Willow Road
To
Monica was unsure how long she was out when she came to. At first, she wasn’t even sure where she was. The room was unfamiliar and it didn’t feel like a place she had been before. It took time to realize that she was here on a dare, that Harry was somewhere nearby, probably plotting a joke as she sat on a dirty, unmade bed.
She stood and felt around for her torch. When she couldn’t find it, she used her phones light to see where it had gone. She found it by the beanbag chairs; it must have rolled when she fainted. She took a second to gaze at the time. “I was out for 3 hours?” She asked herself. “Why didn’t Harry wake me?” She grabbed the light and turned toward the door. “Harold!” To say she was upset with Harry right now was an understatement. She knew the moment she told Louis that Harry left her in a room for 3 hours, passed out, he would be furious. Was playing jokes on her really worth pissing off his best friend?
“Dude.” She started, bringing her hand to her head as she started to feel faint again. “If you seriously jump out from behind something, I will hit you with the damn torch.” She turned to the room next to the red one and opened the door. All that was inside was a bathroom. She shut the door and turned to the one directly across from it, next to the stairs. The room was just like the first two she visited on this floor, it had a bed, dresser and closet. She closed the door and slowly walked toward the last room on the floor.
The door was decorated with ducks with the word Nursery written under it in a light yellow paint. She opened it slowly, expecting Harry to jump at her. She slowly moved the light around the room. Changing table, crib…curls. She walked in the room and looked at the mess of curls her light had caught.
Harry stood facing the corner of the nursery, his eyes nearly burning a hole in the already cracking tan paint. His face held no expression; the only movement he made was the involuntary rising and falling of his chest. No sounds come from him, nothing. He was like a statue.
Monica walked towards him, her eyes locked on his head. “H-hey, you okay?” The boys head snapped to the left, causing it to rest on his shoulder. She jumped back slightly, freezing as he slowly turned his head towards her.
His green eyes found her quickly. The moment he saw her, his head snapped back to the front, his back arched as he laughed. The torch her hand began to flicker and the door slammed shut. She wanted to turn and run for it, but her legs didn’t want to budge. Fear began enveloping her more and more.
His laughter filled the room. It wasn’t the normal “full of life” one, no, this was low and dark as the room had suddenly become.
Mo turned to search for the doorknob. Her hands shook as she moved along the wall, feeling every crack, praying she was close to escaping the sudden hell she stumbled upon. Her hands fell upon the polished metal knob, just as she was about to turn it, a warm burst of air caressed the skin on her neck. “Harry, this isn’t funny.” She begged. “Please stop, you are really scaring me.”
His husky voice let out a single word, sending shivers down her spine, “Good.” She turned to face him, but there was no one behind her. Monica grasped the doorknob again and stumbled out of the room. Hitting the torch against her palm, she made her way down the narrow hallway. She moved slowly, without the light she couldn’t see a thing and she knew there was a flight of stairs up ahead.
Light found the torch, but only in short bursts. The house was completely silent and there was no sign of Harry. It worried Mo a lot. He was acting strange. This wasn’t Harry. He goofed around a lot, but never would he risk her life…right?
The hallway lit up as she reached the top of the stairs. Carefully she descended to the first floor, pulling out her phone as she stood into the hallway. She dialed Louis’, after a few rings, Lou answered. “Giving up already? It’s only been 3 hours.” Louis laughed, but Monica wasn’t calling to joke.
“Harry’s going crazy Louis. Not the fun crazy either, he’s really—“
“He’s messing with you.” Louis interrupted.
Monica scoffed, “Nearly breaking his neck to look at me, disappearing and such is not ‘messing’ with me.”
“Mo, you’re acting crazy yourself.”
“I know, but I’m being honest. Something’s wrong with him!” She pleaded with her boyfriend.
“You’ve only got 6 more hours. He’ll give up the act soon.” Louis voice softened as he tried to calm his girlfriend down.
“I don’t care about the fucking dare, Tommo. I’ll take the damn title of Ultimate Pussy if it gets you and the other boys down here to check on Harry.” The stairs behind her creaked. “Please?” She begged, turning to the stairs to look at Harry. He stood on the 9th step, head cocked to the left, his lips curled into a frightening smile.
When he caught her eye, he moved down a step. “Stay there Harry. Don’t come near me.” She warned, but he laughed.
“Okay, fine.” Louis sighed, grabbing her attention. “I’ll come and bring the boys. See you in 20 minutes.”
