15 in 1 fic: Paranormal "Who's Laughing Now?"
Title: Who's Laughing Now?
Rating: K+
Summery: Mary and Marshall are sight seeing in a hunted house. Mary thinks it's all a joke, but she's wrong.
Authors Note: This was written for the
15genres1prompt challenge. As a reminder, the prompt is "luck". Genre is "Paranormal". The house in the story really does exists, I've been there. Check out this website if you'd like to know more.
Who's Laughing Now?
I look for Ghosts; but none will force
Their way to me; 'tis falsely said
That there was ever intercourse
Betwixt the living and the dead;
For, surely, then I should have sight
Of Him I wait for day and night,
With love and longings infinite.
--William Wordsworth
The Affliction of Margaret
“You know this house is on the registry of the most haunted houses in America?” Marshall said as he came to a stop in front of the old brick building.
“Why am I not surprised you know that?” Mary asked annoyance evident in her voice.
They’d been on a witness transfer and had passed him off to another set of marshals in San Diego. If that was his final destination they didn’t know and didn’t ask. When Marshall had suggested food and sightseeing Mary had agreed, assuming that the beach would be involved. Instead they were in the historic center of San Diego looking at old buildings with a bunch of tourists and fourth graders. And they weren’t anywhere near the restaurant that Marshal swore had the best homemade tortillas in town.
“Look, it’s still open!” He said; glee in his voice. “We should go in.”
“You’re not going to see any ghosts, Doofus, it’s not dark yet.” She snipped back.
“Ghosts don’t just come out at night, Mary. In truly haunted places you can feel the spirits all the time.”
Mary just rolled her eyes and followed him up the stairs of the house. She grumbled at having to pay to see an old stuffy house, or rather, a “museum”, and followed Marshall inside.
As the tour guide talked about the deaths that had occurred in and around the house Mary found her attention wandering. Haunted houses were more of Marshall’s fun past time than hers. As they walked through what had been a court room and up a flight of stairs Mary reached up and ran a finger nail lightly up the back of Marshall’s neck.
Marshall screamed and jumped, causing Mary to stumble backwards. Still, she laughed. Marshall screaming like a little girl always made her smile and was totally worth a few bumps. They continued on the tour with Marshall glaring at her whenever she giggled.
The tour was almost over when a chill went down Mary’s spine. She whipped her head around, slightly losing her balance and causing her foot catching on the rug. She started to fall backwards and put her hands out behind her to catch herself. Standing in front of her was a girl in a long old fashioned dress and button up boots. The look on her pail white face was calm and her lips were moving, as if speaking, but Mary didn’t hear anything.
Then, as though the words were whispered through the ages, the words started to materialize, hanging in the air around the girl. “Who’s laughing now?”
The girl then smiled-a sweet scary smile-turned and started skipping away, fading before she would have ran into the wall.
Mary stayed on the floor staring at the spot where the girl disappeared until Marshall turned to her.
“I told you to stop goofing off, Mary. The ghosts are probably laughing at you.”
Mary just stared as him. She knew this was going to be the last time she went ghost hunting with him.
Rating: K+
Summery: Mary and Marshall are sight seeing in a hunted house. Mary thinks it's all a joke, but she's wrong.
Authors Note: This was written for the
15genres1prompt challenge. As a reminder, the prompt is "luck". Genre is "Paranormal". The house in the story really does exists, I've been there. Check out this website if you'd like to know more.
Who's Laughing Now?
I look for Ghosts; but none will force
Their way to me; 'tis falsely said
That there was ever intercourse
Betwixt the living and the dead;
For, surely, then I should have sight
Of Him I wait for day and night,
With love and longings infinite.
--William Wordsworth
The Affliction of Margaret
“You know this house is on the registry of the most haunted houses in America?” Marshall said as he came to a stop in front of the old brick building.
“Why am I not surprised you know that?” Mary asked annoyance evident in her voice.
They’d been on a witness transfer and had passed him off to another set of marshals in San Diego. If that was his final destination they didn’t know and didn’t ask. When Marshall had suggested food and sightseeing Mary had agreed, assuming that the beach would be involved. Instead they were in the historic center of San Diego looking at old buildings with a bunch of tourists and fourth graders. And they weren’t anywhere near the restaurant that Marshal swore had the best homemade tortillas in town.
“Look, it’s still open!” He said; glee in his voice. “We should go in.”
“You’re not going to see any ghosts, Doofus, it’s not dark yet.” She snipped back.
“Ghosts don’t just come out at night, Mary. In truly haunted places you can feel the spirits all the time.”
Mary just rolled her eyes and followed him up the stairs of the house. She grumbled at having to pay to see an old stuffy house, or rather, a “museum”, and followed Marshall inside.
As the tour guide talked about the deaths that had occurred in and around the house Mary found her attention wandering. Haunted houses were more of Marshall’s fun past time than hers. As they walked through what had been a court room and up a flight of stairs Mary reached up and ran a finger nail lightly up the back of Marshall’s neck.
Marshall screamed and jumped, causing Mary to stumble backwards. Still, she laughed. Marshall screaming like a little girl always made her smile and was totally worth a few bumps. They continued on the tour with Marshall glaring at her whenever she giggled.
The tour was almost over when a chill went down Mary’s spine. She whipped her head around, slightly losing her balance and causing her foot catching on the rug. She started to fall backwards and put her hands out behind her to catch herself. Standing in front of her was a girl in a long old fashioned dress and button up boots. The look on her pail white face was calm and her lips were moving, as if speaking, but Mary didn’t hear anything.
Then, as though the words were whispered through the ages, the words started to materialize, hanging in the air around the girl. “Who’s laughing now?”
The girl then smiled-a sweet scary smile-turned and started skipping away, fading before she would have ran into the wall.
Mary stayed on the floor staring at the spot where the girl disappeared until Marshall turned to her.
“I told you to stop goofing off, Mary. The ghosts are probably laughing at you.”
Mary just stared as him. She knew this was going to be the last time she went ghost hunting with him.