www.storymania.com
Storymania Logo

 

 

Short Stories




After Two Days by Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin Ii After Two days is about a promising girl who suffers from an unknown disease in rural Nigeria. I... [1,881 words]
The Bear by Keri McGriff - [222 words]
The Deluded Youth by Michael Harris A boy and his dreams... [3,699 words]
Tangled Berry Bushes by E Rocco Caldwell In the style of Edgar Allen Poe. [1,892 words]
Different Paths by William S Patten First work and I am looking for feedback [2,007 words]
The Hummingbird And The Chipmunk by Bob M Ra - [738 words]
Where Chaos Reigns (Page Uno) by Wolfa Page one of a sci fi/fantasy/urban fantasy story (formerly called "e") I am worki... [386 words]
The Silver Ride by Timothy Houlihan Obsession. Insanity. Murder. [2,264 words]
The Line by Ezh Mimsyboro A quicky about two fellows in a line. [1,108 words]
The House Next Door
The Eclipse by Ovidiu Bufnila When major�s Sanchez coach came, the daring Florio has just succeeded to get over the wonderful wor... [718 words]
The Awakening, Part 1 by David B Doc Byron The first half of a story me and my son had collaborated on. [491 words]
The Awakening - A 'short-Short'' by Jason ''The Bloodman'' Taylor Like my dad has said before, YOU figure it out. [305 words]
Tales Of Time And Travel by Michael A Hyer It is an anthology of 5 short stories about... well, time and travel. [21 words]
Silicone by E Rocco Caldwell (The centralized theme of the story is to ask the question in a marriage how much of it is companionsh... [3,012 words]
Mascara by Tweez Boys will be girls. [1,350 words]
It's All In The Teeth by David B Doc Byron Like alot of my darker work, there is no logical explanation. [388 words]
It Runs In The Family by David B Doc Byron A subject I've never had to deal with, but have known people who have. [214 words]
Green by David B Doc Byron A man's guilt catches up with him. [496 words]
Gibsin The Night Fall by Wesley B Rose Drley A story of how one man can make a difference. Even though he had many reasons not to. [2,130 words]
Ghosts- A ''Short-Short'' Short Story by David B Doc Byron A man's demons catch up with him. [418 words]
From The Glow Of The Gaslights Comes A Prayer by Timothy Houlihan The prayer of a man who has seen the lie. [738 words]
Choices by David B Doc Byron Bad drivers are born losers. [376 words]
A War Life by Wizard A Child and his mother seek refuge from the events of WW11 [1,203 words]
A Peaceful Sabbath by E Rocco Caldwell A reflection on modern times. [915 words]
1:25 A.M. by David B Doc Byron Is he dreaming.... or is this reality? [262 words]
Vital Signs by Jason ''The Bloodman'' Taylor At rare times, a love between two people is so strong, they dont want to let go, even in death... [307 words]
The Sand Dollar by Wesley B Rose Drley A story about a child and how she wins hearts. [1,790 words]
The Penalty Is Death by E Rocco Caldwell A Private Investigator is hired by a client to find out if his wife is having an affair. W... [4,184 words]
The Hankie Files by Mark Nash This work is inspired by real people and places, but its plot and setting is purely fiction. ... [2,676 words]
The Hankie Files, Chapter 1 by Mark Nash A serial about a Geometry class trying to catch their teacher, who is the head of a... [1,028 words]
The Belch Of A God by Timothy Houlihan Kids learning to fit in. [2,586 words]
Shadow Dancers by Wesley B Rose Drley The story of how truth and inner strength can make a difference. [4,448 words]
Salute To Courage by Arthur Zulu - [1,172 words]
Prophecies by David B Doc Byron A different take on the typical werewolf tale. [886 words]
Out Of The Ordinary World Part 2 by Metzger Visit my website www.personal.psu.edu/dmm439. [2,283 words]
Out Of The Ordinary Worlds by Metzger - [1,796 words]
My First And Only Love by Theresa A Myers A sad story of love, between a human woman and a male vampire. [1,898 words]
Lucky Ones by Staci Christophers How bad can a blind date be? [836 words]
Life Sucks by David B Doc Byron - [360 words]
Life Sucks - Part 2 by David B Doc Byron Haven't you figured it out yet? [144 words]
Letters From Purgatory -Part 4-Ending by David B Doc Byron The secret is finally revealed! [147 words]
Justice For Mrs. Millicent Meeks by Timothy Houlihan - [1,428 words]
I'm Bored Of You. Can I Be Somebody Else? by J L Watts Two alien bounty hunters are on Earth, one with a unique abiltity whi... [2,184 words]
Headstones by David B Doc Byron - [200 words]
Filling The Pages by Krige Van Rensburg A true Hithcock thriller! [2,280 words]
Popular? Part 2 by H Wood Cont. on from popular? Part 1 - A teenage party, drunken sex and upset parents ends with distur... [2,530 words]
Popular? by H Wood the most popular guy at school? read how kenny smith manages to put up with his social status at high ... [709 words]
Why I Like Watermelon by Sarrabisco - [379 words]
Tortured by J L Watts Wrote this about three years ago as a GCSE 'Victim Writing' piece. Am annoyed with the way I finish it... [986 words]
The Tragedy That Was Dave by Slick Nick A man that has lost hope and can't find meaning in life commites suicide. But was it... [1,580 words]
The Portrait by Judith Goff A painting with a dark secret ... [1,352 words]
Michael.... By J.D. Stiltner by J D Stiltner It's about a young man who is faced with the harsh realities of life and they take... [1,034 words]
Letters From Purgatory by David B Doc Byron Figure it out as you go along. [244 words]
Letters From Purgatory Part 3 by David B Doc Byron He's getting closer to the truth! [227 words]
Letters From Purgatory Part 2 by David B Doc Byron You figure it out as you go along. [186 words]
Letters From Purgatory - Interlude by David B Doc Byron - [70 words]
Hamilton by J Eric Eckard A short story. [4,890 words]
Diary Of A Killer Kat by Kathryn J Gabrielle A week in the life of a Kat. [1,263 words]
Clouds Across The Moon by C A Steen A short story. [1,558 words]
Cassandra by Wandering Minstrel The story of Cassandra and the domination of her vanity. [1,205 words]
Bird In The Hand by E Rocco Caldwell Gothic story of two men on a battlefield dealing with racism. [5,695 words]
Victor And Louise by Salai G Prit Rough draft for the first half of a short story... please read and comment... please.. [3,962 words]
Transitions by Tom Soukup An unusual love story that will tingle the back of your neck. [3,628 words]
The Myriad Slips by Salai G Prit A reworking of an old piece... more of an extension. [3,074 words]
The Healing by Jill Snider - [2,911 words]
The Gift by Tom Soukup Jeremy struggles with his ability to predict death. Is it a gift? He learns the curse of it when cal... [3,934 words]
The Club Monster by William Spongberg A city girl and her two friends confront both the prospect of finding love out on the town and... [4,958 words]
The Candle by N M A Al-Sharekh It has 5 kinds of living ceatures. It has a candle that gives you 5 wishes if u own it [1,083 words]
The Bus Station Tearoom by Rebecca Vaughan A girl waits for her bus and as she does so she decides to go on a journey longer than ... [802 words]
Taking Care Of Your Own by David B Doc Byron The father of a quadrepalegic finds out love does not conquer all. [521 words]
Pipe Dreams by Tom Soukup A boy uses new-found mystical powers to bring revenge to his bully classmates. He almost gets away... [3,860 words]
On This Lovely Day... by Daroga Daae A short horror story about four children and one crazed "Hannibalistic" killer. [436 words]
Dream Lover by David B Doc Byron A tale of true love that never dies. [417 words]
Bruising by Emmie Sinclair Strange tale, make of it what you will - I was in a weird mood when I wrote it. [506 words]

