Growing up, i lived in a town that kind of small. We lived in a really nice neighborhood where everybody knew everybody. It was so safe, that it wasn’t uncommon to come across some kids very late at night.
There was one detail tho. The next house near mine was a really old one. It was really big with i think 4 floors and the primary reason i thought this was never selling was because of the sheer size.
I was coming home one day from school, when i noticed that the “SALE” sign wasn’t on the front lawn anymore and some of the windows were lit up by a yellow light. There wasn’t much movement inside.
I got home and i told my parents about this and they didn’t have a big reaction. I went to do my homework, ate dinner and watched some TV. When it was time to go to bed, i did my normal routine before stopping in front of the window and looking at the now occupied house. The lights were still on and still no movement.
Next day i woke up later than usual, since it was weekend. I took my bike and decided to go around the neighborhood with it. As i was getting out, i noticed that the house’s next door tenants were also heading out.
Even if it was hot outside, they were wearing a black hoodie and some black cargo pants. I politely waved at them but they didn’t respond. Before i could say anything they speinted into their backyard. That was it.
A week passed and it was now a school day. I usually walked to school with my friends. This time wasn’t different. Except that after about 5 minutes of walking, we could hear rustling behind us, as if something or someone was walking on the fallen leaves. We also noticed that that person’s pace was faster than ours, so we just moved to one side of the road, so that whatever was following us could pass us.
As we did that, a figure was fast walking past us and before it disappeared behind a tree, i noticed that it was my next door neighbour from the old house.
He turned to look at us and he had a disturbed look on his face, with glowing red eyes. “Tell Molly i said hello”. I froze.
Back when i was still in middle school, i had a friend. Her name was Molly. One day she didn’t show up to school and they organized a search party for her. They found her a week later alive, but she was never the same again. She didn’t speak a word until she died a month later. That is why i moved here.
Then and there i went and told my parents about what had happened. They called the cops and we took my friends’ parents as well and knocked on the door of the house where that guy had moved. It took a moment, but when it funally opened, in the doorway was standing a woman that looked to be in her late 30s, which none of us recognized.
She seemed really confused even after we explained everything to her. She said that she lived alone.
“I’ve lived here my entire life” was the only thing she said at the end.