The Abandoned House

• Mariam Zein, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2020

I am brave, I’m determined, I can do this. I walked up to the Monstrous abandoned house biting my lower lip. I was wondering if I should turn back. I had already walked 15 minutes and it would all go to waste if I turned back now.

It was dark, there were flickering street lights. All I could hear was the eerie silence as the harsh wind gushed past me which sent shivers up my spine. People at my school talk about this house. They say it’s abandoned, no one ever dared to step foot in the street but me. The moon was like a big, bright, white balloon in the sky hiding behind the abandoned house that had shattered glass windows.

The broken, iron gates creaked in the wind. I creep quietly up the stairs and open the rusty old handle on the old wooden door. I walked and kept looking behind me. I felt like someone was watching me. Maybe it’s not abandoned and those are just rumors and someone actually lives here, I think to myself. The moonlight shone through the window. There were dusty cobwebs everywhere.

CREEK!!! BANG!!! A loud noise was coming from upstairs. I heard a whisper saying, “who is there? You can’t escape, it’s too late now!” It sounded like an elderly woman. My heart was racing, anxiety filled my body but I continued walking. “I’m probably overthinking it, maybe I was just scared and I thought I heard something,” I anxiously whispered gasping for air. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. So my only option was to run. The nearest place was the backyard, so I opened the shattered glass door and ran out.

The backyard had overgrown weeds and grass up to my knees. There were some large leafless trees that looked like long witches' fingers coming to grab you. The sound of dead leaves crunched under my feet as I tried to be quiet. As soon as I took my eyes off that door, I heard it again. As I turned, someone opened the door. The old women stood there looking as if she was going to murder me. She had black rings around her eyes and wrinkles all over her body. She grabbed my wrist. “AHHH!!!” I screamed.“What are you doing here? Don’t you have your own house? Now get out!" She hissed in my ear. I was speechless. Paralysed by fear.

I ran out, crying in fear. I didn’t dare to look back, my heart was beating so hard I thought it would explode. I ran back home, opened the door and ran into my room, my parents wondering what had happened. I never told them what happened that night, or anyone else for that matter. It still gives me goosebumps just thinking of those scaly hands and that screechy voice.