Blood Moon 2 (Haunted)

Home Sweet Home

The massive rundown Victorian Manor had been the very first building in the small town I live in. By now the paint was peeling off and you could see patches of mold as the original frame of the house started showing. The lawn needed a lot of work. Weeds grew out of control, some as tall as a full grown man. The small stone pathway that lead up to the front door was so overgrown that a person had to guess where to step. Every few years they would threaten to tear it down, but some nosy lady would always start a petition in order to save the old relic. It had become an embarrassment to the community. Yet for some reason the Manor still stood.

Children used to go and test their bravery there every weekend. Boys would try and impress girls by going inside and bringing them back a small trophy from within the old creaky house. The popular kids would force their weaker classmates to stay the night, with the promise that it would allow them to become one of the “cool kids”, of course this was a lie. They just loved humiliating them.

All records of the original owners of the Manor had been lost. An unexplained fire had broken out in the archives room of the Town Hall. Miss Molly had been the last known inhabitant of the place, which she shared with her sixteen year old granddaughter, but they had mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago. There had been no trace, and in all honesty, the people in the town hadn’t really cared. She had been a miserable old hag, always shouting from her front door at passerby’s and anybody who even dared look in the direction of her house. As for the girl, she had been a mousy little thing, never smiling.  People would try and make conversation with her whenever she was in town doing chores for her grandmother, and the only response they would get, was a frown from the girl as she stalked off without so much as a “Hello”. They would shake their heads and whisper to each other about how unpleasant Miss Molly and the girl were. Of course this had all taken place long before I had been even a twinkle in my parent eyes.

***

“Anna! Anna! Anna!” my friends were chanting so loud that my ears were actually ringing. I turned to look back at them and rewarded them with a sly smile and a wink. Ahead of me stood the old Manor, dark and menacing. If houses could talk, this one would be saying “Leave now before its too late.” But even if I could hear it, I would still not have listened. I was too ambitious and had a status to uphold within my group of friends. I never backed out of a dare.

The old wooden steps creaked beneath my feet as I ascended towards the front door. I could see shards of glass littering the porch, evidence of many youngsters my age taking advantage of the deserted house. A sudden shiver ran down my spine as I placed my hand on the cold rusted doorknob.

The door let out an almost human-like groan as I slowly pushed it open. The Entrance Hall floor was covered in thick dust and above my head large spider webs hung from the chandelier and tall ceiling. Broken bits of furniture lay around, evidence of looting and neglect.

Ever so slow I stepped further and further into the old Manor, turning back sharply as I heard the loud bang of the door shutting behind me. I clamped my hand over my mouth a second before a scream could escape from my lips.

I could have sworn that I had heard a soft, faint whisper from deep within the house.

“Welcome Home Annabel.”

***

Gathering whatever courage I possessed, I trudged further and further. checking each room I passed for signs of anything. Life, left over knick-knacks. All the while thinking to myself that I had to be a fool for allowing my friends to talk me into this.

The hairs on the back of my neck suddenly stood up. I was sure that I had felt someone’s fingertips caress my cheek. My breath caught in my throat and I gasped for air, air that had become freezing cold. Wispy clouds came out of my mouth as I finally found the breath I so desperately needed. I hugged myself as I tried to warm my now frozen arms.

“Welcome Home Annabel.”

The soft whisper of an old ladies raspy voice had been so close, practically right beside me. I spun around in all directions, trying to find the source. To no avail. I knew I was the only living being inside here. Alone and now utterly terrified.

I gave myself a mental shake and decided to try upstairs. I was just being a silly girl with an overactive imagination.

The banister up the stairs was covered thick with dust. I ran my fingers over it as I slowly walked up the stairs, my fingers leaving a trail in the dust.

One had to admire the old Manor, for as rundown as it was, it was still magnificent.

At the top of the staircase I saw a pale pink door with faded yellow flowers covering it. For some reason the door just didn’t fit in with the rest of the house. It wasn’t as worn and derelict as the rest of my current surrounding. I was drawn to the door, it was calling me and I just couldn’t find it in myself to resist. as if in a daze, I carefully opened it. What I found inside chilled me to the core. It was in perfect order, as if someone still occupied it. There was a rose-wood four-poster bed with a pink bed spread, there was stuffed toys of all shaped and sized propped up against the pillows. a dresser stood by the dirty window, it had a brush and perfume on it. There wasn’t a spot of dust anywhere in the room, and it left me baffled.

Then came the voice of an old lady behind me, “Welcome home my sweet Annabel.”

I spun around and there in the corner a slow moving rocking chair next to the door sat an old lady. She was dressed in a long flowery dress, it had long sleeves and hung all the way down to her ankles, around her neck hung a string of pearls and her grey hair was neatly pulled back into a severe looking bun at the back of her head, she also wore horn rimmed black glasses.

“How do you know me?’ I managed to stammer out.

“Oh my dear girl, you belong here.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, and how do you know my name?”

She smiled a cruel wicked looking smile, got up and stepped towards me, “Welcome home Annabel.”

With a soft cackle she vanished, gone, into thin air.

I was freaking out and ran as fast as I could out the room, down the stairs and out the front door, the old woman’s voice still ringing in my ears. I ran all the way home, I needed to tell my parents.

They weren’t home when I came charging through the front door, so I decided to go up to my room and wait for them.

As I walked into my room I heard the old woman again, “ Welcome home Annabel.” I shut my eyes tightly and when I opened them...

I was right back in the old Manor. I ran to the window and was shocked at what I saw. I saw myself running out the house in fear. Behind me came the voice of the old lady one last time,

“Welcome home Annabel, I wont allow you to ever leave again.”