Inside


“Hi I’m Lisa, the realtor. I’m glad you chose this house because I really think you will love it.” My parents seem to be all ears, as they eagerly awaited to hear about the ranch style mansion.
“Don’t you like it, Max?” Asks Dad. I said nothing. I just look at the house staring at me, and I stare back. The tour drags on, and Lisa has nothing to say that is interesting to until this:
“As you can see the previous owners really fixed this place up. They were quite the home designers. There was no outside help.
Speaking of which, the law requires me to disclose what happened to them.”
“Oh God, they didn’t die in here or anything, did they?” Asks my mom.
“Actually yes. Both of them. Really tragic actually. Both of them were just found dead on the kitchen floor.”
Thats awesome
“So that’s why this place is so cheap compared to the rest of the neighborhood. I don’t know about this. We should think about it.”



We move in a month later, and I hate it. To be clear, I don’t hate the house, I hate the the fact that my parents blame all their issues on the house they used to live in, and expect the new house to fix everything. I hate both of them. I lay in in my upstairs bedroom thinking about this, wishing they were gone, wanting them to leave, hoping they will leave, and if they wouldn’t leave, maybe I will.
“You know if you hate them so much, you should just run away,” a voice says from the corner
“What the? what are you doing? Who are you?”
“My name is Grace.” She steps out of the corner, showing her big brown eyes, and her soft blonde hair. My hate vanished.
“Oh. Well um how, how did you get in here?”
“I don’t know. I kind of just hang out around the area. But If your gonna scream about your parents, you should close the door.” She then shuts it herself, but I never hear footsteps clunking down the steps.


Next day is first day of school. Slouching around the school, not saying a word to anyone, nor listening to anyone. I sat a lone at lunch, and slowly eat the sandwich along with a sprite, thinking. What is wrong with this place. It’s stupid. I want to see Grace.
“You know student government passed a law that banned sodas.” Who is this kid. What is wrong with him. He should leave this school.
“Oh uh sorry. This is my first day, and I’m kind of just getting used to the rules.”
“Ya well you’ll know better next time.” I see him pick up my soda and then watch the sprite stream down till it splashes on my sandwich.
“Hey! Why did you do that? I didn’t do anything to you!”
“Actually you did. You broke a school rule, and you just talked back to me.” He raises his hand as if threatening to punch, but I am ready. And I spit in his face and then jog away, into the nearest building, laughing, not looking back to see the angry bully screaming curse words at me.


I lay in my bed as soon as I get home. Screw this place. I hate it. I hate everyone. “You know what we should do to him? We should scare him!” Grace’s face lit up as she said the words.
“Scare him?”
“Yes! If you want him to stop. You need to make him afraid of you. Fear is really the only thing that bullies respond to.”
“Maybe, but how am I supposed to scare him? He’s huge.”
“That’s where I come in.”?“No.” I let out a forced laugh, “You don’ t understand, I mean this guy is like hulk on steroids. It’s crazy. I mean I don’t even think that-
“Trust me Max. Just be calm, and get him to your house. Take him to the basement. I’ll get the whole thing on camera too, just in case he decides to deny anything.” I am calm. I’m calmer than I’ve ever been.

Next day is friday, and it is between periods. I approach him carefully but confidentially. He was getting books out of his gray locker, and I lean against the locker closest.
“Hey so I decided to have a small party tonight. I know I kind of pissed you off, but hopefully you can just come tonight and forget it. You won’t want to miss this.”
I don’t think it worked. I get home and go to my room as always, and keep thinking how stupid that was. Why would he want to go? He probably has other places to be. No one would go to my party. I slowly fall into a half daze, not awake but not asleep. What is Grace going to do. Where is she. I’m worried. She could be hurt, sick, missing, gone- The door pounds. I jump out of bed and then run down the stairs. I barely open the door before he walks in.
“What is wrong with you? I was out there for like 5 minutes.”
Whats wrong with you.
“Sorry, I was downstairs and couldn’t really hear. Just follow me and see everyone.” He carefully follows me downstairs. Gray walls around him, dirt below him, and slow, dripping pipes above him. Grace where are you.“This place is a dump. Where are we going? This is ridiculous.”
You’re ridiculous.
“Oh shut up. And we’re in the basement. That way my parents can’t see us. To your right.” Turning the corner, I see Grace. Not really thinking, I push him over right by her, who is sitting in a wooden chair. “What is this? What are you doing?” he yelled Then the lights go out.

Grace said nothing, but a huge pop nearly burst my eardrums. Suddenly, she was gone. She vanishes and then appears behind me. She was everywhere at once, laughing. He fell to the floor with his eyes covered. My eyes widened with fear and then I hear screaming. Then everything goes quiet.


The lights come on, and I’m alone on the ground. I look at the body. Grace, where are you. I lie there for what seemed like hours, and it just drags and lingers on and on and on.

I’m sitting at a police station. Dad is crying and yelling. I can’t even hear what he is saying. Dad you need to see Grace. You’ll see. Then you’ll understand. Your so judgmental. You don’t know anything.
“Dad you can see it soon I promise! It was just supposed to be a joke but I wasn’t the one doing it. It was Grace!
“No! There is no Grace! Stop blaming your wrong doing on some random girl you probably met at school!”
“Yes, Dad! She was over here! She killed him!”
“Then where is she? Look around! There’s no one in this office except you and me. There’s no one else. You’re to blame!”
I look up.
My mom brings in the tape.
“See, this is where you’ll see. It wasn’t me. It was Grace. Just look”
Officer reaches for the button, then pauses.
“Now son, you do realize that we don’t have to watch this until you have a lawyer present.”
Yes we do. What, am I supposed to say no? That will only make it worse. I have to. I have to show them.
“Ya, press play.”
There’s a click, followed by that weird sound that all VCR’s make while being re-wound.
Wait, what if she isn’t there. Oh no please stop it! Please!
“I’m right here, Max” I look up, and I’m so calm again. She’s here, sitting down, with me!
“Stop talking to yourself it’s about to start.”
My dad coldly says
“What?”
“You just said, “I’m here Max.” Just stop it and shut up!”
Before I can answer, the VCR pauses for a second, letting us know it’s re-wounded. Then it starts.
I see me standing in front of the camera, making sure its focused. Then the doorbell rings, and I run away. Theres a gravely pause. I never noticed I had a stain on this shirt. I should probably wash it off.
“Oh shut up. And we’re in the basement. That way my parents can’t see us. To your right.”
“What are you doing? What is this?” I see me. No Grace. She’s gone. She’s not there. Where is she?I see us both in that room.
It’s just us, no Grace.
“What is wrong with you Max? Why did you turn the lights out? That’s it I’m out of here!”
I see me stab him.
“No, no, no, no!” I stand up. This isn’t happening. I didn’t do anything. It was all her. I know it.
“It was her! I promise! I didn’t do anything! You have to believe me!” I see the police officer walk over and take me out of the room, down the hall, both my parents just staring. And it was then that I felt myself let out: “Max, no! Come back, please! Don’t leave me!”