“Mom, do we have to move? I’ll miss my friends!”
“We do, honey. After the divorce, I’ve always wanted to be closer to your grandparents. And your cousin Henry lives there! It’ll be fun! The adventure of a lifetime!”
The words rang in my ears like sonorous bells. This so-called “adventure of a lifetime” sent chills down my spine ever since I first heard of it. I knew Hampton County was haunted, so why were we going to live there? I don’t want to end up killed like all those girls before me!
“Seriously, Mom?! That place is haunted, and you know it! Only God knows if Elaine Hampton still roams around there, murdering everyone who stands in her way!” I retaliated, knowing full well my mother would not change her mind.
“Alana Doreen Pickett, you know that’s just a silly urban legend! Now come on, pack your stuff, we have to get to the airport in time to catch the flight to Newark.”
I rolled my eyes, then stormed upstairs to my bedroom, where heaps of blouses and dresses, both old and new, lay in a pile on my soon-to-be former floor. I picked them up one by one, and stuffed them into my suitcase full of utilities for when we arrive.
“Alana! Come on, we need to go–”
“Coming! I just need to get some last-minute stuff!”
My eyes landed on the farewell card my friends gave to me a week after I announced my departure. I sighed, and picked it up before rushing downstairs to greet my mom.
“All right, I’m ready!”
“Good. Our plane leaves in exactly one hour! Let’s go!”
We rushed outside to the driveway, where our taxi was waiting. Mom hopped in first, with me following her. I started reading the card, my voice breaking as I did.
“We’ll miss you, Lana!”
Their voices echoed in my head, and their hugs sent a warm and fuzzy feeling to my body as I thought of them. Mom put her hand on my shoulder, as if attempting to comfort me. As the engine started, I laid my head on her lap, and we sped off towards Long Island-MacArthur International Airport.
————————————————————————————————————————————
It was cold when we arrived in Newark; WAY colder than I expected it to be during the spring. I shivered so much on the plane that, when the hostess brought me a blanket, Mom had to ask for two! Like, there’s no need for all this, I have a sweater on!
As soon as we landed and got our bags checked, Mom started reprimanding me for “not bringing some heavy jacket to wear”.
“Mom, it’s not that big of a deal!” I shouted.
“Yes, it is!” she shouted back. “I told you it was going to be thirty-something degrees outside when we landed! Now, put this on. I don’t want you freezing to death today, Lana.”
She hands me her puffer, and for once I am glad that I didn’t die of hypothermia.
Four hours later, we arrive at our new home on the corner of Chester Avenue and Proceede Street, both of which I’ve read to be haunted by Elaine’s ex-lover, Edward Stowe. The very thought of it sent chills through my body, but I brushed it off since my mother was right next to me.
“Why don’t you go take a bath to warm yourself up, Lana? Gran and Gramps will be here soon.”
I nodded, then headed to the bath and hopped in. The swirl of bubbles immediately seemed to calm me down, and I closed my eyes in a state of pure relaxation.
——————————————————————————————————————————
As my body sank deeper into the water, I felt a strong grip on my leg. I looked up at the bleak-white ceiling, and a drop of some weird crimson liquid dripped onto my forehead. I inspected it more, and shrieked. BLOOD was coming off the ceiling in little droplets, tapping out a small rhythm of Morse code that spelled out:
“LOOK AT THE WALL, ALANA…”
I look at the wall, but find nothing there. Soon, another rhythm of taps followed.
“THE OTHER WALL…”
I roll my eyes in annoyance, then look at the wall on the right. A wave of fear rushed over me as I saw what was written.
“I KILLED YOUR FAMILY, ALANA. YOU’RE NEXT…”
Then, as soon as I read the sentence, my head was pushed down under the surface. I tried to scream, but water enveloped my lungs as quickly as it had submerged my body. Right before I passed out from both my struggling to breathe and the sheer terror of drowning in my own bathtub, it was over. I had now met my watery grave in person.
(Originally posted on Wattpad and subreddit r/horrorstories)