The Haunted House

It’s always easier to hide when you’re among the crowd.

Jonghyun repeated this sentence like a mantra, trying to calm down before getting out of his mother’s car.

“It’ll be alright. I’m sure you’ll make some friends soon.” His mother smiled supportingly.

It was Jonghyun’s first day at the new school. He had moved to Seoul from a small town, when Mrs. Kim had been tranferred to a new working place. He was a quiet, shy boy; not causing any troubles and well behaved. Unfortunately he wasn’t a very social person. He had no friends which worried his mother a lot.

Jonghyun smiled weakly and grabbed his school bag, got out of the car and on wobbly legs he made his way to the school’s front door. He felt like carrying stones inside the stomach.

All the students were already preparing to enter the classroom. Jonghyn stood aside, waiting for the teacher to arrive. A middle-aged man dressed in a streched sweater and wearing round glasses approached him and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

They entered the classroom and the teacher introduced Jonghyun to his classmates.

Everything was going so fast, like someone pushed the forward button on the video player. Jonghyun was feeling suffocated, but as the time went by his legs were standing more firmly on the ground.

His form teacher decided it would be good for a new pupil to clean the classroom after the classes ended.

“Kibum and Jinki will help you.” He said and ordered one of the boys to show Jonghyun where the brooms and dustpans were.

Jinki was lively and liked to talk. When he and Jonghyun were swiping the floor he would talk non-stop, changing one topic after the other. Kibum on the other hand was a quiet, kinda gloomy looking person. He leaned against the desk and thumbed through a manhwa.

“Ya! You were supposed to carry this to the rubbish bin!” Jinki growled at Kibum. The boy rolled his eyes and lazily picked up a bucket. Jinki shook his head.

Jonghyun smiled. It would be nice to have friends like this, he thought. Right then, Jinki stood next to him.

“ Hey, you know… I was wondering. We’re going for the mission tonight with the guys. Wanna come with us?”

Jonghyun had to try very hard not to scream with joy. That might have been too awkward, so he only his lips inward and nodded. Jinki answered with a smile. The beaming face of his new friend told him everything.

After finishing the chores, the three boys made their way to the schoolyard. Some older boys were playing football.

“Minho!” Jinki shouted and one of the boys ran up to the fence. Minho was very tall. Jonghyun felt like a leprechaun next to him.

“We’re going there now.”

“ Wait, let me just change my clothes.”

The sun had set, only purple stripes could’ve been seen on the horizon. After walking for a while the group came to a for Jonghyun unknown area. The houses of the street were hidden behind high walls, only roofs and trees were visible.

The lamps started to light one by one. Also the residents began to turn on the lights in their places. Jonghyun felt a little uneasy.

Maybe I shouldn’t have come here…    

As they were getting closer to the ramshackle building, Jonghyun noticed another boy. He stood with his hands in his pockets in front of the obscure house that was definitely not inhabitated.

The right side of it looked like it was burned, but since it was dark, Jonghyun couldn’t really tell.

The boy’s name was Taemin. He gave the impression of a cheeky person, for which Jonghyun envied him deep down inside.

The group talked for a while. Jinki told Jonghyun about their “mission”. It was supposed to be a courage test. The house had indeed burned few years ago, but the biggest part of it remained still. However, it comprised a dark story.

“They say a woman died here. Her ghost still lives in the house.”

“When I was there alone, I could hear the footsteps. And I swear something moved behind my back.” Taemin said, opening his eyes widely.

“ We’re going inside to see and talk to the ghost. This is the test.”

“Did you bring the flashlight, Teamin?”

“Yup.”

Just before they were about to enter the house, something bursted inside Jonghyun. The battle between his mixed feelings about this whole mission had reached its .

“ I donn…” he mumbled shyly.

“ What?” Kibum, who stood closest to him raised his eyebrows.

“I don’t want to go inside.” Jonghyun said a little louder, but still scared of his new friends’s reaction.

Of course they weren’t pleased. Taemin looked at him judgingly, Kibum rolled his eyes and Minho smiled slightly with compassion.

“You don’t? Uhh…Well… Ok, then stay here and watch out that there‘s no one coming.”

Jonghyun wanted to apologize but the words stuck in his throat. It’s all lost now. They’ll hate me. He looked at them when their backs disappeared inside the dark house. Their voices began to quiet down. Jonghyun stayed alone.

They waddled in indian file, nervously looking around and lighting their way with a flashlight. The smell of burned wood and dust whirled inside their noses. It was completely empty inside the house, only some junks and a lot of dust. Taemin was at the front. He shushed the other three by putting his finger on his lips and gestured that they were going up the stairs.

When they were in the middle, one of the steps crashed down under Kibum‘s weight. The boy shouted. Luckily Minho stood behind him and managed to grab him before Kibum fell into the hole. Taemin snorted when Kibum finally composed himself.

When they reached  the second floor, the corridor appeared darker to them than the one below. The particles of dust danced in the flashlight’s flare, the floor creaked with every step.

Suddenly, some white shape stormed through the room on the left. Minho as the only one catched the glimpse of it.

“What was that?” he coughed out. Jinki turned the flashlight in that direction but the room remained empty. Again, the white shape flashed through the room at the end of the corridor. But when the light illuminated that place, nothing was there.

The boys began to feel insecure. They looked around, hoping to find a rational explanation for the thing they had just seen. Even Taemin lost his previous enthusiasm.

He slowly came closer to the door. The atmosphere was so tense, he could barely breathe.

He swallowed and stuck his head into the room.

Then, just before his face, the white shape jumped out of nowhere, giving out a high-pitched squeak.

Taemin screamed with horror and stumbled backwards. The other boys also screamed and darted for an escape. Jinki grabbed Taemin by his shirt and dragged him in the runaway direction.

A few moments earlier…

Jonghyun was sitting on the doorstep, drawing circles on the soil with a stick.

I just wanted to have friends. Why did I come here? I should’ve gone straight home.

Now he had to sit all alone, the only source of light a lamp a few metres away.

It was so awfully quiet…

A sudden snap pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned his head in surprise and stared into the darkness. But nothing happened. He sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt from his trousers.

Jonghyun approached the door and slowly entered the house.

“Guys?”

Then, a white beast-like shape dashed at him from the side. It abducted him and disappeared, without making any sound. Jonhyun didn’t manage to even whine.

The four boys stormed out of the house, scared to death, tripping over their own legs.

“Where is Jonghyun?” Kibum gasped.

“Maybe he went home?”

But that wasn’t important to them now.

They were running till their last breath. The dark anxiousness accompanied them, even when they reached the main street full of people. And just like this, one after the other, they splitted up, each of them making their way home.     

Thank you for your comments. I'm very happy to hear that you like my story. It really motivates me to write ^^ 

Have a good weekend!

Love,

Meg