Beep, beep, beep. My alarm clock was bugging me to get up for school. I smacked it and reluctantly got up for school. School’s really boring because nothing fun ever happens there. It’s just math, language, science, history, geography, French, and health all the time. No one ever plays or fights because it’s simply too boring. Even the teachers are bored when they’re in school. I can see their cold, spiritless faces when they trudge up to the board to teach. Ring, ring, ring! Finally! School is over and I can hang out with Sandra. “ Hey, Sandra!” I yelled from across the yard. I'm always so anxious to see her after school because I haven't spoken to anybody over the last 7 hours. “ Hi, Glenn” she answered back. We started running towards each other when a familiar face showed up. “ Well, well, well. If it isn’t Glenn the wimp and his dork friend,” announced Brian. “ Give him a break, Brian. Go do something else.” protested Sandra. That’s another thing about her. She doesn't care about how strong someone might be, she always defends me. “ Is your girlfriend protecting you now? Mocked Seth. My face started turning red and I don’t know why. I'm used to getting that, but this time it felt different. “ At least she actually can do useful things” I cracked. “ Shut up, Glenn!’’ belted Brian. Let’s teach that wise guy a lesson!” he exclaimed as he and his three friends started charging at me. I started sprinting the opposite direction in hopes I could tire them. Sandra started running beside me as support. “ Leave me alone!” I barked at them while running away. After two minutes of vigorous running, Sandra and I decided to hide against a wall that belonged to a haunted house, hoping they would run past us. “ They went this way” a voice advised as they started heading in our direction. My heart started beating really fast while I held my breath because I knew that if they found me, I’m dead.

Luckily, they ran right past us and we got out once they passed the end of the other wall. “ That was a close one, huh?” I blurted through heavy pants. I was winded and by the looks of it, so was Sandra. “ Yeah, or we would have been in real trouble she responded. “ They would have only beaten me up” I insisted. They might be vicious, but they would never hurt a girl. “ Woah, what is this place?” she implied. I turned around to see what she was talking about, and in front of me appeared a large, dark, spooky house. The doorsteps and the sides of the house had many tears, with many planks of wood removed. The place had a light brown colour to it. It was incredibly dusty, but that is what you would expect out of an old house that’s been around for many years. “ Looks like an abandoned house,” I answered. “ Did you know it was haunted?” announced a familiar voice. At that moment, my arms were held behind my back and so were Sandra’s. “ Ow, ow, ow!” I yelped. “ Get your hands off me!” pleaded Sandra. “ You guys want to hear the story of the haunted house?” reported Brian. “ Only if you let us go!” I begged. It was my only shot. “ We’ll see afterwards” cracked Brian.

“ Ah, the good old haunted house of 35th street. You see, it all started when a kid named Timmy Smith thought he was the tough guy of the neighbourhood. Someone dared him to enter the house and come out with a chair belonging to the accursed table. Timmy thought it was no big deal and went to enter. At the doorstep, there was a plague warning him to kill himself 7 days upon entering or mysterious forces will do it for him on the 7th day. There was more to the plague, but the person reading it got too scared to finish. Any questions up until now?” he asked with a creepy smile. “Yeah, um, can you let us go?!” I sassed. My arms really started hurting and by the looks of it, it seemed like Sandra’s did too. “ All in good time” he answered calmly, keeping the same creepy smile on his face. Any more of this on my arm and it might snap off. Then, Brian started “ So, as I was saying, he went into the house and stole one of the 6 chairs surrounding the table”. “ Why is the table cursed?” I interrupted. I got a kick in the shin for saying that. “ Let me finish my freaking story before you start asking questions!” Brian roared. “ Yes,” I whimpered. He kicked me really hard so I knew I shouldn't speak anymore. “ Timmy threw the chair in the local river and it was never found. Then mysterious things started happening to Timmy. First, he could feel the presence of someone around and watching him at all times. Then, he started losing things without any explanation. Later, he started receiving texts to his phone from an unknown number telling him to kill himself. At that point, Timmy started freaking out. He would ask people for help, but no one believed him. Finally, on the 7th day after entering the house, he went missing on the way home from school. Police investigated but had no conclusion on what happened. To this day, his disappearance remains a mystery but no one dares to enter the house.” he finished.

