We all have that one story, don't we? The one you grow up thinking about, but never actually grow the balls to tell anyone. Well this is my story. I don't know what I'm hoping to accomplish by telling you. Maybe I'm looking for someone to tell me that I'm not insane, or maybe once I put it on paper it will...Hell, I don't know. Just someone read this...just please.
Let me give you a little background. Twenty years ago when I was eight years old, still living with my mom. My friend Dave and I decided that we would brave "The House". Now, The House was an abandoned two story home, that had been empty going on ten years, save for the occasional drug abuser that would sleep in it. However that's not what made this particular house special. The standing rumor is what made it interesting.
For as long as I can remember adults in my neighborhood had told us, the children, that it was haunted. I'm sure it was just their way of getting us not to play in it though. Regardless, because of that, the house had a sort of ominous aura that hung around it. Just looking at that decaying building would give you the shivers. Although despite our inherent fear of the place, Dave and I decided we would explore this house We would become legends in our own right, at least that's what we hoped.
It was Tuesday all those years ago, well past midnight, and both of our parents had fallen asleep. The two of us decided we would sneak out, you know, use the night as our cover. We agreed it would be best to meet up in front of The House. Still, I wish we hadn't agreed to do it.
There I was...alone, waiting in front of The House for my friend. I couldn't help but feel small when I looked at it. It might have been old, and the wood may have been rotting, but man did it look enormous. I bet even adults felt dwarfed by it. To keep myself from chickening out, I decided to think about something else while I waited; it was a little cold that night, which was the typical weather after a hard rain. "Ah, crap." I muttered, noticing the mud that covered my shoes. I should have paid more attention to where I was stepping. "Mom is going to kill me when she..." my voice trailed off when I heard a dull thud from behind me. Sounded like someone knocked a door.
Was...was it the house, or was I just imagining things? I spun around expecting to see a hairy monster behind me, instead it was just The House; broken windows, splintered wood, and roof that had more than a few holes in it. Just the usual, nothing to panic about. I should have been relieved, but I found myself slightly shaken. Soon I would be stepping into one of the most feared places in our neighborhood. I wasn't even inside yet, and I could already feel the slight tremor in my hand.
Before I could reconsider the mission Dave arrived. I quickly stuffed my hands into my pockets to hide the quiver. I could see his small figure bouncing up and down. The little jokester was skipping across the street. My fears were immediately replaced with giddy laughter. "You're such a clown," I managed to say in-between my giggles. We both reached out and shook hands, like his father had taught us. Luckily he didn't notice the tremor.
Dave used his hands to smooth back his black hair, kind of like a greaser would in a cliched movie. "You ready for this?" He nodded towards the door. Typical Dave, he always tried to look cool. Whether it be riding his bike with no hands, or sneaking into an abandoned house, he never failed to give off the "I'm a badass" vibe.
I tried my best to sound nonchalant, "Only if you are, Davey." The comment awarded me a slight snicker. Dave hated it when I called him Davey. He said it sounded girly, and that's exactly why I used it. Rather than shoot a retort at me, he simply nudged me towards the house, and we began walking to the door. Our small feet made quiet echoes in the street, I was worried we might wake someone. If we had any doubts about what we were doing, that moment would have been the right time to bail out.
Of course, as per the norm, stupidity got the better of us. The second our feet hit the old steps, we knew there would be no turning back. "Think we should knock?" Dave joked. Seeing him act all cool somehow gave me courage, and so I knocked. What I heard made the hair on my neck stand at attention. The same thud I had heard from earlier reverberated through the door when my knuckles landed. I gulped loudly, but maintained an overall calm composure.
