Haunted

Prologue

The blurred sight of the tall green trees began to focus as the car slowed down as it nears the old two story house just a few meters away.

Maia gasped as she took in the old building. It's solid and stern brick walls was surrounded by plants and grass as if the house grew from earth years ago. It's maroon roof was stained with black dirt caused by the long time it wasn't cleaned. The window on the second floor was mysteriously opened that let the curtains swoon with afternoon breeze, still hiding the darkness inside as if the post owner wanted to hide what the darkness held. It looked--haunted.

Maia shivered from the thought.

It was the house that his father recently bought just near the outskirts of California after her mother died from cancer. His father, Bradley Reed thought it was a nice idea to drive away from the bitter past.

Maia was cool about it. Just bothered by the idea f transferring to another school. Having to deal with new people.

Maia is the type of person who hardly speak with others. No, she wasn't bullied, they wouldn't dare. No, she wasn't an outcast--or maybe she chose to be. She didn't want to be one of the pitiful victims of society who kept on forcing themselves in even if it causes them to change themselves. It was pathetic.

She would rather be alone and free to be herself. Though she had few acquaintances back on her previous school, she didn't expect to have best friends here. The picture of her having one would be out of the box.

She turned to look at her father unloading their bags from the car. She tied her long black hair into a high bun before getting out of the car and help

"There are 3 rooms,honey. Yours is on the second floor. Second room to the right"Bradley smiled, getting some boxes out of the trunk

Maia nodded as a reply. She held her two bags with both hands as she entered the house.

She was welcomed by the furnished living room. Quiet and still. She felt something  eerie but she just shoved it away and continue to walk towards the stairs

The silence was disturbed by the light stomping of her shoes against the wooden stairs. The silence seems watching.

She passed by another room but remembered that hers was the second so she proceeded to the next. She slowly reached for the knob and turn it open. The creaking sound of the door made her shiver.

The walls were painted pale white. There was a small table behind the bed at the left side of the room, facing the balcony. A cabinet and a study table on the other side and a white door near it. That must be the comfort room.

She dropped her bags thinking that she could arrange her things later and walked towards the glass door of the balcony to open it and let the fresh air in.

As soon as it was opened, she leaned on the cold metal rails that safely caged the balcony and inhaled deeply. The sun was up but the cold breeze was comforting. Their house was facing trees and had neighbors few meters away. She closed her eyes and embraced the silence enveloping their house.

It was nice having to breath fresh air after living in a much more civilized place where smoke was pretty much daily. It was peaceful.

She was about to turn when she heard a faint whisper that sent chills down her spine.

It wasn't clear. It wasn't loud. But it was near--it was behind her.