Extend the Story - Add a Room

"What the hell," you say to yourself and turn the knob. It opens with little resistance. A rush of warm, yet stale, air hits you in the face as you enter. There is sunlight streaming into the living room, creating warm sunny patches on the floor. You can imagine a long ago house cat curling up in one of those spots.

The house is small so you make a quick tour. Two bedrooms- one obviously for children with bunk beds. It's a little creepy as there are dinosaur sheets on the beds and toys still waiting to be played with on the floor. The second holds a queen size bed that is unmade, a closet full of men and women's clothing and various toiletries scattered around a vanity.

You've heard of haunted houses that look like people just picked up and left, but you'd never seen one before. Reminding yourself that none of the scary tales actually involved this house you shake off your anxiety and continue. In the hall ceiling there is the outline of what you suspect is a drop down for a ladder that leads to the attic. It unnerves and reassures you that it a) looks very unused and b) has a lock on it that is rusted over. Nothing and no one is getting in or out of that space.

The last door is a bathroom, there's no window, just a fan and it's very dark. Without thinking you flick the light switch and just as you're berating yourself over such a stupid action you hear a rumbling sound, then an electric whine and the light flickers on. You stare open mouthed and see that the bathroom is fully functional, toilet has water and there's toilet paper.

Turning the light off you go back into the living room, making your way to the quaint kitchen with the blue flower wall paper. Lights and water work here too. You open the fridge- but it's empty aside from a baking soda box. Though at least now you don't have to waste batteries on the hot plate you brought, you can use the kitchen. There is some unease in your mind as to why an abandoned house would still have electricity and running water, but you push it away. It's obviously an over sight of the city who never shut the utilities off or simply didn't want to deal with it.

Or maybe you were wrong? What if the city turned everything back on because a new care taker was soon to arrive or already had? Was it possible you'd be snuggling down in your sleeping bag tonight when they came home? No- no...this place was deserted, though you'd have to keep your ears and eyes open to human interference. The city could have hired someone new and that person may show up at any time.

Going back int the living room you set up. Lantern, sleeping bag, food out and within reach. You leave your equipment in your bag because you never know what you'll need out in the field.

A very audible footstep comes from the attic. There has to be someone up there. But how? There was a lock on that wall section, preventing it from opening. Standing up you get a your video camera and turn it and the flashlight attachment on.

A slight creaking noise comes from down the hall and then a loud metallic rattle, ending with a thump as something hits the floor. Heart in your throat you know you just heard that panel slide open and the ladder drop down, which should have been impossible. Silence fills the house, in fact it's suddenly quieter than it ever has been. How is it possible you feel so cold and afraid with sunlight still lighting the room?

Reaching into your pocket you pull out your mace and a small cross your grandmother gave you. You take it with you to every "haunted" location. You know, just in case prayer works. You also check your cell phone to make sure there's signal. If it's a person 911 will come in handy.

No other sounds come from upstairs and your eyes are stuck on the hall way, watching and waiting. You are very aware the front door is only feet away, gathering your things and getting the hell out will take less than a minute. However, this is what you came here to do, explore and find proof of the unknown. You've been in scarier situations before, though right now you can't remember any.

Leave the house- QUICKLY