Johnson County Library is pleased to announce the winners of our Scary Story Youth Writing Contest. "The House Next Door" by Krish Nachnani won in the 12-14 age category.
The House Next Door
by Krish Nachnani
The House Next Door Peering through my binoculars, I stare at the Victorian-style house across from my own. The house, while similar to mine in structure, has worn down over years of remaining empty. Empty, until now. Two weeks ago, while watching birds through my bedroom window, I noticed something peculiar. A dim light could be seen shining through the attic window of the supposedly vacant house. This sparked my curiosity and resulted in my continuous endeavors to frequently monitor the house. However, each time I attempted to show my findings to my parents, the light would mysteriously disappear. My mother and father believed that the flickering light was simply made-up, but I was bent on proving them wrong.
“Kevin!” my mother called from the kitchen. “Dinner is ready!”
“Coming, Mom!” I shout back.
Raising the binoculars from my eyes and placing them in a cabinet, I slowly walk down the steps contemplating my next actions. Although the light in the attic had been intriguing at first, after weeks of futile attempts, I was beginning to grow tired of it. After dinner, I decided, would be my last time watching the house. As I finished this thought, I entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, where my parents had already begun to eat.
As soon as I sat down, my mother asked the question that I had been expecting: “When are you going to give up looking at the house?”
“Today,” I sighed. “I’m bored.”
Then, my mother makes the greatest mistake of her life, as she states, “Excellent, we had begun to hear rumors about a werewolf having moved into it…”
“A werewolf?” I questioned; my curiosity anew.
Although I did not notice, my father glared from across the table at my mother, seeming to scold her for her mistake. However, the subject was quickly changed and I forgot about it all throughout the night, until I was woken up at eleven o’clock by the sound of glass shattering. Rushing out of bed, I grabbed my trusty binoculars and poked my head out the window. Just as I had expected, the attic window had been broken, and I could see the silhouette of a man illuminated by the full moon. To my horror, the man transformed into a gruesome creature in front of my eyes, the creature’s howling shaking me to my very core. The man- or the werewolf, as it appeared to be now- began to observe its surroundings, slowly turning its massive head until its yellow eyes met with mine. The creature’s bloodthirsty mouth slowly curled into a smile, before turning around and going out of sight. Frightened, yet unable to move, I sat there, awaiting my doom.
After what seemed like hours, but were probably mere minutes, I heard a scratching sound at the door. It’s the werewolf, I thought to myself. It’s come to kill me. My suspicions were confirmed as the door unhinged, dropping to the floor with a bang, and within seconds the monster was upon me. Standing right above me with saliva dripping down its mouth, it inches towards me agonizingly slowly. Just kill me! I silently plead. But it does not listen, savoring every second of this experience. Then, with unparalleled speed, it rushes towards me and slices my throat in one clean swipe. As I lie there, blood oozing out of my wound, I begin to wonder why I ever messed with the house next door...