“ Now do you have any questions?” he asked. “ What made the table cursed?” I inquired. You would think that after all that time he would have answered that. “ Oh yeah,” he remembered. “ Back in World War 2, an American family were eating dinner when German soldiers busted in and shot all of them dead. Just before the mom got shot, she cursed the house and anyone who came in it. It was on the news, like, 2 months ago.” he explained. “ I must have missed it.” I declared. “ Ok, enough chit-chat!” he clamoured. “ If you’re so tough, why don’t you go into the house?” Sandra challenged. “ I’m not stupid,” answered Brian. “ Wait a minute. Hey Glenn, why don’t you go into the house?” Brian joked. I responded, “ Because you just told me it was cursed.” I responded. I really don’t believe the story, though. Timmy probably had a stalker and the person who dared him was affiliated with the stalker. “ I knew it, wimp. You’re too chicken.” Brian teased. “ Bawk, bawk, bawk!” added Tyler. By then, they all started acting like chickens to mock me. “ I heard Old MacDonald needed a chicken. You’d fit in perfectly!” Seth howled as they all started bursting into laughter. They had already let go of my arm a while ago, along with Sandra’s. Sandra was urging me to leave, but I couldn’t stand it any longer.I wanted them to stop their malicious taunts, so I was about to do something no wimp would ever do.

I’ll go in and take a chair.” I boldly stated. All their hysteric laughter had suddenly gone silent. “ Glenn, no, don’t do it,” Sandra whispered in my ear. “ I have to,” I responded. “ Anything to make them stop,” I added. “ I’ll come with you. A good friend never leaves a friend behind.” She insisted with a smile. “ Well, go ahead dorks.” bantered Brian. “ Something bad might happen to us, Glenn,” warned Sandra. “ I can’t go back now.” I proclaimed. As we started walking to the door, we could hear the four guys pretending to cheer while laughing. At the doorstep, we started reading the plague. “ Anyone who enters this cursed residence will be given 7 days to end one’s life or mysterious forces will do the deed for them. However, this curse can be removed if one buries their most prized possession and 1000 of one’s currencies on the side of this plague.” Woah, that kind of spooked me out. “ I wonder who wrote that.” pondered Sandra. “ Probably someone who heard about the curse,” I muttered through fear. We proceeded into the house and it was really dark. Regardless, we were still able to see all of its mysterious contents because of the sunlight. The first item our eyes spotted was the living room table. While approaching the table, the floorboards creaked really loudly. “Woah. How old is this place?” blurted Sandra. “ Probably 70 years old,” I answered. The chairs seemed they were crying for help. They were black, made of wood, with a ripped cushion in the middle. There were 4 of them, with an empty spot where the chair Timmy took seemed to have been. The whole place had this eerie feeling to it that creeped me out every moment I was in it. “ Hey, wanna go upstairs?” Sandra eagerly asked with a smile on her face. She didn’t seem spooked at all, unlike me who was shaking in fear. “ No way!” I yelled back. I shouldn't have raised my voice at her. She looked a little uneasy, so I apologized. Sorry for raising my voice. I’m just scared.” I whispered. “Do you really believe what Brian said?” Sandra asked me. “ Well, it seems like it, doesn't it? I mean, the plaque in front of the doorstep, the fact that the house has been here for so long, the missing chair. I really think this place is cursed. I didn't believe it at first, but now I do." I replied. And I meant it. I'm not even sure I want to take the chair. "Whatever. Let's just take the chair and go," mumbled Sandra. "Are you crazy? I'm leaving. I hope there's a back door." I answered. I knew that if I left through the front door, I would get beat up. “There's no back door. That's the way this place was made." Sandra blurted out. "How do you know?" I responded. "I know a guy who's seen the back and there is no back door." She confirmed. I guess I have to go through the front. "Well, the front door it is." I illuminated fakely.

As I started walking out, I could already hear the torments of the guys. I was surprised they were still there. "Wimp! Ha ha ha!" laughed Tyler. "Did the ghosts get you?" mocked Seth. "Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat!" wailed Brian. I started drooping while hearing all their laughter when all of a sudden, Sandra did something I would never do. "Who's the wimp now?" she joyfully exclaimed while holding up the chair with two hands. Everyone went quiet as we all gazed upon the old, rusty, cracked chair. " Told you it was nothing." she joked as she tossed the chair over the wall and into the streets.
We were all speechless. “But, but, but...." Brian stuttered. “H-h-how?" babbled Seth. “It can't be,” mumbled Tyler. “So now will you stop picking on Glenn? He was manly enough to enter the house, unlike you chickens.” Sandra sassed. "Not anymore," muttered Robert. By then, all of them but Brian were running off. "Wait, where are you guys going?" barked Brian. He grumbled and ran off with them. "Well, that ought to teach them," exclaimed Sandra. I was still worried about the consequence of that. "Well, it's getting late," I claimed worriedly. "Yeah, you're right." she chirped. "See you tomorrow." "See you," I replied. I really was worried about what would happen. I decided to trudge on home. When I opened the door, neither of my parents bothered to greet me. My mom was busy planning out decorations for the house, while my dad was reading his daily newspaper. I went on up to my room to get ready for bed. There was going to be a stressful week ahead of me. Beep, beep, beep. Oh, that pesky alarm clock. I know what that means. I put on my clothes, ate my usual Fruit Loops, and headed on to school. After 7 hours, nothing fun really happened. Sandra and I just were talking about what happened yesterday. She still thinks the whole curse is fake, while I believe every word of it.

