Josie goes Ghost Hunting

                              Josie goes Ghost Hunting

Josie had heard stories of the Haunted Mansion on the hill just outside the neighborhood. The house was given a name by the locals who called it the Family Murder House. Rumor had it the dad went crazy after being laid off and caught his wife in bed with another man. The kids weren't so lucky either, being surprised when they got home from school.

Josie loved watching ghost hunters and anything that had to do with the supernatural. She would draw herself as a Paranormal Investigator telling everyone it is what she wanted to be when she grew up.

Now in high school with the temptation of the Murder House just staring at her, it was like it was meant to be, a sign from the universe even. Her family had just moved in only a week before the rumors of the Haunted House reached her ears.

Now intrigued and with her dreams in mind, she packed a bag with everything she would need tonight when she headed out. Flashlight, notebook, pen, and like all good ghost hunters, a recorder. All things needed to find out if the house was actually haunted.

Once night came Josie waited for her parents to go to bed, she slowly made her way out the backdoor thankful her dad had just oiled it this morning. The night sky looked like it was about to rain but she paid no attention to that.

Grabbing her bike she rode down the street to the far house just outside of her neighborhood.

She noticed two houses just outside the neighborhood property line. One was a bit of a climb, the one she wanted on the hill; The Murder House. The other was on flat land sitting right across the hill, the house looked like it was up for sale and was newly painted. She half wondered why her parents didn’t move to that house, it looked garuges, and it would have been even easier to reach the Haunted House without her bike.

Nervous but refusing to back out, she climbed up the rusty, bent-out-of-shape, metal gate.

The two-story house was run down, the roof was half caved in, and the windows boarded up with glass still falling in small pieces each time a light breeze touched them.

The yard around the house didn't seem to survive either. Next to the front porch was a massive black tree. Josie could only think of those Halloween trees she would see in spooky cartoons.

The thing probably has never bloomed any leaves since the dawn of time by the looks of it. It was a miracle the thing was still standing, Josie had seen more healthy trees fall after a storm and yet this one seemed unfazed by the mouths of odd terrible weather.

The grass was both brown and black, not a patch of green or even yellow in sight even under the bright full moon.

The porch stairs were at least still intact though. However, that thought changed after the sound they made when she barely stepped one foot on the poor wooden framed porch.

Josie suddenly jumped with a scream as lightning flashed in the sky intertwined with thunder so loud it shook the house making one of the boards to the windows fall causing it to crash and echo, scaring Josie more than the thunder did making her fall into the door face first.

Josie wasn't sure if she was glad or not that the door was solid as she felt her nose throbbing in pain, luckily there was no blood from what she could tell.

Recovering from the shock and pain she juggled the door knob feeling the door locked, until it wasn't. The door knob fell off and the sudden wind push the creaky door wide open slamming it into the wall.

Lightning struck again, lighting up the house for Josie.

The house was covered in cobwebs and furniture covered in white sheets probably hiding the blood Josie thought. Dust covered the room making it hard to breathe without coughing.

Walking further into the house, being careful not to step into any holes in the wooden floor, the front door slammed shut when the wind outside kicked back in taking the door with it.

Josie ran to the door with a shocked cry trying to open it back up but it was slammed tightly shut.

Josie looked through the hole where the door knob would have been when she couldn't find it on the ground. The knob had gotten hit by the closing door flinging it into the front yard.

Josie tried not to panic, taking some deep breaths to calm herself down, and gripped her backpack strap tighter ready to face whatever waited for her in this house. She took out her flashlight and her tape recorder. She had bought this specific recorder when it was advertised on TV while watching her ghost-hunting show. She put the recorder on a nearby coffee table that didn't look like it would collapse any second and hit the record button hoping it would catch someone talking as long as she didn’t say a word.

She looked around the living room, the first room of the house, and the room that had the stairs to the upper floor. She turned on her flashlight ready to explore.

The next room she entered was the kitchen. The forgotten pot and pans were covered in rust, some so bad there was a hole through the whole pot unable to hold anything anymore.

Cabinet doors were hanging down holding on to their last screw.

The fridge was covered in spider webs and smelled like spoiled milk. Josie didn't dare look inside.

Bugs ran across the counters and rats across the floor as she traveled from the kitchen to the dining room.

The chandelier hanging above the dining table swung back and forth threatening to fall at any moment onto the dusty decaying, mahogany table.

The glass and chains of the fancy light rattled uneasily, sounding like a wild animal about to break free of its chains and attack whatever had offended it.

Josie whirled around and shined her light when a piece of wood from a long-forgotten picture frame on the floor moved. A mouse ran out from underneath it to run into a hole in the wall.