Go to page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 [34] 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
TITLE (EDIT)
The House Next Door
DESCRIPTION
What evil lurked behind its blank windows?
[1,249 words]
TITLE KEYWORD
Horror
AUTHOR
Moya Green
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
-
[April 2002]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (8)
Dogsbody (Short Stories) It was during the great thunderstorm that George decided to become a dog [940 words] [Fantasy]
Lucky For Some (Short Stories) Exclusive! In his own words! The story of the guide dog who saw off the blind. [709 words] [Animal]
Mobile Misconduct (Short Stories) The perils of leaving a mobile phone switched on. [697 words] [Humor]
My Date With Gavin Winterbottom (Short Stories) There's many a slip... [1,042 words] [Romance]
The Joys Of Heaven (Short Stories) Getting there is fine - but what if you don't like it? [2,171 words] [Humor]
The Meaning Of Easter (Poetry) - [86 words] [Spiritual]
The Night Dancers (Short Stories) What do you do when your best friend gets himself captured by the fairies? [1,522 words] [Fantasy]
The Wishfish (Short Stories) Doris stared down at the kipper. The kipper stared back. "Don't eat me," it said. [1,861 words] [Fantasy]
The House Next Door
Moya Green



It sat on the outskirts of the village, a detached house in a large enclosure - you couldn't call it a garden, or even a lawn, it was more like a field. A big grey house set back from the road. There was no gap in the fence which surrounded it, no drive leading to the front door. Never any sign of life. Ian had thought it was derelict, till he noticed the curtains at the windows.

He noticed his hands gripping the steering wheel, and made himself relax. Stupid to feel so nervous. He was a grown man now for God's sake, not a scared kid. He'd never been back. They'd asked him, Auntie Mag and Uncle Harry, said how much they'd enjoyed having him that summer when his mother was in hospital. He'd always managed to get out of it, and without giving the reason. The real reason, that was. He could hardly have told people that he didn't want to go because he was frightened of the house next door.

He wouldn't be going back now, if there had been anyone else available to clear the cottage, now that Auntie Mag had died. Anyone else with a van. He glanced at Lucy, drowsing in the seat beside him. Shouldn't take long with her help. Be out of there before nightfall. No way he'd be staying overnight.

