Unseen Shadows

"Lucinda! We're leaving, come on!"

"I'm coming!" I yelled to my dad.

"I can't believe it... We're actually leaving. It seemed like a dream until now," I thought to myself as I took my final look around my bear room. My posters are gone, my bed and dresser taken. Everything is gone, my walls look so bear, except for one picture. I stare at it walking slowly to the wall. I take the pin out of it and the picture. I hold the small photo in my hands and try my hardest to hold in the tears. My mother was so beautiful and kind. Why was she taken so soon?

"Lucinda, the truck is leaving. What are you- Oh..." I heard my dad say as he hugged me. "I miss her too sweetie, " my dad said, hugging me tighter as my tears poured out.

"Come on," he said, taking my hand leading me down the stairs. We walked out of our house for the last time. Once my dad locked the door, he took my hand and backed up to look at the whole house. I studied it - the green window frames the white exterior with a dark green roof. My mom designed it; she loved this house. My dad squeezed my hand and led me to our car.

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"Come on kiddo it's not that bad," my dad said getting out of the car to stand next to me. I stared blankly at the deadly looking house. 

"We drove 31 hours for this?" I asked in shock. It was about 10:00 pm and this house looked like it hasn't been lived in for over 100 years.

"I know New Orleans is an adjustment from California, but we'll just have to make the best of it," he said, much to peppy for my taste.

"I'm going to start unloading the car. Why don't you take a look inside," my dad asked handing me the key.

"Okay," I said as I took the key and walked up to the door. I slid the key into the knob and struggled to turn it because of all the rust surrounding it. "This house needs work," I thought and I tried to push the door open. It let out a loud creak as I pushed it. It was like it didn't want me here. I pushed harder against it and ended up falling in.

"You ok?" my dad called.

"Yeah," I shouted back.

I got up and dusted myself off as I got my first look at the place. I took out my phone and turned the light on. I was in the living room and there were two hallways, both going off into darkness. I stared into the hallways, and the longer I stared I thought I could see things moving. "It's just your imagination," I told myself. The house is insanely dusty. There is wall paper covering all the walls, and a broken chandelier on the floor. But, that's not the weirdest part. The furniture is still here. Sure some of it was covered by sheets, but what's it doing here?

"Lucinda, you ok? Is it nice?" my dad asked. I was just about to tell him to come and look for himself when I smelt something awful.

"Yeah, it's fine," I lied. I didn't want him to worry. It's been so hard for him since mom died. He was really excited about this place. I decided to walk towards the smell it was coming for the left hallway. I walked through it to find a medium sized room with a bed, rocking chair, and some furniture in it.

On top of the bed was a glass doll. I instantly wanted to turn around and leave, but I didn't want to be a baby. I walked into the room toward the doll. It was wearing a dirty white dress with a red scarf around her neck. As I reached out to touch it, I saw something pass me out of my peripheral vision. I turned around and saw nothing. When I turned back the doll was gone.

With finding nothing but fear, I left the room and walked quickly out of the left hallway and into right. I walked slowly through it to find a 17th century kitchen on the other side. I walked into the kitchen and the stench became even worse. I looked around for anything that could be causing the smell but found nothing. Well, nothing but an old table with a wrinkled tablecloth and some dead flowers in a vase. I started to look through the cabinets. I found lots of expired food that smelled terrible, but it still wasn't the disgusting stench I originally smelt. I closed the cabinets backed up to look at the stove. Underneath the stove was the oven. It looked like something was in it. I stared at the handle contemplating whether or not I should open it.

"What the hell?" I thought. If I'm going to be living in this house I deserve to know what's in it. I knelt down in front of the stove to get a better look of what's inside. It looked like a platter of some sort but I couldn't see what was inside it. "Just open it, you big baby!" I said to myself. I gripped the handle. It was sticky, but I ignored it and closed my eyes as I pulled it open.

I coughed and the stench came out in my face and finally opened my eyes. I screamed as I saw what was on the platter. Bones covered the platter with gooey things surrounding it. This was only what I could have imagined as decomposed vegetables and the bones of a pig. I slammed the oven door shut and stumbled back into the table. As I did, I saw a dark shadow pass me. This only caused me to scream louder.

"What? What is it? Are you ok?" my dad said picking me up off the floor and holding me as I cried. Before I could respond something red dripped onto my forehead. Another one dripped into my dad's forehead.

"What the hell?" he said looking up. I followed his gaze to see "WELCOME" written in blood on the ceiling. We ran out leaving the door open as we jumped into the car. My dad sped away and called 911.

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The next day the police investigated the house. They said that the house was built in 1875. The previous owners mysteriously left in 1902 after their youngest daughter died in the house. They said that the house should have been taken care of after they left, but no one knew what happened till 20 years later because of how secluded the house is from the town. When they walked in they didn't see a doll or roast in the oven. They also didn't see "WELCOME" written on the sealing in the kitchen. They said that it was probably some teens just trying to scare us.

This happened when I was 11, and I am 18 now. My dad and I moved back to our old house in California. We have never encountered anything like this again. But, sometimes I'll dream of that night and wake up seeing shadows. Sometimes I'll even see that doll just for a second. Once I blink, it’s gone.