The Haunted House

The Haunted House(Nia McClendon) “I dare you to go into the haunted house.”

“Why can’t we just go on the tractor ride instead?"

“Because we went on the tractor ride yesterday. Besides that costs five more dollars than the haunted house.”

“But I don’t want to go in the haunted house.”

“Why? Are you scared?”

“NO! I mean, no, why would I be scared of that? I would never be scared of something as stupid as a haunted house. I mean you honestly think I’m scared of the house, don’t you?”

“Ha! You got that one funny. You. Not scared of anything.”

Seven year old Jenny Carmen frowned. She hated when her eleven year old sister Sara made fun of her for being scared easily. “I’m not scared.” Jenny said defiantly.

“Prove it.” Sara sneered.

“I’ll, I’ll go through the haunted house.”

“Fine. And then I’ll be in back waiting for you to come out of the house.” Sara replied with a growing smirk on her face.

When they finally reached the haunted house, Jenny had a whole new opinion on the haunted house. The props were just made of plastic, she convinced herself. They can’t actually do something. It’s all in my head. This is pathetic. I’m scared of plastic.

“What’s the worst plastic can do to me?’ She thought without realizing that she had said the statement out loud.

“Well,” Said Sara, as if she actually had to think about it. “Let me see. It could only… umm… scare you until you faint and then I’ll be able to prove that you were scared.”

“Oh, shut up Sara. I’m not scared anymore.” Jenny said, her dark chocolaty hair swirled in the wind as a red leaf landed on her head. She nodded the leaf off her head and then repeated it again. “I’m not scared anymore.”

“Sure. O.K. Anyway, I’ll be in back.”

Jenny looked at the huge lumbering house and took the place in. The grass was dead and yellowing in patches. The wood looked like it had never seen a sponge and a bucket of water in its life (though it would probably need more than that now). There was a sign that said 'beware' in dripping red stuff that looked suspiciously like blood even though she convinced herself it was paint. Even though, she still avoided the sign.

When she pushed open the creaky wooden door, an earsplitting scream cut through the air and Jenny jumped a half a mile.

“Auuurrggghhhh!!!” She yelped as her heart leapt out of her chest. But then she caught herself. “It’s just an automatic timer.” She reassured herself. “It can’t hurt you.”

She stepped inside the house that smelled like an onion that had been forgotten about. As she ventured farther in to the house, a zombie in blood stained cloth jumped out at her. But Jenny wasn’t scared anymore. Well, not that scared anyway. Though Jenny did have to admit that it was smart to use a real person dressed up as a zombie instead of one of those ones that were made out of plastic. Then the zombie started to chase her and she was not expecting it.

“Auuurrggghhhh!!!” She screeched. Again. And this time she swore that she could hear the zombie snicker behind her.

She ran down the musty hallway, while avoiding the spider webs that were clinging to the ceiling like it was its source of life. Jenny ran straight in to a plastic figure swinging an axe. She started to duck when she saw the silver glint of the axe, but then she realized that it was just made out of rubber. Sure enough, it bounced off her shoulder, like it was a bouncy ball hitting the sidewalk.

“Wow.” She said to herself. “This haunted house isn’t even that scary! I all this stuff in the Halloween section of Party City last week.”

She walked down the long hallway when “bats” flew by. Jenny tried to contain herself. “You can tell those are on a string.”

Then one landed in her hair and she started to scream again but this time she bit her tongue. Then she reached up and sure enough she felt a rubbery wing. “Ha. This bat isn’t even real!”

When she got to the end of the hallway she found Mrs. Johnson sitting at a plastic card table.

“Well, congratulations!” she said. “Not that many people get this far. I usually lose them at the headless man with the axe part.”

“Yeah it was kind of scary.” She was really happy now that she had made it. She really made it! No matter what Sara said, she had made it.
Mrs. Johnson offered her three pieces of candy and then as Jenny sipped outside, she saw that Sara was outside waiting for her. “Finally. It took you long enough. You made it.” Sara said.

“Yes I did.” Jenny said proudly.

“Dare you to go to the haunted barn!” Sara said.

Jenny thought about saying “I dare you to go the haunted barn.” But instead she said, “OK, race you there.”

Sara looked confused. “But you were in tears and practically shaking all over when you last went through the haunted house.”

“That was then.” Jenny said. “This is now. I’m not scared anymore.”

“Yeah, then was also five minutes ago.”

“So?” Jenny retorted, and then ran off to the haunted barn leaving Sara staring speechless behind her.