*Note If you haven't read parts one and two, I highly recommend reading them first to get the full effect.* Parts 1 and 2 can be found Here: https://read.cash/@Paganprincess/surrounded-part-1-of-the-haunted-series-d285591b
https://read.cash/@Paganprincess/gone-part-2-of-the-haunted-series-79065dce
I tried to calm my pounding heart.
It's an old, creepy house. That's it. Monsters aren't real. Nothing can hurt me.
'They say the Norbert family had a child who died here.'
I whirled around at the sound of Abbys voice. She was standing in the doorway.
'Jesus Abby. You scared the crap out of me.'
She smiled mischievously. 'Sorry Mike. Who knew you were so jumpy.' She teased. 'Come see what I found.'
With that, Abby was gone, once again leaving me to trail after her. I moved fast, determined not to lose her again.
I didn't have to worry though, this time she was waiting for me at a door at the end of the hall. I couldn't say why, but I didn't feel good about this. If I'd had the feeling we weren't welcome in the house before, it was magnified ten fold now.
'Maybe we should go.'
'I want to show you something first.' Her eyes were sparkling as she pushed on the door. It creaked open, the sound eerily like a scream or wail of someone in terrible pain.
'They say the child died here and can never leave. That the spirit is trapped here forever.' She told me speaking over the door as we entered the abandoned space.
She walked over to the dresser and picked up a photo, covered in dust as was everything else. She put it face down on the dresser and turned back to look at me.
'It's sad. Don't you think? Being trapped here for over a hundred years with nothing and no one?'
I shook my head. 'It's just a story. It's not real.'
'But how do you know?' She asked seriously.
'The Norberts didn't have a kid. I read up on them. There was never any mention of a child.'
She smiled and slowly paced around the bedroom, trailing her fingers along the furniture. Her eyes looked sad with her next sentence.
'Maybe they were ashamed of her.'
An unnatural feeling came over me as I realized two things that were very, very wrong.
One, though Abby was still walking around the room, there was no sound. No footsteps or creaks. Two, the dust through which she had just dragged her fingers was undisturbed, as though she had never touched it.
I took a small step back and the floor creaked loudly causing her to turn back and look directly at me.
'Have you figured it out yet?'
'Who are you?' My voice was shaking but I had to know.
'My name is Abby. Short for Abigail.'
I continued to back up, keeping my eyes on her as she slowly approached.
She reminds me of a cat moving in for the kill. I winced at that thought.
'You're d-'
Her eyes blazed with fury. 'Don't say it!' She screamed.
Her anger was enough to kick in my flight instinct and I turned and ran as fast as I could through the hallway and down the stairs.
Gotta get to the door. Get out of the house. Gotta get out.
I ran through the kitchen and straight into one of those creepy mannequins, causing it to topple over with a dull thud. I didn't stop to look.
I yanked on the front door but it refused to open. I heard Abbys voice behind me.
'It won't open.'
'It has to.' I don't know what I was thinking, talking to her. Shock does weird things to you.
'Have you figured it out yet?'
'That you're de-'
'I said don't say it! Look around Mike.'
Something about the way she said it, half order, half warning made me stop pulling on the door and look around the room quickly. There was a soft light now coming from a lamp in the far corner. All the mannequins were dressed in outfits of different styles, different eras from the last hundred years or so.
My blood froze in my veins as the chilling realization slammed into me.
'They aren't mannequins.' I whispered in horror.
'No.' She agreed quietly. 'They aren't. They're my replacements.'
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