~~~SMK~~~
October 31, 1962
The cold, damp, NIGHT air sent chills racing down his spine, and a swarm of butterflies staged a dogfight in his stomach. He stood at the mouth of the alley and peered into the inky blackness before stepping into the confined space.
Inch by inch, he picked his way over the debris of broken bottles and over-turned trashcans, careful not to make a sound. A BLACK CAT darted out from behind a cardboard box, and raced past him. He jumped, and a scream lodged in his throat. His heart pounded so hard, he was afraid it would pop right out of his chest. Bracing a hand against the brick wall, he took a few deep breaths to calm his racing pulse.
Looking back over his shoulder, he saw his friends laughing at him. Determined to shut them all up and prove he wasn't a scaredy-cat, he straightened his shoulders and continued down the passageway.
Clouds rolled in, covering the MOON, plunging him in darkness. He wished he'd had a flashlight to light his way instead of just a dumb CANDLE that went out with every gust of wind or drop of RAIN.
Walking alone in the middle of the night, down a SPOOKY alley, wasn't such a great idea. Next time, he'd just keep his mouth shut, and he wouldn't have to prove he wasn't a chicken.
Instead of being out here in the cold and rain, he could've been at the base Halloween party, stuffing his face with CANDY and ORANGE soda. Mrs. Miller told him she'd help him find an appropriate COSTUME to wear, but that party was for babies, and at 12 years old, he wasn't a baby as his uncle was fond of reminding him.
At last, he'd reached the end of the alley and Mockingbird Lane. There, just across the street, stood the old Marlow place. At one time, it was a funeral home, and some people said the dead still walked the grounds. Others claimed old man Marlow murdered thirty-one people, chopped their bodies up, and then buried them around the yard. Every Halloween night, their spirits rose and walked the grounds, searching for their missing body parts.
His mouth went bone-dry and he looked back over his shoulder, down the alley to see if his friends were still there. Sure enough, they were standing right where he'd left them, and waving at him to get on with it.
He couldn't put it off any longer. Slowly, he crossed the street. The butterflies in his stomach morphed into BATS, the closer he got to the HAUNTED house.
An iron fence surrounded the property. The spiked pickets looked sharp and dangerous. Two cement pillars supported an archway of matching metal, and a rusted gate ineffectually blocked the entrance.
Lee heard noise behind him, and turned around to see his friends emerging from the alleyway. He should have known they wouldn't take his word for it. They'd have to see for themselves that he actually entered the building.
Turning back to face the structure, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before he pushed the gate open. The metal creaked and groaned as it swung aside, sending a shiver racing down his spine.
As he crossed the threshold, he looked first left, then right. Overgrown grass and weeds came up to his chest. Several huge trees--their bony, naked limbs reaching out like skeleton's hands, ready to grab unsuspecting souls, stood sentinel on each side of a winding walkway.
Years of rotting leaves squished under his feet as he took a few tentative steps down the path. The steady drizzle let up, and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, giving him his first clear view of the house.
The building was huge. He counted at least eight windows on each floor. Some of the windows had missing glass while two-by-fours sealed other windows. Most of the wooden shingles had come off over the years, leaving gaping wounds on the edifice. Storm shutters hung lopsided on rusted hinges, and banged against the frame each time the wind howled.
One side of the house had a third floor, and a turret like the one you'd see on a castle, complete with a spire for the roof. The other side had two-stories with an iron balcony, and a very long ceiling to match the roof of the third floor. A window with a pointed roof stood between the two-sides.
He couldn't be sure, but it looked like there was some sort of walkway between the two wings of the house. An iron fence ran the length of the roof. He'd need to get closer to be sure.
Once again, he began walking toward the house. He'd taken only a few steps before his foot landed on something SOFT and squishy. As his foot came down on the object, he felt it pop, the way a grape popped when you squeezed it hard between your fingers.
He knew there weren't any grapes decorating the ground. He only thought of one thing it could be. He grimaced and his stomach turned. Tonight's dinner tried to come back up. Swallowing a few times, he forced it back down.
Once he had his stomach under control, he relit the candle. Slowly, he lifted his foot, and took a step back. Bending down to get a closer look, his stomach flipped again. He sucked in a breath, gathering his courage before peering at the object.
A huge sigh escaped and his stomach settled back down. He hadn't stepped on an eyeball, as he feared, only a very big, hairy spider. He stood, and using his hand to shield the candle flame from the elements, he continued down the walk.
Seven wooden steps led up to a covered porch. The wood had rotted through in some places, leaving gaping holes on the floor. A giant lamp hung from the ceiling on a chain. It swung in the breeze, creaking as it rocked back and forth. Lee was afraid it would come crashing down at any moment, and vowed to make sure he didn't stand under it tonight.
He navigated around the rotted steps and porch. Standing in front of the door, he turned to face his buddies. Johnny flapped his arms. Lee could see his mouth move, and knew he was making that awful chicken noise—baawk, baawk. Artie had his thumbs jammed in his ears and waved his hands at Lee. His raspberry was so loud; Lee heard it all the way on the porch. Dave was too busy warding off teasing blows from his brother Andy, to pay attention to what Lee was doing. Lee shook his head at his friends' antics, and then gave them a quick wave before he pushed the front door open, and ducked inside.
The interior was dark, and he tried to look around using the meager light from his candle. He stepped further into the room and felt a cool finger caressing his cheek. He couldn't hold back a yelp.
Ready to face a zombie or VAMPIRE, he lifted the candle high in the air, and whirled around only to discover cobwebs covered the room, and he'd just walked through one, which explained the sensation he felt.
Steadier now, he walked around the first floor. Most of the rooms were empty except for one on the far left. Curiosity had him entering a room that my have been a library at one time. Empty shelves lined the walls, and a rusted suit of armor stood sentinel between the windows.
Dingy, grey sheets shrouded the furniture making them look like specters. Lee smiled as he though of the perfect way to give the guys a taste of their own medicine. Too bad, he didn't have a PUMPKIN. That would have been the perfect addition to his little plot. Oh well, he'd just have to make do with the helmet from the suit of armor.
He walked across the room and stopped in front of what appeared to be a desk. He whisked the sheet off the furniture, sending dust flying into the air. It hung there like a MIST before sinking down and coating everything, in a fine powder, including Lee, causing him to sneeze a few times.
Dragging the sheet behind him, he crept back to the front door. Positioning himself near the entry, he doused the candle flame before tossing the sheet over his head and body. He tucked the helmet in the crook of his elbow before stepping out onto the porch. He waived his arms around, and moaned a bit, pretending he was a GHOST.
A SCREAM PIERCED THE NIGHT.
He tugged the sheet off of his head just in time to see his friends running back down the alley.
Lee laughed so hard tears streamed down his cheeks. Now he knew who the real chickens were. Something caught his eye and he looked up at the sky. He couldn't believe his eyes; a WITCH riding on a BROOM sailed through the heavens. She turned and winked at him.
He screamed, dropped his costume on the porch, and raced after his pals.
End
Author's Note: Here is a link to what the haunted house really looks like. http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchjr25/293145341/
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.