EMMA'S DARE

Dark shadows of Halloween night start to engulf the remains of the sun's refulgence while we stroll towards that house. That house never fails to shudder every cell of my body, since my childhood. That house which haunts every people at Jowett Street.

Death's Shack. Everyone used to call it like that.

A sense of irritation starts to burn me. Not because of the clanking sound of Sidney's 6-inch platforms. Hell, not even on Shawn who suggested that stupid dare on me.

It is that moaning sound escaping from Shawn and Sidney's disgusting face-sucking session during our walk. It's more rotten than Sidney's Spellbound Stripper-Sorceress costume.

I blink away and look at the brown eyes pouring against me. Shawn McAdams, my crush since kindergarten, Sidney Greene's hotty boyfriend, my escort for today's dare, is staring at me. He says something like: 'Emma Chilton.'

Why is he saying 'Emma Chilton'?

Shit! That's me.

"W-W-What?", I adjust my crystal tiara and fold my arms. The last thing I want is Sidney to laugh with others on my queasiness. "Your stop. From now, it's your cue", he shrugs and points the house in front of us.

Death's Shack shimmers under the moonlight with reigning horror.

This two-story house stays uninhabited for more than 50 decades, so we don't know its awful history of ownership. Lots of rumors add taste to its glorious cocktail. People used to say that lots of nasty things have occurred in this house, which unfortunately hasn't come into my serious attention in detail.

Till now.

I mentally smack myself for throwing a Halloween Party while my parents are away to enhance my dying nanny's happy pills at Frankfurt. Most importantly, to accept Saira Thackeray's 'Truth or Dare' invitation in hope of losing my lip's virginity to Shawn.

But instead, they made me a scapegoat to enter Death's Shack.

DURING HALLOWEEN!!!

I want to bang my heads against the rusted gates like Dobby, but I'm not scared. Emma Chilton will never be a loser anymore. All I have to do is to go inside that house, dust some cobwebs, take a selfie and come back.

Clean and smooth.

"Don't come too fast, Emmy. We've got lots to do...", Sidney snakes her arms around Shawn's neck and nibbles his earlobe. I raise my brow against Shawn, who smirks at me before I turn towards the house and enter its territory. Ignoring their scornful clangs of laughter, I take a deep breath and open the ajar door of this hideous shack. Taking a few steps inside, my shaky hands shut the screeching door and activates the flashlight of my iPhone.

The first is a bobbled living room with rotten and damaged furniture. A tattered couch is placed adjacent to a marble fireplace. On the whole, the entire place is an uncleanable mess, decorated with pure rot and grime.

But, amidst the conquering filth, something above the fireplace, steals my attention.

Something unique and glassy...

I dust off the curtaining cobwebs and pursue near the fireplace, just to find a large, painting. Perfectly framed and hanged overmantel. Flashlight falls on it and bounces back towards me, flaunting an oil painting of a beautiful woman with a bouquet of freedom red roses. Half of her face is hidden to show off her heavy braided black hair and a bright red-black moth on her bare shoulder. Her pale white skin is sheer contrast to her staring brilliant blue eyes.