The Barn

              SKIRT! The old run-down car slowly stops in the driveway full of pebbles. My mom turns down the 90s radio hip-hop and jumps out of the vehicle, carrying a big amazon box in one hand and the mossy keys in the other. Mom bought this cottage closer to nature, but it looks as normal as any house would, with a gray roof and cream walls.

“It’s just what I’ve always imagined!” She thinks aloud. It’s just what I’ve never wanted to imagine. She places down the box and dances to the car.

“Rosemary, come help!” She says in her cheery self. She knows I’m not happy about this. I walk down the steps to the car and pop open the trunk filled with boxes. I grab two and stack them up to my chin.

I stop; what is glittering in that box? I check the label: Gh- “Rosemary! Hurry it up!” She scolds me. “I know you may not think it’s so great, but wait till we get inside!”

CLINK! The mossy golden key turns in the dark oak door and opens possibilities in this new house. Creak! Or it could just open up to a mess that the family before us never cleaned up and left to us. There are books on the ground, papers scattered everywhere, and some dirty clothes jumbled up around.

“I’m going to find my room,” I say. I’m just desperate to get some alone time.

The stairs creak with every step I take. When I hop off of the last carpeted stair, there is a wall. I look to my left and see a small hallway with three doors. I slowly walk over, being cautious with every step, and decide to go in the door in front of me.

The room is tiny, with the coloring of baby blue for the walls. The toilet is cream (which matches the outside house walls), and the shower has a clear opening door. Just looking at it made me shudder. There is no way I’m going to get into that moldy thing!

I close the door and open the silver knob attached to the door on my right. It's a big room with nothing inside. There are "sold" papers everywhere, and clothes are still on hangers. This family may have been in a hurry to get out… but for what reason?

I decide to leave that room; I will leave that for my mom. The last room has to be mine! I try to gather enough courage to open the door straight ahead. The knob feels slippery with my sweat. As I open the door, the room becomes clear. It’s a bit smaller than the other room and not as messy. The walls are a light gray color, and there is a mattress on the carpeted floor. I set down my boxes to look around.

DING DONG! The old tune of the doorbell rings in my ears. “Rosemary! Can you please go get the door while I clean?” My mom calls from downstairs.

I walk down the stairs, skipping the fifth step. That step had the most creak in it. I turn the knob to the front door and find a girl no older than me standing on the front porch.

“Hola chica! I’m Camila! I live right next door to you! In the red house!” The girl -Camila- says. I try not to look away from the blinding red color of the house. “Mami said I should take you around town! What’s your name?” she asks.

“H-hello. My name is Rosemary, but I don’t really think I have time to-” Camila takes me by the hand and pulls me over to her house.

“I like that name, chica! Do you have a bike?” I nod my head, and she points for me to go grab it.

We meet back at her house. Her bike is bright yellow, which matches her hair and shirt color. She looks at me, waiting for something. Oh! She asked me a question of where we should go.

“It doesn’t matter where we go. Maybe the town square?” I ask. She nods, and starts to ride off. I follow her, and pedal as fast as I can to catch up. 

“Before we get there, I want to warn you of something. Do NOT listen to whatever the townspeople say. Their rumors aren’t true! Got that chica?” She says. What kind of rumors are there? “You do not want to know what the rumors are…” She says, getting nervous since the first time I have met her.

As we arrive at the very colorful town, she shows me her favorite people. 

“This is Mama Rica! She owns the apple shop and sometimes even gives us fresh apple pie-for free!” She whispers the last part, as if it is a secret. 

This place seems so boring, as if nothing has ever happened. There has to be more to this place than it seems.

“Umm, why is that creepy man staring at us?” I ask. An old man stares at me with his one eye. “Camila? Camila, he’s walking over!” I say, and hold on to my necklace like I always do when I get nervous.

“Shh! That’s Mr. Kabellow! He knows everything and has been around since when chickens have been alive!” she says.

“Hello… girls.” Mr. Kabellow coughs. He stares straight at me when he says that. “Camila, you have a friend now? I’m surprised!” Camila backs away from him slowly.

“Yes. Her name is Rosemary.” Camila whimpers after she says that.

“Well, you sure haven’t told her about the haunted barn.” He snarls the last word at me, and the lady strolling by jumps. “She’s probably too scared, and she cannot be a proper citizen til she goes in it.”

“The barn!” she says, and everyone repeats it back. What is wrong with these people, and what is The Barn? 

“Well,” I say, so the people around me can hear, “I am going to go to the barn. And show you there is nothing to be afraid of.” 

“Yes, and my chica is not going alone.” Camila gathers enough words to finish her sentence, and looks as if she instantly regrets it. “C’mon. Let’s head out, and I’ll show you where the barn is.”

She takes me through a small forest, and across a dark road. The barn is old and gray. “C’mon, let’s get you in and out before this storm starts up!” She says. Clouds are starting to form, so I hurry after Camila into the dark barn.

As we approach the barn, there are a ton of vines and big scissors. No one has been here for a while. I take a deep breath and walk into the barn. Smells of fear and death dance into my nose, and I look around. There is a rope swing and a ladder up to a loft. It looks fun, so I start to climb the latter.

“C’mon Camila! We can make this fun! It’s not even that scary!” I say. As we reach the loft, I look around. The only thing that is up here is hay and the rope swing. I quickly tug it to make sure it is safe. “Can you push me?” I ask. She nods, and pushes me. I scream, and realize that this place is not scary.

After a couple of hours of playing, we talked. “So, Rosemary, you haven’t told me much about you or your family.” 

“Well, it’s only my mom and I together. My dad died in a fire a couple years back. I have a necklace that has a picture of him in it.. I enjoy reading, being alone, and sometimes even watching people. Enough about me, what about you?”

“I dyed my hair because people bullied me, and I love my Mami’s enchiladas! You should come over some day. If you don’t want to, that would be perfectly fine.” I nod, accepting my very first friend since I’ve moved.

The crack of thunder makes me jump. “I think we should get going,” I say. “This old barn is rocking!” I screech as a piece of the barn roof falls. We hop down from the loft and run outside. 

“That was crazy!” Camila is out of breath. We have everything, right? Oh no!

“I have to go back in!” I stomp, and Camila chases after me.

“No, chica, it’s not safe! The barn is going to collapse!” she screams, but I am already in the barn.

BAM! Darkness… it is hard to breathe down here. Everything is fading slowly…