The Endless Night

Chapter 1

We moved in the house six years ago. My mom always says it's the perfectly placed home. It sits in a five acre field and is just adjacent to a large stretch of woods. From the outside, the house has always seemed rustic, but the inside has always seemed cozy enough. My mom was full of delight when we first moved in, decorating the place just how she wanted. She still enjoys touching up her "little cottage." She's always exclaiming, "Oh Nessie!!! Isn't it the perfect hidden charm in these rustic woods!!!" My dad was always content with the old house (I think just because it was the cheapest one on the market). My brother Jason never really cared, as long as there was room for him and his friends to do... well, whatever it is that twelve year old boys do.

Our house was pretty much perfect. The only eerie thing about it comes from the first day we got here, when we were all moved in and the Realtor handed us the keys. I still remember it like it was just last week. I was standing next to Jason in the doorway while my parents were talking to the Realtor. I didn't really know what they were talking about because Jason kept pinching me and I was doing my best not to slap him. Something caught my attention though; I'm not sure if it was the way the Realtor stiffened up or the way his tone changed, or maybe it was the fact that my brother suddenly stopped pinching me. As the Realtor spoke he made direct eye contact with all four of us: "When night falls upon your estate, make sure your doors are locked, and everyone is inside; never walk out alone..." I personally thought it sounded more like a warning than advice. Maybe it was just the silence that made it seem eerie. At that moment my mom dropped the keys onto the front porch. They landed with a dull clunk on the wood. At the noise, the Realtor seemed to snap out of some trance. Then he was gone.

I've always thought the man was either an insane lunatic who was clearly out of his right mind or just trying to scare us. Yet my mom, being the superstitious person she is, has never failed to follow orders. I'm not saying I'm not thankful for her cautious nature; our property is kind of creepy at night. The way the wind slowly whistles through the trees like a voice of distress calling out in the night. I've only experienced this from the safety of my home though; never from outside. Don't get the wrong idea: my house isn't haunted or anything. I've had friends over, and so has Jason, and everything has been perfectly normal. We've had birthday parties, cook outs, even Fourth of July celebrations all on our property; and it has always seemed like the perfect place for it. It's nothing I've experienced that makes me cautious; it's just the rumors that haunt me.

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I know this chapter isn't the longest, but feedback is always appreciated! I really want to know what you guys think of this!