The Girl in The Window

I tip-toed down the stairs, carefully avoiding the numerous obstacles scattered on them. Clutching my bag full of clothes, and making sure to avoid that one squeaky stair, I listened for any movement in the house.

I made it to the back door, and quietly closed the door. As soon as the lock clicked, I ran down the porch and didn't stop until I reached the bus stop.

Catching my breath, I waited for Amy. We were supposed to meet here, at the only way 15-year-olds could leave town without an adult taking you. She showed up 10 minutes late, but I didn’t mind, as she was always late. 

“Hey… Sorry I… I am late… I forgot… to… pack,” she said between heavy breaths. Her silky, brown hair glistening from the rain. 

I hugged her and said“It’s fine… We should probably wait until the rain lets up. I forgot to bring an umbrella-”

“And to check the weather” she interrupted, smiling and sitting down on the rusted bench, she pulled out a granola bar. “Want one?”

I shook my head and sat down next to her.

As the rain started to let up, I scavenged for pictures of our destination on my phone, and finally found it. The house I saw once while wondering through the supposedly haunted forest, ivy growing over the boarded-up windows. Very clique, but the aura around it terrified me and caused me to run home to call Amy about it, where I knew there wasn’t going to be a murderer sneaking up on me while I described it.

“Woah, why didn’t you send me this one?” Amy whispered, her voice was grim as she pointed to the photo that creeped me out the most. It was the last one I took, and it had a shadow of a person in the window of the top floor.

“That’s weird. It’s probably just a mannequin. Don’t worry, the path to it is just off the Main Road so it isn’t that far of a walk from here. It is near where all the really old houses are before the village was properly founded or something. Like the early 1900s or whatever. So we can easily run to Ms Harriet’s if there is any trouble.” I reassured as I stood up and slung my bag back over my shoulder. I squeezed her hand to cheer her up, and we started to trek into the forest.

“Jasmine, are you sure about this? I mean, what if something happens. I think it was kinda dumb to not let our parents know where we are going, what if someone gets hurt?” Amy questioned.

“I promise we will be fine, besides, I brought my phone. And Ms Harriet will hear us if we are in any trouble, we will be fine.”

“Ok, I guess,”

We continued into the forest, occasionally cracking jokes at each other to calm us both down. It only being 6 am in the Fall, we were both a little on edge from the shadows being cast by the trees at sunrise. Finally, we reached the house. I reached into my bag and pulled out my dad’s crowbar that he took home from work one day and never returned. I started to pry at the boards covering the door when we heard leaves being crushed beneath someone, or somethings, feet from behind us.

“W-Who’s there?” Amy stuttered into the darkness.

There was no answer, so I continued to pry at the door. 

“In there is safer than out here. Whoever that was, they obviously don’t want to be seen, and honestly, I feel safer if there is a ghost after us, not someone dangerous.” I said as confidently as I could.

“Ok… I just want to go home, can we just get this over and done with?” Amy asked.

“Yes, but don’t you want to check this out? It would make me feel safer knowing what’s in here so every time I’m in the woods I am not scared out of my mind. At most, its some weird squatter in there and isn’t going to hurt us while I have this” I said as I motioned towards the crowbar. 

We entered the house after breaking the lock off the door. It was dark, musty, and smelled of dead rats and rotten food. As we entered the house, I took out my flashlight and Amy took out hers. I gave her a concerned look, and she reciprocated it. I took the lead and crept towards what can only be assumed to be the dining room, the lack of chairs and broken table was concerning, but we continued to move towards the stairs.

“Crap, my flashlight went out,” I said, putting it back in my bag. Amy nodded and passed her flashlight to me. She looked like she was struggling to breathe, most likely since her asthma was triggered by dust.

 “Did you bring your inhaler? You look like you are about to pass out.”

“Yeah… I… I... “ she took out her inhaler and breathed in, “I did.”

I took the lead again, as we got closer to the top of the stairs, I started to precipitate, and it was difficult to keep a good grip on the crowbar in my left hand. My pace started to waver as we reached the top of the stairway. There was only one room at the top of the stairs, which had to be the room that scared us both.

I opened the door, and it lead to a broom closet, one without a window.

“What? This doesn’t make any sense. There are no other doors here.” Amy said, astounded.

“I guess they covered it up after they moved. It doesn’t make sense to leave the window though.”

“This whole thing is eerie. Can we go now? I bet my mum is worrying about me.”

“Yeah. Of course, mine is probably still asleep” I finished.

We bolted out of the house after hearing what sounded like someone asking who was there. I slammed the door.

“I am so glad that is over. Remind me to not do anything with you again. I hoped we would find something kinda spooky, not downright terrifying. I wanted to have a picnic after this, but I have lost my appetite.” 

“Yeah, I guess I have too,” I responded. 

Out of natural curiosity, I looked at the window again. I saw the girl again. She was crying and then she vanished. I never want to go back to that house again.