Read Online The Haunting Within by Michelle Burley - Free Book Online Page B

done?” Lisa stared into her brother’s eyes which were almost as frightened as her own and she knew there and then that he was telling the truth. He had not stepped foot inside the bathroom.
    She knew when he was lying. A small smile would start to play at the edges of his lips as he would try his hardest not to grin, but he always failed. This time though, there was no hidden smirk, only a look of confusion. “I’m sorry Aid” she said whilst wiping her nose on the sleeve of her top. “This place, it just freaks me out. I hate it here. I thought you came in here but I guess I was wrong” she looked at him with sad eyes and he rubbed her shoulder, feeling awkward at her moment of emotion.
    “S’okay sis” he replied with a half-hearted smile. He was extremely unsettled by this but didn’t say so for fear of upsetting her again. She was just getting herself under control.
    “Look, this is a big house” she heard herself saying “and she could have wondered anywhere. Why don’t you go look downstairs and I’ll carry on up here?” Lisa suggested. She didn’t want to be alone but she was scared she would have another outburst at him when he didn’t deserve it. She had to remember, she was his big sister and he needed looking after more than she did.
    Aiden was reluctant but he saw the logic in finding their mum as quickly as possible so they agreed to shout to the other when they found her so off he went back down the stairs.
    Lisa walked over to the towel rail on the wall next to the sink and wiped her hands on the old towel hanging there. As she dried her hands, every move of the towel made a million tiny dust motes float up into the air and into her nostrils making her want to sneeze. As a loud sneeze erupted from her she knocked the towel from the rail onto the floor and picking it up she saw that it was very badly moth-eaten. She wiped her nose with her hand and noticed that it smelled disgusting. Her skin smelled musty. It made her wonder how anyone could live like this. She left the bathroom turning off the light and closing the door firmly behind her.

19
    Descending the wide staircase, Aiden had an uneasy feeling about something. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was that was bothering him so much.
    Must just be this house he thought to himself. As much as he was scared of this old house with its large dark rooms and long dimly lit corridors that seemed to hold a disquiet that wasn’t natural, he was determined not to show his fear because, after all he was almost an adult now and adults weren’t scared of so called “haunted houses” were they? Or were they? His mum was obviously scared of it. His mum that had always protected him and his sister from things they were scared of. His mum who would look under his bed and in his wardrobe when he was a child and had woken screaming from a bad dream. She wasn’t scared of anything was she? Except for this house and her father, but her father couldn’t hurt her any more. He was dead. But his mum had seen him and he had told her he would punish her. He believed in ghosts he realised. The thought had never really come up before because he always pushed any unsettling thoughts away, never giving himself time to dwell in case memories were stirred up again like a bad smell. He avoided horror films and scary books and if his friends wanted to go and poke around the cemetery he always had an excuse ready why he couldn’t go. Now he thought about it he knew he believed in them. He’d never seen one, but he didn’t have to see them to know they were there. His mind started drifting to when they were here the first time but he caught hold of himself before his thoughts took over. He quickly rounded the corner at the top of the stairs without giving so much as a glance to the high windows that stood tall over the stairs and looked out onto the dark drive-way and the black night.

20
    Lisa wandered along the corridor at the top of the stairs,