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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
Keisha\u2019s fresh start in a new town turns into horror when she finds out her home is haunted. The single mother doesn\u2019t believe in ghosts but can\u2019t deny what she sees when night falls.<\/p>\n
Keisha still couldn\u2019t believe her good luck. She stared up at the gorgeous gingerbread trim decorating her newly-acquired house\u2019s wraparound porch and steep gables. It was a bit of a fixer-upper, filled with junk from previous occupants, but it was sound, and it was all hers.<\/p>\n
As Keisha turned back to check on the movers, she noticed her neighbors watching over the low hedge bordering the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood morning!\u201d Keisha smiled as she waved at the young couple, but her plan to befriend the neighbors died quickly as the pair hastily climbed into their car and sped away without glancing back at her.<\/p>\n
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\u201cGuess the people around here aren\u2019t too friendly,\u201d Keisha sighed.<\/p>\n
Later strange looks and whispering intensified when Keisha and her kids entered the local coffee shop. It was starting to make Keisha uneasy. She glanced at the people sitting at the tables, but everyone looked away when she tried to meet their gaze.<\/p>\n
Instead, Keisha studied the historical pictures of local landmarks decorating the walls. When she glanced over at the table where Carter and Ava were waiting, they pulled funny faces at her, making her smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi there!\u201d The barista greeted Keisha with a warm smile. \u201cYou must be the new folks in town. I\u2019m Sam. Nice to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there are some friendly people in this town.\u201d Keisha returned the man\u2019s smile as she ordered funnel cakes for her and the kids. \u201cI was beginning to think everyone here hated newcomers or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like that at all.\u201d Sam\u2019s face turned serious, and he glanced around before leaning over the counter. \u201cYou live in that old, blue Victorian house on Park, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah,\u201d Keisha replied. \u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat house is haunted,\u201d Sam whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaunted?\u201d Keisha almost laughed, but the barista nodded solemnly.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
\u201cNot just any old haunted either. Old man Jefferson who used to own that place, was a psychic medium. He used to hold all these seances, and it\u2019s said that he opened a spiritual nexus in that house. Nobody has been able to stay in that house since he died,\u201d Sam continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeriously?\u201d she asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s cursed. Jefferson\u2019s granddaughter had to sell the place because of debts, and everyone who has lived there since complained of flashing lights, things moving around, and strange voices calling to them. Some people even went mad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what, people think I\u2019m going to go mad next?\u201d Keisha asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d an elderly lady with a jagged scar on her chin said. \u201cWe know you were cursed when you stepped into that house. Now get out. We don\u2019t want you bringing evil into our shop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, stop it.\u201d The barista turned to frown at the woman.<\/p>\n
\u201cQuiet, you!\u201d The woman gave the barista a sharp glance. \u201cStop talking to her. Best to get her out as quick as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t deny me service because of some old ghost story,\u201d Keisha said, outraged.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo!\u201d The lady said, gesturing with her fingers. \u201cGet out of my shop and don\u2019t come back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
Keisha didn\u2019t believe in curses, ghosts, or other supernatural nonsense. But she was woken up at midnight by the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. Grabbing the baseball bat next to her bed, she exited her room and saw the flickering lights in the hall, which cast odd shadows on the floor. The hall was empty. But chills went down her spine when a voice echoed.<\/p>\n
She raised her baseball bat and spun to face the darkness in her bedroom. Nobody was there. But the sound of movement downstairs had her racing to check on her kids, who shared a room on the first floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, did you also hear those sounds?\u201d Carter whimpered.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you, Carter, it\u2019s just because the house is old, right, Mom?\u201d Ava said, but her eyes showed real fear. The bedroom door slammed into the wall, making them all jump and scream. Keisha ran out of the kid\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
Instead of an intruder, she saw smoke billowing through the floor, curling around her feet. A whispered chant in a strange language echoed as the air got colder. Footsteps unexpectedly came from the end of the hall. Lights began flicking, and the single mother couldn\u2019t take them anymore.<\/p>\n
She grabbed the kids and brought them outside, hugging them tightly on the porch as she called the police. But they were less than helpful as there were no signs of breaking in.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019m well aware that this house has a reputation for being haunted, but the police will not entertain any more false alarm calls to this address,\u201d the officer warned her after a while. \u201cYou could be fined or arrested for wasting a cop\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her kids were terrified when the cops left, but when they asked if the house was haunted, Keisha fiercely said, \u201cGhosts aren\u2019t real.\u201d<\/p>\n
The following day, Keisha started packing. Ghosts may not be real, but her children weren\u2019t safe in that house. After a while, she realized some of her kids\u2019 clothes were in the laundry machine in the basement and rushed down quickly.<\/p>\n
A black leather glove sat in a corner. It was too big, which meant someone \u2013 not a ghost \u2013 had been in her house. Using her phone\u2019s flashlight, Keisha began to inspect the entire basement. There wasn\u2019t anything obviously wrong, but her instincts were on high alert.<\/p>\n
