THE HOUSE IN THE DARK WOODS
Alex and Alexis never understood what was special about that house. Sure, it was their Aunt Sally’s, who
had passed away few years ago, and it was located in the dark woods. But no one went there. No one
talked about it.
There were explorers and journalists who went to find the house. Three weeks, yet no one returned.
Search groups went. None returned.
Helicopters and satellites tried to find them, but the forest was packed with trees, it was hard to make
out anything from that height. And there were no wild animals.
Rumor said that Miss Sally’s house was haunted.
The siblings had played in that house long back, when Aunt Sally was alive. They refused to believe that
it was haunted.
“We’ll check it out tonight,” Alex whispered to his twin sister. “I know a shortcut through the woods.”
Alexis frowned. “Well then, why couldn’t you say it to the others before?”
He scratched his head guiltily. “Because Aunt Sally had sworn me to secrecy. She had promised me not
to tell anyone.”
“But what if we get lost? The others tried and-”
“We’ll try it. Tonight.” And that was that.
After dinner, they pushed their way through the forest, with their torches on. Branches scraped their
skin; bushes rustled and tickled their bare legs. Dried leaves crunched under as they hurried their way
through the darkness. An owl hooted, staring at the kids creepily. Alexis jumped whenever her brother
stepped on a twig.
Alex stopped. “We’ve…reached.”
“No way,” Alexis snapped, rubbing her bruised arm. “We’ve only walked for ten minutes, it’s not—”
Alex shone the torch towards the left and Alexis’ jaw dropped open.
It was a black damaged villa, with broken triangular roof and bleached walls. Cracked windows creaked
and slammed against each other in the wind.
Alexis gulped. “You sure about this?”
Alex did not reply; he was already sprinting to the house. Uncertain, she followed him.
When they entered, they coughed; there was too much dust. Cobwebs and debris had covered the
corner, the wallpaper had been completely peeled off and spiders, termites, cockroaches crawled at
every direction.
“Come on,” Alex muttered when Alexis whimpered. They tip- toed a little further but suddenly froze
when the floor creaked heavily.
A chill went down Alex’s spine.
He began, “Alexis...?” when she let out shriek, and a trapdoor opened beneath their feet. They dropped
down, and they both screamed as they fell into the darkness.
***
“Haystacks?” Alexis asked, patting the bundles of hay next to her. Thank goodness they had landed on
some haystacks.
But Alex’s eye caught something else: a glint. He brushed off threads of hay and walked over to the
unhinged door. He gasped.
It was the journalists and the search groups, that had gone missing earlier, lying on the floor,
unconscious. Behind them, were huge several mountains of gold coins piled. All the fainted people had
pockets filled with gold.
Alexis checked their pulse and sighed with relief. “They’re alive. Let’s take them out.”
“What about these coins?” Alex said, staring greedily at the coins. “Let’s take this treasure as well- OW!”
Alex slapped his forehead; something had hit me hard. A big lump grew on his forehead.
Letting Alexis treat his head, he picked the object. “Who threw a brick on me?
“I did.”
Alex looked sharply at Alexis, who looked back at him with wide eyes. “I did not say that.”
Something brushed past Alex’s ear. His skin prickled.
They both turned back. To their horror, front of them was a translucent lady with flowing black hair and
a pale face. She stared at them.
***
Alexis’ throat was suddenly dry. “Aunt… Sally?’
She did not smile or frown. Instead, she rasped, “It’s a pain to see my own relatives greedy as the
others.”
Alex bit his lip, not meeting her gaze. He tried to make an excuse. “We just… just-”
“We just wanted to donate the treasure at the Hibiscus Cancer Treatment Charity.”
Alex gave a sigh of relief.
Aunt Sally’s expression was unreadable. “You…are?’
“Yes,” Alexis said, coolly. Alex couldn’t believe how calmly she was taking this, and that to front of a
ghost. “We know that you died of cancer,” Alexis said, “We know you wanted to save—”
“And it was your last wish!” Alex exclaimed. “Please let us go!”
Miss Sally looked at them and then at the unconscious group of men. She smiled slightly.
She clicked her fingers and darkness swallowed everything.
“We’re back!”
Alex instantly stood up. They were out of the forest and the sun was beginning to rise. The fainted
journalists were also stirring.
Alexis yawned. “But how did we arrive-?”
“Does it matter?” Alex mumbled. He picked one of the bags of gold and handed one to her.
“To the charity,” he said.