More-A short horror story that may just warm your heart

It all happened six years ago. I can still picture it all now. It's a wonder how I can stand to be alive. My mother held me fearfully as we watched the firefighters extinguished our next-door neighbors' house. The flames sparkled in my eyes, my sad little eyes, as I gazed at the loss of life. The fire had charred the second floor of the once white and charming house, but the bottom floor remained nice and intact. I remember wondering if the top of the house could merely be demolished, leaving only the postcard-pretty section, as if everything were all right. I remember tears filling my eyes as I remembered how pretty the house had been, and how I had admired it. How could it be gone? But at least it was not all gone.

A year later, my best friends came to sleep over at my house. We were all excited,
but mostly over the visit we had planned next door. Well, we were looking forward to the sleepover and scary movie watching and games, but the house sure was a highlight. After debating over whether I looked better in the green or brown jacket, I finally gave in to green and led the way outside. The three of us trudged on over to the Simmons' old house, or what was left of it. After the fire, it had merely been abandoned. My friends begged for me to slow down, but I couldn't wait for this moment. My light brown hair bobbed furiously, and I was determined to reach the door. I felt a rush of excitement as I energetically hopped onto the noisy boards of the surprisingly tidy porch. Being slower than you'd expect a couple of eight-year-olds to be, Bailey and Ruby finally caught up.


"Claudia, you must be really excited about this." Bailey gasped, as if she were about to faint. She has the endurance of a table napkin, I must say.

"Well of course I am!" I gushed. "I've always loved this old house." I patted the wall stupidly. Nostalgia was getting the best of me.

"O…kay?" Ruby then began to jiggle the door knob vigorously.

At least Bailey was smart enough to open a door. "There, see?"

"Oh…"

I rolled my eyes and we walked on in. The place was filled with dust and utter nothingness, which somehow disappointed me. But what did I expect? Did I hope to see the Simmons' previously unknown collection of fine furniture imported from various countries with names I couldn't count? Perhaps not, but I expected to be greeted by something more exciting and ominous.

"Hey, let's go up the stairs." Bailey proposed.

"Nuh-uh! It's probably all black and gross and creepy up there!" Ruby was never one to get her hands dirty or to scare herself silly. Somehow her immediate willingness to watch three hours of horror movies contradicted this.

"Suit yourself." I shot, and Bailey and I bounced upstairs.

I reached the top first and looked around. Ruby had been exactly right. Everything was charred, and some of the woodwork was broken up. I checked my feet to make sure the floor wouldn't give anytime soon. This in mind, I became a bit conscious of my step, like I was going to die any second.

"I think that's a bedroom." Bailey pointed off to a small room separated by half of a crumbling wall. Without waiting for approval, she ran over to investigate.

I walked around the big space that was the rest of the second floor. I began inspecting the left side of the space, running my fingers over the interesting wood patterns. While conducting my inspection, I came across a sticker. A little kid's sticker decorated with a smiling green frog on a lily pad. Wondering how it survived the fire unscathed, I began to feel a light breeze on my neck. I turned around, but lost all air that could have enabled me to scream.

A girl about my age stood right behind me, watching me. She wore a dirt-specked white dress, not as pure of a color as it once may have been. Her black hair fell onto her shoulders with a bit of a bounce in it, and her skin was pale and bony. She looked like she hadn't seen sun in years. And me? I was absolutely terrified!

"Who..?" I stuttered.


"More." Her sweet voice rang in my ears. I knew she meant no harm. "More." She said once more, outstretching her frail hand and pointing her small finger at the sticker.

She seemed to be only a small child wishing for something happy in life. But the truth had already hit me. She was searching for something happy in death. I nodded my head in understanding, and right before my eyes, she began to dissipate into thin air. I knew what I was going to do.

Twenty minutes later, Bailey, Ruby, and I were making our way back towards the Simmons house. I had refused to tell them why we had gone back to mine to collect a sheet of stickers, then back to the abandoned one, as there was no way they could believe me. The girls waited on the porch as I ran inside. I scrambled up the stairs and ran without stopping to the bedroom Bailey had inspected. It still had a little girl's bed in it, and some burnt decorations. I carefully laid the sticker sheet on the bed, and slowly walked out. As I walked back out of the house, I didn't catch sight of the young girl again. I stepped outside the house and closed the door for the last time. I joined my friends and we all looked up at the one remaining window on the second floor.

The girl's face appeared in the window, then moved away. I knew she was happy now. As Bailey and Ruby exclaimed over her surprise appearance, I smiled to myself. When I least expected it, I heard a voice in my head. Sara. Such a sweet name. I suddenly remembered the name of the Simmons' daughter. Sara Simmons. She had died in the fire.

While other roaming spirits seek more urgent things and drastic closure, all this girl wanted was to be happy again. To be the little girl she once was. It was right then and there that I decided to continue helping the lost cross over. I would bring peace to the people who were forgotten or unloved. This small girl would bring long-awaited and deserved light to the darkest areas of the world. This little eight-year-old girl had found a way to bring eternal peace unto the world.