They Say Seeing Is Believeing

"Come on; get serious. Ghosts aren't real."
I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
"But they are! And the house down the street really is haunted!" My best friend, Marie insisted. I rolled my eyes again, staring up at said haunted house. A cracked sidewalk led up to the broken and lopsided steps. The dirty and dark windows were impossible to see into and vines crept up the front and sides of the house, reaching spidery fingers to the sky as if seeking escape from the depressing aura that hung around the house. The weeds, left to do what they wanted, grew as tall as my thighs; tall enough to hide the creatures lurking in the overgrowth. The house itself looked like it was beautiful in its day. But now, it served as a story to tell kids at bedtime.
"Whatever."
I said, turning away.
"But its true!" Marie insists, running in front of me. I sigh.
"Ghosts aren't real and i'll prove it!" Marie smirks.
"Alright then. I dare you to go into the house tonight." I gulp and she cocks an eyebrow.
"What's the matter? Scared?" She taunts.
"Fine!" I exclaim, "I'll go into tonight and when I come out and prove you wrong, you own me twenty bucks!" She sticks out her hand.
"Deal!" I shake it and cant help but feel that I made a grave mistake. I took one last look back at the haunted house as we walked back home and I could have sworn I saw a figure standing in the upstairs window. But it's probably just my imagination.

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"Mom! i'm home!" I yell as I shut the door behind me.
"In here Lily!" The call comes from the kitchen. I drop my backpack in a chair on the way in. My mother is standing by the stove, stirring a pot. She turns and smiles at me. "I'm making chicken soup for dinner." She says as I kiss her cheek and turn towards the stairs. "ok, call me when it's ready." I say as I head up to my room.
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That night, as I wait for my mom's nightly getting-ready-for-bed noises to subside so I know it's save to sneak out, I couldnt help but feel a sense of dread as the time to leave got closer. I cant explain it but it feels like something in the back of my mind is screaming at me to stay home. Of course, it's probably nerves, I mean-the house is old; Who knows what could happen. An hour later, I'm up, shoes on and a backpack with a flashlight and rope is sung over my back. I quietly creep down the stairs, avoiding the places that creak and slowly ease my way out the door, shutting it softly behind me. I take off down the street, spotting Marie's figure standing under the street lamp that sits across from the haunted house. Marie greeted me as I got closer and together we crossed the street and walked up the creaky steps of the house. I paused in front of the door, staring up at the dark windows that seemed to glare down at me, hiding the inside of the house from my view.
"Well? Are you going in or not? Don't tell me your chickening out." I heard Marie say behind me. I turn and glare at her.
"Me? Scared? As if!" I scoff but I can't help the shiver that flashes down my spine as I turn my gaze back to the house in front of me. I slid my backpack off, bending down and extracting my flashlight from its depths. I take one last look at Marie's smirking face and my courage hardened. I take a deep breath and open the door trying not to let the omnuious creak it made get to me.
"Remember, you'll owe me twenty bucks." I say to Marie without turning and then plunge into the darkness.
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My flashlight speared through the darkness, reveiling a hallway to me. There was two doors on my right and one on my left. A staircase spiraled up to the second floor at the end of the hallway. I opened the first door on my left and shined my flashlight throught the room. I saw a something move from a corner as the light swept throught the room and I jerked back to look again. The corner was empty. It was just the light shining on an object as the light moved through. I repeated that sentence over and over again but I felt the hair on the back of my neck raise, like there was someone watching me. I whirled around to face the hallway, hearing a laugh echo around me.
"Who's there?" I cry out, looking around frantically. Calm down, your just freaking yourself. There was probably a logical explanation for that noise; like the wind moving through the house. It's old, it probably makes lots of noises. No matter how much I tried to tell myself that the feeling of being watched didn't decrease. I shut the door I had opened which was a living room with a dining room connected to it and opened the door on my left. It looked like a kitchen, that had an opening and when I shined my light on it, it was reveiled to be a washroom. I closed this door and opened the last door on the right. This was a closet and I hurridly shut the door as the feeling of being watched increased with the door being opened. I reached the end of the hallway and stared of into the dark at the top of the staircase. I tentatively lifted my foot and pressed down on the first step and winced when it creaked. I took a deep breath and cautiously started up the steps, ignoring how much this felt like a death match. As I ascended I glanced up into the darkness I was getting closer to. I was so busy looking forward that I missed the eyes of one picture on the wall following me as I continued upward. I finally reached the top and shined my light into the gloom. Doors lined right and left in the hallway. Most of them were open and I tried not to let the shiver of fear that wanted to go down my back to do so. I slowly walked forward, shining my light side to side. I saw my light glance off of something and shine back at me. I turned and looked at it. I almost screamed at the face staring back at me until I realized that it was only my reflection. I let out a nervous laugh and stared at the mirror. Blue eyes framed by long lashes and thick black hair stared back at me. I was about to turn away when I saw a dark figure glide down the hallway behind me. I spun away from the mirror, gasping as I swung my light down the hallway. Nothing. There was nothing there. I let out a shaky breath and continue my way down the hallway. Suddenly, a shrieking laugh sounded all around me and I let out a scream, dropping my flashlight. The light went out and I let out a whimper, kneeling and trying to find my only source of security. I was just about to go into full panic mode when a light bloomed in front of me. My head snapped up and I gasped. Staring at me, illuminated by a source of light I couldnt see was a skeletal face. It smiled at me, teeth missing and leaving only a wide and dark chasm behind. A scream of terror stuck in my throat as I scrambled back on hands and knees.
"my, my. we are lost now aren't we?" A whispery voice asked, the horrid mouth moving. My eyes were wide and I couldnt seem to speak. The voice continued.
"Is it correct to say that you dont believe in ghosts? hmm Lily?" I wanted to ask how this apparition knew my name but my voice didnt seem to be working at the moment.
"Well, if ghost are not real then how do you explain me? or the others?" A pale hand gestured behind me and I slowly turned, the scream that didn't want to come out before now escaping my throat as white figures filled the hallway. My joints unlocked and I jumped to my feet, bolting down the hallway. A cackling laugh followed me.
"Remember Lily! Seeing is believeing!" The voice called out to me as I stumbled down the stairs and towards the door. It was open and I could see Marie standing in the doorway. I had almost made it when the door slammed shut. I started pounding on it, screaming. An evil chuckle sounded behind me.
"Now did you really think you would be able to leave? You see, there is a curse upon this house: All who enter shall not beable to leave." The voice whispered in my ear and I slowly turned, my eyes growing wide and my mouth opening in a silent scream.