"Chilling Valley" by Alannah L

 

 

Halloween was the most celebrated holiday in the city of Chilling Valley, and my favorite time of year. I am up bright and early this morning because my family and I are staying in the most “cursed” vacation house of all, but we know they are all just fraudulent stories. It is rumored to be the scariest, haunted town in America. Unlike everyone else, my family and I don’t believe that this place is truly haunted. As we drive down to Chilling Valley, we start talking about how hilarious and phony these accusations are.

“This is going to be so scary!” my older brother, Liam, sarcastically says, rolling his eyes.

 

My younger sister, Mercedes, can’t contain her laughter while saying, “Yeah, I’m really scared!” We can’t stop laughing and poking fun at the town when my mom shouts to the back, “We are here, hope you're not too scared,” with a smirk and wink.

As we step out of the car, I feel a cold and tingling sensation throughout my body, something I’ve never felt before. I turn around to my family when I say,

“I’m not too sure about this. I'm having second thoughts that maybe we shouldn’t be here.” “Nonsense,” my mom says.

 

“You act like this is real Noah, ” Liam says, as he playfully punches my arm.

 

“Yeah okay. Maybe you're right.” But, honestly, I’m still not sure. Cobwebs dangle from the sides of the house, the shutters are dark and black from the dust it has collected over the years, the door is a big, black ominous entrance into horror. My dad opens the door with a loud SCREECH.

 

“Jeez, what is this? A 1989 horror film?” My dad says.

 

“I wouldn’t put it past me,” I mumble under my breath. I can’t help but think something is off. As we walk into the house, I get another tingling sensation in my arm. I grasp it and my mom says, “Noah, are you feeling alright?”

 

Absolutely not! I want to run out of here, screaming, crying for help.

 

“I don’t like how this place is making me feel, we shouldn’t be here,” is all I say. I guess everyone can tell I am petrified because Liam pushes me and says, “You’re such a crybaby. Why are you acting like this?”

 

“Why aren’t you? This is outrageous! Why are we even here?”

 

“To fulfill our life-long dreams. We’re trying to prove that Chilling Valley is full of lies and rumors. We have dreamed of saying ‘I survived Chilling Valley.’ Can you picture it?” “No ‘cus we’ll all be dead.”

“Whatever,” and Liam rolls his eyes and leaves.

 

I walk over to where my family is sitting and tell them I think I need a shower. “I feel like I just need to wash away this scary, negative energy I’m feeling.” “That’s a great idea!” My mom says, with a quirky smile. “Yeah, go do that you stinker,” my dad chuckles.

“We’ll just be here big brother,” Mercedes calls out as I’m already halfway to the bathroom, which isn’t much better. The bathroom looks like an abandoned washroom with dirty floors,

ripped wallpaper, and half of a mirror. I quickly jump into the shower so that I can get out of this bathroom as quickly as possible. I turn the knob and dirt sputters out the showerhead before I even get some water to come out. Of course, there is no hot water. I let the freezing cold water run through my hair and down my back as I softly close my eyes for a long while. I turn the water off and step down. I dry myself and quickly fix my hair in the mirror before I leave. As I’m walking, my mom shouts, with a genuine and soft voice, “Noah, is that you? How was your shower?”

“Fine.” I walk into the door of a bedroom and not to my surprise, I feel like I’m staying in a Motel. The bedsheets are brown when I’m positive they should be white, and all the furniture is worn out as it has probably been through a flood or something. I put on a faded black sweatshirt and baggy jeans. I turn on the blow dryer and hear someone shout, “Noah, come out here!”

 

I shout back, “okay, hold on.”

 

By now, it’s already about 7 pm, way past sunset in Chilling Valley. I turn off the blow dryer, as my hair is dry now, and I walk out of the bedroom. It is pitch black and I can’t find one light switch.

“Mom? Dad?” I cry out. “Liam? Mercedes?” No answer. The floor creaks loudly, step by step. I’m so scared that the ghost of Chilling Valley took my family. Suddenly, a cold hand grabs my arm as I creep through the darkness, “boo.”

 

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” I scream. I am on the verge of tears when my dad flicks on the lights. My family appears from the darkness, giggling. “‘AHHHH’ You screamed like a little girl,” Liam shouts.

“OMG Noah! You’re hilarious!! We got you good!” Mercedes laughs.

 

“Oh I’m sorry Noah, but we just had to get you! You were so scared about Chilling Valley, we just had to bring it to life,” my mom chuckles. “Because we all know the rumors are fake!” “Don’t do that again, PLEASE! You scared me so badly!” I cry.

“No more, we promise,” my family says. We crowd around the worn down dinner table when the lights go out.

“Dad, we said no more,” Mercedes whines.

 

“That wasn’t me though,” my dad says, petrified.

 

“Then who was it?” Liam questions.

 

“I’m sure we just blew a fuse, it’ll be alright,” my mom hoped.

 

Just as I am about to say something, WHAM!

 

“Uh, was that a door?” I asked.

 

With a sinister voice, Liam says, “possibly. Or a ghost,” as Liam grabs me, he ominously says, “Boo.”

“Can you not do that?” I pushed him aside.

 

“Ugh, I’ll go look,” my dad says.

 

I sit impatiently, waiting to hear from my dad. I take a deep breath right before my dad calls out to us and says,

“EVERYONE! HURRY! You have to come see this now!”

 

We jump to our feet and run towards the direction we heard our father’s voice from. As we all

 

crowd around him, Mercedes cries out,

 

“Is that what I think it is?”

 

The rest of us, say in unison, “Yup, that’s a…”