ENC 1101-B3 & B4: Writing for Discovery

The old Stonybrook House is located about half a mile from my High School. If I turn right past the old Piggly Wiggly and take it straight for about two blocks I should find it, at least that’s what they all say…

I love the thought of the adrenaline rush when it comes to scary movies or even a house. At school this afternoon, I was conversing with some of the other cheerleaders and we decided to head down to the old Stonybrook house right after the football game tonight.

All the stories I’ve heard can’t possibly be true. What could be so scary? The stories range from having your name written on the wall to door slamming as you run up and down the hallway. I think, personally, the people who have ventured down there just want to scare those of us who haven’t had the experience.

As I left the locker room to head out to the field, I felt my stomach starting to churn. I wasn’t frightened, how could I believe things that I hadn’t seen for myself? I run into Sarah, one of my friends who is coming too, “Are you starting to get butterflies thinking about Stonybrook?”

“No, are you crazy, if some of those wimps have been out there we sure can beat this out!”, Sarah replied with full confidence.

“Okay, but I am having trouble keeping those thick rumors out of my head.” As my voice shook with a slight tone of aversion as I headed onto the field.

I cheered my little heart out at the football game that night, in hopes of distracting myself from the doom that was destined to occur. Our team beat the town rivals and we all gathered at my car to see who wanted to go to the old house with us.

Sarah, Erin, Matt and I were headed out there and it was about quarter past ten on a clear evening. The air was so crisp that you could’ve broken it right in two. I sat in the front of Sarah’s car as we began to drive. Everyone was laughing and carrying on in the back as I was feeling quite sick in the front.

A few minutes pasted by and we had arrived. The gates were a creepy black rod iron metal. They stood about eleven feet tall and had intricate designs welded neatly on the front of them. I walked up and tried to push on one, it didn’t budge. I glanced back, my friend’s eyes were as big as quarter dollars, and I think everyone was having second thoughts.

I slowly turned around.

“AHHHHH…” the whole car screamed.

The gate was opening slowly and no one had touched it. Sarah pushed on the gas pedal gently and the car rolled into the old cracked driveway. Holding each other’s hands we all piled out of the car.
Whispering, I told the bunch to all watch out for the person next to you and don’t split up. I knocked on the front door. The echo of my knock was heard throughout the house. I jiggled the door knob and it fell to the ground. So Matt kicked open the door and we headed in.

I was in front and decided we should conquer the upstairs first. “Follow me guys” I began. “Don’t you think that we should stay down here,” Matt’s voice shook. “I think so too” Sarah agreed.

“No, I want to see if they know our names,” I inquired. “I’m not so sure about that, What if they do?” Erin started to cry. I crept up the stairs in a silent manner hoping not to disturb “anyone” who lived in this nasty old mansion.

“Duck!” I yelled, the old chandelier had just come plummeting for our heads. Someone didn’t want us here and I wanted to find out whom. Gray, thick spider webs were everywhere and sticking to our bodies.

Reaching the top of the staircase, doors started to open. I peeked in the first one to see what was in the room. Nothing but black curtains resided in the first two rooms.

“I’m scared,” whispered Erin. “Don’t be, I’m right here,” Matt assured her.

The first door slammed. Then the next and the chain reaction had started. Something behind us was trying to scare us out of the house, but I wasn’t going for it.

“Run for your life!” Matt was holding Erin and Sarah’s hands and they were all running down the hallway. “Stop don’t leave me, stay upstairs,” I pleaded.

The group got to the bottom of the stairs and there it was. All of our names spelled out clear as day on the front wall. Erin was balling at this time and Sarah was determined we were leaving. They walked out. Matt and I stayed a minute and yelled around the house.

“Whoever you are we’ll be back and we’re not going to tell anyone what happened!” we angrily shouted.

I believe what happened that night in the old Stonybrook mansion was trickery. I think that people talk about when they’re headed out there and someone plays a bad joke. How could exactly the same thing happen to everyone who went out there, unless you believe on ghosts?