The Life of Her

Through the Shutter

How did I end up in this place again? I slapped myself a couple of times as the certainty of idiocy hit me hard. Lucas was able to drag me again in this house. He loved excruciating escapades and one of the people that he often liked to negotiate and invite in his ventures is me.

One thing that’s more far-fetched and facetious was that I always ended up going with him even my soul is aching to decline his offer. Now I’m stuck with my cousin in this eerie, pretentious house. I felt my body wavered as my eyes scanned the residence.

We made sure that no one will see us entering this place or we will end up in jail. We waited outside like bystanders, making sure that the main road was clear and then we used the gate. The bricked way was filled with dried leaves.

Thick bushes that were untrimmed surrounded the place, almost as high as its walls. The mango tree was now huge – branches and twigs scattered, almost touching the house itself, yet it was giving shade. I lifted my head and saw the same window where I first took a glance at her as she wore that paled white dress of hers. And until now, the same question is filling the gap – is she real? Is she really dead?

Somehow, the haughty, zealous vibe I experience before was way different from now. It was a bit calm and light. A scratching sound was heard from behind as Lucas tried so hard to close the corroded red gate silently.

He was biting his lip as he concentrated to lock it. I was stomping my right foot, counting seconds for him to completely shut it. I saw a sweat dripping from his forehead.

Once he was done, he looked at me and smiled as nothing happened – a thumbs-up was there. Lucas was not a scaredy-cat and he loves to watch strange things that were hard to recognize by the naked eye. He’s into the paranormal.

There were also caretakers from before, but after the incident of the child who lost his consciousness for a week because of his guts to take his ball back that had bounced inside the house and now it was just three months ago when I found out that, that child and my cousin, Lucas is one.

It was mindboggling. And somehow I could see why he’s so intent to visit the house one more time – he had drawn a connection with someone who lived here a couple of years ago and he really wanted to find answers.

“Don’t tell me you already peed in your pants.” He jokingly said and punched my shoulder and started to walk at the back of the house.

I pulled his ear, making him winced. I walked beside him, making sure that I won’t be behind. I glanced at my back, looking over the gate and the padlock. If he’ll do another prank with me this time, it won’t take me a second to think about leaving him alone.

We moved ourselves near a wooden door on the ground that was locked with chains. The walls were covered with thick, green vines. As far as I could remember from the outside, an empty lot is next through these walls.

A triangular pool was at the corner, which was filled with sullied, pitch-black water and mosses. An empty aquarium was beside the mini fishpond that was across from the pool.

Slippers and shoes both for elders and children, without their pairs were scattered in different directions as if someone had thrown them away. The back door was completely locked as well as the windows that were greyed by the filth.

Lucas walked to the door, knocked it twice and started to yank off the chains. I waited behind him and let him do his thing. He better show off the humility to save me if something bad will happen. I crossed my arms.

Now, he slowly opened it and a malodorous smell escaped just like before. We immediately covered our noses as we watched those flies flew away outside. Dusk hazed the entrance to the basement.

Lucas fanned his right hand in it and waited for it to get clear. Coughing, I moved beside him. We could see how dreary the basement is. We couldn’t see anything.

We pulled our phones from our pockets and turned on the flashlights. We lighted the basement and saw those empty bottles and wines on those shelves that were covered with thick cobwebs. Old acrylic paintings were piled on the right side.

Thick blankets were hanging around. Boxes of different things were arranged in the left corner. Dried flowers were on the floor that was wet from the droplets of water that were coming from above.

A mannequin with a black wig was standing beside one of the shelves, staring in our direction. Everything was scattered. Lucas was the first one to put his serious face and took the wooden, almost – collapsing stairs and waited for me to go down. It was creaking as I took every step down. We looked at each other and I totally remembered what he told me a while ago.

Armor yourself with courage.

I took a gulp as we scanned the place using our flashlights. A squeaking sound suddenly passed through as, making as screamed and embraced each other. We flashed it with our phones and saw a large rat looking at us with its red eyes before it disappeared in the corner. We immediately pulled from the hug and braced ourselves.

I heard him took a deep sigh. I laughed a bit and tried to lessen the tension. The smell was still there that we needed to pull our towels from our bags and carefully wrapped it around our noses.

“Man, I feel heavy right now.” I suddenly blunted.

A chilling vibe was visible to both of us and still, we tried to shrug it off. It was still daylight, yet it was pitched black inside the house. There’s no light that had entered the place, not even through the windows, as if something is vehemently preventing it from entering.

“Yeah, me too…just like the old times.” He uttered, his grip on his phone was tighter. “I’ll take the lead, just walk behind me.” He added and took his first steps near the shelf.

