The Third-Floor Bedroom: The Haunting of Willow Street

A bone chilling scream sliced through the silence of the night like a knife through butter. The house in the middle of Willow Street, old and unused, rattled and shook as though it was in an earthquake. The wooden rafters above the old door started to crumble while glass in the windows shattered and fell to the ground. This was the start, of what would be the ending of a life.

~-~

            Across the yard on the right side of the old house, lives Billy and his grandmother, Alice. Alice runs the only Library in the small town as well as take care of little Billy, who just recently reached the age of nine. Despite what Alice has told him, Billy likes to sneak out and visit the old house next door. All the other kids believe it is haunted, and so they are too afraid to go near the house, but not Billy. He dreams of being a ghost hunter, and so he spends his free time trying to find the ghost in the old house. So far he hasn’t been successful, but he has hope. One afternoon, as it got closer to Halloween, Billy decided to stay the night at the old house. At midnight maybe he would see a ghost. He knew that his grandmother would never agree to this, so Billy devised a plan. He would tell Alice that he is staying the night with a friend, but instead he would be at the old house. A six rolled around, Billy got all packed up with what he would need for the night, gave his grandmother a kiss on the cheek, then walked out the front door. He walked half way down the street to make sure his grandmother wouldn’t see him sneaking back into the old house before turning back around and sneaking through the yards.

            “It sure is creepy when it’s darker…” Billy muttered, staring up at the front door of the old house. The young boy took in a deep breath, gripped his backpack tighter before opening the door and stepping inside the haunted place.

Creak!

“Ahh!” The door slammed shut behind Billy, making the boy jump and nearly falls. With a shaky breath Billy slowly turned around to look at the door, only to realize the wind probably caught it, making it shut.

“Silly me… It’s just the wind, Billy.” He said to himself, facing forwards again while looking around. He had decided earilier that day that he would make his “Ghost Hunting Base” in the Third-floor bedroom. It was the nicest of all of them anyway.  First though, he would need some light, so Billy pulled off his backpack and searched around in it until he found his flashlight. Clicking it on, he shined the light around the room, making sure there was no ghost here yet. Can’t have them bothering him until he has his base all set up. Nearly skipping in excitement for tonight, Billy headed up stairs to the room he picked, while checking all around him for possible ghost. Once in the room, he quickly shut the door and pulled out the candle from his pack. So his base would always have a light on in it.

            “Prefect.” He nodded. The candle was on the middle of the bedside table in the room, his snacks lying on the dressers. All his papers and pins were all set on the coffee table with his flashlight and then his blanket was in the chair. He was ready to go ghost hunting for sure. Now just to wait for the last light of the day to be gone.

~-~

            The night for Billy dragged on and on, and soon the boy was starting to grow tried, without seeing one single ghost. He was so certain that the house had ghost in it too. As four  in the morning rolled around, the ghost hunting base started to get a little stuffy, so Billy decided to open up the window, if only to air the room out a little. After a few minutes of pushing and pulling at the window, he finally got it open, and then everything happened at once.

             A chilling gust of wind blew through the room, knocking all the papers off the table and making the candle blow out, before it left through the window nearly knocking over little Billy. A haunting sound started after that, a low tone that grew louder and louder until Billy had to cover his ears. The sound was terrifying, and left Billy feeling extremely sad and scared. He couldn’t understand what was going on. He figured now was the time to leave this place, and to get home before something bad happened. Just as that thought left his mind, the doors started to open and close, making it impossible for the boy to escape.

            A bone chilling scream sliced through the silence of the night like a knife through butter. The house in the middle of Willow Street, old and unused, rattled and shook as though it was in an earthquake. The wooden rafters above the old door started to crumble while glass in the windows shattered and fell to the ground. Billy fell to his knees, eyes wide and tear-filled as he stared into the face of a monster. A monster he set free.

The haunting of Willow Street was now started. It all began when someone left the window open. When one little boy made a great mistake.

~-~ 

No one knew what happened to little Billy, His grandmother called the friend the next day, but they hadn’t seen him. Months went by with no sign of the little boy and so people began to fear the worst. Six months later Alice found Billy’s backpack with everything in it, sitting in his bedroom. Only thing out of place was the picture next to the pack. The picture of little Billy, hanging from the fan in the Third-floor bedroom of the old haunted house in the middle of willow street.

