The House on Elm

THE HOUSE ON ELM

Meet Harold. Harold is a bully. He is eleven years old and in the fifth grade. He’s larger

than a normal fifth grader. He had short brown spiky hair. Dressed in jeans, a white t-shirt with a

black open dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up over it and his black Hi-tops. Harold never

smiled. He always looked angry, frowning, showing his teeth, hairy eyebrows pointed down, and

his gaze was frightfully fierce. Most of the kids in his school found Harold scary looking and

when he walked up to them they couldn’t help but; do what he said. Because they knew he’d put

them in a trash can or get stuffed in a locker. Yes sir, Harold just loved being a bully. He also

wasn’t afraid of anything. He told everyone that nothing scared him. Little did he know, his

courage was about to be tested.

It was during Friday’s recess, as Harold walked through the playground looking for his

next victim when he came across Noah and his fourth grade friends. Noah was busy telling his

friends about the haunted house at the end of Elm Street and didn’t see Harold walk up from

behind. Harold grabbed Noah and put him in a head lock. “You fourthies will believe anything.

There’s no such thing as a haunted house,” Harold said.

Noah struggled and squirmed until he was able to pull his head out from Harold’s hold.

Once he was free Noah surprised everyone by pushing Harold hard enough to cause him to lose

his balance and fall on the ground. Harold stood back up and rushed Noah tackling him to the

ground. The two boys fought until a couple teachers broke them apart and took them away.

Outside the Principal office Harold and Noah sat waiting for the Principal to call them.

Neither one said anything to each other. Harold kept making quick glances at Noah. “What the

hell do you want?” Noah whispered.“You and your friends are a bunch of babies, if you believe that haunted house story.”

Noah turned in his chair to face Harold. “That house is haunted.”

“There’s no such thing as a haunted house, because ghosts ain’t real.”

“I bet you wouldn’t last one night in that house.”

Harold laughed and turned away from Noah. He wasn’t going to play Noah’s little

game. “That house is just a house. Nothing in there but dust and spiders”, he said to himself.

“What’s the matter Harold? Are you scared?” Noah taunted.

Harold jumped out of his chair and grabbed Noah by his shirt. “I’m not afraid of

anything!”

Noah pushed Harold off of him. “Prove it then. Stay in that house tonight. If you leave

before the sun comes up then you leave me and my friends alone forever.”

Harold scoffed and sat back down his chair. He thought about what Noah had said and

after a few seconds he asked. “And, what do I get when I win?”

“Stay in that house till sunrise and I’ll be your personal slave for the rest of the school

year. Harold turned away and thought it over after a minute he turned back to him. “Alright

deal,” The two boys shook hands just as the principal’s door opened.

When the sun had gone down Harold made his way to Elm Street. He spent his detention

thinking of things that’ll embarrass Noah. And, when he reached Elm Street he was distracted

with his thoughts and didn’t notice when he bumped into an old man. The old man was carrying

several bags of groceries that fell to the floor. “Watch where you’re going, you old fool.”“Such manners,” the old man said. “Just where are you headed in such a hurry?”

“I’m going to that old house at the end of the street.”

The old man’s face turned white and he grabbed Harold by the shoulders pulling him in

close to him. “You listen to me boy, stay away from that house. It’s a cursed place.”

“Curses aren’t real you old fool.”

“Listen to me boy. No amount of bravery can save you inside that place. If you go into

that house you will come out it.”

Harold shoved him and ran down the street. When he reached the house Noah and a

couple others were waiting for him. They told Harold that they would be waiting outside to make

sure he didn’t leave. He called them chickens and ran up the stairs and into the house. Once

inside, he took a casual look around. Dust was everywhere, along with cob webs. A lot of the

furniture was covered with sheets. He saw a lot of old paintings, statues, and other boring things.

He went into one of the rooms, pulled off the sheet from a sofa and flopped on to it. “This is

gonna be easy,” he thought to himself. Soon enough Harold fell asleep.

He woke up when the old clock went off. He heard the bells chime three times, and

opened his eyes. He glanced around and closed them again thinking everything was just as it

was. A few seconds later he sat up and looked at the door that led to the hall. It could have been a

dream but he thought he saw a sheet pass by the door. “I must a dreamed it. There’s nothing out

there.”He laid back down and closed his eyes. He was just about asleep when he heard what

sounded like a door being slammed. He jumped off the couch and ran into the hall. The front

door was closed and so were the windows. “It’s my imagination. I’m just hearing things.”

Harold decided to take a look around upstairs. A lot of the doors were locked, except for

one. It was a bedroom. He went into the room for a closer look and as soon as he was in the room

the door slammed shut. He pulled and struggled with the handle trying to get it open. Finally the

door opened and Harold ran out of the room and down the stairs. He made for the front door and

was about to open it, when his mind stopped him. Wait Harold. That didn’t really happen and

this house isn’t haunted. Those fourthies are trying to trick me.”

“Nice try guys,” he yelled. “I know it’s you Noah.” Harold waited for a while and just

listened. He could hear nothing but silence. He headed back to the room where the couch was it

was then that Harold heard the floorboards creak above him. As if someone was walking around

upstairs. He followed the sound back into the hall and over to the stairs. “So, someone else is

here...They’re trying to scare me.” Harold walked to the front of the steps. He could hear

whoever it was coming down and he wanted to meet them.

But it wasn’t someone coming down the stairs. It was a pair of shoes. They were walking

on their own. Harold backed away slowly. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing; shoes didn’t

walk by themselves. Fear began to come over him. He did his best to stay calm. “This isn’t

real. It’s a trick. Ghosts ain’t real.” He shut his eyes and when he opened them the shoes were

gone.

“N-N-Noah it ain’t funny anymore. I’m scared okay. You proved you point. You won.

Do you hear me Noah?”“Noah isn’t here,” said a creepy voice in the air. “You will never leave this house.”

It was official Harold was frightened. Hearing the voice made him feel like he was five

again. He inched his way to the door. Only this time he bumped into something. He turned

around only to find himself staring at a ghost. Actually it was only a white sheet with holes cut

out for eyes. Seeing the sheet made Harold feel better. The fear he felt began to go away. “Nice

try guys. I know it’s you under there.”

Harold pulled the sheet off and froze with fear. Under the sheet was a skeleton, a real life

skeleton. He began to breath heavy and could feel a scream trying to escape. Only he couldn’t

find his voice. And when the skeleton started walking towards him, Harold found his feet and ran

out of the room. He could hear the skeletons bones rattling behind him.

Harold ran around the house. He tried the door and it wouldn’t budge. Out of fear he

jumped out the window. Picked himself off the lawn and sprinted back up the street. He didn’t

notice Noah and his friends laughing. He just wanted to get the heck out of there. He lost the bet

and would have to leave the Noah and his friends alone. But he would never again say that

ghosts weren’t real. Truth be told Harold spent the next couple weeks locked in his bedroom.

Never forgetting that night in the house on Elm.