Halloween Story

  There is a house, in a certain place, that still scares me to this day. Bear with me and I'll tell you why.  From a child's point of view, the house was huge, with great stone pillars that upheld a second level porch. There were a row of dark blackened windows that faced the road. No one could see in and no one appeared to look out of them ever. 

 The whole place was set quite a way back from the road, lined with gnarled stunted ugly trees. These trees almost formed a dense wood leading up to the front of the house. Yet, the house itself appeared huge, almost overbearing in size.

 Just walking by it, especially late at night, your steps became quicker.   The house itself was a eerie dark gray, with varying shades of lighter gray where the sunlight had bleached it. It was a foreboding house so of course the neighborhood kids had a lot of fun with it.  Especially at Halloween, they would pick some new kid and dare them to run down that dark tree lined path, up those rickety steps and use the door knocker.

All the while yelling at the top of your voice "Trick or Treat".   My family had just moved into a house on this block, so of course, I was the "new" kid.  Now, prior to Halloween, I had found occasion to walk past this old house...actually I kind of ran by..quickly. 

 It just gave off such a ghastly feeling to it, as if it could come alive and suck me into it's double front doors.   You never saw anyone come in or out of the house during the day. Yet, exactly at sundown every day without fail..you would see soft candlelight shinning through some of the darkly covered windows.

We all wanted to know "who" lived in that house.   Well, on Halloween I was given my chance. Lucky me. The "guys" thought the "new kid" should be the one to be brave enough to dare to climb those steps and use that door knocker.

   Gee, I wanted to be part of the "group" so bad. My fear of the house was so very palpable I almost couldn't breath. I was dressed, appropriately enough, as a ghost. My mother had sacrificed an old white sheet so that I could use it to complete my outfit, I thought I looked pretty cool.

  After meeting the group, hearing the Casper the Friendly ghost jokes, it was time for me to take on the "house". The guys had given me some stick pins to put into the doorbell as a prank which of course would be the trick.  

I started down that darkened path, filled with moving shadows that seemed to be reaching for me. With heavy heart I turned to see the group waving me onward...telling me just go. 

My legs were getting heavier with each step, as I neared the steps of the house I felt an evil presence.  I saw a quick movement by one of the downstairs windows, just a brief movement of the curtain.   Oh, God...I'm climbing the stairs, I'm almost to the door..the wooden porch is creaking under my weight making sure I did not approach silently. 

 I reach to ring the doorbell and as I do the door flies open!  A aged hand grabs my arm and yanks me into INTO the house! All I hear is a crackle of laughter telling me "aha..caught you now!" 

 I think I must of passed out from fright.   I came too and found myself tied to a chair set right by an upstairs window. 

 I could see outside, I saw my friends and then Oh, my God I saw myself..in my costume, running back to my friends...no, no, it's not me...I'm here. I'm here...That was over twenty years ago and I am still here....