Haunted

• Michaela Neville, Grade 12
• Short Story
• 2018

“Shush! They’ll hear you!”
“Who will? There’s no one around!”
“Hey, stop fighting you two! If there is someone around, they’ll definitely hear us now!” said the smallest boy with curly orange-brown hair, frustration portrayed in his blue eyes.
“Yeah, you’re right, Joey. I shouldn’t have provoked Niyoku,” said a boy much taller than Joey. Looking genuinely sorry, he slicked his fiery red hair back behind his ears.
“Sorry Fletcher, I shouldn’t have told you to be quiet,” Niyoku apologised, bowing his head of tightly secured long hair.
“Don’t worry about it,” Fletcher said, his flaming hair moved free half covering his face.
All made up, now the group of boys moved swiftly towards their destination as quietly as possible. Soon they reached their target. Rising above the crouching boys was an old wooden door, its paint peeling from weather and lock rusted with age.
“Hey, do you think it’ll open?” Fletcher said, “It looks rusted shut.”
“Well, it's locked,” Niyoku said jostling the handle, “Let’s deal with that first.”
“Hey, will you guys just stop! I don’t want to get caught. Let’s make this as quick as possible,” Joey said exasperated.
Niyoku leant forward inspecting the lock. No sooner than he had the three boys fell over, frightened.
“Raahhh!” a girl yelled, laughing uncontrollably at the boys’ reaction.
“Oh, it’s just you. I thought-” Joey was abruptly cut off.
“Gypsy! This is not funny!” Niyoku cursed angrily, “I thought we had been caught! And you could have given us away pulling a stunt like that!”
“Hey, Hey, quieten down. At least we’re all ok, nothing happened,” Avery comforted.
“Something did happen. HER!” Niyoku yelled furiously, “Why are you even here?”
“Ok! Ok! I’m sorry I didn’t want to miss breaking into a school for the world, let alone a haunted one!” Gypsy grinned, her green eyes sparkled, “But your reaction was so funny!” She giggled wiping a tear from her eye.
“Well, now that you’re part of our operation, why don’t you help out?” Niyoku said handing her the lock picks, “You any good?”
“I can give it a try. Just save your temper for me, please,” she said.
A few moments later the door creaked open, “That’s funny,” Gypsy said, “I hardly touched the lock.”
The others followed in step behind Gypsy through the door frame covered in long, thick spider webs, relying on the light of a torch to guide them. The room smelt damp and musty like it hadn’t been used in many months and was empty except for the mice that scuttled along the dust covered floor.
An old picture of a class of children lay on the ground, “I thought this school was still in use,” said Gypsy picking it up.
“It’s supposed to be,” shivered Joey, “Let’s go!”
“Stop being such a scaredy cat! Don’t you want to explore?” a hushed whispering voice teased.