THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Especially on dark nights, the occasional foggy one (in Pennsylvania, that's not exactly uncommon), this house looked a lot like one I used to live next door to. I lived on a military base in a small town called Carlisle, most known for the Indian Schools and ghost stories. There was literally a 100+ year old graveyard right in front of the entrance, if that's anything to go by. It wasn't exactly a welcoming place, but there was a mansion that the general lived in. It had everything a terrifying house would have- dead trees, a big back yard with a creek, freaky military portraits hanging on the walls, secret passages, moving bookcases, the whole enchilada. Everyone knew everyone, so I had the opportunity to visit it all the time (they even dressed it up on Halloween), and it just played a huge role in how I decorated it all.

     You aren't exactly sure what keeps drawing you here, but whatever it is, you don't think you really like it.

     Perhaps it's the unknown. Maybe, just maybe, you're hoping that someday you'll work up the courage to knock and ask what the structure is for. There's no way anyone lives in this billion year old house, is there? And if so, who? Who would want to live here? This is way, way past a 'fixer upper'. This is like a.. demolish and use the grounds to make some sort of rec center or something. Clear out some of these dead trees and this place would make a great soccer field.

     You've heard rumors that the house is haunted, but you don't really believe in all of that. Most of the people spreading said rumors don't even know where it is, and you decide that's reason enough to consider whatever stories they have to tell to be invalid. 

    The building makes a noise, and an ever-ominous wind causes the trees to make a sound that you're really not all that fond of. 

    On second thought, you're not really sure it's all that good of an idea to walk up to such a precarious house. You'd probably break through the floorboards, and you are really, really uninterested in whatever someone that lives in a house like this would keep in their basement. 

     You get to the base of the steps before your common sense kicks you all the way back home. 

     Maybe some other time.