One for two

I noticed that Aimee's moon light was turned on which meant she has reached her room. Aimee and I sneak out every week since the time we were in middle school. It started when Aimee decided to scare Carl Lewis, my classmate, who regularly stole my lunch. I wouldn't consider myself to be a strong person and someone who could defend himself, therefore Aimee was the one who always stood up for me. She's strong enough for both of us. We both had a moon light hung on our respective bedroom windows since the time we started our midnight shenanigans. Since our houses are adjacent to each other we could see if the other had turned on their light. Turning on the light meant that they've reached the room safely, without getting caught. Aimee has decided to go to the Howling House tomorrow. I'm not very keen as tomorrow is Halloween eve. According to the town legends every night you can hear a woman letting out a howling cry for her deceased son. A family had built the house in 1990 and after a few months of their shifting, on Halloween their son passed away. The mother died saving her son and the father, who couldn't bear the grief, passed away soon after. Legends say that if you go to the house your soul will be stuck their forever. Aimee and I consider this as an urban legend and don't pay much heed to it but I'm still not very eager for tomorrow night. I wanted to keep this week low-key as it's Aimee birthday coming up and it's important that everything is done smoothly and according to plans. I've decided to confess my feelings to her. I've been in love with her since preschool but couldn't muster up the courage to tell her as I was afraid it would ruin our relationship. She's the only person I consider my family, my birth parents left me when I was three years old and my adoptive mother is never really present in my life. But I still agreed to go to the house with her as I knew if I won't come along, she would go alone. The next day Aimee and I met in our usual spot and took off for our journey to the Howling House. The house was situated at the outskirts of the town. 

'The streets look darker than usual tonight, don't they?'

 'You're just scared Steve.' replied Aimee.

'I don't understand the point of going to that house tonight, is this related to your recent obsession with gothic literature?'

'How is that relevant here?'

'Well, maybe you think it's like Wuthering Heights and you will find your Heathcliff there.'

'It's Hareton, I like Hareton, how many times are you going to be confused with the names?'

'I know you like Hareton but the house is supposedly haunted and you may find the ghost of either Heathcliff or Catherine there.' '

'I don't understand why are you so scared, I thought you don't believe in the paranormal'

'I'm not scared Aims I'm just worried, the house is in a very secluded area.'

As soon as I finished my sentence we reached the front of the house. The house was of modest size. The bricks were black and the pavement was grey. On the porch resided a dusty, small lantern. Beside the house stood a tree full of leaves, which seemed odd during this season. A crow could be heard on the gable roof. The strong wind seemed to stop as it came near the house. The darkness of the house and the silence surrounding made it look like a house from a horror movie. But it didn't feel eerie. I could feel a welcoming aura around the house. I soon felt curious to see what's inside it. 

I noticed Aimee looking at the house in awe.

After entering the house and switching on the lights I saw the most exquisite interior I've ever laid my eyes on. In contrast to the outer part, the inside of the house was full of whites and creams. There was a huge piano forte near a pointed arch window to the left of the entrance. The house had two floors with a huge staircase at the end of the living room. The stairs had a white carpet on it. 

'This house doesn't look like it hasn't been lived in for 30 years, doesn't feel spooky at all,' I whispered to Aimee. Aimee was still absorbing everything around her and looked as if I interrupted her in the middle of deep thought. 'Yes it looks so clean,' she replied. 'It's not what I expected.' 

I felt a cold breeze when I came near the bottom of the grand staircase. I could faintly smell a women's perfume, and it didn't smell like it was Aimee's. It seemed like the house was welcoming us and I felt more comfortable when I reached there. 

While climbing the steps I suddenly heard footsteps behind me.

 'Aims did you hear that?' I asked in a low voice but she was already gone. I noticed a shadow going inside a hallway to my left, I thought it's Aimee and decided to follow her. But as soon as I reached the second floor I felt tempted to go to the hallway to my right, and without giving much thought I did. I entered the first room which looked like a guest room. I started to look through the things inside the room. I went to the dressing table and saw a book on it. I started flipping the pages and noticed my reflection is flipping the pages faster than me. I lifted my eyes to check but everything seemed normal, I continued to flip the pages and noticed the same thing happening. I thought it's my hallucination as I was alone in an alleged haunted house. I heard Aimee calling out my name so I kept the book and went outside. Aimee gestured me to follow her, so I did. She took me to a room at the end of the hallway. It looked like a master bedroom. There were portraits of a couple with a child but the faces were scratched out. 

'It's them,' said Aimee. 

'Did you know how did the child die?'

'No.' I replied

'In 1990, when the family moved into this town, the town was not very accepting towards them. There were false rumours about the parents being into witchcraft and the grounds on which the house is built was a burial before the family came here. This made the people look down upon them and the son had to pay the price. Due to his family's reputation, the innocent boy was mistreated by his peers. Due to their wayward behaviour,  he used to spend his time alone in the treehouse, which was built on the tree beside the house. One fateful night, some kids decided to play a prank on the boy but it resulted in the treehouse being caught in flames with the boy stuck inside it. Like every day his mother was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase when she heard her son's screams. She went outside and tried to save him but she died with him. Her howling cry of despair can still be heard in the house every night. The father was out of town and returned home to see his wife and son dead. He couldn't take it and passed away soon. The mother's pain and anger are suffered by anyone who comes in the house. She takes their soul with her and if you survive, chances are she has taken something which mattered the most to you the same way the people of this town took her son from her.'