Nothing Feels Comfortable:

Nothing feels comfortable anymore. The old rocking chair is too stiff; the cushion long lost its fluff. The worn love seat against the back wall, color faded and unstable. No matter what I try, or what I do everything feels wrong. Waking up every morning is a lonely feeling and most days I just want to stay in bed. The cold of winter slowly started to creep in, creating a chill everywhere it went, but yet I couldn’t seem to care. Let it come. Let the cold freeze everything in its path. For if everything is frozen then I wouldn’t feel this intense emptiness. The feeling of being lost since that day. That day that tore apart my cold heart. Fire’s blazing on the hot day, a kitchen gone up in smoke. Screams could be heard down the block. A family lost, a life forfeited. That day, when my mind snapped and with anger in my heart I set the house aflame. Cold, insane laughter left my mouth from my spot in the front yard ad my wife and kid burned.

Autumn Leaves:

This leaf reminds me of fall. The leaves changing colors and falling off the trees. Halloween in October and Thanksgiving in November. The smell of pies in the kitchen and a fire roaring in the fireplace. Cool, crisp mornings and breezy afternoons. Raking leaves into a neat pile only to jump into the pile. That’s what this leaf reminds me of.

The Old Coca-Cola Truck:

The rain poured down harshly, dark clouds covering the fall afternoon. A cup of tea sat in the hand of a middle aged woman, the only thing giving her warmth from her spot on the window still. She couldn’t see too far down the driveway, and the rain fall drowns out any other sound, but she knew. Today he should be back. Today she should have been seeing the old truck with coca-cola labeled on the trunk pull into the garage. A soft kiss and a warm hug as welcome from the cold, but the folded flag in her lap told a different story. The opened tear-stained letter on the table explained. He would never be coming home.

Let's Pretend:

“And the mighty dragon took in a deep breath before...” Two little kids yelled, “Rawer!!” then tackled an older man. “Oh no! The little monsters have the dragon!” The man said, smiling when the kids giggled. “Gots you daddy!” The girl said while the little boy nodded. “You sure did, sweetie.” The father of two replied, thoroughly enjoying the time he gets with his kids.

Black Out:

Favorite Quotes:

Through out my life I have come across many quotes that I just really love. One of them is a Robin Williams quote.

"I use to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone, It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone." - Robbin Williams

I love this quote for many reasons. Some times being alone is not as bad as being with people but yet feeling alone. I have felt this way before, when with a group of people that you think you are friends with, you really only feel like you don't belong.

Another quote I really love is a quote from the Third Doctor in the show The Doctor Who.

"Courage isn't a matter of being afraid, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway." - The Third  Doctor

I like that this quote is talking about how you can still be afraid of something but not give up. I think people being scared of doing something is what keeps humans from accomplishing some bigger goals. If everyone could face their fears, then the world might be a better place.

For my final quote, Is from my absolute favorite actor ever, Johnny Depp.

"I think everybody's weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it." - Johnny Depp

I totally agree with what he is saying in this quote. No matter how much people try to say that they are normal, there really isn't any kind of normal. Everyone is weird to everyone else. Their daily routines and how they go through the day may seem weird to others, but yet it is completely normal to the person. If everyone just accepted their own weirdness and not be ashamed of it, then I think there wouldn't be bullying problems.

Memorable Passage:

I have read the book Harry Potter books many, many times now. I have the movies almost memorized now, but there are some places in the books and movies that I just adore.  Certain quotes I love. I don’t really have any passages that I like a lot, so I will tell you some of the quotes.  

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." -- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

We learn of Harry's horribly depressing upbringing from the very beginning of the first book, but that heartbreak reached its pinnacle when we see Harry standing before the mirror of Erised, a magical device that will show you your greatest longing. While others saw themselves with fame and riches, Harry simply saw himself standing next to his parents. That is always one thing that I have loved about Harry, because he didn’t want fame or all the riches in the world. He just wanted a family that loves him.

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." -- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Thematically, free will is one of the great overarching topics in the Harry Potter series. The underrated and underappreciated second installment, the Chamber of Secrets, advanced this theme more than any other book, as Harry begins to question what truly differentiates himself from Voldemort. The theme would resurface in full force during Harry's teenage angst phase in the Order of the Phoenix. I myself have never been a big fan of the second book, but it still is an important turning point in Harry Potter.

