CW: descriptions of suffocation, whispering
Odessa Richards
Ariana’s girlfriend
Narrator
Willing to stay overnight to protect Julien, but fully ready to ditch at any sign of trouble.
Calm, relatively collected voice.
Main VA
Black - late teens to early 20s
Esther Knowles
Tells stories at sleepover about haunted house across town, says it's dangerous.
Julien’s older sister
Also thinks staying overnight is dumb but wants to watch her little brother.
Rougher, more gravelly voice as if tired all the time.
Can either be read in a different tone by Odessa’s actor or by multiple.
White - late teens to early 20s
Julien Knowles
Hyper fixation on stories Esther tells.
Esther’s younger brother
Suggests staying overnight / investigation.
More excited, energetic voice
Can either be read in a different tone by Odessa’s actor or multiple.
White – 15-17 years old
Arianna Powell
Odessa’s girlfriend
Minor character – only in for ½ the story
More worried, cautious voice
Can either be read in a different tone by Odessa’s actor or multiple.
Hispanic - late teens to early 20s
Settled around the little firepit in my backyard, the night was young, and it all started like any other one of our hangouts. Julien was laid on his back, facing the fire as he listened to the horrifying tales his sister was talking up. Esther had always been an amazing storyteller, with a knack for horror. She was a jack of all trades, but her masterful way of spinning her words into something so spine chilling made her seem like she lived, breathed, and slept horror. She sent my girlfriend into a spiral of conspiracy theories with how slowly and convincingly she had told a story of a man that once lived in the house two doors down.
That night’s story had been something special. A classic in every sense of the word. It was a story about an infamous house about 40 miles away. No, there was no violent family slaying or hidden serial killer. It was pretty tame. It was… just built near an old coal mine. It’s the only one on the lot. The people who lived in the house endured the likes of COPD, asthma attacks, lung cancer, pulmonary disease… All of them died in the house. Their deaths had to be long and painful, but Esther was good at adding in little details she knew would draw her audience in.
“Investigators have gone in and spent the night,” she said, flashing her hands so suddenly it made Arianna jump next to me. I remember I had to pull her close and tell her it was just a story… “and they’ve heard footsteps, and heavy, wheezing breaths, right in their ear… Cries for help were recorded on EVP, with strangled, choking breaths.” She had Julien wrapped around her finger by that point, and I remember he had leaned in. “To make it worse, they began to feel their throats get heavy, as if they were choking on their own lungs… They had to go in on a shift schedule, it was so bad, and some of the investigators got sick after… Nobody’s been brave enough to go in alone since then.” And that was how Julien’s bright idea started.
“We should try,” he said. I could feel Ari tense up in my arms, but before I could stop him, Esther did.
“Did you not just hear what I said? It’s near a coal mine, numb nuts. People got sick and died there, Jules.”
“Yeah, but-” God, Julien could never take no for an answer. “We could wear those fancy masks dad wears at work for the dust. And bring my old tape recorder, and-”
“Listen, Jules, I’m not gonna go sacrifice my own lungs for some little story I told you just because you want to go. I can imagine Odessa and Arianna are in on this with me?” Both Ari and I nodded, but Julien was insistent… and downright stupid.
“Then I’ll go alone.”
“Julien Knowles, that is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard you say out loud. You don’t have a way to get there… You don’t even know where it is!”
“You said it’s in Arvonia. I can just take a bus and walk.”
“Does the bus even go to the mine?” Arianna was trying desperately to keep her cool, but we both knew Julien was dead serious… So did Esther.
“I can imagine it doesn’t- Jules, I’m not letting you walk to that fucking house. No way in hell.” Esther was trying her best to open his eyes, but Julien was already up from his spot in the grass.
“What’s 40 miles?” Jules and Esther lived a few doors down, regrettably, and he slipped himself out of my backyard before we could stop him. I could hear his footsteps running down the street and, as Esther turned around, I could hear her question as she said it.
“I’m gonna have to go with him, aren’t I?”
“Es, don’t go- just… just tell him it’s dangerous. I mean, how old is the house?” Arianna was just hoping, praying that something changed Julien’s mind.
“I don’t know… like, 150 years, at least… I’m just scared he- I’m just scared he’ll get hurt and I won’t be there to help him, but…”
“You can’t tell your parents?” Before I could think, I had spoken, and Esther made a face as she was interrupted. “I-”
“They don’t care what he does so long as he gets home in time for football practice… I’m more just worried that if it’s just the two of us, we both get hurt and-”
“I’ll go.” Right as I said it, I could feel Arianna tense up again. I looked down right as she looked up, but I couldn’t just let them get hurt.
“No, Odess-”
“I wanna just make sure they won’t get hurt, babe… I promise I won’t go inside. I’ll just stay in the car and-”
“Odessa, you don’t have to go. I can handle Julien by myself. Have for almost 8 years.” Esther was looking at me like I was crazy, but I guess I looked sure of myself… Even if I didn’t feel it. “Fine… He’s probably gonna wanna go tomorrow night, so…”
“I love your brother, Es, I really do, but…” We seemed to speak in unison as we said-
“He’s an idiot.”