But her eyes went to the floor, noticing an unusual dirt pattern leading to the wood panel on the wall. It was curved as if someone had disturbed the messy floor by\u2026 opening a door. Her eyes flared as she grabbed at the edges of the wood paneling.<\/p>\n
Her fingers found purchased, and although hard, the wood paneling twisted to reveal a secret passage. Keisha had seen enough horror movies not to go in there, and her penchant for detective stories told her the truth: her house wasn\u2019t haunted. Someone wanted her to think so.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
Keisha forgot about packing and went straight to the library. After talking to the librarian, she searched through old newspaper archives and learned that the house belonged to the Barlow family until Anna\u2019s daughter sold it.<\/p>\n
The librarian said Anna died after the sale, which started the curse rumors. Mr. Barlow was the medium in the family, and several articles about him were in the papers.<\/p>\n
\u201cLocal psychic medium dies in his sleep,\u201d Keisha read aloud. \u201cInstead of an inheritance, he left his daughter a riddle leading to a hidden treasure.\u201d<\/p>\n
The story only got stranger as Keisha read. According to the reporter, Mr. Barlow inherited a vast wealth when his mother died, retired early, and spent the rest of his life working as a medium. Anna refused to share anything about the riddle.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess she never found that treasure,\u201d Keisha muttered as she spotted a picture of Mr. Barlow. He wasn\u2019t alone. Two girls were with him, but something else prickled Keisha\u2019s memories.<\/p>\n
Keisha returned to her house and searched while an idea formed. Afterward, she went to the coffee shop, smiling brightly to greet Sam.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look chipper,\u201d he commented.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had a great day!\u201d She leaned across the counter to whisper: \u201cI found a treasure in that old house. It\u2019s going to set me up for life!\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n
\u201cReally?\u201d Sam gaped at her. \u201cWow, congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
That evening, Keisha sat in the darkness. Waiting. The night was cold as a tomb around her. Minutes ticked into an eternity of waiting before a gentle thud of boots on dirt echoed in the distance. Someone was coming down the secret tunnel.<\/p>\n
Hinges creaked as the secret door disguised as the wood paneling eased open. A light beam edged along the wall and floor, creeping toward where Keisha waited. Just as it was about to reveal her, the light went out, leaving the intruder and her in the quiet darkness.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow,\u201d Keisha cried, breaking the silence.<\/p>\n
Bright flashlights lit up the basement from all corners as the police officers responded to her signal. The trespasser yelped in surprise while the cops raised their arms and told the criminal not to move.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew it!\u201d Keisha pointed at the barista, gloating. \u201cWith all the times you must\u2019ve been through this house searching for treasure, it\u2019s amazing that you never removed the old photos and documents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam only glared at her, but Keisha grabbed the papers and a photograph, claiming it was enough evidence to put Sam in jail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done nothing wrong. My family has as much right to this house and the treasure as Aunt Anna did, and my spoiled cousin, Julia, had no right to sell it! Those people lived easy lives on Grandpa Johnson\u2019s coattails while my mom had to work hard for everything she got.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m afraid these documents suggest a different story, Sam. These letters say your mother was jealous of her stepsister,\u201d Keisha countered, waving the papers in her hands.<\/p>\n
Sam laughed bitterly. \u201cJohnson always favored his daughter over his stepdaughter, my mom. And Anna always thought she was better than Mom because of it. Anna and Julia got exactly what they deserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s all we need, ma\u2019am,\u201d the police officer nodded at her. \u201cYour trick worked, and now I want you to show me the special effects you mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrick?\u201d Sam fought while being cuffed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are blank,\u201d she answered. \u201cBut I needed you to think I found something to get you to come here and talk. Now, it\u2019s time to reveal the truth about your grandfather\u2019s psychic abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Keisha went through the entire house, showing the traps, wires, and special lights and smoke machines that caused the haunted effects over the years, which the medium used for his readings.<\/p>\n
Even the cops were surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo much for the famous medium\u2019s mystical powers,\u201d one officer scoffed. He steered Sam toward the stairs. \u201cNow we just need to pick up your mother.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait!\u201d Sam dug his heels in and glared at Keisha. \u201cHow did you know it was me?\u201d<\/p>\n
She showed her phone with the picture she had taken at the library. \u201cThe same photo is hanging in your coffee shop; I noticed it when I was first there. Your mother may not have that scar in this picture, but still looks the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cops took Sam and later arrested his mother. But Keisha paid them no mind. \u201cThis place is going to be awesome for hosting Halloween parties,\u201d she laughed and pressed a button to release some smoke.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Keisha\u2019s fresh start in a new town turns into horror when she finds out her home is haunted. The single mother doesn\u2019t believe in ghosts but can\u2019t deny what she sees when night falls. Keisha still couldn\u2019t believe her good luck. She stared up at the gorgeous gingerbread trim decorating her newly-acquired house\u2019s wraparound porch […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16501"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16508,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16501\/revisions\/16508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}