Jenkins

Jenkins was a small village on the outskirts of London that contained many fascinating secrets. Their library had a Willow tree growing inside of it and no one really knew how, people would never leave after spending a week there. But one of the secrets the towns people never wanted known was that of an old house with the remains of dead plants, eerie architecture and the most terrifying screams that came from there.

No one in the town would go near there, not if they could help it. There were many legends about the little home, that any plants that went near it died, that the children who used to occupy the house could still be seen roaming about, and that any clock in the premises would just stop ticking. Those theories only got worse when an old doctor moved in. People hid their kids when he was around or would charge him extra for a pack of gum. The old man would simply go on with his business as though he didn't notice and that seemed to only confirm their suspicions. Few would even look at him and the old man began to feel depression and loneliness poses him.

Not long after he moved in it was heard that his only son died in a terrible fire at his office. Everyone had then decided he must have done it, that he was possessed by a demon and set the fire himself. Superstitions surrounded him and even those who didn't believe them refused tarnish their reputation. Soon the the old man's grandchildren moved in and the rumors got much worse.

The oldest of the two children, Willow, had long dark hair and pale skin. She was very gorgeous and the people said that it was only to fool them. Her younger sister had a very similar appearance but being she was only twelve her rumors were not so bad. They had been devastated at their loss and being forced to move out of their city, never to see their friends again. grief was great and it was made much worse with all of the subtle glares launched at them no matter where they went.

Willow found it difficult to find new friends and the only person willing to talk to her was a young girl named Friday Hale. She was the daughter of the towns gardener and had short dark curls and perfect dark skin. Her smile was very warm and had a way of making people forget their troubles. Very few people actually saw Friday Hale's grin and she likes it that way, often people could be terribly rude and superstitious, two things she absolutely hated. When Willow arrived she was all but too willing to show how little fear the stories of the house gave her. Soon Friday and Willow became close friends, Willow was kind and quiet whereas Friday was dreadfully honest and a bit rude. She made many people hate her from her honesty but Willow quite loved it she knew that Friday would talk to her straight.

As the months ticked on in the small town of Jenkins, Willow found that a year had passed after her father's tragic death. That day her grandfather let them stay home from school and took them to the library. Willow loved it there and she brought with her a book her father gave her. It was a short story about a little girl who went through a rabbit hole and found herself in a make believe land, it was filled with many funny creatures that would often be frustrating. She read the story aloud to her little sister while sitting under the strange willow tree.

Her grandfather stood behind a bookcase and Willow had the feeling he was crying. She too wanted to hide away and cry until someone noticed, but her sister needed her there. She still had tears in the corner of her eyes however when she remembered how her father made silly voices for the characters. He had done so much, he worked very hard to keep them afloat and he was repaid for his deed by dying tragically at a young age. It was unfair that not only had his life been taken but also that hers had as well, she was stuck in a pretentious town full of superstitious crazy people forced to hide away in her house when she wasn't at school. And the house was indeed very terrifying, sometimes she thought that she saw a little girl singing on the porch. It had terrified her greatly when she heard a little voice crying out

"Down by the willow

A little bird sings

She dances and prances 

As the little bird sings

Down by the willow

She cries and she sobs 

A little girl screams

As she cries and she sobs

Down by the willow 

She screams and she screams

A small twisted smile 

As she screams and she screams"

The lullaby played in Willow's head as she remembered the girl.

Willow had finished the book and managed to keep her tears at bay. Her little sister laid on her chest sleeping. Willow shrugged off her sweater, it felt very hot all of the sudden. Perhaps the librarian turned up the heat. Willow began to feel uncomfortable and gently moved her little sister away. She got up and decided she would go to Fridays house as it was very close by. She whispered to her grandfather before she left.

The second Willow turned right to where Friday's house was her legs disobeyed her. They began to walk back to the library. Willow tried desperately to make them stop but her legs continued on. Panic began to rise in her chest. Why did her limbs move on their own accord?

Soon the library came into view, her heart leaped. Red. Flames burned bright on against the walls and her legs she no longer fought to control her own limbs. She was running now into the flames, her sister was inside. She felt it down to her deepest core. No no no no! On the anniversary of her fathers death too! She barely felt the heat when she ran through the building, as the adrenaline pumped through her.

"Where are you! Where are you!" she cried as her sister was not by the willow. Then she heard it, giggling. As she turned there was the girl on the porch. Her heart pounded inside of her chest. In her grip was her quiet baby sister. A strangled cry escaped Willow as the smoke began to fill her lungs.

The girl gave a twisted smile and said, "You would have been safe, if only you stayed inside. The only house in this whole town that was safe."

Then in an instant the girl snapped the neck of her little sister.