Sandra and I also made plans to hang out at 6 at the playground. On the way home, I felt like I was being followed. I constantly heard rustling in the bushes near the sidewalk. “Who’s there?” I yelled. It certainly can’t be a coincidence that the next day I entered a haunted house, I was being followed. As I kept walking, it seemed like the rustling was following me. I took different routes but the rustling among the bushes won’t stop. It was exactly like someone or something was following me, and based on the current series of events, it’s probably the second one. I decided to sprint the rest of the way home. When I arrived, my parents didn’t bother to bat an eye. They just went on with their usual activities, as always. I checked the time to make sure I will be able to reach Sandra. 4:03 p.m., the clock read. Phew, I have time to do my homework and reach Sandra. The moment I opened my backpack, a text was received on my phone. It was from Sandra. The text instructed me to meet her at the haunted house’s doorstep right away. I was confused. Why would Sandra want to meet there? I immediately took a screenshot of the text for future reference and headed off. I was surprised my parents didn’t care that I left. They usually ask me where I’m going. As I approached the street of the house, 35th street, I became suspicious and scared. I decided to call her. “ Hi, Glenn!” she illuminated. “ How are you?”. “ Sandra, are you sure you want me to meet you at the doorstep?” I inquired. “ Wait, what?” I thought we agreed to meet at the playground at 6.” Sandra confusedly answered. I immediately felt a chill travel up my spine. I slowly started heading back while clarifying with Sandra what is about happening. “ But what about that text you just sent me? I anxiously asked.
“Glenn, are you going crazy? I bet it’s that dumb curse, isn’t it?” replied Sandra. At that point, I started increasing my pace. Something was up. “ Sandra, check your texts,” I ordered. “ Alright, I’m checking. Wait, what’s this? Glenn, I didn’t send this! Come over to my house right now!” Sandra demanded. “ On my way!” I shouted. I started sprinting at full pace while remembering to hang up the call.

Within a minute, I was at her front door. I rung the doorbell, while my heart was still racing in fear. Sandra instantly answered and let me in.

“ We have to talk,” she bellowed. “ Show me your phone,” I demanded. We went up to her room and I checked the text. It was the exact same text I got. I gave her a stare to make sure she wasn’t just pranking me because I was scared. “ Glenn, I swear I didn’t send it,” she pleaded. She understood the stare. “ You’re just trying to scare me!” I accused. “ Glenn, you’re my best friend! I would never do that!” begged Sandra. “Liar” I snarled.“ You just want to mess with my head!”. “ Glenn...that’s not true….” she murmured. I groaned,“ Uh,  you’re right. You would never do that.” “I’m just scared,” I admitted. And for the first time ever in front of Sandra, I actually started tearing up. I felt a bunch of mixed emotions running through my body, like anger, embarrassment, sadness, and especially fear. “ Glenn, are you feeling okay? I’m here to help.” Sandra comforted through a soft voice. “ I don’t want to die,” I bawled. The tears just kept on flowing after that point. I just started sobbing in front of Sandra. She started rubbing my back in an attempt to comfort me, and it was honestly working. In the worst timing ever, Sandra and I got texts to our phones at the exact same time. Creepily, they were from the same unknown number. Both of us widened our eyes and gave each other a look. The message read “ Crying won’t get you out of it.” I uncharastically screamed in fear. I don’t know why I did that, but it seemed to have just slipped. “ Is everything all right up there?” asked Sandra’s mom. “ Yeah, it’s fine. I just surprised Glenn,” Sandra fibbed. “ Why did you do that?” she whispered through clenched teeth. I shrugged with a scared look on my face while whispering “it just slipped”. “ Should I text it back?” I asked. “ Worth a shot,” she answered.

“ What can we do to keep our lives?” I asked the unknown number. Sandra and I were anxiously watching the screens of our phones awaiting a response. After 34 seconds of stressful waiting, we got a response. The text read, “Anyone who enters this cursed residence will be given 7 days to end one’s life or mysterious forces will do the deed for them. However, this curse can be removed if one buries their most prized possession and 1000 of one’s currencies on the side of this plaque.” “ That’s what the plaque read,” I acknowledged. “ I think we have to follow what it says,” Sandra advised. The exact moment Sandra finished that sentence, a new message came to both our phones.

