trying very hard not to show how afraid she was, putting a brave face on for Brian's benefit.
She was ready to bolt and run screaming all the way home. She wondered how she ever managed to let Brian talk her into this crazy escapade.
At ten years old, she knew enough about danger and obedience to know that if they were caught would be in deep water.
But Brian was so sure that this time they would get some video footage of a real ghost. It was too good a chance to pass up, and his enthusiasm convinced her.
It didn’t hurt that she thought the world of him.
He was so strong and brave and genuinely liked her.
He treated her well, and never yelled or tried to force her into anything.
In fact, he was the exact opposite of his horrible father – her stepdad. Now, there was a true monster; she thought, and immediately felt ashamed.
But, she knew it to be true…
“Kim, turn on the camera!” said Brian.
Kim held the viewfinder up to her face, the red light illuminating Brian's face and making it look bloodied.
It gave her a sense of foreboding.
Shaking like a leaf, she tried to keep the video picture steady, unsuccessfully.
“Geez, Sis, maybe I should hold the camera?” said Brian, with a kind of disappointed half-sneer. He wasn’t trying to be mean; he just had that jerky quality that she liked so much.
“You're shaking so much, the picture's probably all out of focus! Here, let me have it,” he said.
She gave him the camera, and moved close behind him, as they walked up to the front door of the place.
Now the wind was howling through the barren trees making a eerie noise that sounded like the moans of the dead.
“Brian, I'm scared! Kim said.
“Don't be a sissy!” he said, for his own benefit as much as for hers.
“I know we’ll get a good picture of a ghost and then we’ll both be famous! Just think of it, with all the money we’ll get, you can buy all the dolls you ever wanted, Kim!”
His infectious smile made her weak in the knees, but she didn’t have any idea as to why. She knew she really liked Brian. He was nice to her, even though sometimes he was a dummy.
And, he always made her smile, even after her step-dad was so mean to her.
Buoyed slightly by his dreams of avarice, Kim clutched at Brian as they moved right to the front of the door.
“Here, hold the camera,” he said.
He tried turning the doorknob, and it came off in his hand.
They looked at each other, not sure what to do, as the door slowly swung open, revealing a dank, musty interior.
The weak flashlight beams played over the furniture, draped with the folds of old, blankets and sheets, covered in mildew and stains, like ancient funereal shrouds.
As they explored, they could see something moving. The occasional bat flew through their beams of light.
“No way I'm going in there!” cried Kim.
“Oh, come on, Kim! We’re almost there!” said Brian. He felt just as scared as she, but he started to walk through the doorway.
“You baby!” he admonished her. “I’ll even hold the camera, just be careful!” he added.
He stepped across the threshold; the camera thrust out in front of him like a sword.
Brian’s foot plunged through the rotted floor, and he tipped over and fell flat.
With a crash, the camera went flying, as he landed in the midst of a bunch of animal droppings.
“Oh, gross!” he said. His feet had unearthed a dank, sickly smell, that made him want to retch. He could hear Kim gagging, and saw in the dim light that she was holding a hand over her mouth and nose.
Suddenly, a huge amount of some type of insects were swarming around them.
Kim shrieked as one of the insects lighted into her hair. She turned and began to run out away from the house, leaving Brian stuck in the disgusting mess just inside the doorway.
“Hey, Sis! Wait for me!” Brain shouted after her.
He jumped up, frantically brushing the bugs and filth from his shirt and pants.
Brian ran after Kim, trying to swat all the insects
She was ready to bolt and run screaming all the way home. She wondered how she ever managed to let Brian talk her into this crazy escapade.
At ten years old, she knew enough about danger and obedience to know that if they were caught would be in deep water.
But Brian was so sure that this time they would get some video footage of a real ghost. It was too good a chance to pass up, and his enthusiasm convinced her.
It didn’t hurt that she thought the world of him.
He was so strong and brave and genuinely liked her.
He treated her well, and never yelled or tried to force her into anything.
In fact, he was the exact opposite of his horrible father – her stepdad. Now, there was a true monster; she thought, and immediately felt ashamed.
But, she knew it to be true…
“Kim, turn on the camera!” said Brian.
Kim held the viewfinder up to her face, the red light illuminating Brian's face and making it look bloodied.
It gave her a sense of foreboding.
Shaking like a leaf, she tried to keep the video picture steady, unsuccessfully.
“Geez, Sis, maybe I should hold the camera?” said Brian, with a kind of disappointed half-sneer. He wasn’t trying to be mean; he just had that jerky quality that she liked so much.
“You're shaking so much, the picture's probably all out of focus! Here, let me have it,” he said.
She gave him the camera, and moved close behind him, as they walked up to the front door of the place.
Now the wind was howling through the barren trees making a eerie noise that sounded like the moans of the dead.
“Brian, I'm scared! Kim said.
“Don't be a sissy!” he said, for his own benefit as much as for hers.
“I know we’ll get a good picture of a ghost and then we’ll both be famous! Just think of it, with all the money we’ll get, you can buy all the dolls you ever wanted, Kim!”
His infectious smile made her weak in the knees, but she didn’t have any idea as to why. She knew she really liked Brian. He was nice to her, even though sometimes he was a dummy.
And, he always made her smile, even after her step-dad was so mean to her.
Buoyed slightly by his dreams of avarice, Kim clutched at Brian as they moved right to the front of the door.
“Here, hold the camera,” he said.
He tried turning the doorknob, and it came off in his hand.
They looked at each other, not sure what to do, as the door slowly swung open, revealing a dank, musty interior.
The weak flashlight beams played over the furniture, draped with the folds of old, blankets and sheets, covered in mildew and stains, like ancient funereal shrouds.
As they explored, they could see something moving. The occasional bat flew through their beams of light.
“No way I'm going in there!” cried Kim.
“Oh, come on, Kim! We’re almost there!” said Brian. He felt just as scared as she, but he started to walk through the doorway.
“You baby!” he admonished her. “I’ll even hold the camera, just be careful!” he added.
He stepped across the threshold; the camera thrust out in front of him like a sword.
Brian’s foot plunged through the rotted floor, and he tipped over and fell flat.
With a crash, the camera went flying, as he landed in the midst of a bunch of animal droppings.
“Oh, gross!” he said. His feet had unearthed a dank, sickly smell, that made him want to retch. He could hear Kim gagging, and saw in the dim light that she was holding a hand over her mouth and nose.
Suddenly, a huge amount of some type of insects were swarming around them.
Kim shrieked as one of the insects lighted into her hair. She turned and began to run out away from the house, leaving Brian stuck in the disgusting mess just inside the doorway.
“Hey, Sis! Wait for me!” Brain shouted after her.
He jumped up, frantically brushing the bugs and filth from his shirt and pants.
Brian ran after Kim, trying to swat all the insects
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