About the Author
My name is Anit, I am currently in 8th grade. My hobbies are playing soccer, math and other extracurriculars that I do with my friends.
The Horrifying Betrayal
by Anit A.
The world is scary sometimes, but I experienced the definition of horrifying and betrayal. I stepped upon the end of a stairwell as I peaked down the corner of an intersection. My friend, Harry, was clutching my shirt for protection. My younger brother Johnny, was on all fours beside my right knee. I met Harry as a quiet boy playing with building blocks as the others jumped around the playground. Ever since the day I walked up to him on the third day of school we bonded. Oh and by the way, I am a twelve year old named Mike. My reaction to being in a creepy haunted mansion on Halloween on a hill where nobody lived, ummm I was uneasy. The light flickered down the hall, behind a painting of the owner who I saw die at the dinner table a couple hours prior. I stared at the painting, and suddenly the light flicked out. Johnny wrapped his tiny arms around my leg and Harry cuddled against me. I looked around trying to find a light source, suddenly I noticed a blinking gleam of light that shined against the wall across from us. I squinted at it trying to make out the source, I observed it and then out of nowhere a shadow of a man with a hood cleared up. Johnny whimpered and whispered “Wha wha wha—what is that?” I glared at it in shock and yelled “Run!” I grabbed Harry’s hand and skipped down the stairs facing myself towards the kitchen, shut the door, opened up the pantry, shoved Harry inside as I dove for my life. I made a mistake… I left Johnny behind by himself…
I heard a creak down the stairs and I told Harry to shush as I opened the door slightly to reveal the dusty old kitchen with a small island in the middle. I opened the door a bit further to find a green toy jack in the box laying sideways on the floor. On top it had a sticky note, I looked around to see if the coast was clear and I noticed a toy flashlight laying right below me. I stepped out and picked up the box with my thumb and my pinky finger. I snatched the flashlight and stumbled back inside the pantry. The box fumbled in my hands, but I placed it on the floor and turned on the light. The light was dim and only shined a couple inches away. I squinted at the note, and it stated this: Johnny is alive. I can assure you about that. The moment the daylight shines, it is over. Your only hint: The creeping willow creeks back and forth, but in this case the wolf stares at it waiting for food… A shiver stuck at my neck shuttered down my back. I stared at the other side of the pantry in front of me, then suddenly I heard the piano playing Beethovan’s Fur Elise, but it ended on a sharp note followed by three extremely creepy g’s that flowed from the piano into my ear. Yes, someone else was here and I would have to face him eventually. The surrounding was quiet, the darkness swelled up and was ready to choke me and Harry to death. I looked at the frightened Harry himself and whispered “Come on Harry, let’s go. I opened up the pantry and tip-toed forward.
Harry and I really bonded together not because of our similarities, but because of our differences. We are totally different people, that took effect on that night. Harry and I walked around the stairs and into the study where a huge desk stood and blocked the doorway. We both ducked under it and we were face to face with a view of the basement. There was a staircase that led downstairs, based on what I saw there were puddles and a lot of cobwebs. If you don’t know me, I hate cobwebs, webs, things that look like webs, anything web related. I faced towards what looked like the ballroom, inside was a grand piano. Probably the same piano that played Mozart’s piece which we heard from the kitchen, I glanced back and Harry was nowhere to be found. I whispered Harry’s name but no response. I looked around and found a guitar laying right beside the foot of the grand piano. My hands reached for it, but something stopped me. My eyes widened in shock as I heard a huge shriek coming from the east direction. I stepped into the direction towards the shriek. My hand shuttered as my foot rolled against the smooth marble tiles. The lights shuttered back and forth as I walked past them. The moment I faced myself towards the hallway there was a short man with his back facing towards me. My eyes cautiously squinted as I tiptoed towards the shadow, I tried to identify them based on their figure. The man glanced back and he took out his phone, turned on his flashlight and showed it to his face. The sweat rolled down my forehead and hit my palm. “He he he, gotcha!” the man yelled, it was Harry. “Oh my god, Harry! You’re so annoying bro!” I replied.
Harry and I slowly trotted up the stairs and eventually stepped foot in what looked like the library. I noticed a painting on the wall which had a name tag on the bottom of it. It stated George Nervinton the 3rd. I looked around, observed the books and eventually I caught a glimpse of a canvas of a wolf. The eyes of the fierce canine were large and menacing, horrifying any animal, including me who came in its way. Looking at this wolf canvas reminded me of the note I received from I don’t know who. I stared into the pupils of the wolf whose stare explained its attitude and emotions it felt. “Mike,” Harry whispered, “look over here,” I looked in Harry’s direction and I saw him standing next to a trap door. I leaned myself carefully over the trap door. Leading downwards was a ladder up against the wall. The ground was nowhere to be seen and there was a cool mist coming from it. The mist smelled like old, moldy food and the darkness had a flickering light at the top left corner of my perspective. I looked at Harry and asked him to come see the canvas before we took our trip down, but when I looked back he was gone.
After reaching the bottom, I stared down the straight hall and Harry was nowhere to be seen. The bottom was completely lit by torches, so I grabbed one of them. I sighed as I trudged down the narrow hallway passage. After a long time, I eventually ended up in a concrete room where a light bulb was lit up, “Harry,” I yelled “Harry, where are you!” I turned around until my fire went out and the light bulb burned brighter. “Right here, “ I heard behind me. I switched my stance to face him and there was Harry, but in a robe with his head faced down. He had a rope clenched in his fist and pulled it slowly. “Harry,” I asked, “What are you doing?” Harry chuckled and out of the dim light came Johnny tied to a chair with his mouth taped shut. I sprinted towards Johnny, but was blocked by Harry, “What are you doing Harry?” I yelled. Harry chuckled once again, “Simple Mike, oh and by the way I'm not Harry, but actually Sam Nervinton, grandson of George Nervinton the 3rd. Sound familiar?” I grinded my teeth together and narrowed my eyebrows as I clenched my fist. I managed to utter out “It was you, it was you who took Johnny.” “That’s pretty obvious now isn't it?” The angered expression on my face then melted into an uncontrollable sadness, “Why Harry, why?” “Simple,” Harry replied, “My family has been the haunted family for years. I lived here until age four, I found myself next to you a couple years later. I realized that you were the first target of my life.” I eyed Johnny and secretly showed him my pocket knife I had tucked in my pocket before I entered the room. “How did you capture Johnny?” I asked Harry. Harry shrugged, “Why was I gone?” I looked at Johnny then back to Harry to find his fist swinging at my neck. I ducked and uppercutted him in the jaw. I eyed him slowly and he sprinted towards me with a series of punches aimed towards my chest. I blocked all of them, except the last one which hit me in my solar plexus. I slipped and hit my head against the concrete wall, my eyesight instantly became blurry…
I woke up in the hospital and found my parents in the waiting room crying into tissues. Beside them was a trash can which was filled with the same tissues. A tear rolled down my cheek and plummeted to my neck. I was holding a TV remote and the television was set to Cartoon Network. I was fine and I was home… I realized I could tell my story again, so I decided on it. I took my notebook and remembered a young boy named Harry who would eventually betray his friend. I looked to my left and found Johnny in a hospital bed next to me sleeping. He saved me… Johnny saved me… But there were still a lot of questions left I needed to answer.