Authors Notes:

Hey, everyone. I know it's been a while since I posted anything. Anyways though, I was going through my files and found this story. This is actually the first story I ever wrote. I was in the eighth grade so bare with me, and it was meant to be a children's story for Halloween. And yes I know it's nowhere near Halloween, but I'm posting it anyways.

This story was inspired by R.L Stine's Goosebumps, so it's kinda corny, but then again, I was in the eighth grade. I have re-edited it though, so it shouldn't be too :/ bad.

Hope you like it. :/

-JA

Haunted House of Nimbus

It was a cold October night, but it wasn't just any other October night. It just happened to be October thirty-first. Yes, it was Halloween - the night where goblins and ghouls come out to play. Children dressed up in their frivolous costumes, going house to house, filling their sacks with various treats. Halloween is supposedly a time for fun and joy, but it doesn't always end that way. Not for everyone, at least.

Our story begins in the small town of Bowels, California. Three children in their preteens walked down the busy streets in the usually quiet neighborhood. But tonight, the street was filled with laughing children, dressed in their odd costumes and teens, harassing the smaller kids with water balloons and silly three stopped in front of a house, examining their fair-full pillowcases. "I don't have anymore room in my pillowcase," Emily said, dejectedly.

"Me neither," Mike replied with a sigh.

"Next year, we will need to bring bigger pillowcases," Stephanie suggested. Emily and Mike nodded in agreement.

"So, what do we do now?" Mike asked, sighing once again.

"I dunno. What time is it?" Emily asked.

"Eight-thirty," Stephanie replied glancing down at her digital wrist watch.

"We still have two more hours before we need to go home. Why don't we go to that haunted house everyone's been raving about?" Mike suggested, hopefully.

"I don't know," Stephanie said, looking unsure. "Didn't you hear about the strange disappearances going on lately? Maybe we should just go home instead."

"Why? Are you scared, Stephanie?!" Mike said, tauntingly. "I can't believe that you are going to ruin all our fun like that! If you're scared, you can go run home to mommy, and Em and I'll go without you," he added with a mischievous smile.

"I'm not scared!" Stephanie retorted.

"Then quit being a baby and let's go!"

Stephanie grumbled quietly to herself, but eventually agreed to go reluctantly, not wanting to be left alone.

So Mike, Emily,andStephanie walked over to the haunted house, not knowing what to expect. But one thing's for sure: this will not be a night that they will soon forget.

"Why isn't there anyone else here?" Emily asked as they approached the house.

"I dunno, maybe they got too scared and left," Mike answered, cockily.

"Hum... I don't know, you guys. I have a bad feeling about this. Something's not right," Stephanie said, anxiously looking around as if to find an escape of some kind.

"Okay, Steph," Mike said, a little too innocently, "we won't make you go in if you don't want to. You can just stay out here and wait for Emily to come back."

"You can't just leave me out here alone."

"Well, come on, then."

Stephanie frowned but followed after the two, not wanting to be left alone.

They walked onto the porch and as Mike went to open the door, he noticed an inscription inscribed into the old, rickety door.

ALL ARE WELCOME IN MY LAYER,

BUT IF YOU ENTER, YOU SHOULD BEWARE.

ONCE INSIDE, HAVE NO DOUBT,

YOU WILL NEVER BE COMING OUT!

COME 'N PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK,

FOR THAT DAY WILL SURELY BE AMISS.

Emily frowned. "That's creepy. I don't want to go inside," she said, warily.

"Quit being such babies, you two," Mike said with a hint of annoyance and pushed his way inside.

They walked inside of the house. The door shut and locked behind them. "Maaa ha ha ha ha ha ha!" An eerie voice cackles from a place unseen. Startled, the three jumped and looked about the room for where the voice might have come from, but there was nothing to be found.

"Welcome to the Haunted House of Nimbus," the voice continued, eerily. "You Should Beware. You're in for a scare. Ma ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Oooooo, scary," Mike said sarcastically.

