Bad Bill

• Tyee Harris, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2015

Bad Bill
“Here we are” exclaims mum “it’s not really what I expected, though”. I looked at our new house. It doesn't look new. I am looking at an old ramshackle place with old, cracked windows that were covered in dust. It was surrounded by a thick bubbly swamp and every time a bubble breaks the surface a horrible stench fills the air.
The door has a latch on the outside. “That’s weird” I mumble. Right behind the windows were steel bars and the windows looked like they had been hurriedly been pushed in place. “That should keep robbers out!” I mutter to myself. But I was really thinking was that it looked more like a jail than a house.
After two days living in the house I heard a rumour that the ghost of Bad Bill haunted the house. Now I understand why the house looks like a jail.
That night I saw Bad Bill. He was walking towards the well outside. “AAAH!” I screamed. The door suddenly burst open and mum came barreling through the door like an angry alligator. “Simon, what is it?” she yells at me. I point a shaky finger towards the window. “Ghost, the ghost of Bad Bill!” I whisper. But the ghost is gone. “What?” asks mum. She looks out the window. “There’s nothing there” spoke mum. “If you do this again, then no T.V. for a week!” warns mum. “We don’t have a T.V.” I pointed out. “Fine then, if you do this again you are grounded for a week! I was worried sick you know.” scolded mum.
The next time I saw Bad Bill I didn't scream, but instead I asked him “What do you want?” A ghostly voice floated through the air “You have to set me free! You have to open the front door for me!”. “Can’t you do it?”I asked the ghost. “No I can’t hold the door handle” it replied. “Float through the wall then!” I say. “I can’t, I have a curse on me! You have to set me free!” the Ghost repeated. I could tell the ghost was getting frustrated. “Fine, I’ll do it”. I walked to the door and opened it. “There, happy now?”I asked. But the ghost floated on through the door without another word. “Talk about rude” I say But now my troubles where over. YIPPIE.