Chapter Four

"Dave!" I called out in a stifled way.

"Yeah?" "I'm right here!" Dave was trying to control his voice, too.

"Ha! Ha!! Ha!!! Ha!!!! Ha!!!!!"

I turned around. But it was too dark to see where the voice was coming from. Then, slowly, I tried to move.

"Where are you going?" That was Dave whispering. "Dorothy!"

"It's dark in here. I need to check if there is ...ah!!!!"

I found myself in another room.

There was a dull light in this room. Far above the wall by the right, close to the ceiling, it was hung. The room seemed a bit messy. A bed by the left corner of the room close to the window, which was left wide open. Clothes of red and white colour were laid strewn all over the bed. A square boxed TV was mounted on a shelf by the foot of the bed. By the right corner of the room close to the door, was the cupboard. The floor of the room was tiled with a circular rug at the middle. On the rug were books. Maybe three or six, I can't remember. Were spread wide open and face down. On it was a title. Wait a minute.

My brows angled inquisitively the moment I saw the words. Written in bold red colours like blood. I moved towards the books. As I was about picking it up to read the title properly, the windows were shut by a wind so strong. The door opened slowly, slightly ajar, making a creaking sound. Outside was a well lit corridor. I moved stealthily towards the door. The moment my hand touched the door, it shut itself forcefully, flinging me off towards the bedside.

While still on the floor, trying to force myself to get up, the books caught my attention again. This time, I saw the title more clearly.

"C. H. A... "

The TV came on. And on the TV were heads. Human heads. They looked like they were freshly cut off from their bodies. They were bouncing about. Singing in a lullaby like voice, but more horrifying. I was trying to make out the words of the song, when, all of a sudden, one of the heads stopped bouncing and turned my way.

"There she is!"

"Catch ya!"

"Ah!!!!!!!!!!" I found myself screaming out the little sound that was found in my lungs at the moment, almost choking up.

"Hee! Hee!! Hee!!! Hee!!!! Ha! Ha!! Ha!!!"

The heads began laughing. Horrid looking blood stained dripping teeths glaring under the luminance from the TV.

Just then the door opened, slowly.

"Do...ro...thy ..... Do....ro....thy....."

I heard my name being called. But I didn't move. I stayed right where I was, my eyes wide open. My ears twitching, trying to make out whose voice it was. Because it sounded familiar to me ...

"Do...ro...thy ..... Do....ro....thy..... Come! Come!! Come!!! If you want to live, come....."

And then, I found myself moving. Like I was being controlled by some force in the voice calling out to me.

As I got closer to the door about to take a step out, the windows behind me flung open. And the wind came whooling and hissing in. I turned around to steal a glance at the ferocious wind blowing in...

"Boo!!!"

"Ah!!!!!! Ah!!!!!" I found myself stumbling down the stairs case outside the room just close to the door...

*******

I came tumbling and rumbling down the long staircase. The next thing I knew I was already down at the bottom.

"Ouch!" I felt a sharp twist in my wrist. I managed to stand on my feet.

I found myself in a large and spacious parlor. The walls were painted pink with a circular pattern of various sizes and if yellow colour drawn on the walls. The pattern began at the top left edge and ended at the right bottom edge. The y were neatly arranged in such a beautiful descending and ascending order. Three long sofas sat at the center. One to each walls. In the middle was a round and beautifully adorned glass table. A flower vase was on the table. There was no sign of any TV. Picture frames were all hung on the walls like an art gallery display. What caught my attention were how the images in the pictures appeared. They were all upside down. Wait a minute... Isn't that blood I see dripping behind the picture frames?

I moved closer, slowly, in a stealth manner towards one. Just then, I heard a sound. I gave a sharp twist but it was gone. I swallowed the saliva in my throat and continued to walk, minding my steps not to appear too loudly. I heard another sound. This time from the ceiling. Like running feets. I moved backwards, my back reclined to the wall. My eyes staring at the ceiling for any possible sign. Just then it ceased like it knew I was watching.

A sound came from the flower vase. 'tum tum tum'. My eyes fell on the flower vase. Then I began to walk towards the vase. I had forgotten that my android phone was in my left hand because the moment I was close to the vase, about touching it, my phone vibrated. I jerked backwards. Brought out the phone. It was my mother. She just send me a text message: Where are you and Dave? His parents are already getting worried.

I searched for her number to call her. As I was about calling my mother, the phone fell off my hand. I bent down to pick it up. That voice, the same one that kept calling my name. The same voice that led to my fall down the long staircase, began calling my name.....

"Do....ro.....thy..... Do...ro....thy...Do....ro.....thy"

Chills ran up my spine. Sweats gathering on my face. I could feel my body pulsating. I could hear the beats of my heart.

Dokum! Dokum!! Dokum!!!.....

My eyes wide open as fear sat in them. Searching for the unknown and known. What could that be? That is what I do not know. All I know is that I was beginning to get scared right now. And for once in my miserable life, I began to think of my mum and all she had said about going to the woods. About strange places.....

Oh, poor Dave. Only God knows what is happening to him right now. It is because of me he is here. It is because of my stubbornness we are in this situation. This strange horrid haunted house. It is all because of me.....