Free The House Next Door by P. J. Night

suggested.
    They walked through a room lined with shelves that were filled with tattered books. Amanda picked one up and blew the dust from the cover. Alyssa sneezed, and Amanda quickly placed the book back on the shelf.
    The sisters trailed behind the four boys up the wooden stairs to the second floor. Amanda hung to the banister tightly, just in case the stairs were as rickety as the porch steps. She really didn’t want to crash through them. At the landing, they all followed John and Michael down a very narrow hallway.
    The first room they went into was a bedroom. Thesolid four-poster bed that sat in the middle of the room, accompanied by nightstands on each side of it, reminded Alyssa of the one in her parents’ bedroom—but this bed smelled like mildew.
    An old, open wardrobe displayed dresses that hung from rusty hangers. Most of them were made out of thick, heavy fabric. Their skirts hit the floor and their collars were stiff and high. Alyssa twitched when she saw how drastically the waistlines had been tucked in and wondered how anyone could actually wear something like that. Some of them were adorned with lace, but it had been yellowed through years of accumulating filth and grime. The dresses also smelled awful, like vinegar.
    They then went into a second bedroom. A once-colorful knitted blanket was folded over the side of a crib and a set of children’s books sat on a table next to a rocking chair.
    When Alyssa spotted the wardrobe filled with small clothing, a chill went down her spine. She very carefully picked up a petite jumper, which was something that may have belonged to a child of about two to three years old. She searched through more of the clothes todiscover some dresses, too, that may have fit a girl of about six or seven. Returning the clothes to their place, she gave the room one last glance and pictured a woman rocking a baby in the chair. She started to leave but then stopped so abruptly that Amanda, walking close behind, bumped into her.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Amanda asked.
    â€œI thought I saw that chair move,” Alyssa replied. “Like someone was rocking in it.”
    Amanda glanced at the chair, but it wasn’t moving. She pushed Alyssa down the hallway and walked to the next room. It was a tiny bathroom. A porcelain bathtub that sat on ornate claw-feet almost filled the entire room.
    Amanda grimaced, thinking about having to soak in a bathtub instead of taking a long, hot shower.
    They moved along to the very end of the hallway and turned a small, sharp corner.
    By the time Alyssa and Amanda arrived, the boys had already ascended the little staircase that led to the attic.
    Alyssa shuddered. This was the moment of truth. She was finally heading up to the attic where she hadseen the shadow many months ago.
    â€œI can’t go up there,” she told Amanda.
    â€œI know it’s creepy,” Amanda replied. “But it’s creepier staying down here by yourself.”
    Alyssa exhaled, gathering her courage, and nodded. She let Amanda slip by her to lead the way, and they both climbed the steps to the attic. When Alyssa arrived, she saw the boys crammed in the tiny room. The ceiling was so low that Paul had to bend down so he wouldn’t bump his head.
    â€œIt’s insane,” Paul said. “Right?”
    Alyssa was speechless. She glanced at Amanda, also not able to find the words to explain how she felt. Everything about the attic was how Paul had described it earlier.
    It was exactly what his aunt saw in the pictures many, many years ago—down to the bed, the desk, and the harmonica on the table.
    â€œPaul,” Alyssa said, “you tricked us.”
    â€œI’ve never been here,” Paul pleaded, but Alyssa just glared at him.
    It was at that moment that a slamming sound cameup from the basement. Alyssa reached for Amanda and clung to her tightly. No one moved—frozen by fear—as they listened to the thunderous