Harry charged down the stairs, rushing Mo, causing her to scream loudly. He knocked the phone from her hand. “Harry, stop!” She cried, reaching for her phone, but his large foot was already crashing down on the rectangular device.
“Harry is not here right now, can I take a message?”
She stood and felt around for her torch. When she couldn’t find it, she used her phones light to see where it had gone. She found it by the beanbag chairs; it must have rolled when she fainted. She took a second to gaze at the time. “I was out for 3 hours?” She asked herself. “Why didn’t Harry wake me?” She grabbed the light and turned toward the door. “Harold!” To say she was upset with Harry right now was an understatement. She knew the moment she told Louis that Harry left her in a room for 3 hours, passed out, he would be furious. Was playing jokes on her really worth pissing off his best friend?
“Dude.” She started, bringing her hand to her head as she started to feel faint again. “If you seriously jump out from behind something, I will hit you with the damn torch.” She turned to the room next to the red one and opened the door. All that was inside was a bathroom. She shut the door and turned to the one directly across from it, next to the stairs. The room was just like the first two she visited on this floor, it had a bed, dresser and closet. She closed the door and slowly walked toward the last room on the floor.
The door was decorated with ducks with the word Nursery written under it in a light yellow paint. She opened it slowly, expecting Harry to jump at her. She slowly moved the light around the room. Changing table, crib…curls. She walked in the room and looked at the mess of curls her light had caught.
Harry stood facing the corner of the nursery, his eyes nearly burning a hole in the already cracking tan paint. His face held no expression; the only movement he made was the involuntary rising and falling of his chest. No sounds come from him, nothing. He was like a statue.
Monica walked towards him, her eyes locked on his head. “H-hey, you okay?” The boys head snapped to the left, causing it to rest on his shoulder. She jumped back slightly, freezing as he slowly turned his head towards her.
His green eyes found her quickly. The moment he saw her, his head snapped back to the front, his back arched as he laughed. The torch her hand began to flicker and the door slammed shut. She wanted to turn and run for it, but her legs didn’t want to budge. Fear began enveloping her more and more.
His laughter filled the room. It wasn’t the normal “full of life” one, no, this was low and dark as the room had suddenly become.
Mo turned to search for the doorknob. Her hands shook as she moved along the wall, feeling every crack, praying she was close to escaping the sudden hell she stumbled upon. Her hands fell upon the polished metal knob, just as she was about to turn it, a warm burst of air caressed the skin on her neck. “Harry, this isn’t funny.” She begged. “Please stop, you are really scaring me.”
His husky voice let out a single word, sending shivers down her spine, “Good.” She turned to face him, but there was no one behind her. Monica grasped the doorknob again and stumbled out of the room. Hitting the torch against her palm, she made her way down the narrow hallway. She moved slowly, without the light she couldn’t see a thing and she knew there was a flight of stairs up ahead.
Light found the torch, but only in short bursts. The house was completely silent and there was no sign of Harry. It worried Mo a lot. He was acting strange. This wasn’t Harry. He goofed around a lot, but never would he risk her life…right?
The hallway lit up as she reached the top of the stairs. Carefully she descended to the first floor, pulling out her phone as she stood into the hallway. She dialed Louis’, after a few rings, Lou answered. “Giving up already? It’s only been 3 hours.” Louis laughed, but Monica wasn’t calling to joke.
“Harry’s going crazy Louis. Not the fun crazy either, he’s really—“
“He’s messing with you.” Louis interrupted.
Monica scoffed, “Nearly breaking his neck to look at me, disappearing and such is not ‘messing’ with me.”
“Mo, you’re acting crazy yourself.”
“I know, but I’m being honest. Something’s wrong with him!” She pleaded with her boyfriend.
“You’ve only got 6 more hours. He’ll give up the act soon.” Louis voice softened as he tried to calm his girlfriend down.
“I don’t care about the fucking dare, Tommo. I’ll take the damn title of Ultimate Pussy if it gets you and the other boys down here to check on Harry.” The stairs behind her creaked. “Please?” She begged, turning to the stairs to look at Harry. He stood on the 9th step, head cocked to the left, his lips curled into a frightening smile.
When he caught her eye, he moved down a step. “Stay there Harry. Don’t come near me.” She warned, but he laughed.
“Okay, fine.” Louis sighed, grabbing her attention. “I’ll come and bring the boys. See you in 20 minutes.”
Harry charged down the stairs, rushing Mo, causing her to scream loudly. He knocked the phone from her hand. “Harry, stop!” She cried, reaching for her phone, but his large foot was already crashing down on the rectangular device.
“Harry is not here right now, can I take a message?”