Nightmare at the Norton's

Giggles in empty spaces

Tate and Jason had been huddled in the living room, watching for any sign of the demented boy for an hour. After coming up from the basement they had tried to get out of the house but the windows were boarded up and the doors wouldn't budge. The front and back doors both seemed to be locked from the outside, and the windows didn't react to any type of force.
A giggle echoed through the house. I'm coming for you. It chanted. First it was Taya, then poor Kadie, mommy came next, and daddy followed the lady, and then me, little Tommy Norton, I killed them all of that I am certain, and now YOU shall die as well. The childish voice chanted in a sing-song voice.
Alarm coursed through Tate as she understood the story the town believed was wrong. It wasn't the father who killed them, it was their son. She could hear Jason breathing heavily behind her. Sweat ran down her face and into her eyes as horror took over her body and it became colder. Tate sighed. Her breath puffed out in a thin white mist.
Something flickered in front of them and Tate screamed as the little boy appeared out of nowhere. Smiling this time he clung to the knife, like a normal child would a toy. Tate let out a small whimper and scrambled backwards. Then Jason's back was in front of her, pushing her backwards towards the wall.
The boy's smile morphed into a venomous grin as he flickered, then disappeared. Tate's hands were balled in the back of Jason's shirt and she could feel his back muscles straining. Her heart fluttered painfully in her chest as she attempted to take a steadying breath.
A cold hand touched her lower back. Tate screamed and wheeled around to find the little boy holding the knife inches from her now exposed stomach. The rusted end of the blade inched towards her and-where was Jason?
Tate turned to find Jason gone. The little boy had disappeared as well.
Panic spread through her limbs. Tate looked around the deteriorating cabin's first floor. Nothing. Cautiously she approached the basement door. Her hand settled on the rough, cold door knob.
She decided against going down there again. The phantom must be smarter than to hold him down there. It was an obvious place since that's where they found the phantom. Tate decided that Jason was probably upstairs in one of the four rooms. There was a closet in each plus one in the hall.
Psyching herself up, Tate headed to the bottom of the stairs. She clenched her fists and then relaxed them.
Sighing deeply Tate walked halfway up the stairs. She turned to the pictures on the wall. Mother, father, daughters, and son. Portraits of each, all of them were smiling. All but one. Tommy Norton frowned on his. He was so darling but so dark. What had caused so much hate to infiltrate his innocent soul?
What made him kill his whole family? Tate continued up the stairs just to be greeted by the cold air that seemed to accompany the phantom boy. He was close.
Carefully Tate walked down the hall. Periodically checking for Tommy Norton. Giggles. Chills ran down her spine as Tommy's ghost started to chant again.
Hide and seek, my favorite game. It's what my mommy did played when daddy died in shame. No one has found her, her soul in anger cries. While in the house I play with you but in the end you die.
Tate's memory rewound itself to last week in the cage when her friends dared her to do this stupid dare. She remembered when Alyssa told her the part of the myth where they had never found the mother's body. Shivers ran down her spine.
A piercing scream from outside brought her back to the present. The cold air diminished, leaving her with a chill. Tate turned towards the window at the end of the hall but a banging on the farthest door down made her stop before she could peek through the boards blocking the window.
Running towards it, Tate threw open the door to find Jason standing there panting.
"Jason" she breathed out before tackling him in a bear hug.