"Look...at...me..." -- Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

With a series that set expectations so unfathomably high, it seemed almost inevitable that the resolution of the story would be a bit of a letdown. But from my perspective, there was no finer section of the entire seven book series than "The Prince's Tale," and the events surrounding our final understanding of Severus Snape's motives. Before the last books were released, J.K. Rowling frequently teased readers by telling us that it was important that Harry had his mother's eyes. We assumed this had something to do with magic, but what she was telling us was that Harry's eyes reminded Snape of his love. In his final moments, Snape pleads for one last chance to look in to the eyes of Lily, an act which brilliantly cements his heroism and fundamental goodness. Snape has been and will probably always be my favorite character. 

“That's all right. Anyway, my mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect…” – Luna Lovegood, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Luna is another character I love in the Harry Potter series. I have always liked the way she was able to connect with Harry in a way that no one else could. She saw Harry for who he is and not for the scar. This line I think is a wonderful line and the best in the whole movie because in a way, most things we lose do have a way with coming back. I think this line also shows just how Luna is able to see and understand things differently than most.

To finish off these passages, I will tell you my favorite quote from Harry potter. It is my favorite for many reason, but mostly because of the message behind what the character is saying.

“We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.” – Sirius Black, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I love this one line because it tells something to the readers that I think most people forget. The world isn’t as black and white as everyone thinks. It made of some many shades of grey, but people chose to ignore that. Just like Harry thought there was only good and evil, The world today only believes that. While Sirius was trying to explain that even some times, good things are done for evil reason and it goes the both ways.

First and Last line: Boy and his Bear

It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of the night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone she was not. The voice on the other line was a younger voice, around the age of 8 I would guess. He seemed to be both confused and amused before the confusing just becomes amusement. “Miss?” he called out after a few moments. “Yes? What is it?” I reply, because despite how tired I was and how late it is, I can’t help but wonder why a little boy is calling me at this hour of night. “Miss, what kind of flower is on your face?” He asked a muffled laugh after. Smiling slightly, she decided to play along. “What kind?” The boy giggled, and she was startled to hear the sound of some animal in the back ground. “Tulips!” He exclaimed before erupting in to laughter. She shook her head, unable to hide her own mirth. Suddenly, from behind the boy was a deep rumbling sound of a bear. She gasped, what was a bear doing with a little boy? Bears should be in the forest and little boys should be in bed. “Boy, who is that with you?” she asked, hoping to figure out what was going on. The line went silent, and then she heard the sound of whispers. Was the bear speaking?” suddenly all she could hear was the dial tone of the phone meaning the boy had hung up. Elsewhere, in an enchanted forest, a little boy set the rock he had used to call the lady down while receiving a slight glare from the man dressed like a bear. “Sorry pa…” The boy said, knowing that the bear man couldn’t be found by normal people. The bear man shook his head before taking the boys hand and started walking back up the hill. “Its fine, no more pebble calls though. Now what shall we do?” He asked, receiving a grin from the boy. He was glad not to be in trouble and pounced on the man who shifted back into his bear form with a playful growl. They forgot all about the lady, who could have gotten them in trouble, but wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing.

Famous First and Last sentance.

Famous First Line:

“It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of the night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not…”

This is the opening lie for the book City of Glass, which was published in 1985 by and autho of the name Paul Auster who lived from 1947 to now. This awuthor is also known for orhter woks, including The Man in the Dark and Moon Palace. Auster begins with a narrator revealing the habits of the central character whose name is Quinn, a man who writes mystery novels and is currently withdrawn from everyday life. The narrator describes Quinn as writing novels once a year for about six months, leaving the rest of his time to idleness. The narrator begins to provide more depth into Quinn's character as the latter assumes another person's identity, namely a private detective. When he receives a call intended for someone else, he doesn't clear up the misconception, takes the call, and becomes a part of a mystery that is similar to the plot within his own novels. It is here where Auster inserts another plot about a son's belief that his father will kill him once released from a mental institution. The couple hires Quinn to watch the father. The novel never shifts back to Quinn's regular life; instead the second plot becomes the focus of the storyline. 

I, myself have not read this book but from the summary and how New York Times spoke of it, I believe it looks like a good book. I might find myself reading it one day in the future.

Famous Last Line:

“But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on the top of the forest, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing…”

This famous quote is from The house on Pooh Corner which was published in 1926 by the author A.A Miline who lived from 1882 to 1928. This author is also known for other works, including The Red House Mystery and Now we are Six. The story, Winnie the Pooh, is about a young boy by the name Chistopher Robin, who believes his stuff animals are all alive. In many words, Christopher Robin plays with his friends, Pooh, Piglet and many others, all in an enchanted forest. There they all end up getting into a lot of mischief. Things are never boring with Pooh.

