Cottage 365

I could feel my hair rising, the sweat pricking down from my spine. A strange force was asking me not to move in that direction “ Am I doing the right thing?”, I asked myself. Was it right to go inside this cottage ’Cottage 365’ which was considered haunted? But I had taken this challenge, I can’t back out now. I slowly walked towards the cottage, the leaves crunching under my feet. I wondered in amazement that despite being not inhabited by anyone, the cottage felt like belonging to someone or something. The broken gates were open, creaking in the wind and felt wet and as cold as ice.It was a dark, cold night. The lightening lit up the house and the thunder made me jump. The house was dark and gloomy. It had narrow broken windows and an open wooden porch, it looked abandoned but it couldn’t be, a light was on in the attic room. I started to sweat with fear and my heart began to beat faster as I continued to walk past the bare trees towards the front door. I had to do it, there was a reason to do that, I have to prove that I am strong enough. 

I started towards the attic, it was very dark in there. I was feeling troubled finding a way towards the attic. I felt a cool air at the back of spine and something or someone touched my shoulder. I would have almost fainted there and then but he took my hand in a gentle grip. He was a boy similar to my age and built, though I couldn’t see his face in dark but I could feel that he was smiling. 

“Are you frightened?”, he asked me with a visible concern

“No, no?”, I lied.

“ No one comes here, everyone calls it a haunted place but I am staying here for so many years but haven’t seen a single ghost.” He laughed 

My nervousness left me instantly, I felt a little confident now. I was thinking of the faces of my friend when I will return back with this story. A little smile escaped me.

We talked on various issues and I felt a decent camaraderie between us. Suddenly the sky became violent. The drizzle turned into a frantic rain and it was lightning profusely. Suddenly strong lightning hit the house and the whole house was bathed in light.

I could see his face clearly now.... 

I was looking at myself as if I was standing in front of a mirror. My eyes, my nose, my mouth. He laughed viciously, my legs turned into jelly. 

“This house has no ghost”, he laughed and laughed and vanished.

I stood there, rooted to the ground