I felt chills down my spine after Aimee finished her story. I had never seen her like this before, I got worried. 'Aims are you okay?' I asked shivering a little.

'What was his fault? He was a young, innocent boy.' Screamed Aimee. 

'Aims you're scaring me, it's not funny. Let's go I'm done for the night. Enough with the ghost stories.'

Suddenly I heard the sound of the piano playing from downstairs. I turned to look at Aimee who was smiling at me.

'Ignore it, I think it's a mouse,' she said

'But Aims-' 

'Ignore it Stevie', said Aimee interrupting me. 'I know about the surprise that you were going to give me on my birthday'        

'How?' I asked, shocked as I hadn't told anyone about it.

'You can't hide things from me, Stevie. I know about your feelings.' I was taken aback, she knew? 

'Come I have a surprise for you,' said Aimee with a smile. 

I followed her lead, it looked like she was taking me to the hallway which she went to when we first entered the house.

'Where are we going Aims?'

'To the son's room,' she replied.

 As I was about to enter the room a hand stopped me. I was terrified when I saw who it was. 

'Aimee?' I gasped. 

'Stevie don't listen to her. Don't enter the room.'

'Aims what the hell is going on?'

'Steve if you enter that room you will be trapped forever' 

I then looked inside the room and saw Aimee's body sitting lifeless on the bed. I was shattered, I couldn't move. I wanted to cry but the tears didn't come out, I wanted to scream but I felt as if I had lost my voice. I couldn't move, I couldn't believe my Aims was dead. I looked at the Aimee who was in front of me and realised it's her ghost. She looked pale and her eyes looked lifeless. I couldn't process what was happening, I couldn't bring myself to accept that the most important person in my life is gone. I was angry at her for coming here but I was angrier at myself. 'I should've convinced her to not come to this house or I should have at least followed her to this room, I could've saved her,' I thought.

'Listen to me, you've to get out of here'

'I- I'm not leaving without you', I replied, struggling.

'I can't leave I've to be here, doesn't mean you've to be here too.'

'What will I do without you? Why did you come here? I'm sure there's a way we can fix this. Please Aims' 

'I'm sorry Steve, but you've to leave without me. Hurry up don't have much time, you've to leave before midnight because after that the mother will become very powerful.'

'I don't care, I was going to follow you when I saw you coming here. But I changed my route unknowingly and went to the hallway on the right, I could've saved you if I hadn't done that.' 

'I was already gone by then Steve, you had to change the route or else you've would've been trapped too.' 

'Did you make me do it?'

'It doesn't matter Steve, please run and don't look behind. No matter what you hear, keep running until you're out of here. She's weak the hour before the time her son died. It will be easier for you to leave.' 

'I can't leave you here, I won't' 

'I'll always be there with you Stevie, please go and save yourself. Time is running.'

'I'll burn this house, it took you away, it killed you'

'This is what she wants, she wants you to suffer. But don't let her win, we can still win if at least one of us is out of here. Please run Stevie, for me. You don't even have to miss me, I'll always be there with you. Always.'

I looked at her one last time and started running. Soon I heard footsteps of a child running behind. A deafening howl of crying and screaming covered the house. The house didn't feel comfortable anymore. I could hear the cry of the mother and it was the most frightening sound I've heard in my life but my attention was to only run and leave this house, without looking behind.      

I reached the stairs and looking at the state of the house I realised that earlier, the house had shown us a false image of it. When in reality the carpet on the stairs was torn, there was dust all around, cobwebs, rats and broken glass decorated the interiors this time. I realised the image the house presented when we first entered, was a ploy to lure and eventually trap us. It was the mother which made me feel so welcomed. Now I didn't feel the welcoming aura I had felt. Instead, I felt as if my soul was about to leave my body. I caught a glimpse of a woman which I assumed was the mother, at the bottom of the stairs. She tried to stop me but I didn't turn back. Aims was right, the mother was not strong right now. I thought I've made it when on reaching the door I heard Aimee crying out my name and asking me to save her. It broke my heart listening to her voice crying and calling out my name like that. I didn't want to leave her here. But it dawned upon me that's she's dead and was never coming back. I understood that the voice sounded like her but it's not her and the real Aims wants me to escape. I owe this to her as she saved my life. Finally, even though it took all the strength I had in me, I didn't look behind and got out of the Howling House.

I don't remember what happened after I got out of the house. I remember waking up in a hospital. Aimee's body was found near the tree which was burnt that night in 1990 and was not full of leaves as I had seen while entering the house. No one believed me, and her death was ruled an accident by falling. Everyone presumed I had hurt my head, as I was found unconscious, and everything was just a hallucination. 

A few months passed, I graduated high school and was packing for University. It's been difficult without Aimee and I used to wonder if not only the ghost but also Aimee knew about my feelings. I realised later it doesn't matter if and how she loved me. What matters is that she was my friend who had enough love and courage for the both of us and this is how I'm going to remember her.

I don't talk about what happened as half of the people don't believe me and the other half just want gossip. Thus, I also don't tell anyone how a few nights, every week, Aimee's moon light is turned on. I assume this her way of telling me that she has reached her room, safely without getting caught.