The next night, around sunset, it had started to rain. Esther and I pleaded with Julien to not go, that the road would be dangerous… But it wasn’t long until we stood in front of the old limestone house. The property was lined with trees, blocking our view of the outside world as he drove in slowly. We had gone from seeing across the plains for ages to isolated… alone. It was daunting.
Donning our raincoats and face masks, we had stepped in slowly. Even Julien, in all his barely harnessed excitement, moved carefully as though the house would collapse. It was only about 1,500 square feet and only 2 stories, but once we were inside, it felt endless. Like one wrong step would lead us down a rabbit hole we’d never be free of. Right away, there was a pressure in my chest, like I was being stood on. I should’ve taken it as the first sign… But I pressed on, letting Julien and his favorite flashlight lead the way. Turning back, I watched Esther step inside like an anxious deer. As scared as I was to be here, it was clear her terror was tenfold. Finally, the mistress of horror was crumbling beneath her own words.
“It’s fucking creepy in here,” she said, speed walking to catch up to Julien and I. She moved like a cryptid, and I could just think of the legends in my head. A long legged woman creeps through the night, looking for anyone to listen to her stories until the end of time. In all honesty, that was what kept me going as we followed Julien into the kitchen.
It was weird seeing the house the way it was. It looked as though the last people who lived here had left in a hurry. A sharp contrast to Esther’s story, and one that added a level of urgency. Everything was coated in a fine layer of dark dust, as if frozen in time.
“What’s this?” Esther and I hated when Julien used those two little words, and it could only mean-
“Jules, put that down, it’s a rusted over knife.”
“It doesn’t look very dangerous to me. It’s not even sharp.”
“You’re just trying to get tetanus at this point.” I watched as the dust billowed up into his face as he tossed the knife back down on the counter, and he jumped back.
It had been light hearted from then on. Just Julien finding little old things, with the two of us doing our best to relax and not think about where we were or why. Cycling back around through the kitchen into the living room, we found the piece de resistance. The old fireplace. I got to work inspecting the ashes, moving what was left of the embers with one of the pokers. Julien grabbed one to mess with, and I worried for his own safety. That boy and sharp objects is a scary mix. Esther had lagged behind at this point, but as she caught up to us, Julien got himself busy with his little ghost hunt. “Be gone, spirits, this is my house now.”
I barely had time to make a joke before I heard the creaking. Turning towards the noise, I fully expected to see Julien halfway up the steps, only to be met with our favorite white boy still in the same spot, frozen with what I could only assume was curiosity. “Julien, did you-”
“Yeah.” It was only then that I realized he had a bit of fear in his voice. Despite the slight muffle from his mask, the little tremble was a dead giveaway. Staring up at where the beam of the flashlight hit the stairs, I saw nothing.
“Es, Jules, we should go,” I started, but Julien was gone. He never had a single hesitant bone in his body. He never truly had any fears, just quick spooks. And there he was, standing at the top of the stairs with his sister hot on his trail. Wielding his new weapon, Julien felt like the king of the world, marching right onto the second floor. “Or… I can just stay down here…”
Sighing as I was left alone once again, I shook my head, turning back to the fireplace. Looking into the ashes, I could almost feel the old tenants. I could almost be the old tenants. A sense of despair seemed to envelop me. It was deep and guttural. It spiraled over my head and around my body, squeezing me in a big embrace and almost refusing to let me go. I could feel myself starting to cry, and the only thing that snapped me out of it… was the feeling of someone wiping my tears away.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. My senses came back one by one. I could feel the pressure of the mask on my face. I could see the details in the fireplace in front of me. I could taste the blood filling my mouth from biting my tongue. And finally… I could hear the croaky, whispering voice in my ear…
“Leave while you can.”
There was no way in hell I had to be told twice. My brain was screaming for me to run for the front door and never look back, but my body shot itself to the staircase and I opened my mouth to call for Julien and Esther. As I got further up the steps, I could feel my chest start to tighten. The pressure that fell on me when I first walked in had started to dissipate, but this was tenfold and knocked the wind right out of me. I hardly let out a pitiful squeak as the air was stolen right out of my lungs.
“Odessa, you okay?” I could hear Esther whisper shouting at the top of the steps, but looking up was hard. The most I could do was readjust the mask on my face, but it did nothing to alleviate the feeling. I tried to speak, but I couldn’t even take a solid breath in. I could still hear Julien banging around the floor, likely too focused on whatever he found up there to notice. Esther made her way down to me as my throat felt like it was swelling up… and as soon as she touched me, it was over. Taking the deepest breath I’ve ever taken in my life, I backed down the stairs, my body screaming for me to go, go, go.
“I can’t stay in here, I’ll be in the car. I can’t… I just…” Knowing Esther wouldn’t leave Julien and having the keys in my pocket, I was good to just run. Tripping over my own feet, I just barely made it to the car, exhausted and out of breath. I unlocked it and climbed inside, struggling to think past the adrenaline…
I don’t remember passing out… But I will never forget the sound of Esther slamming her hands against the car window. I shot up from where I was, looking over at her. The panic in her eyes sent a shiver down my spine as I hit the unlock button on the door, watching as she nearly ripped the passenger’s side door off its hinges. I looked over her shoulder as she climbed in, expecting to see Julien.
Instead, the path behind her was empty, and her voice was shrill and shaky as she shouted…
“He’s gone, just go.”
Comments