The Hathaway House

Once upon a time, there was a mystery rumor that had been going on for two years about the Hathaway House. The rumor said that it was haunted, and everyone believed it. One night a twelve year old boy, Jake went out at night to the Hathaway House with one of his friends. 

“I don’t really want to do this Jake” whispered his friend Kaylee.  

Jake turned to Kaylee.“Goodnight and goodbye then. You can go home if you want! Only if you’re a scaredy cat...” said Jake rudely. 

“Fine! Well maybe I am a scaredy cat, but at least I have some common sense not to go in there!” Kaylee shouted. 

“Shhhh!!!!” Jake demanded. “You are gonna wake the Hathaway House!” 

“I don’t care! Now for real! Goodnight!” Kaylee told Jake as she stomped off into the night. 

“What’s her problem?” Jake muttered to himself. “I’m brave! Unlike her! I’ll go up to the house and...” Just as Jake was going to finish his sentence, the door opened to the Hathaway House. 

“I want to find out…” Jake started to say. 

“Screeeeech!!” the squeaky door opened wider.

 “THUMP, THUMP, THUMP” 

Oh no! Jake heard footsteps coming towards him as he started to back away. “Maybe I should have listened to Kayleeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

He started to run. Slow, then Medium, then fast! He heard the footsteps coming closer! He ran as fast as he could and… “Oof!” Tripped and fell face first on a stick and fainted.

The next morning Jake awoke in his own bed, still shaken from last night’s adventure. He climbed out of bed and opened his door… 

Outside his door stood Kaylee with her arms crossed. “Told you so Jake. I knew that it was a bad idea and that’s why I backed out. You should’ve listened to me.”

Jake sighed. “Fine, fine, fine… You were right… That doesn’t mean that I’m not going back again today though.” He whispered the last part.

Kaylee shook her head. “Your choice is what you choose to do Jake. Since you're going back there though, me and the rest of your ‘friend group’ will go with you because that’s what friends do.”

Jake smiled. “Thanks Kaylee. Tell everyone else to be ready to go back to the Hathaway House at 12:00 p.m. on the dot. I’ll see you there.” 

“I’ll pass along the message, and we’ll see you there.” Kaylee said with a grin as she walked out the door. 

    That day it was a regular day. Jake went to school, took a test, talked to friends, and went home. He went out to the Hathaway House an hour before everybody else came so that he could be prepared for another try, and to insure that this one wouldn’t fail, as the last one did. 

    Jake studied the Hathaway House from the outside, determining where the thumps were coming from last night, and then trying to find a path to avoid them.

    Slowly Jake’s friends started to come. At exactly twelve-o’clock, the last person arrived. “Alright everyone.” Jake said. “Thank you all for coming back with me. Today we will go in, look around, take some photos to prove that we were actually in there. We avoid the middle left area, that was where we heard footsteps last night. Then we get out of there. One more thing, we all stay together. No one gets left in there. When we get out I will make sure that we have everyone and if anyone is left inside, we will go back in to find them. If you do get lost, stay where you are and we will come to where we last saw you. Let’s go.” 

    Jake and his friends stepped out into the driveway of the Hathaway House. Jake put a finger to his lips, motioning for everyone to be quiet as he opened the door. The door creaked as Jake opened the door. 

    Jake gingerly stepped inside, then motioned for the rest to follow him. Once everyone was in, the doors closed. The group heard the lock click. They were trapped inside the Hathaway House. 

“Everyone, locate on another and hold hands. DO NOT PANIC.” Jake whispered uncertanly. 

“Wait, Jake, I bought a flashlight. It’s going on right… Now!” Jake’s friend, Selene, whispered, as she lit up the flashlight.

Jake sighed with slight relief. “Good thinking Selene. Now that we have light, let’s go explore the house. Everyone, follow me!”

Jake led his friends down a dark hallway. It would’ve been impossible without Selene’s light. Creepy photos stared down at them from upon the walls. Jake shivered. 

