds creepy.  I knew that.  But we continued to talk anyways with the TV playing quietly in front of us.

"...And as he was leaving, he said 'Alright everyone, back on your heads!" Ashleigh said, practically yelling.  I told her to shush, as we weren't the only ones in the building, and that I could get kicked out if she didn't shut up. 

She closed her mouth, she squeaked a little from the laughter that wanted to spill from her mouth.  Her face turned red, which made me chuckle softly.  I gasped.  "We.  Should. Totallytellghoststories."  I spilled out the last part so fast, I couldn't even understand myself, so I was surprised when Ashleigh said 'Okay!'

"Okay, okay, I'll start" I said "Once upon a time, there were two girls.  Named Leanna and Amber-"

"Oh my Gosh those sound like our names!" Ashleigh gushed.  I told her to shut up again.  I took a deep breath and continued.

"They were having a girl's night out thing.  When they got back to their place, it was trashed.  The tables over turned, the couch torn in half, the chair legs scattered everywhere.  Amber and Leanna gasped at the damage.  Who breaks in, and doesn't take anything? They decided to check the rest of the house, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, and the attic.  The bedrooms didn't look much better.  The sheets messed up, and the bed with great gashes through it.  But the bathroom, is what scared them the most."

"What happened in the bathroom?!" Ashleigh impatiently interrupted.

"We'll get to that.  Just wait a minute." I said, and continued "The toilet had the water filled to the seat, the sink was running, over spilling and leaving a mess on the floor.  The shower was running.  But not water, it was running blood."  Ashleigh gasped "And the mirror, the big, body sized mirror.  In red print, more like calligraphy, said 'I've warned you, get out, or next time it's you'  The girls screamed, they ran out of the house."

Ashleigh's face had turned pale as I said what the mirror had written on it.  "What happened next?" Ashleigh looked terrified, so just to tease her, I said "No one knows.  They went missing after."

Ashleigh let out a blood curdling scream.  I slapped her, not hard, but enough to let her know that she should shut up.  I heard a banging on the ceiling, from the next floor. I yelled up "Sorry!" but the banging continued.

"Oh my Gosh..." I whispered, I looked up at Ashleigh, whose cheek had turned a little bit red.  "What?" She asked.

I said this in a whisper: "No one lives above us until the fourth floor up."  Ashleigh gasped, I felt the blood drain from my face, I could see the blood drain from her's too. 

I jumped up quickly, an evil smile going on my face, even though I was terrified.  "Let's go investigate."

Ashleigh jumped up "No way!  What if what happened to Leanna and Amber happens to us!  I'm not going up without Noah."  Noah was Ashleigh's boyfriend of nearly 3 years.  He had helped her through a lot of stuff.

I sighed.  "Fine, you call Noah and then I'll call Elijah."  Elijah was my, you could say brother, we weren't related at all, but we were there for each other whenever we needed it.  Even when I broke up with my old boyfriend in the middle of a football field, in the rain, at 3 AM.  He came.  I considered him my boyfriend, but we haven't really gotten to the point were we admitted it.

After we had both called our 'boyfriends', 5 minutes later a single pair of headlights shined in the window.  The banging still continued.  There was a knock on my door and I threw it open.  There standing were Noah and Elijah, both smiling.

I called Elijah at the same time Ashleigh called Noah.  We hugged them and sat on my large couch the stretched from a foot from the door all the way around to almost the kitchen, hitting a corner on the way. 

"What's up?" Elijah asked, sitting close to me, so we faced Noah and Ashleigh, who were holding hands already.

Ashleigh started "Well we were having a fun girls night, right?  And then Leanne here decides to tell a ghost story.  A weird one too.  After she told the story, we heard a banging coming from the ceiling after I screamed really loud.  Then Leanne remembered that no one lives above her until 4 floors up."

Elijah kept nodding his head as Ashleigh blew through the story.

Noah said something after an awkward silence "Babe it was probably just the landlord."  "Oh no no no!  It's nearly 3 AM!  Why would he check an empty apartment with no tenant at all at 3 AM!  Please just check with us!"  Ashleigh cried.

Elijah and Noah nodded their heads.  Ashleigh and Noah stood up, while me and Elijah stayed seated.  "Well, what are you waiting for?  Lead the way Leanne." Noah said.  I smiled and stood up.

I motioned for Elijah to stand up and he did.  I stopped at the foot of my door.  I felt a strong hand on my back, pushing me only gently to urge me on.  I nodded my head quickly and opened the door.  It squeaked.  This was an old, large apartment building, with 1 apartment a floor.

I stepped onto the first stair.  It creaked.  I then ran up the stairs, hearing my friends run up after me.  I looked at the chipped and vintage looking door.  A sign stated 2A.  I opened the door, opening it slowly, like in those dramatic movies and stuff. 

I peered in.  The place smelled stale, of old air.  The door had squeaked loudly, everything covered with a thick layer of dust.  I looked around, and thought I saw something dart from the corner of my eye.  I shook it off and got pushed in.  I squeaked myself as I turned around and saw Elijah's lopsided smile.

I slapped him playfully on the shoulder and laughed.  Since everything faded into the darkness, I decided to play him.  I was a wonderful actor.  It was what I was going to major in at college, the performing arts, or acting if you will.  I put on my best terrified face, which was very convincing and stumbled backwards into the darkness, I yelled a little, to sell it off.

I could see a look of pure terror on his face, his arms reached out as I was fully engulfed in the darkness.  I laughed, I could still see his face but it was still horrified.  My chuckling slowly faded out, still chuckling I asked "What's wrong?"

"L-l-l-l-look behind you." He stuttered.  I looked at Noah and Ashleigh, who also had looks of terror on their face.  I looked.

I saw a black shape, about the size of a 6 foot man.  It had broad shoulders.   No definable features except to be sort of transparent, but with color.  My mouth opened, I turned my torso around fully to get a better look.  I didn't notice his arm lifting up until I felt two strong, but shaking hands wrap themselves around my chest, under my shoulders and pulling me back fast. 

No question it was Elijah, he'd been watching out for me since we were ten.  I could here two sets of feet running out as I was still being dragged.  The door flew shut, I could hear Noah and Ashleigh gasp.

The shadow moved closer, I scrambled to my feet and wrapped my arms tightly around Elijah's waist, wanting to feel secure, even though it didn't help much.  I started breathing heavily.  I put my head on Elijah's shoulder.  I could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

The shadow put a hand on my shoulder, it was cold, so cold it burned.  I squeezed Elijah harder, and I felt his arms wrap protectively around my shoulders.  If you didn't see the shadow, you would've thought we were kissing, but really, we were clinging to each other in pure terror. 

I felt my shoulder being pulled forward, toward the shape, I tried to pull away, but the force was too strong.  Even with Elijah's strong arms around me, I felt myself slipping away.  Elijah was struggling to hold on, I could feel him shaking from tension.  I heard the door rattling and Noah and Ashleigh talking quickly and quietly.

Finally Elijah's arms gave out, and I was pulled into the shadow.  I could feel my eyes closing, as I fell to the floor.  All I can remember was 2 male voices and 1 female voice shouting my name as I slid into darkness.

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Let me know what you think! Oh, and BTW there's a pic of Elijah.