He opened his eyes. There was that sound again. He could've sworn he heard it last night too, but he couldn't be sure. But tonight, he was more than sure. The sound of a child laughing.
A cold chill ran down the middle of his back and the flesh on his arms rose. You see, Mark is a single man, living alone. Or so he thought. This was only his second night in this house and already he hated it.
Just ignore it Mark thought to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. Tomorrow was another long day at the firm and he certainly couldn't stay up listening to noises that didn't exist.
Falling back into his unconscience, Mark suddenly jolted awake at the sound of something hitting his door. It made a ting sound...the same kind of sound one of those bouncy balls make when they hit something hard.
This is crazy. I don't have any toys in the house Mark thought. It had to be something else. This was a new house, right? There are all kinds of creeks and groans that new houses make as they settle.
ting...
The sound was louder this time. Removing the blankets that covered him, Mark rolled out of bed and stood to his feet, clicking on the bedside lamp. He stretched and wiped the sleep from his eyes.
ting...
"Anyone out there?" Mark said. He tried to shout it, but realized it was too quiet for anyone who may be in the hallway to hear. He actually didn't want to know if someone was on the other side of that door and if someone answered him...well he would probably need a new change of underwear.
TING...
The sound was much louder this time. The door rattled on it's hindges slightly. Mark cautiously took a step towards the door, reaching out for the knob. Another step.
With one quick move, Mark turned the knob, swung open the door and stepped out into the hallway. It was dark except for the little bit of light that poured in from his room.
"Who's making that noise? Show yourself!" Mark demanded. There was nothing but silence. After a minute had passed, Mark was about to give up and go back to bed, but stopped. He saw something coming towards him. It was a large red ball, rolling along the wooden hallway floor. It suddenly halted an inch away from his feet.
Somewhere in the darkness, a child giggled and took off running. The heavy sound of feet pounding against the floor echoed throughout the hallway, then stopped. Whoever was in his house is now cornered. There were only two bedrooms down this hallway. One was his and the other was a spare room Mark planned on making into an office. He kept the spare bedroom locked because it held all of his important legal documents and expensive computers. Which meant that whoever was here is now trapped.
Mark took a few slow steps into the hallway, reached out for the light at the top of the stairs and flipped the switch. A bright light filled the dark space, but yielded no success. The hallway was empty.
Mark stood, staring into the hallway, scratching his head and mystified. Deciding that this was stupid and he was only working himself into a frenzy, Mark turned the hallway light off, turned to head back to bed. But as soon as the light was off, his bedroom door slammed shut.
"What the..." Mark shouted. He grabbed onto the knob and turned it, but the door was locked. He giggled it harder and harder and slapped his hand against it. "Let me in!"
tink...
Mark looked at the floor and saw that the red ball was gone.
tink...TINK...
From inside his room a child giggled. Now Mark was getting angry. He didn't know what the heck was going on in this house, but he didn't have to take it. He needed his sleep and he wasn't going to get any playing these stupid little games.
But it isn't a stupid little game, is it Mark? There's a ghost in your house his mind said. "There are no such things as ghosts," Mark said outloud. "I'm going to go downstairs and call the police and all of this will be sorted out."
A cold chill ran down the middle of his back and the flesh on his arms rose. You see, Mark is a single man, living alone. Or so he thought. This was only his second night in this house and already he hated it.
Just ignore it Mark thought to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. Tomorrow was another long day at the firm and he certainly couldn't stay up listening to noises that didn't exist.
Falling back into his unconscience, Mark suddenly jolted awake at the sound of something hitting his door. It made a ting sound...the same kind of sound one of those bouncy balls make when they hit something hard.
This is crazy. I don't have any toys in the house Mark thought. It had to be something else. This was a new house, right? There are all kinds of creeks and groans that new houses make as they settle.
ting...
The sound was louder this time. Removing the blankets that covered him, Mark rolled out of bed and stood to his feet, clicking on the bedside lamp. He stretched and wiped the sleep from his eyes.
ting...
"Anyone out there?" Mark said. He tried to shout it, but realized it was too quiet for anyone who may be in the hallway to hear. He actually didn't want to know if someone was on the other side of that door and if someone answered him...well he would probably need a new change of underwear.
TING...
The sound was much louder this time. The door rattled on it's hindges slightly. Mark cautiously took a step towards the door, reaching out for the knob. Another step.
With one quick move, Mark turned the knob, swung open the door and stepped out into the hallway. It was dark except for the little bit of light that poured in from his room.
"Who's making that noise? Show yourself!" Mark demanded. There was nothing but silence. After a minute had passed, Mark was about to give up and go back to bed, but stopped. He saw something coming towards him. It was a large red ball, rolling along the wooden hallway floor. It suddenly halted an inch away from his feet.
Somewhere in the darkness, a child giggled and took off running. The heavy sound of feet pounding against the floor echoed throughout the hallway, then stopped. Whoever was in his house is now cornered. There were only two bedrooms down this hallway. One was his and the other was a spare room Mark planned on making into an office. He kept the spare bedroom locked because it held all of his important legal documents and expensive computers. Which meant that whoever was here is now trapped.
Mark took a few slow steps into the hallway, reached out for the light at the top of the stairs and flipped the switch. A bright light filled the dark space, but yielded no success. The hallway was empty.
Mark stood, staring into the hallway, scratching his head and mystified. Deciding that this was stupid and he was only working himself into a frenzy, Mark turned the hallway light off, turned to head back to bed. But as soon as the light was off, his bedroom door slammed shut.
"What the..." Mark shouted. He grabbed onto the knob and turned it, but the door was locked. He giggled it harder and harder and slapped his hand against it. "Let me in!"
tink...
Mark looked at the floor and saw that the red ball was gone.
tink...TINK...
From inside his room a child giggled. Now Mark was getting angry. He didn't know what the heck was going on in this house, but he didn't have to take it. He needed his sleep and he wasn't going to get any playing these stupid little games.
But it isn't a stupid little game, is it Mark? There's a ghost in your house his mind said. "There are no such things as ghosts," Mark said outloud. "I'm going to go downstairs and call the police and all of this will be sorted out."