The message read “ exactly”. “What has to be done, has to be done,” I declared. “Are you sure?” questioned Sandra. “ How are we going to get the money?” I haven’t really thought about that. My allowance is nowhere near $1000, and looking at Sandra pig bank, neither is hers. “ My mom has a safe with $3000 in the basement. She keeps it in case of an emergency,” I remembered. “ Do you know the combination?” asked Sandra. I haven’t really thought about that either. My mom doesn’t talk about it at all, so she never told my dad and I the combination. “ Go and ask her now. Tell her we’re playing guess the number and the combination is a hard number to guess,” advised Sandra. “You’re a genius,” I replied as I started heading out. Sandra’s parents were busy so they didn't notice me leave. I entered my house and ran to my mom.

“ Hey, sweetie. Where have you been,” she asked. “ I’m hanging out with Sandra at her house. Anyways, what’s the combination for the safe in the basement? We’re playing guess the number and she would never be able to guess it,” I explained. “ No problem. The combination is 654321. Have fun!” she chirped as she went off to fold the laundry. I can’t believe that a safe with $3000 in it has such an easy combination. I went over to Sandra’s house and told her the news. “ That’s the combination? She must really be forgetful to put such an easy combination,” stated Sandra. “ My mom will be gone until 5 tomorrow. That’s when we take the money,” I told her. “ Good idea. I’ll tell my mom that I’ll come to your house after school” she replied. “ Wait. We still have to give our most prized possession,” I remembered.
“ Oh no. I don’t want to give my spelling bee trophy,” Sandra whimpered. “ And I don’t want to give my first home run ball,” I added. Ding! We got another text. It was the unknown number that sent us all those other texts. “ Do it if you want to live,” the message stated. “ Looks like we have to,” I sighed. “ So it’s all settled. We meet up at your house after school, bury the money and the possessions, and never talk about it again,” Sandra announced. “ I guess so. I’m tired. What time is it?,” I asked. “ 9:49,” she answered. “ Woah, it’s late. I gotta go home. See you tomorrow,” I announced as I left. When I entered my house, no one bothered to ask who is at the door. I went upstairs and fell asleep. There was going to be a long day ahead of me.

Beep, beep, beep. I despise that alarm clock. It carries the worst reminder of them all. I put on my clothes, ate my usual Fruit Loops, and headed to school. Like every day, it was boring. After school, I met up with Sandra as soon as I could to execute the plan. I couldn’t see Brian anywhere, which meant that there were no distractions. “ Did your mom approve me coming to your house?” asked Sandra.
“Oh shoot! I’ll call her right now,” I replied. I picked up my phone and called her. She instantly picked up. “ Hey, mom. Can Sandra come over to our house right now?” I asked. “ Not a problem. Bye sweetie!” she replied cheerily. She’s always a happy person. “ She said yes! Come on, let’s go,” I told Sandra. We headed over to my house and ran to the basement. “ This is the safe,” I showed her. It was a grey cube with rust on the bottom. It has a large wheel that can be turned to reach the designated number. Sandra proceeded to turn the combination. From 6, to 5, to 4, to 3, to 2, and finally to 1. Once she turned it to 1, the opened and let out $3000 in $100 bills. We realized we shouldn’t waste time and stuffed $1000 each in our bags. I grabbed my baseball as we left for her house.

“ Stay out here for a minute and I’ll go fetch it, alright?” Sandra told me. I put my thumbs up in approval. 60 seconds later, she came out with her trophy and a shovel to dig. The trophy was bronze coloured and as big as my head. It had her name and her position on the bottom. I felt so bad to see her depart with it. We started walking towards the haunted house with the items in our hands and bag. “ That was a lot of money,” Sandra pointed out. “ Yeah,” I replied. I wasn’t really in a good mood because I was about to lose my first home run ball. When we arrived, we proceeded to plan and start burying the items with the shovel we brought from Sandra’s house. We felt more pain every time we dug because we knew we were going to lose the most important possessions we own. Eventually, we tossed everything in one big hole. We walked away feeling depressed. “ Let’s never listen to Brian again,” I sighed. “ Never in a million years. I’ll go back to my house,” Sandra announced. “ You’re right. Right now, I just want to drown in my tears myself,” I told her. We walked together on the way home, but we didn’t feel like talking. We lost such important things. When I arrived home, I was by myself. I went up to my room and started crying on my pillow. I hope I never have to do that again.