THE HAUNTED HOUSE

ONE AND ONLY

I had just gotten admitted into a new school in another city. The school's hostel wasn't exactly comfortable, it was quite a mess actually so I went on a search for an apartment off campus.
The search went on for weeks.. I had gone through countless listings and visited several places, but nothing fit my budget.

Finally, I stumbled upon a charming little building with a fully furnished room for rent. Asides the bathroom being detached from the house itself and me having to share it with the landlord, It was perfect - the rent was affordable, the location was ideal,and the room itself was spacious and bright.

"Are you sure the place you got is comfortable? You don't have rush out you know"
Anita said as she helped me pack my stuff.
Anita was nice enough to let me squat with her while I was searching for my own place.

"Yes. It is.. very comfortable. Its just me and the landlord in the compound.."

"Just you and the landlord? Hmm, are you sure that's a good idea?"

I giggled.  "He looks like he's in his 70's, I'm sure it's safe"

"Age is just a number oo" Anita's friend yelled.

"Exactly! Where is this house again?"

I gave them a description and they both exchanged glances..

"What?" I asked them.

"That house is haunted!" Anita friend said.

"Rumored to be haunted" Anita corrected.

"What?!"

"Don't mind her. its just rumours,there's no truth to it"

"There's always an inti bit of truth in every rumor madam."

"What exactly are the rumours saying?"

"That the Landlord's late daughter's ghost lives within those walls.. tormenting whomever moves in. Why do you think the place has been vacant for over a year? No one has successfully stayed in that room for more than a night."

"Stop it! Your scaring the poor girl"

Anita, on noticing Joy's words had me feeling some type of way, offered to go back to my place with me and spend the night then we'd go to class from mine the following day.

We both came back together that day and just as we walked into the compound, we saw the landlord sitted outside all by himself, staring at the empty space and smiling. The second he noticed our presence, the smile disappeared.
Anita and I greeted him and went into my room.

"Old people are soo weird!" Anita said as she laughed.
She thought it was weird and I thought it was creepy.

After helping me unpack my stuff, Anita went to have her bath and I made pasta for us. This was slightly after 8pm.

Whilst I sorted out my cooking ingredients, I heard a strange noise. It was a faint whisper, barely audible, but it sent a shiver down my spine.. I looked around but there was nothing. It was at that point that nepa decided to take their light.

"Marthaa.."
I heard someone sing my name in a whisper
"Who's there?!" I said as looked all over for my phone to turn on its torchlight.

"Watchu looking forrr"
Came the tiny whisper. It felt like it was coming from right inside my ear.

The second Anita opened the door, nepa brought the light back.

"Madam you no hear me? I've been yelling your name to bring torch for me.. see as you make me baff for darkness. "

She was talking but I wasn't paying attention, I was busy looking around the room, hoping to find something that explained the whisper.

"No be you I dey talk to?" Anita said gently hitting me with her bathing sponge "what is it? Why are you looking around like that?"

"Someone... someone was In here with me"

"What? Who?! Your creepy landlord abi? I knew.."

"No.. not him. It.. it sounded like a child"

"You saw a child..wh"

"I didn't see, I heard"

"Don't tell me you're allowing Joy's words get to you"

Right! Then it made sense, I was alone and imagining things cause of what Anita's friend told me earlier on

"Madam check your pot"

After dinner Anita and I stayed up gisting about all of her toasters, the guys I'm to avoid and the nice ones.
Then again, the lights went off. Anita wasn't bothered as she went on with her gist,I on the other hand was a little scared.
Suddenly, a soft whisper echoed through the darkness, barely audible but unmistakable. It was the same voice from earlier on.

"Did you hear that?" Anita asked as she sat up

I immediately sat up too.. "That's the voice I was talking about earlier"

"Where's my phone" Anita said as she searched for her phone in the dark.
She found it but the it was off. All efforts to turn it on proved abortive.. same thing with mine.
We quickly rushed to the door but it was locked and wouldn't open.

"LaLaLaLa LaLa LaLaLaLa LaLa" came the voice again, continously.
It seemed to emerge from all corners of the room simultaneously, as if the very walls were whispering secrets to an unseen entity that lurked within.

Anita and I rushed back to the bed holding ourselves tightly, as our breaths quickened.
Then a figure came right out of the walls.. it glowed with eyes all dark and sad.
We were terrified!

The figure started moving closer, without making any sound. Its hand reached out towards us, like it wanted something. A cold breeze blew through the room.. we wanted to yell, scream out for help but we couldn't.. our voices were gone.

In the darkness, we could feel the ghost's icy touch. It was freezing and sent shivers down our spines.  The whispering got ouder, like a scary song surrounding us. Our hearts raced.

Time felt like it was standing still as the ghost stayed with us. We couldn't move or speak.

Finally, the ghost disappeared into the shadows, leaving the us shaking with both fear and relief.

The sun started to rise and a little light came through the window. The night had been terrifying but finally over.
The door creaked open by itself and we rushed out of the room.

The landlord was again sited outside smiling, but this time he didn't stop when he saw us.. if not anything, the smile grew bolder.

"Hope you enjoyed the night"
We ran out of the compound and never stepped foot in there, not even to get my stuff.

Turned out the rumours weren't just rumours..
We would never forget......... I would never forget.