Even during the day, as he had played in the garden, the house had been an oppressive presence, brooding behind the high ragged hedge. At night it was worse. The curtains never moved, and no glimmer of light ever shone at the windows. To all appearances the place was empty and yet - it did not feel empty.

His aunt and uncle never spoke of it. His questions were met by a tightening of the lips and a change of subject. All they had to say was that he was never, on any account, to go into next door's garden. The children he played with that summer, on the other hand, had plenty to say. An old man lived there, no, an old woman, no, it was a ghost. If you went in there you'd never come out. On their way out of the village to play in the woods they would fall silent as they passed it, and look away. In case, his friend Grant told him, they should one day see a figure at a window, beckoning . . .

Then his stay with Mag and Harry came to an end. On the last evening he was playing with a ball in the back garden. It was dusk, early September, the nights beginning to draw in. He kicked the ball over the hedge.

It was a new football, a present from Uncle Harry. He peered through the hedge. The ball lay in the long grass, halfway to the house. The hedge, though tall, had grown thin and neglected. He could squeeze through, if he wanted. The windows gazed down blankly. Nothing moved.

He wriggled through a gap in the hedge, twigs pulling at his jumper. Darted across the grass, grabbed his ball, turned to go - and stopped, caught by a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. The side door of the house was ever so slightly open.


Lucy shifted uncomfortably in her seat, blinking. "Are we nearly there yet?"

"Not far now."


To this day he could not think why he'd gone inside. He could hardly move for terror, and yet something drew him. He followed a dim corridor, turned right into a hallway. The dust lay so thick on the carpets it was impossible to make out what colour they had been. Up a wide staircase, with a stained glass window at the turn of the stair. Before him, across the landing, a half-open door.

Inside, a high wing chair stood black against the dying light from the window. Something moved in its depths.

"Ah, a boy. A little boy. How nice." said a thin, unpleasant voice, and giggled.

Ian's nerve broke. He ran back across the landing and hurtled down the stairs. Behind him rose a cackle of laughter.

"You'll be back. They always come back."

He raced along corridors, turning left, and left again. He burst through doors, to find still more passages stretching before him into dimness. White figures hovered at the periphery of his vision to vanish when he looked, whispers followed him. He could not find the way out.

"Ian! Ian, where are you?"

He heard his aunt calling outside, and in some indefinable way his surroundings solidified. A last door rose up before him. He wrenched it open and fell out into the real world. The next day he went home, never to return.

Except he did, of course. In his dreams.


He braked as the signpost came into view. Nearly missed the turn-off.

"Almost there, now."

He drove the white van with care along the narrow road, each turn hauntingly familiar. Then he rounded the last bend, and gasped in astonishment.

The house was gone. Where had stood there were now a half a dozen small detached houses, with leaded windows and twee little porches. Ian almost laughed aloud in his relief. The tension which had gripped him, tightening throughout the journey, relaxed at last.

He stopped the van outside the cottage at the end of the terrace. "Here we are."

"Isn't it pretty!" Lucy exclaimed as she climbed from the van.

It was pretty, with its roses clambering over the front. Even though the garden, Uncle Harry's pride, was a mess.

"I wish we could live here," said Lucy.

"Bit far for getting to work," grunted Ian as he let them in. Anyway, the cottage had to be sold, and the proceeds divided among the family. The furniture as well, at least the good stuff. The dross could be left for the house clearance people, but he had a long list of items to go to various aunts and cousins. It had sound straightforward enough when his mother had explained what was wanted, but some of the things on the list proved remarkable elusive. It all took far longer than expected. By the time the light began to fade they were still only half way through.

"We'll have to come back tomorrow."

"Why don't we sleep over?" asked Lucy. "The bed upstairs looks okay, and we've got the sleeping bags in the van. It would save a lot of time."

Well, why not? After all, his only objection had been demolished.

"All right. Let's go and get something to eat."

Some hours later they rolled back to the cottage, staggered up the stairs and collapsed onto the bed.


Ian woke from a dream of endless corridors and receding doors. Moonlight flooded through the uncurtained window. He got up and went to look out.

The house was there, square and solid in its half acre of unkempt grass. Silvery light picked out every detail. Oddly, he had no sense of surprise. It was all exactly as he remembered. He stiffened, peered more intently. Something moved in one of the darkened windows. A figure, white, raising a thin hand. Beckoning.

He groped for his jeans, began pulling them on. Lucy stirred on the bed.

"Mmmm . . . wassa marrer?"

"Nothing. Go back to sleep. I won't be a minute." He slipped his feet into his trainers. "I'm just going next door."

 
 

 

Submit Your Review for The House Next Door
Required fields are marked with (*).
Your e-mail address will not be displayed.

Your Name*     E-mail*

City     State/Province     Country

Your Review (please be constructive!)*


Please Enter Code*:

Submit Your Rating for The House Next Door

Worst     1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     Best

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2003 Moya Green
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
April 2003
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2054
 

Copyright © 1998-2001 Storymania Technologies Limited. All Rights Reserved.