Story 53: A Proper Ghost Story, Part 2

            “Now children,” The Storyteller said to the eager crowd gathered before her.  “Where did I leave off?”

            “A bang!”

            “A crash!”

            “A door opening!”

            “No, no, the lady looking around the door!”

            “Oh yes, how could I have forgotten?”

            She gripped the bat harder, sloooooowly looked around the door, and saw –

            a young boy dribbling a basketball in the living room.

            <Huh?>

            <Hush.>

            “Hey kid!”  She yelled at him.  “Go home before I call the cops!”

            But the boy just threw the ball at the wall, which made another

            BANG!

            “I’m warning you!”  She raised the bat, not sure what she or the boy would do next.  Suddenly, a man entered the living room from the kitchen.

            “Kevin, I told you, not in the house!”

            “But Dad – ”

            “But outside!”

            She watched as Kevin slumped his shoulders and walked through the front door.  As in, through the front door.  Without opening it.

            “These kids,” Dad said to himself.

            “Uh… sir?”  The young lady’s voice cracked.

            Dad went back into the kitchen.  She followed him, and when she entered that room no one was there.  She then opened the front door, and only the sight of a wandering wolf greeted her.  She closed the door and sat with the bat on the couch for the rest of the night, but no one came.

<The End?>

            <Of course not, children, now it’s a mystery!>

            Life went on for the young homeowner, only now with less sleep.  She continued with her interior decorating, but every night she was awoken by the noises of the family in the living room.  Along with Kevin and Dad, there were Mom and Julie and a goldfish, all of whom were unaware of her presence.  She waited for the appearance of blood on the wall or demonic writings, but nothing like that happened.  Even when she installed a stereo system, the family seemed to be literally unfazed by her projects.

            <This isn’t scary anymore.>

            <Just hold on.>

            Without wanting to draw too much attention to herself, she began discreetly asking her neighbors whether the house’s previous owners had been horribly murdered.  No one really could say what had happened, until one day, a cousin of her next-door neighbor came over and told her the most frightening news she had never expected:

           

The family… was still alive!

            “To be continued!”

            “I’m confused.”

            “That was the intention.”