I have read Winnie the Pooh and watched all the movies many times before. Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved the story behind Winnie the Pooh. Once upon a time I use to pretend my stuff animals could speak. I loved Winnie the Pooh so much that My room was painted with Winnie the pooh characters and I had all the stuff animals.

Writers as Readers.

            When I am reading something, no matter what it is, I like to be in a familiar setting. Some place I am comfortable with, like my bed. I like to have a blanket covering my lap and sometimes I like to have a snack with me, like cookies. I tend to shift my position that I read in a lot though, sometimes I will be sitting back against the wall or hunched over my lap. I like to have ample light so I’m not squinting to read the page.  For books, I like to read almost any kind as long as the plot line. Mostly though I prefer mystery books or sky books. Something that keeps me on my toes and almost wanting more. Scary stories are also a lot of fun as well, though I am not a huge fan of something scary. If I read any romance books I like them to have some kind of drama, or adventure. Actually I would have to say adventurous mystery books are my favorite kind of book. I can’t really say why I like those kinds so much, maybe it’s because I wish I could go on an adventure myself, or that I really enjoy trying to solve the mystery. I think my writing style is something like Ally Carters or Mary Downing Hahn; I am aiming for a more JK. Rowling

style because she is what inspired me to write books and the reason I am so set on being an author. Some of my best memories connected with reading would be a couple of things. When I was little, my brother and I would be obsessed with the Goosebumps books and we had so many of them. One of the books was where you made your own story, like “Go to page 12 if you… Go to page 14 if you...” They were my favorite and we would hallways have our dad read them to use before bed.  It’s probably my best and favorite memory. Another would be when I first read the Harry Potter books. Harry Potter is a big part of my life; I grew up with it and could probably recite a few movies over and over. It’s one of the first series I could share with my family and that’s why when I first got started in Harry Potter is one of my best memories. There have been a lot of books I have read that I just couldn’t put down; Harry Potter being one of them. Another is the Percy Jackson series. I started the first book because it was one of the last books that looked good in my 7^th English class. I was in love and ended up buying the first three that weekend. I have always loved history, and the Percy Jackson series had some of the Greek history in it. The whole adventure and battle that Percy goes through made it hard to set the book down.

One book I just had such a hard time reading was a 10^th grade required book, Fahrenheit 451. I just couldn’t get into that book at all, and it was to the point I was falling asleep while reading it. My first reading teacher was really myself, when from the moment I could read words without help, I was reading all the time. By fifth grade I was already at an 8^th grade reading level. I never really had help with reading because no one else in my family was a big reader like me, and I never wanted to be taught. It was something I wanted to accomplish for myself. If my memory is correct, the first book I remember reading by myself, was A Chocolate Moose for Dinner I was in love with those books and that one was my favorite. I never understood some of the underline jokes in the book until I was older, but I just always thought it was a silly book.

I actually still have it. I think it should be pretty obvious what my favorite book series is, Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series has inspired me in many ways. I use to be a very shy person, always afraid of my shadow, until I saw Harry Potter. The characters in that series are what helped me open up me, and become who I am. I would spend hours watching the movies or reading the books. I have and always will love Harry Potter. When I finished reading After by Amy Efaw, I was angry afterwards because I did not like the way Devon handled everything. I honestly believe she should have realized she was pregnant and then got help. That was both a good and bad book, but it did aggravate me a lot. When I finished reading The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson's, I was sad because I ended up thinking how I would feel if I lost a best friend, or someone close to me. The Sky is Everywhere was such a sad book but a good one too. When I finished reading Heist Society by Ally Carter, I was happy because that book series what I mostly enjoy in a book.

I just love the way she writes her mysteries into the story. I do believe someone that reads a lot would be a stronger writer because they have more incite on how a book is written, or how the plot and character development works. The more you read the more words you add to your vocabulary and more ways to make sentences or how to describe something. I think that is why people who do a lot of reading would be great authors. I do think I will write a book and actually finish it one day. It is my dream to be an author and I want nothing more than for people to pick up my books an actually enjoy them, Is all I want.

