Later that night Joey tossed and turned in the darkness. His stomach growled loudly, craving for food. He stared up at the ceiling trying to think of something else other than food. Did she really mean what she said about the ghosts? Were there really ghosts in this house? He didn’t believe so. After several minutes of trying to go to sleep, he decided to nurse his stomach. Getting a quick snack solved his problem. Walking down the first corridor to his room the lights went out, “Great,” he mumbled to himself. He turned the corner with no problems but when he bumped into the wall, he thought he would need help. Joey continued down the dark, long hallway feeling along the red wall. Finally he felt a light that was connected to the wall, and pulled the thin chain. He grunted as the cord broke off. The pitch-black hallway was so large and long that anybody could easily get lost with all the corridors connecting to it.
He felt around in his green pajama pants pockets, just now remembering he had a small flashlight. Relieved, he turned it on; he could now see where he was at, and finally go back to his room. Making his way silently down the hallways, the only light was that of his flashlight. Joey started to hear strange voices.
“Mom, please let me out, I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again, I promise,” a voice called. The door in front of him started to sway from the banging. As he got closer, eyeing it suspiciously, it stopped. The banging the screaming everything stopped. The house was silent, dead silent. He shook his head, brushing his thoughts away. He suddenly got a feeling he was being watched. Joey turned around to face a little boy who looked around the age of 10. The boy stared at him. His hazel eyes sparkling with laughter. The clothes he wore were unmistakingly dirty. A hole on the left brown pants leg showed a pale knee. His white shirt hung loosely at his waist. Brown hair was just long enough to tie a red ribbon in a low ponytail.
Joey didn’t move…breathless. He never saw anybody like this… motionless. The boy stared… Joey stared. Joey started to slowly move backwards; never leaving his eyes off the boy. Tabitha jumped from the shadowy corner making Joey jump and drop his flashlight. The flashlight’s batteries rolled away.
“Joey, Joey, its ok, its just me, Tabitha.”
“Tabitha, I’m so glad to see you. Don’t ever scare me like that again, though, you almost made me piss my pants,” Joey breathed.
“Help me find the flashlight, so we can get away from this hallway,” Tabitha said dropping to her knees pulling Joey’s hand with her. They felt around with their hands.
“Found the batteries,” Tabitha said.
“Found the flashlight,” Joey informed. They stood up at the same time. After putting the batteries back in the small flashlight, Joey clicked it on. They stared into the blue eyes of an old lady. Her gray hair hung loosely on her shoulders. The yellow dress she wore was like a cup upside down. Although it was tore in many places it was beautiful. Her wrinkled face was pale in the light.
Joey and Tabitha jumped back seeing her. They turned around to run only to see 2 men standing in their way. Their faces were emotionless like the old lady’s. They again jumped back. Turning to rum down the same corridor that Tabitha jumped from the shadows earlier, they were met with another old lady. She cocked her head to the side looking at them suspiciously. Her mouth was in a straight line. The ghosts started to walk closer to Tabitha and Joey. They clung to each other looking around desperately to find an escape from the nightmare they were having. Suddenly Joey grabbed Tabitha’s hand and pulled her with him as he ran to Lance’s second bedroom door. It was locked.
Joey banged on Lance’s door begging him to open it, “ Lance, open this door! Lance, come on get up, open the door!” Lance woke up with a jerk. He heard Joey and Tabitha yelling and banging on his door. Getting up quickly he rushed to the door.
“I’m coming, hold on!” Tabitha was now banging her fists on the wooden door. She heard the door unlock but didn’t open. A couple seconds later she heard Lance’s sleepy deep voice again. “Its jammed, I can’t open it!”
Tabitha turned and faced her hear. Instead of 4 ghosts there were now 5. The new ghost came from the window, while the other 4 came from the hallway, the right. They were rapidly getting closer. Within minutes they would be upon them. Lord knows what they would do. She turned and banged harder on the door, screaming at Lance to hurry. Lance heard the urgency in Tabitha’s screaming. He decided to get Chris. “I’m getting Chris, just hold on a little bit longer!”
“Hurry, Lance, hurry!” Tabitha screamed.
He ran to Chris’ room and got him awake quickly. “Something is wrong with Tabitha and Joey.” In a flash Chris jumped from his bed and raced to Lance’s room almost tripping over his own feet in the process.
Chris heard the screaming even before he was halfway through the bathroom Lance and he shared. Sliding to a stop he tried to open the door with no avail. He tried harder and harder when finally it swung open with such force it knocked Lance (who was standing behind him) and himself to the ground. Tabitha and Joey also fell inside of Lance’s room on top of Chris. Joey got up quickly, closed and locked the door with shaking hands and quivering legs.
copyright © 2001 AngelH