The McAlister House
"Stop!" Bella whined as Edward teased her about screaming when she saw the spider.
Edward and Bella were like any siblings; always bickering. Always challenging each other to some stunt or another. But today was different. Today these two siblings will make a challenge that will change their lives forever. They will be pushed to the edge and only have the option of jumping.
"You're such a scaredy-cat," Edward continued to tease his sister. "It's just a little spider. It's not going to do anything to you."
"Just shut up Edward, and I'm not the only Scaredy-cat around here," Bella quipped.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about that time you screamed like a little girl because you saw that garden snake in the yard."
"Well…" he stuttered, "Snakes can actually hurt someone; daddy long legs however are completely benign."
"Whatever, I bet you wouldn't spend the night at the old McAlister house."
"I bet you I would."
"Fine. Do it tonight. Mom isn't going to be home until tomorrow."
"What about you?"
"Of course I'm coming. Who else is going to protect you?"
"Ha ha, very funny."
And so they began to pack up their things to spend the night at the old McAlister house that resided at the top of the hill behind their house. Both them scared out of their minds thinking about what might happen to them at the mysterious, old house. The house strikes horror into the heart of every child in the neighborhood. Tenebrous, dark, and hideous with it's broken shutters creaking in the wind. Its vacant windows, over grown hedges, tall menacing trees that seem as if to be torture devices with sharp points and desolate branches. There's no wonder that the HOA was petitioning to have it torn down. It was an eyesore and terrified the people of the neighborhood.
Edward and Bella began the trek up the hill shortly after 8 pm. After about an hour they slowly got closer to the house and it began to rain.
"Aw man!" exclaimed Edward as he began to run faster up the hill bypassing his sister.
"Wait up Edward! Wait for me!" Bella yelled after him.
Just as they took refuge under a nearby tree a strike of lighting lit up the quickly darkening sky.
"Um, Edward I think we should go back home. It looks like there's going to be a pretty nasty storm," Bella said to her brother.
"What are you scared? Scared of a little rain?" He replied mockingly.
"No," she answers defiantly.
"Well, then, come on," he said as he began again up the hill.
They continued up the hill more quickly than before in order to get out of the pouring rain. They stopped short once they got to the front door. BOOM! A lightning strike lit up the sky as a thunder clap resonated all around them. The lightning hit the tree they had just been standing under not more than five minutes ago. A terrible feeling of gloom fell over the two of them as the lightning, thunder and rain continued around them. They turned and looked at each other and both saw the fear in one another's eyes. The insoluble fear that neither wanted to admit to.
"You scared Edward?" Bella asked her brother.
"No," he replied lying to her and himself, "you?"
"No," she answered quickly.
"Should we knock?"
"Do you think anyone is in there?"
"I don't know. There might be."
Edward grabbed the knocker and banged it against massive wooden door. They could hear the echo as it resonated through out the house. Again they looked at each other with bleak expressions. When no one came to the door Edward grabbed the knob, turned it, and pushed open the door. He was surprised and a little upset that it opened. He continued to push it open as it protested loudly. They took in the dark house as a sickening iciness fell around them; smothering them. They stepped into the foyer dropped their bags, shook off the rain and took in the covered furniture and ominous portraits on the walls. They began to walk around and inspect their surroundings.
"Wow, this place is really creepy," Bella broke the oppressive silence that had resided over them since they entered the house.
"Yeah. All of these portraits look like their staring at me," Edward answered.
"I think we should just go find somewhere to sleep for the night and get this over with."
"Yeah," Edward replied dismissively as he looked at a certain portrait.
"Edward, are you listening to me?"
"Uh huh. Hey Bella doesn't this portrait look a lot like me?"
"I guess it does a little bit. But I think we really should just go find somewhere to sleep. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to."
"What? Are you scared?"
"Yeah, I'm scared, Edward. Look around this place. How are you not even a little scared?"
"I don't know. Do you want to go home?" Edward replied just as a deafening thunder clap practically shook the whole house.
"I don't think that is such a great idea. I think it might be too dangerous to be walking back home in this storm."
"Well I guess we should just go into the living room and set up our sleeping bags."
They went into the living room, dreariness still being the only emotion Bella felt. But Edward was a different story; he had a feeling of insufferable depression, he absolutely did not want to be in this house. That portrait on the wall has him scared out of his mind.
"Why does it look just me?" he thought, "There is no way that that is a coincidence. That has to mean something."
"Edward, why are you being so quiet?" Bella asked. When Edward didn't answer she waved her hand in front of his sorrowful and blank face.
"Edward? What's the matter?"
"Huh?"
"I said 'what's the matter?' Why are you so quiet?"
"Oh, I was just thinking."
"Oh, Ok. Well let's just go to sleep."
"Yeah let's just go to sleep."
Bella was really worried about her brother; he had never been so absent-minded before.
"He must just be scared," she thought and hoped.