Maya Angelou: Questions 1, 9-11

Maya Angelou says that the caged bird sings of freedom because when trapped in the bird cage, the bird only wants to be free. So that is why it sings, and why Maya said that. The meaning behind what she is saying, is lost on some people because a lot of the time people are not caged, or don’t know they are. Some people have found their freedom, while some are still the little bird singing in there cage for freedom.  I guess I kind of agree with what she said, because if you feel trapped or like you can’t do anything then you probably going to be crying for freedom, or singing. I have to say that I do in fact understand the concept behind this saying. The bird that has been trapped in a cage is only going to spend its time wanting to get free.

            When I try to focus on my writing, or even to come with an idea for something short to write, I usually end up listening to my favorite music. Sometimes I will sing along while other times I am just content to lie back and listen. Listening to music, normally classical piano tends to calm me down and help me to find my center.  Being centered with myself is the best time to think up ideas.  If I try to watch TV or read a book, I get pulled into the show or story and then lose my train of thought. When trying to write, I cannot have the TV on or have a book near me at the time.  Those are some distractions I tend to find.

            I would have to say that I don’t agree while at the same time I do agree with what Nathaniel West said about writing being, “Just hard work…” There are moments when I feel like writing a short story or just quick essay is the hardest thing to write. Sometimes the words just don’t come to me. At the same time I disagree because writing something quick is easily written for me. I can type up a short story after figuring up the plot in a matter of minutes. The same can be said for something that is also a longer story.  I don’t think that writing is really hard work if you enjoy writing. The key to doing something is whether you like it or not, because a job won’t be done if you hate that job.

            I have to disagree with the saying that “One can’t really lean after one is twenty-five,” Because some of the best things people learn in life, they learn when they are older. If people can’t learn after twenty-five, then that means our president and other officials aren’t learning anything about the country they run. It’s like saying; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I think that if you really want to learn something then go for it. No matter what age you are you can learn something new. For each day you live you are learning something.

 

OverThink

            I find my self over thinking everything I do. It has become a habit, I guess you could say. Simple things, like making breakfast or hopping onto the subway on the way to work. One day I decided to let go of those lingering thoughts. To not think about anything and just do. That’s how I got here, ended up in this position. It’s my fault really. I just lost focus. Now here I am, on the verge of death, standing in one place watching my whole life flash by.

Recurring Dream: Fears

            A recurring dream that I have, and I’m not sure if it is a good or bad one, is something that plays off my worst fears. It starts out the same way each time, I’m in the middle of a field and its starting to get dark out. In front of me is a wolf,a gray wolf wih one silver eye and one green eye. In every dream he is just sitting there staring at me. I stare at him for a long while before I hear my sisters voice calling to me from the trees. She is just calling my name at first then it changes and she keeps saying, “Why? Why did you let me die?”. She repeats that over and over and I try to run to her but the faster I run the father the end of the field gets.  Her voice soon fades away and I start hearing people laughing at me and taunting me all around me. As I try to run from them the wolf appears in front of me, stopping my escape. That’s when I normally wake up.
        
         What I have found out my dream means, is actually a lot of different things. It’s mostly linked to my worst fears. The wolf is me trying to be brave. The Field is my want to be alone, while the woods around me are my need for friends and to be with people. Together they indicate my lack of trusting people, and that I am closed off. My sisters voice is my fear of losing one of my siblingd in a horrible way. The voice that all laugh and taunt me is my fear of being outcasted and bullied by my peers again. My want to be able to fit in and have friends. The fact that the dream starts while it is starting to get dark out is my fear of the dark.

Mermaids Tail

She is beautiful

The girl with a mermaids tail

Swimming in the sea

Midwinter Sky

It is cold outside

Out with the Midwinter Sky

Snow is now falling

Swimming

Diving into the pool

Inviting others in

Looking under the water

Laughing with friends

Water all in your ears

Eating pizza and chips

Easily floating around

Deep end is scary 

START OF THE DAY

Seeing the dewy grass

Eating buttered toast

Asking for a ride

Forgetting your homework

Over to your friends

All the colors are mine

Moving to the next class

Color's

Green:                                                                                        

• Draco Malfoy
• Slytherin Common room
• Bill and Fleur's outdoor wedding
• Harry Potter
• Calming

Purple

• My sister
• My room
• Relay for Life
• Happy
• Harold and his Purple Crayon

Pink

• My Nene (Breast Cancer)
• My closet has a lot of pink clothes
• Relay for Life
• Peace
• Mean Girls

Blue

• My Brother
• Ravenclaw common room
• Ocean
• Calm, Peace, Tranquilty
• The Sky Is Everywhere