Hola! Happy Friday everyone. I have a story; its short I swear. Today my class was supposed to go out to the football field to take out senior class picture but, the forecast predicted that it was going to rain. So we got out there about 2:30 and it was sprinkling a little. Well we had to sit there for like 10 minutes for the camera person to get everyone squashed together and his/her camera going. By the time we got our pictures taken it was pouring. I got to my car and I was soaked and the bottom of my new pants were covered in mud. Just thought I'd share that with yawl, Any who.
A/W: I dont own anything.
CPROV
After grabbing some snacks and settling into comfortable positions around the room, we ready to start reading. "So whose goanna read first?" Tori asked; I was lying against Derek's chest when he rumbled "I will," and reached out of my writing pad.
Twelve years earlier…
Mommy forgot to warn the new babysitter about the basement.
"What does this have to do with our adventures?" Simon asked and Derek cut him a look for interrupting him.
Chloe teetered on the top step, chubby hands reaching up to clutch both railings, her arms shaking so much she could barely hang on. Her legs shook, too, the Scooby Doo heads on her slippers bobbing.
"Scooby Doo slipper?" Derek questioned glancing at me. "Shut up, I was like five." I turned my face towage my lap hiding my embarrassment.
Even her breath shook, puffing like she'd been running. "Chloe?" Emily's muffled voice drifted up from the dark basement.
Tori rolled her eyes at the story as if it could see her; when she saw me looking she rolled her eyes at me too. Good ol' Tori.
"Your mom said the Coke's in the cold cellar, but I can't find it. Can you come down and help me?"
"Who's Emily?" Simon wondered. "She's the babysitter, keep up you idiot." Tori said examining her nails as if she had nothing better to do.
Mommy said she'd told Emily about the basement. Chloe was sure of it. She closed her eyes and thought hard. Before Mommy and Daddy left for the party, she'd been playing in the TV room. Mommy had called, and Chloe had run into the front hall where Mommy had scooped her up in a hug, laughing when Chloe's doll poked her eye. "I see you're playing with Princess- I mean, Pirate Jasmine. Has she rescued poor Aladdin from the evil genie yet?"
I smiled to myself remembering the good old days of being a little kid.
Chloe shook her head, then whispered, "Did you tell Emily about the basement?" "I most certainly did. No basements for Miss Chloe. That door stays closed." When Daddy came around the corner, Mommy said, "We really need to think about moving Steve." "Say the word and the sign goes up." Daddy ruffled Chloe's hair. "Be good for Emily, kiddo." And then they were gone.
Tori face was solemn and blank when she said, "You had the picture perfect family." I looked away, "Key word 'had'." Derek squeezed my hand; I knew Tori didn't mean any harm she was just thinking about her own Mom & Dad. Well her fake Dad, she still didn't know about Mr. Bae being her real Dad .
"Chloe, I know you can hear me," Emily yelled. Chloe peeled her fingers from the railing and stuck them in her ears. "Chloe!"
"Like that would help, very mature." Tori said.
"I c-can't go in the basement," Chloe called. "I-I'm not allowed." "Well, I'm in charge and I say you are. You're a big girl." Chloe made her feet move down one step. The back of her throat hurt and everything looked fuzzy, like she was going to cry. "Chloe Saunders, you have five seconds or I'll drag you down here and lock the door."
"No offence Chloe but you babysitter sounds like a real bitc-." "Simon," Derek snapped cutting him off. "Can I continue?" He growled.
Chloe raced down the steps so fast her feet tangled and she tumbled onto a heap on the landing. She lay there, ankle throbbing, tears burning her eyes as she peered into the basement, with its creaks and smells and shadows. And Mrs. Hobb.
I cringed right when Simon asked "Who?" I might not remember much about all the ghosts that Aunt Lauren and Mom had tried to cover up for me when I was younger, but the one I do remember was Mrs. Hobb.