Josie found herself back in the living room with the white-covered chairs and what she could only assume was a couch. She looked at the decaying staircase and decided it was time to venture up the stairs.

Carefully she took a step hearing the stairs protest under her foot.

With each step, she worried the protesting would get worse and the stairs would eventually just drop her no longer willing to support her hundred and twenty pounds, five-foot-something, self any longer.

She held on to the railing with a death grip with every loud creak and squeak the steps made.

What felt like forever she finally reached the top of the stairs landing on the second floor.

Josie took a deep breath to calm her nerves but instantly regretted it as dust filled her lungs and she began to cough like said lungs were trying to escape her body after the sudden abuse holding on to the banister.

After what felt like forever trying to catch her breath, she finally stopped coughing and was finally able to look around properly.

The upstairs had moonlight streaming into one of the bedrooms that no longer had a door to it.

Curiosity peaked, and she went into that room first.

The room’s furniture was covered just like downstairs, the sheets covering a lop-sided bed and rocking chair. There was an open toy box under the broken window but nothing else, not even a closet.

Josie walked down the short hallway to the other bedroom passing a closed door she assumed was a bathroom but didn’t want to know when she glanced at a mouse that ran under the door.

The bedroom was the master bedroom but the room was unaccessible. With the floor caved in spreading a good foot or two from the door to the window. Josie felt there was probably nothing useful in there anyway,

Josie heard a crashing sound downstairs Her heart began to pound, the sound making her jump in alarm.

She was too scared to rush to investigate. Both from the creaky stairs she had to venture to get to the top floor plus not knowing what could be down there. Her mind raced to a monster she could have awakened or the ghost of the father throwing stuff to scare her out of the house.

Josie thought about her tape recorder, she would have proof of paranormal activity on it now.

“Who’s here?” She suddenly heard a voice.

Josie didn’t expect to be able to hear ghosts, the TV always made it seem like only electronics could pick up their voices.

“I know someone’s here, I can see the dust footprints you left all over my floor and you broke my door.”

Josie heard the jiggle of the door knob as if the ghost had it in their hand.

That didn’t seem right.

Josie walked closer to the banister so she could carefully look over it to the bottom floor.

The front door was open and an old lady was standing in front of it holding the door’s knob holding it up like trying to use it as a beckon to draw whoever was in her house out. Needless to say, it worked, Josie slowly made her way down the stairs.

“I’m sorry Ma’am.”

The lady looked up at Josie as the stairs creaked and squeaked.

“I thought this house was abandoned,” Josie explained.

The only lady crossed her arms. “So you think it’s okay to wander into others' properties because you think they’re abounded? Thats still trespassing you know.”

Josie stood at the bottom of the stairs looking miserable. The only lady must have taken pity on her because the next thing she knew the old lady was handing her her tape recorder with a mischievous smile.

“Come on, why don't you join me for a cup of tea and tell me what made you so determined to break my front door.”

Josie wanted to say how the door broke on its own but thought better of it.

As the two chatted drinking hot tea on the sheet-covered couch Josie explained everything, from the broken door knob to her dreams of being a ghost hunter like on TV.

“So that explains the tape recorder.” Ruth, the old lady, smiled sipping the tea. “I thought that was an odd thing for an intruder to bring into

a house and leave somewhere recording.”

Josie was embarrassed, “I was really hoping I would get a recording of the ghost of the people who used to live here years ago….” Josie trailed off.

Ruth looked surprised. “Used to live here? Honey, who do you think used to live here?”

Josie now was the one to look surprised. “Isn’t…isn’t this the ‘Murder House’ everyone talks about?”

Ruth made a face and then broke into laughter. “Heaven’s no child. This house has never been lived in, this house is a house I rent out to people for Halloween Haunted Houses and those ghost shows you like. The Murder House is the house across the street down the hill, the one that's always up for sale.”

Josie felt silly now but now she definitely wished her parents would have bought that house.

Josie stood outside the front door saying bye to Ruth.

“I hope to see you again Josie, maybe next time I’ll let you film and I can provide all the spooky ghost effects you’re looking for, for a video.

For now, I got to get this place spooked up more for the Haunted House contest next month.”

Josie jumped at the thought in her head. “I can help you!” she blurted out. “I mean, you can say no, I don’t mean…”

Ruth smiled. “You know what, I could use an extra hand. I’m getting too old to do this all alone anymore. Stop by tomorrow when the sun is up and we’ll get to work, sound good?”

“YES MA’AM!” Josie yelled then covered her mouth and straightened up like she didn’t just do that. “I mean, it would be an honor ma’am.” she smiled and ran off home.

She had a lot to tell her parents before they woke up.