Straight ahead were the stairs to the second floor.
Time to go up.
Leaving the door wide open, I walked over to the staircase and placed my hand on the banister. I rubbed the back of my neck and then set my foot on the first step; it felt solid, but like the door, creaked when I applied pressure. I took another step and looked back to make sure the door was still open. It was, and I made my way up the rest of the stairs.
The staircase rattled when I stepped onto the third step from the top, but I ignored it and kept going. I reached the final step and stepped onto the loft. A noose hung in a soft glow of sunlight at the center of the barren room.
Keep going.
I walked over the wooden floor up to the noose and touched the rope. It burned my hand and I jerked it back.
She giggled.
I’d seen enough.
I hustled down the stairs and the instant my foot hit the floor the front door slammed shut. She giggled again. This couldn’t be happening! I ran to the door and tried to turn the knob but it wouldn’t budge. The giggles turned to laughter as I banged my fist and then kicked my foot against the door.
The door didn’t move an inch.
Laughter like ear-splitting razor blades tore through the house and my head started to pound; I pressed my hands against my ears and dropped to my knees.
Even though my hands were on my ears I heard the stairs creak; I looked over but the staircase was empty. The throbbing in my head got worse and I got back to my feet and went over to one of the windows where I pulled at the metal latch holding it shut. It was as frozen as the door. More laughter blasted through the house and I felt something like a hot breath in my ear.
Screw this!
I scrambled backwards into the dark to the center of the room, shut my eyes, and charged at the window. My forearms hit the glass, shattering it as the rest of my body crashed through and I hit the ground outside with sharp edges of glass cutting into my arms and legs. I pushed myself to my feet and wiped the shards off my clothes and opened my eyes. It has gone quiet and the orange sunlight still lit up the green valley as the grass blew in the gentle breeze.
She started laughing again.
And I started running.
I sprinted across the valley as booming laughter smothered the sky. This visit was over and when I reached my family’s house, I ran in, packed my bag, and rushed back out. Her howling shrieks whipped around the driveway like a hysterical cyclone. I ran to the Jeep and pulled myself inside. Without looking back, I hit the gas, backed out of the driveway, and hauled ass down the dirt road that would take me back to the highway. The laughter faded after I’d driven about a mile.
And after another mile it was gone.
Six hours later I was pulling up the driveway of my condo.
I went inside, showered, and then walked over to Bob’s bar to drink beer, watch football, and try to forget that what happened had happened.
And by the third quarter and my second pitcher I almost had.
But later that night, after I’d gone to bed, I could hear her laughter in my head. I heard it the next night, and the next night after that. A week went by, and then a month, and then six. And although I’d faced the fear, I now knew that she was real.
And I’ve been hearing her laughter in my head every night at sunset ever since.
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Additional books of interest from Paranormal Publishing available on Amazon and at www.PararnormalPublishing.net
Volumes II and III: True Ghost Stories and Hauntings
More stories about ghosts and hauntings from Simon B. Murik.
Boxed set of Volumes I, II, and III (Kindle)
For kids: Ghost Coloring Book Kids love coloring these ghosts as they bring them to life. Let your imagination fly and have lots of fun with this spooky activity book!