The hallway finally ended and in front of them stood three doors. “Let’s go through this one, on the left side.” Jake decided. 

Selene stepped in first and scanned the walls for a light switch. When she finally found it she turned it on. The room had very little accoutrements. A piano, a book of cords, a desk, and a table lamp. 

When Jake walked over to the piano, he realized that a couple of the keys were broken and propped up, as if something was under them. He touched one of the broken piano keys and he thought he heard something coming out of it. 

“Ahhhhhh!” Jake heard. 

“Nahhh! It can’t be!” 

Jake turned around and poof! 

“Wow! That was crazy!” Said a girl’s voice behind him. All of his friends stared in shock, appearing to be staring at Jake, but actually staring right behind him. 

“What?” asked Jake. “Why are you all staring at me? GUYS STOP IT!” 

“Ughhh! Not you Jake! Her! The girl and cat behind you!” said another friend, Melvin. 

“What gir.. “ Jake started to say. “

“Wow! That was a very dusty ride!” The girl said to herself thinking nobody was there. “Oh! Uh, who are you? And... WHERE AM I?” The girl said as she dusted herself off. 

    Jake looked at her in horror. “Multiple things. Number one: Who the heck are you? Number two: Cute cat. Number three: Where did you just come from?” 

    The girl laughed. “Here are the answers. Number one: I’m Athena. Number two: Thank you, but you haven’t truly met him yet. Number three: I have this thing called ‘The Book of Mysteries, and it allows me to travel to places where mysteries take place, and this place is a BIG mystery!”

    The cat growled. “Athena! I’m perfectly kind, sweet, caring, lovable, and a perfect pet for this kid!”

    Athena rolled her eyes. “Yes the cat can talk and don’t listen to anything that this nuisance says. It’ll just end up as trouble.” 

“Fine. I won’t listen to him. But one more question.” Jake continued. “How much money can I adopt him for?” Jake asked, annoying Athena greatly. 

“Ugh! You didn't listen to me! I said NOT to listen to him!” Athena yelled.

 “I didn’t listen to him. I asked my own question.” Jake teased. 

“Whatever. I don’t care anyway. I just want to get out of this old, creepy, mansion! I don’t feel like dealing with this any longer.” 

“Wait!” Jake grabbed Athena’s arm. “Can you tell us if this place really is haunted even, or if it’s just a lie?”

Athena grinned happily. “You should not have teased me. Adios.” With that she grabbed onto the piano, pulled herself towards it, and was sucked in.

“Don’t mind her.” The cat mumbled. “No, this place isn’t really haunted. I would recommend getting out of here though, your parents might be looking for you.” Then, the cat did the same thing as Athena and jumped into the piano. 

“Great Jake! Two people..” Kaylee sarcastically told Jake. 

“Stop right there Missy Miss Miss! No attitude! We are on a quest! Ok, and first of all it was not TWO PEOPLE it was one person and a cat. Now, continue!” 

“Ok as you command SIR. 1 person and a cat could have helped us and because you teased Athena, now we do not have either of them here! Great! So great! And now we have to find our own way out.” she finished. 

“Well, at least we still have us right?” Jake exclaimed. They all just ignored Jake.  “WELL AT LEAST WE STILL HAVE US… RIGHT!?” Jake screamed. That time they definitely heard him.

 “Nope I guess you don’t.” Everybody started to leave. 

“As Athena said to you, Adios Amigo!” Kaylee told Jake.

 “She did not say Amigo Kaylee!!!!!” Jake said. “And why are you leaving me guys? I thought we said to stick together!”

Kaylee shook her head, then answered for everyone. “You said to stick together. We have also all noticed that you aren’t the kindest and we started to reconsider why we are even friends with you. You can come with us out, but then we part.”

Jake nodded. “I’m sorry, but I guess I can just find new friends that don’t accuse me.” 

The former friends walked out of the house together, and then as Kaylee had promised, they left Jake to walk home himself. 
                      The End!