There'd been others, before Mrs. Hobb scared them away. Like old Mrs Miller, who'd play peek-a-boo with Chloe and call her Mary. And Mr. Drake, who'd ask weird questions, like whether anyone lived on the moon yet, and most times Chloe didn't know the answer, but he'd still smile and tell her she was a good girl. She used to like coming downstairs and talking to the people. All she had to do was not look behind the furnace, where a man hung from the ceiling,
They all glanced at me horrified looks on their faces. "Did you really have to live with something like that?" Tori questioned her eyes held curiosity. "Yeah, though I don't really remember it." I answered, "At least not that much." I murmured so only Derek could possibly heard me.
his face all purple and puffy. He never said anything, but seeing him always made Chloe's tummy hurt. "Chloe?" Emily's muffled voice called. "Are you coming?"
"The word is 'no' Chloe, remember? No I will not do that no I -." I jabbed my elbow into Derek's side and shut him up. "I know I've heard that abort a thousand times."
Mommy would say "Think about the good parts, not the bad." So as Chloe walked down the last three steps, she remembered Mrs. Miller and Mr. Drake and she didn't think about Mrs. Hobb at all… or not very much.
At least I tried.
At the bottom, she squinted into the near darkness. Just the night lights were on, the ones Mommy had put everywhere when Chloe started saying she didn't want to go downstairs and Mommy thought she was afraid of the dark, which she was, a little, but only because the dark meant Mrs. Hobb could sneak up on her.
"How can a ghost sneak up on you Chloe?" Tori asked, "Their dead." I shrugged, "Lots of ways."
Chloe could see the cold cellar door, though, so she kept her eyes on that and walked as fast as she could. When something moved, she forgot about not looking, but it was only the hanging man, and all she could see was his hand peeking from behind the furnace as he swayed. She ran to the cold cellar door and yanked it open. Inside, it was pitch black.
"You shouldn't have been down there in the first place." Derek said to me. We shared looked before he cleared his throat and continued reading.
"Chloe?" Emily called from the darkness. Chloe clenched her fists. Now, Emily was being really mean. Hiding on her-
"Why would she hide if she was the one who asked you to come down there?" Simon asked, even though it seemed like he was talking more to himself.
Footsteps pattered overhead. Mommy? Home already? "Come on, Chloe. You aren't afraid of the dark, are you?" Emily laughed. "I guess you're still a little baby after all."
Derek shook his head in a disproving getter and pulled me closer against him.
Chloe scowled. Emily didn't know anything. Just a stupid, mean girl. Chloe would get her Coke, then run upstairs and tell Mommy, and Emily would never babysit her again.
"You know Chloe, I can't really see you tattling on someone, even if you were little your just too nice." Tori said.
She leaned into the tiny room, trying to remember where Mommy kept the Coke. That was it on the shelf, wasn't it? She darted over and stood on her tiptoes. Her fingers closed around a cool metal can. "Chloe? Chloe!" It was Emily's voice, but far away, shrill. Footsteps pounded across the floor overhead. "Chloe, where are you?"
"Wait I'm confused is the babysitter upstairs or downstairs?" Simon asked me; I smiled. "You'll have to wait and see." He frowned and my smile grew.
Chloe dropped the can. It hit the concrete with a crack, then rolled against her foot, hissing and spitting, soda pooling around her slippers. "Chloe, Chloe, where are you?" mimicked a voice behind her, like Emily's but not quite. Chloe turned slowly. In the doorway stood an old woman in a pink housecoat, her eyes and teeth glittering in the dark. Mrs. Hobb. Chloe wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, but she didn't dare because it only made her madder, made everything worse. Mrs. Hobb's skin rippled and squirmed.
Derek paused and glanced at me. I nodded and gestured for him to keep going.
Then it went black and shiny, crackling like twigs in a campfire. Big chunks fell off, plopping onto the floor. Her hair sizzled and burned away. And then there was nothing left but a skull dotted with scraps of blackened flesh. The jaws opened, the teeth still glittering. "Welcome back, Chloe."
"That is the most revolting thing I've ever heard." Tori said she had a cracker in her hand but quickly fouled it up in her napkin. "Not to mention disgusting," Simon said. Derek had his head cocked to the side. "I wonder how she died? What she had to go through to end up looking like that?" "Dude," Simon said to his brother. "That is one science experiment you don't want to figure out." I giggled at the look on his face as he sat there deep in thought. Simon plucked the yellow paid from his fingers, "I'll read next."
