I know they say haunted houses aren’t real but that is a lie. They do exist and I live across the street from one. You don’t have to tell me it sounds crazy because I already know that, but I know its true because I’ve been entrusted with making sure that nobody goes inside.
Let me backtrack and start from the beginning. Me and my fiancé Sophie were looking for a house. Our apartment at the time was small and falling apart, and we wanted to build a life together. God, I miss her so much… We wanted to have children, and grow old together. But now, its all ruined.
We looked at a lot of houses but our budget was tight, so when we found this one we jumped right on it. It was in good condition, a nice little neighborhood in the suburbs of Columbus. A price that was too good to be true. We hadn’t heard the rumors until after we bought it. They said that the house across the street was haunted, that everyone who set foot on the property died in some terrible way or other. It hadn’t had an owner for 30 years. I didn’t believe them at first of course, but then I witnessed it with my own eyes.
A group of teens had stood in front of the house on the sidewalk for a good twenty minutes as I watched from the window. It wasn’t creepy… I just wanted to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid or destructive. It looked like they were playing truth or dare. One of them was being shoved by the others closer and closer to the overgrown, weed covered front lawn. He had been dared to touch it. See, the rumor said it was the whole property, and that included the front lawn and not just the house.
The house was old, the paint chipping and faded, the front porch sagging from neglect. The front lawn was green in patches, mostly weeds that dared to sprout from the coarse dirt. The front door was solid wood, and miraculously it looked to be in good condition. The screen door on the other hand was not so fortunate. It hung from one hinge, and it looked like at any minute the whole doorframe might collapse in on itself. Surrounding the lawn was a wrought iron fence that came up to about 3 feet. It was this fence that the teen boy now tripped into. His foot slipped through one of the gaps and planted itself firmly into the dead lawn. He immediately jumped back and turned to yell at his friends. After a minute more they walked away patting him on the back.
I remember feeling scared for a while, but then my rational mind took over and told me he was fine. I didn’t see anything happen to him, did I? No, he just stepped on some dead grass in front of a spooky old house. He was fine.
I had still thought the rumors were just that: rumors. But then the next morning as I sat on the sofa drinking my coffee and watching the news with an absent mind I saw a picture of the boy. The headline read “Teen boy Evan Millston killed in tragic car accident”. I did a double take.
What?
There was no way. That was impossible. In my head I played it off as coincidence, but I could feel something was off. My heart was racing as I peered out the window at the ominous structure across the way. This was a nightmare. No, it was a coincidence.
The next few days I watched as little kids safely rode their scooters past the yard and as adults jogged by, careful to avoid the stray blades of grass that peeked out from behind the fence. It seemed that everybody knew to avoid it.
Not a week after buying the house there was a mysterious letter in our mailbox. No sender address, only a stamp and my name printed in neat handwriting on the envelope. My heart racing, I stared at the stark envelope. My shaking hands tore open the paper and removed the letter. I read it with a hazy mind and blurry eyes. It said
Dear Brandon Peters,
This is for your eyes only. Once finished reading, burn this letter. Do not allow anyone else to see this.
You are the owner of this house. As you have most likely heard, across the street is a house that they call haunted. It is not haunted, it is alive. I don’t know how but it bends reality to kill any who enter. All but you. You are the sole companion. It is your job to tame that thing and all of its evil.
I was in your place before you, and as my successor it is your job to do better than I did and protect the world and all of its people from the monster that inhabits that house. You have been chosen by fate, albeit a cruel one.
It is your responsibility to make sure that nobody gets hurt. You have to keep watch on that house every. single. day. There is no excuse. If someone dies, it is your fault.
Sorry for the burden, Saph
PS. If you have any questions you can reach me at +1 234 567 8910
So now you all know what’s happened. I don’t want to do this. I have to contact this Saph and tell them I can’t do this. I’m getting married, I have a job! I can’t do this. Sophie keeps telling me its just a prank, it IS just a prank right?
Okay, I’m calm. I’m gonna call the number and see what happens from there. I’m gonna tell them that I can’t do this. I’ll just move out. I’ll find another house! It’s gonna be fine. I’ll update after I get this all sorted out. There is no way in hell I’m sticking around here.
I’m posting this with the hope that someone can help me. Please, anybody. I don’t want to deal with this! I don’t care if its some stupid fucking responsibility! I just want to go back to the way things were!