Chapter 1 Day One

Renee's POV

It all started when we moved into the house, the house after the fourth bridge. The house with the white painted walls and fancy furniture, the house with the large field and silent trail.

The house with the minimal taste and sophisticated lighting. When we arrived my brother felt strange chills right from the gate, his eyes suddenly started itching for no appropriate reason. He barely had any allergies.

Mom thought of staying back at our old house, she always preferred the usual cost neighbourhood with the friendly neighbours. We didn't have any issues with the bills either. This house had a wooden door and a tree far away from it just within the fields.

Just immediately the gate opened and we drove in, I heard a loud scream of terror. It wasn't far enough for us to not hear it and I must add the neighbourhood had strange neighbours that gazed at us from afar.

Back then, we heard of the strange killings of the past years, the killings of families for ritual purposes. At first we thought it was just for fun until some citizens said they saw ghosts loving amongst them, the pity cries of the dead every anniversary of their deaths.

We heard of eyes plucked out and livers eaten while the owners watched till they died. We heard of the occultic songs and rhythms of the wild forests in the midst of the graveyards and abandoned homes. The symbolic writings on the walls of some residents as well. Some drew runes to block witchcraft or to cast witchcraft spells.

Well, either financial or even physical. Dad imposed this idea of moving out lightly on everyone. We had no other option than to obey. My elder brother Cam and my mom had the same feeling. The feeling of a chance to change but not this way.

It felt like my dreams were sucking themselves down a black hole alongside my soul. Not a physical hole but a hole in my mind, I felt like it was the end. The voice screamed again.

This time Cam heard it louder, he thought the person stood closer to the right side of his body but no one stood at least 12ft from him besides us. Mom turned around to look at the direction the scream came from.

I wanted a change. Not this kind of haunting change. We walked straight to the door after we dropped our luggage just by the front of the door. Cam walked in first, the house looked fine to his taste. We moved in.

The door slammed at night and the ceilings made noises. Like there's someone there watching us, like a spirit or probably a jinn lived just above us. I heard voices just after dusk.

I felt like changing our environment a little but the feeling always made me think twice. Especially when we moved in. Cam walked up to me, "Renee did you notice something about the house? Maybe the shift?"

"No, I guess it's just the breeze. Maybe the lights caused it." I guess. Believe me, I didn't know why, but from shadows to moving chairs to actual creepy winds every night.

I can't even forget the mirror swinging left to right and our chair rocking back and forth when no one sat on it. The bad smell from the well area was the president of the hauntings. It came mostly by either 3am, 6pm or 12pm by midnight.

Did I mention the strange writings, I mean ghost writings on the wall. They were more like tips, bits of advice, warnings and so on. Just not right. Do you know why? They were in black decayed blood. Also the shadows at the entrances.

Sometimes when I sleep I feel like something's watching me. Not good at all, just something unusual. Like an evil spirit or spirits rather. Not one or seven but multiples. This happened repeatedly every time it happened.

Whenever I turn to spy on it, it disappears suddenly. It knows I'm watching it, it sees me taking notes. It reads my notes, sometimes I come home and I see my room scattered from the right to the left.

I walk out of the house most times just to forget about it. Sorry I don't, I'm forcing myself to leave it behind. These flashy images throw me off balance when certain words come out of people.

Words like, "I feel haunted". They don't know I feel like I'm haunted. As for my father, he's got this silent yet creepy feeling about the house but he just shakes it off.

I feel like he's pretending, ever since they got married. I've always suspected this guy. My real dad divorced her all because of this one guy. If men can't accept cheating then why do they do it to everyone.

Last week his bucket fell by itself, the other time the plate hit the floor by itself. He just stayed still. Like he knew. He knew he was in trouble. The funniest part started when we just moved in on that fateful day. I met the shower on or at least I heard it running.

Immediately I opened the door to my room, it stopped by itself. I listened carefully because I had to. It stopped running, reeking of blood. I know the smell of human blood, yes I'm that sensitive. My younger sister says she's been hearing people talking at the back whenever it's late at night. But who are they? She can't even see anyone but she knows she can hear them clearly.

At first, I didn't believe her, I blamed it on cartoons or actual series we watched together. Until I saw a shadow walk past the grounds, so close to the tree in the far-middle. I felt like it swayed itself there, not walk there.

I hid fast, my heart fastened immediately. My mind felt this strange unrest, I felt uneasy and unsure but I tried to summon up courage. I walked to the spot by morning, I saw nothing but my own shadow in front of me. What?!