A Haunted House

„This is it... The haunted Willson manor...” A girl with bright red hair narrowed her eyes on a house who had been abandoned for good ten years. To the most of the people, the thought of a haunted house being in Huntington Beach, at the very heart of the town, it fascinated them, at least as far as it excluded them going inside it.

„So mind telling me why are we doing this again?” Another girl with a great frown and raven hair was scanning the supposedly haunted house. She checked her wristwatch, before turning back to the house. 8:42. It wasn’t like she was afraid or anything, in fact she didn’t even believe these ghost stories, but something just about it made her go up in goose bumps. She remembered coming here with her mom when being little. She shook the memories away.

„Cause it’s supposed to be fun,” The redhead replied with a shrug, „Besides you did want to scare the living shit out of Gates, so here you go... He and Matt lost a dare, so they have to spend a night here.”

„But that means we too have to spend the night here, dumbass.”

„Are you scared, Lily?” Roxy teased, making Lily roll her eyes.

„Fine, let’s go. Just check your flashlight, it will be completely pitch black in just a half an hour. Don’t want you breaking some bones,” The dark haired girl pushed the gates open, making it creak all around the neighborhood. It sounded like even the gates were laughing in Lily’s face for her stupidity, cause a sane person clearly did not willingly spend the night in a haunted house.

The girls passed Syn’s black BMW, before Roxy went for the door. „What are you doing?” She stopped when noticing Lily was walking along the long wall of the house.

„You said you wanted to scare your boyfriend,” Lily tried to open the window, but it wouldn’t budge. „Goddamn piece of shit,” She sighed, stepping back from the wall and letting her emerald eyes scan the place.

„And?” With a great frown on her pale complexion, Roxy walked closer.

„You can’t just march through the front door,” Lily made a face. „Here hold this,” She gave the silvery flashlight to her friend, noticing an open window at the second floor. Just like in every movie, a big tree was just behind her back, and the thick branch provided her the way inside the house. Almost too convenient. Without second thoughts Lily zipped up her black leather jacket, before she climbed up the tree. „Shit, should’ve wore converse...” She whispered to herself, when her feet had slipped off for the third time.

„Careful, Lils!” Roxy shouted from beneath her.

„Roxy, shut your pie hole!” She hissed, making Roxy instantly shot her hand in front of her mouth. Good. She balanced her way towards the window, praying to god to live through the small stroll around the branches. Lily was an ex military, so making the small jump towards the window came without any difficulties. She climbed in, just to see the room being some sort of a library, covered in a thick layer of dust. She ignored the brisk coldness of the place and just turned back to the window. „Come on Roxy, climb up the tree... I’ll pull you in.” She said in a hushed voice. Her friend nodded, shoving the flashlights in the pockets of her big jacket. It took twice as long for Roxy as it did for Lily, but finally she was on the branch and walking towards her.

„Lil, I don’t know if I can do it,” Roxy closed her eyes, balancing on the branch.

„Roxy, open your goddamn eyes. That’s an order,” Lily hissed, making Roxy obey, „Okay, just come over to me... Good and now just jump!” In the very last second Lily grabbed Roxy by her hands and pulled in.

„That was fun,” With a wide smile the redhead jumped to her feet. Lily just rolled her eyes, walking across the room, despite the odd feeling of them being watched. Lily creaked open the door to the long and dark hallway. Roxy turned on her flashlight, passing the other to her friend. „Where do you think they are?”

Lily looked at the both sides of the hallway. Even then she could already tell it will be hell to get out of the house, cause it appeared to be a maze. At the both sides of the corridor, as far as Lily could tell, there were staircases. Logically, to check out the house the fastest, they had to split up, well that’s what all the horror movies tell you. „Beats me, let’s go that way...” She pointed to the left. On their way they passed at least a dozen doors, finally getting to the stairs, leading to the first floor.

„So you think this place is really haunted?” They both heard the muffled sound of Matt’s voice. Lily shot her hand in front of Roxy’s mouth to keep the excitement of finding her boyfriend from coming out.

„Don’t be stupid Shads. I can bet on hundred bucks, Jimmy, Vengeance and short-shit will pull a little prank on us, that’s all.” Brian replied, their voices and footsteps fading away.

„You heard them?” Lily turned against her friend, „if you hear something, it’s probably those dumbasses, okay? Rox?” She knew a little too well what a pansy Roxy could be, although this was her idea, she would get scared five times out of four. Yes, exactly.

„Yeah, yeah, I promise I won’t be a scardycat.” She smiled. „So is it time?”

„For texting them? I suppose so,” Lily pulled out a phone from her pocket, searching up Brian’s number. She had downloaded an app from the web earlier, letting her text anonymously. „So what to write?”

„How about ‘knock knock’?” Lily looked at Roxy weirdly, „And then we can bang on the walls or something,”

„Okay, you may not be as stupid as you look,” Quickly she typed the message and pressed ‘send’. Now about the walls. Lily’s palm almost connected with the wall, when a loud echo of a true ‘knock, knock’ flew throughout the house. She froze, looking back at Roxy, who just shrugged. The phone vibrated in her hand. Okay? She read the text. knock, knock. She looked up at the ID, just to be shown Lily Sanders. A deep frown engraved her face. Had she sent the text to herself? Yeah, no. She used the Anonymous Texting app, besides she didn’t have her own number saved under a name of Lily Sanders. She tried again, only this time sending a text of ‘who’s there’ and again to Brian.