He wanted to go to the second floor. The last time we visited here, we weren’t able to go above because it was getting dark and the rain has begun to heavy. Lucas wanted to check on something there and he said that he could feel someone drawing him to the next floor.

He touched one of those empty bottles with his index finger. Dust powdered him and he immediately wiped it off on his pants.

“I still couldn’t believe that they were able to abandon this wonderful place.” He commented and continued his walk to the stairs at the end.

The lights at the center suddenly lighted and flickered, as soon as Lucas took his step on the stairs. I looked over it as it continued to sparkle. I heard Lucas continued his walk and held the knob firm of the red door, then the light had stopped blinking.

“Wheew. You didn’t tell me that the lights are still working here.” I said and followed him.

He opened the door slowly that will take us to its first floor. “It’s still working silly, even if it’s an abandoned house. The previous caretakers have taken care of this place surely.”

We walked upstairs and I immediately closed the door. Just as I could turn myself back, a flash of light suddenly hit us straight from the window as the window curtains danced, letting us see the main road.

“Geez. I felt like I was about to go to heaven by that.” Lucas shrugged.

The curtains were so thick that they have prevented the light even on this floor. It was a perfect place for vampires or other creatures to reside. Lucas walked to its side.

For how many times he had visited the house, he was able to remember where the switches are in this level. Though he was able to put himself again back in here, he’s not minding the foul smell and he took off his handkerchief.

We first stepped into the living room. The walls were deep red. Couches and drawers were covered with a white cloth. The chandelier with fish and flower designs was hanging above us, now concealed with webs and dust.

There was a wreathed, large ceramic vase with umbrellas in the right corner where a head of a dear with lengthy horns was hanging on the wall. Ashes and burnt woods were in the fireplace. A porcelain doll was standing on top of it, besides a pile of old books that smelt like old roses.

The main door was lock and the key was missing. Something is off. We couldn’t hear anything from the outside even though we could identify those vehicles passing by the house. The foul smell suddenly vanished in a moment. Lucas walked past the mirrored wall. I followed him and looked at myself for a bit, but it didn’t take that much when I felt that someone is watching me from behind. I shrugged.

“Let’s go.” Lucas said and made his pace to the second floor.

I ran to catch up with him. Why is so heightened all of a sudden? He isn’t even talking that much since we entered the house. Did something happen to him that I didn’t know?

I pouted and poked him on his side. He turned to me and put the flashlight in front of my face. I winced and slapped his hand a bit to move it away from me. “Is something bothering you?” I asked him directly.

He scratched the back of his head and laughed in an awkward state. “Oh…Well, I thought I was hearing a voice in my head. Maybe I’m just imagining things again. We should hurry up and find that thing.

That thing. What is he talking about?

Something had struck me in a flash. The moment that the curtains a while ago swayed, the windows were completely closed – no air is able to enter the house. Something….no someone just swayed it to the side….

A sudden domineering sound was shut, like a thunderclap with the door. We turned ourselves and looked over the black part of the floor in the left corner, where a rocking chair was placed. It slowly moved, swaying itself back and forth.

I gripped my phone hard and I could feel my heart beating so loud. I took a step away, almost near the stairs. I looked below. The door to the basement is not that far, it won't take us long to use it and get outside this house.

I looked at Lucas who was staring at the rocking chair. He’s not moving, glued himself in his current spot. I walked to him and grabbed his shirt. My sweats were running on my face as the onerous feeling engulfed me again. I could feel someone’s presence other than us. My eyes deliberately traveled in different directions – anxious.

What are we going to do now? We heard footsteps, those low, shallow ones coming from our left where the window where I saw her before was there. It was coming to us. I took a gulp and I could pee in my pants at any second from now.

“We should go…Lucas….I think it doesn’t want our presence and we’re obviously trespassing its privacy.” I said almost in a whisper, without taking my hold in his shirt.

“It’s not an it….it’s a woman who still wants to find her lover.” He answered back.

In a split second, Lucas dashed towards the rocking chair, now moving fast. The lights started to flicker again. The picture frames that were hanged on the walls moved as the books flew in our direction.

“Lucas!” I screamed out his name.

He didn’t turn his back and continued to run, then he immediately grabbed something on the wooden grey table where a telephone was placed. He took with him a notebook and ran towards me.

A bloodcurdling scream engulfed the whole place. The ground began to shake. Lucas immediately grabbed me by my hand and pulled me downstairs. I couldn’t turn my sight in the same spot.

“Hurry!” He shouted, dragging me.

In an instant, everything went in silent. I suddenly saw her, looking over the window with the same old dress, as if she’s patiently waiting for someone to arrive. Just before we could reach the end of the stair, she instantly turned her head and our eyes met. A sharp, chilling sensation hit me at the back. A petrifying smile was curved on her lips as she slowly reached out her hand to me.

“I finally found you.”