"Heh, yeah. Let's just move on," Stephanie said, cowering behind Mike.

Mike snorted and muttered something smart.

They went up the stairs to the top floor of the house and down a long hall that was so narrow, they had walk in a line, single file.

At the end of the hall, there was a old, paint-chipped door, just waiting to be opened. Mike stopped in front it. He felt his hands begin to sweat and a feeling of dread began to pool in the pit of his stomach.

"Well, aren't cha gonna open it?" asked Stephanie.

"Just give me a minute," he answered with a slight quiver in his voice. He grabbed the door handle, turning it ever so slowly. "...It won't open!"

"Try it again," said Emily, trying to hide the hint of panic that began to seep into her voice.

"Okay," Mike tried again, giving the door another tug, but it still wouldn't budge. He pulled and pulled, until finally, the door opened with a loud squeak of the hinges. Inside the room long, narrow room, it was dark and gloomy. It had cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and every surface-from small desk in the corner to the large mirror that hung on the far wall-was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if the room had not been disturbed for many years. As they stepped further into the room, they all grew increasingly wary. Something was wrong. The deeper they walked into the darkness, the more uneasy they felt.

"Maybe we should go back. I'm starting to feel a little scared," Mike said, walking back towards the door they had just entered. The two girls followed after him without an objection.

"Yeah, I think you're right. Let's go," Emily agreed, walking closely behind him.

But when they tried to open the door, it was locked. They were trapped inside with no way out.

"Pull harder, Mike!" Emily urged in a panic.

"I'm trying!" For the first time,Mike letting his panic show. "Help me!"

Altogether, they pulled and pulled and pulled, but no matter how hard they tried it would not open.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S LOCKED! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE JUST WENT HOME! NOW WE'RE TRAPPED!" Stephanie screamed,and begun to hyperventilate.

"Don't worry, we'll find a way out. We have to," Mike said, he himself climbing near hysteria.

"How?!" Stephanie screamed.

"Just follow me."

So they go deeper into the darkness, trying to find another way out, but there wasn't one. Once you go inside Nimbus, you can never leave. You will be trapped inside forever.

They came to the darkest section in the room where they found a small door about three-by-five-feet wide.

"We can go through here. This is the way out," Mike said in relief.

"I don't know, Mike. It looks kinda sketchy," Emily said, uneasily.

"Yeah, maybe we should use a window instead," Stephanie suggested.

"There aren't any windows and the only other door is locked. What other choice do we have?" said Mike as he went to go open the door for the girls.

Emily and Stephanie gave each other an uneasy glance and reluctantly went inside, followed by Mike. Of course, Mike was right. What other choice did they have?

Mike closed the door behind him with a click, and as if on cue, there was a chorus of blood-curdling screams. And then a mere second later it was completely silent.

To this very day, nobody knows what happened to Mike, Emily, or Stephanie that dreadful Halloween night. They were never seen again. Their families are still looking for them, hoping that they will be found some day, but until then, remember to never ever go over to The House of Nimbus on Halloween night. We wouldn't want anybody else going missing, do we?

Happy Halloween. Ma Ha ha ha ha ha.

Author's Notes:

Ha, corny, hu? :) Well, I would love to know what you think.

And you should totally check out my other story, Before I woke. I haven't updated it lately. I've been struggling with the worst writer's block EVER and it's so annoying. I know exactly what I want to say, but I can't get it down in words... Ugg!

*Sigh* Anyways, I think that writing chapter eight of Before I woke will be easier now. When I started editing this story, I just couldn't stop writing after I started.

Well, thanks again for reading and check my other story.

I promise to update it in a few weeks, scouts honor... *saluts as a single tear drops down cheek with the Spangled Banner flowing dramatically in the distance* ... Just kidding, I'm not a girl scout, I can't make such a big and serious commitment. Well, see ya. :D

Thank you heyhellohowdy for editing.

-JA