“I was 13 when I was murdered, but years gave gone by. People think that I am missing, but they don’t know that their ‘nice neighbor’ is the man who killed me.
“He has been arrested once for homicide. I still remain, adjacent to the basement of his house. I’m in one of the stair steps.
“I don’t have a corpse anymore. He dumped me out in Oxford Lake when he moved. But the only thing that remains of me is a photo he took when I was playing in the backyard.
“Someone finally bought the house today! It’s a small family of three. Hopefully, they find this house customary. And as soon as I get out of here, I’m going to get my revenge on Mr. Host.
“But I can’t talk anymore … the family is walking in.”
••••
The small family stepped into the dark, humdrum-like den. They felt sick; a creepy feeling filled the room. There was the mother, Grace; the father, Mike; and the daughter, Emily.
Grace walked into the backyard garden. All of the plants that had been there were dead.
Mike checked out the garage. He found a rope that looked cut all up in a barrel.
Emily went to see which room she wanted. She found a teddy bear that was holding a rose. The bear looked old and ragged.
Mike walked in the den and headed upstairs. He stepped on the loose step on the fifth step. It creaked slowly. He took his pocket knife and insinuated it inside the small crack where the step had been opened. He pulled it off and picked up the picture. “Hmm, trash,” Mike said to himself with a straight face. He walked to the fireplace.
•••
“I’m back, there is a man, and he is holding me. He has a lighter? Oh no, he is lighting my photo on fire!”
Emma’s spirit cried as her ashes flew into the air.
Grace picked up a dead rose. It began to turn bright red. It bloomed off of the stem. Grace looked up and smiled.
Emma flew freely and freely till she found Mr. Host. She grew angry.
Her ash slipped into his house. He was sitting on the couch, he had blood on his shirt. In the kitchen was a boy tied to a chair; he was unconscious. Emma took over Mr. Host’s body.
“THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUIN MY LIFE!” she yelled into his dark soul. She made him walk into the kitchen. She stretched his arm to grab a knife. She dragged it by his throat.
“My name is Emma, I used to have blonde wispy hair. I had blue eyes, you could almost see the ocean in them. I was 13 when I was murdered. I finally got my revenge!”