The wall’s trembled yet again, „What the hell?” Roxy whispered, gazing around. Soon after Lily’s phone vibrated. She opened the text- knock, knock.

With a very uneasy feeling, she shoved the phone away, speaking up, „It’s probably those assholes. Come on let’s find my bro and Gates...” And get the hell out of here.

Lily grabbed Roxy’s hand only to hear a shrill cry. She looked back at Roxy, but there was no Roxy. She saw something from her memories. Her hand was being held by a small girl, who was crying loudly. She had two dark braids and a school uniform. If she wouldn’t know better, she would’ve said this is Zacky’s idea of something scary. The inhuman like cry made her think Zacky’s ideas were not the case here. When Lily caught on what was going on, she was shockingly stunned and backing away. The small girl stopped crying as her black eyes pierced in Lily, seemingly searching for something. Without second thoughts she started running along the corridor, too shocked to even remember she was here with Roxy.

She ran almost breathless, trying to figure out what the hell was going on in the house. When she finally reached the stairs back up to the second floor, she had partly calmed down. Lily didn’t believe in ghosts or anything paranormal, but she couldn’t quite explain what on earth had she just experienced in the hallway. She knew the girl... From her memories. Mom never allowed her to come in the house when she was visiting, Lily always waited with Matt for their mom on the other side of the bronze gates, three times out of four seeing the same girl in some of the windows of the house. It was fifteen years ago.

Somehow even the thought of turning on the flashlight felt wrong at the moment. Finally she decided to call it quits and just call her brother to find his girlfriend.

Once she had searched up the number, she put the phone to her ear. An annoying beep echoed from the phone, „We’re sorry, you’ve reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service. If you feel you’ve reached this recording as error, you can—the itsy bitsy spider--” Shocked, Lily let go of the phone, making it break in to pieces from the impact with the wooden floor.

„Okay, Lils, just... Breathe in, and breathe out. Remember the military...” She whispered to herself, taking deep inhales and exhales. Regaining her composure, she started taking slow steps forward. She really didn’t want to check what was behind door number one, neither what was behind door number two. She kept going further. Lily had walked these corridors, just... She checked her wristwatch. It had stopped at the exact time she entered the house. Fine. Awesome. She should’ve known better.

According to the tales which people told about this house, obviously, the most stereotypical of them all- people went in, but never came out and the second, almost as appealing as the first one- none ever knew the precise time spent in the house. Lily felt like she had spent only an hour inside it, when really it could be a day, a week, a year.

But then again- mom always returned. And it took her precisely ten minutes. Every single time. There had to be a way. But first of all- she had to find her friends and her brother.

And just like that- Synyster Gates came running into her, resulting them both on the wooden floor. „Lily?” He boosted himself up with a confused frown on his face. „Oh my fucking god Lily, I don’t care why the fuck you’re here, I’m just—„ Brian cut himself off, by planting his lips upon hers. If she would’ve been little less confused, she’d have probably pushed him off, but now, she just ran her fingers in his dark bangs, eagerly kissing him. She felt the odd urge to rip his clothes off, something she’d normally never do. In a haunted house. His lips trailed down her jaw, kissing and sucking on her neck lustfully, before her ears perceived a ripping sound. Brian had ripped her shirt and it didn’t even bother her.

„Okay Haner, I’m very comfortable with my sexuality,” She said as he moved over to kissing her breast, „Heck, probably too comfortable, if you know what I mean,” And she believed he did, „But what the fuck are we doing?”

„Lil, just...” He mumbled against her skin, before biting her stomach lightly, „Enjoy the ride.” Her eyes opened slowly and she noticed his browns not being browns at all. His eyes were pitch black as he raised his head to look at her. Just like the little girl’s eyes. Suddenly his hands were around her throat and he was choking her. She couldn’t believe what was going on here, it all felt like a completely insane nightmare. Wake up, Lil, wake up!

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was laying in the bed of her and Brian’s home. The lighting was dim in the room and Brian was spraying an enormous dosage of the hairspray all over his bangs. With a great frown, she pushed the sheets aside while sitting up, „I had the strangest dream...” She whispered, „Where are you going, Brian?”

„Me and Matt lost the stupid bet...” What? Her eyes traveled to the window, seeing the sky colored in twilight. She narrowed her emerald irises on the electronic watch, which was mockingly blinking 7:49 in her face. „...so we have to stay the night at that Willson house.”

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the familiar surname. She turned her head to see him still fixing his hair, „Honey, can you please not go?”

„Why? Is something the matter?” He looked at Lily from the mirror.

„I... I just have a bad feeling about this.” She said fixing the silky robe she had been sleeping in. „Why don’t you stay home? With me?”

„Lils, baby, nothing is going to happen to me,” He walked across the room and got on his knees in front of her, „That’s just some stupid superstition adults tell their kids so they don’t go demolishing the place. I’ll be home first thing in the morning.” He took her hands in his, making her sigh and close her eyes.

Very unwillingly she opened her eyes just to see her standing outside the Willson house. „This is it... The haunted Willson manor...” Roxy commented, making Lily’s eyes slide to her wristwatch. 8:42. Lily looked over the right wing of the manor, seeing the same tree and the same open window. And the same little girl in that same window.

„So mind telling me why are we doing this again?”