After tossing and turning for about an hour the two of them finally fell asleep. Both of them too scared to have any good dreams. Edward dreamed about the boy in the portrait coming to him and asking for something of great importance but never saying what. Bella dreamed about being chased by the leafless trees as they stabbed at her with their pointed ends. She woke with a start when the trees got close enough to actually draw blood. She shot up and looked around for her brother but only finding that she was all alone and he was nowhere to be found. She began to really worry and called out his name.
"Edward? Edward, where are you? Edward, come on this isn't funny, come out here. Edward I swear to God if you pop out from behind something, I will kill you."
She continued out back into the foyer and then down the hallway. She stopped short when she saw a shadowy figure in the distance.
"Edward? Edward, is that you?" She called out to the figure, "Edward, I am so serious right now. Stop" She didn't finish the sentence as the figure flew past her causing her to let out a bloodcurdling scream. She spun around to see were the figure went but she didn't see it anymore. She began to look all around but again saw nothing but the dull, faded walls and the white sheets that covered all but the floors and ceilings. Bella didn't know what to think about what she just saw. All she knew was that she needed to find her brother and they needed to get out of this house, fast. She went to the door to see if Edward had gone outside but what she saw was so lurid that it frightened her so much she let out a soundless cry. About ten figures were walking in the rain toward the house. They were pale and wispy as they floated up the hill. Bella quickly slammed the door and ran into the nearest room. Terrified and out of breath she slid to the floor against the door and began to sob. She wanted her brother; she wanted him to come and protect her.
Bella was startled by a noise in the hallway outside the door. She poked her head out to see what it was. What she saw haunts her to this day. Her brother seemingly unconscious and floating midair while the ghostly figures surround him. An unrelieved sound of screeching coming from the circle. The young man from the portrait floating above her brother as he enters her brother's body.
"You are whole. You are one. You are done," the figures repeated as the floated around the circle.
Bella jumped from behind the door and called out her brother's name, "Edward! Wake up! Edward!" she screamed and begged but nothing happened, he remained floating as the ghosts came closer and closer to him. The young boy from the portrait had finished entering Edward's body.
"The entrance is complete," Edward's body was speaking but it wasn't his voice; it was the voice of the devil. This petrified Bella more than anything.
"NO!" Bella screamed. At this the ghosts turned to Bella and stalked toward her. She turned to run but stopped short when she saw her brother or what used to be her brother. This being did not have her brother's bright green eyes; in their place were blank clouded eyes that seemed to be able to annihilate the strongest of structures with the slightest glance.
"And where do you think your going little girl," the being asked of Bella. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing would come out.
"You see I really appreciate you and you brother taking the trek up here to my families lovely home," it continued when Bella didn't answer, "I especially enjoyed how you made it so easy for me to complete the transformation of becoming human again." It spoke so menacingly Bella was rendered speechless.
"Once this night is over I will be a human again and you will be finally rid of your annoyance of a brother," it explained. This statement brought the words back to Bella.
"No one can call my brother annoying but me," she finally replied
"Oh so you can talk."
"Yes, I definitely can talk and there is no way I am going to let you kill my brother."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Certain."
"Well, we will see about that. Won't we?" it stated and disappeared right in front of Bella. She had no idea what to do now; she knows she needs to help her brother but she doesn't know how to. She doesn't know anything about exercising anyone. She doesn't even know where to start and she only had four hours until dawn. A dread fell over her; she was going to lose her brother and she could do nothing to stop it.
Bella ran around that house like a madman trying to find something to help her brother. She turned over furniture, tossed books, and tore the house apart. But she was coming up with nothing; she didn't know what she needed to be looking for. She was at wits end and slid to the floor sobbing. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't call any one since the power at this place was nonexistent and she didn't have time to run home and call for help nor did she want to in the storm. The sun came up in two hours. So she sat, just sat on her sleeping bag and cried.
A few minutes later she heard a voice; a voice calling out her name and it sounded like her brother.
"Bella, look where one can no longer see," the voice whispered. Bella was certain that she was going crazy but answered anyway:
"What? What does that mean?"
"Look where reality does not exist," the voice replied. Bella didn't understand what the voice meant.
"Where reality does not exist? Where one can no longer see?" Bella pondered. Then it clicked; his pillow.
She moved toward his sleeping bag and grabbed the pillow and there was a dagger with a handle encrusted with lurid sapphires. She pondered where it came from but soon forgot about it, seeing as she didn't have much time. She went out to the foyer and called for her brother.
"Edward! Edward, don't be scared. I know how to get my brother back. Aren't you gonna at least answer me. What, don't you think you can take me?" she taunted the spirit hoping he was still somewhat like Edward and wouldn't be able to resist the challenge.
"What?" the spirit appeared suddenly causing Bella to jump a little.
"I can get my brother back," She replied
"And how is that? If I may ask?"
"Like this!" she yelled as she plunged the dagger into his heart. Blood began to splatter everywhere as she repeatedly stabbed the spirit. Just then the door busts open and in comes the local police and the children's mother.
"Bella, what are you doing?" the mother screamed.
Bella looked down at her hands and saw all of the blood and looked at her brother as he looked at her with his dead, piercing, now dull, green eyes.