Haunted House

They lived on the edge of a lake, in a brownstone house with a white wicker fence. The Smiths had purchased the old colonial house from the real estate agent for a song. It was rumored that the house was haunted.

Elena and Authur had rubbished all that they heard from their neighbours and moved in with their kids Bobby and Beatrice.  

The front and backyard had overgrown grass reaching a foot in height. Authur's first job was to use the lawn mower and cut the grass to resemble a well-manicured lawn. Elena got the interiors renovated with modern fittings, most of which were outdated and not functioning. Some broken wooden floorboards had to be changed. This done, the house looked squeaky clean.

The two tall elm trees are where the children loved to play and climb up the lower branches to sit and read. Elena set up a swing for the kids.  

All was going well with the family as they settled down in their new home. The children were admitted to the school in the closest town, ten miles away from home. The parents took turns in dropping them off on their way to their workplace in the next town.  

Then some unusual happenings made a dent in their sense of well-being. One morning, they found ravens in the backyard feasting on the carcass of a horse. How and when did the horse enter remained a mystery. The overpowering stench made them call up the municipality to get the carcass removed.  

Another night Bobby and Beatrice heard someone playing the piano. "Mom, was it you playing the piano at midnight? We both heard your favorite Christmas Carols and wanted to sing along".

Elena's jaws dropped in surprise. But she did not want to alarm the kids and lied "Yes, that was me, running my fingers over the keys to check out if the tuning was right." The next time the kids crept down the staircase to hear Mom, they were shocked to find no one playing but the black and white keys depressed as though some invisible hands were playing. Scared out of their wits they screamed..."Dad...Mom...come down fast. There is a ghost in this house. By the time the parents came down the music stopped. Bob and Beatrice were scolded for allowing their imagination to run riot. 

The final nail in the coffin was the day Elena saw the swing moving on its own. No...how was it possible? The children were in school. The air was still. This time Elena's blood chilled with fright. Taking Aurthur into confidence, she narrated the incident, convinced the house was indeed haunted.  

Without bothering to explain to the realtor, they quickly moved out to a house in the town. The house was put up for sale. Nobody moved in after they left.

Later they learned of an old pensioner who lived there was found murdered. The murderer was never found. The old lady's spirit returned again and again to prewarn would be buyers of the the murderer let loose loitering in the neighbourhood.