HOUSE OF USHER

It was a cold and rainy Friday night. My friends and I had been invited to a sleepover at Edgar's house. He was new to the area and was looking to make friends. with the kids at school. I really didn't want to go as Edgar was a very peculiar child but my Mom made me go. Reluctantly I packed my overnight bag and made my way to Edgar's. Luckily I had a couple of buddies coming with me so I wouldn't be alone with him.

HOUSE OF USHER

Edgar had just moved here from Virginia with his family. They bought a house in the older section of Baltimore where I lived. He was an incredibly smart  boy and used a lot of big words. Our teacher thought his writing was brilliant if not a little sad.  He tended to keep to himself as most of the kids resented his intellectual gifts. "Well boys, we're here. Let's try to make the best of it." But when I turned around my friends were gone. "Boys?"

I knocked on the door and was greeted by Edgar. "I thought I heard you rapping at my chamber door. Where are the others? Perhaps they are looking for my lost Lenore?" Who was Lenore? He talked about her all the time at school. "Ha! Ha! Maybe they are" I nervously laughed. His house looked as though it was built in the 1800s. It was more creepy than it was cozy.

"l'll give you a brief tour of the house.” Edgar lit a candle as he guided me through the darkened corridors of his home. Didn’t they have electricity? And what was that crawling on my leg? “This is the den where I do all my homework." "Is that Lenore's cage?" "No, that belongs to some pesky bird that keeps me from doing my homework. Tis merely an impish fowl and nothing more."

As I followed Edgar down the hall, I noticed that there were no signs of anyone else living in the house. "Where are your parents?" "Have you ever played The Pit and The Pendulum?" "No, what is that?" "It's a new game for PlayStation and I’m addicted to it." "Sounds cool." I'm not sure if his family didn't have time to unpack or redecorate but his house felt both abandoned and haunted. Being here gave me the chills.

"Wait here, I want to show you something cool." I really didn't want to be left alone in this creepy corridor. The floorboards squeaked with every step and I felt like I was constantly being watched by a thousand peering eyes. "Close your eyes.. Okay now open them. Surprise!" I nearly jumped out of my shoes when Edgar returned wearing a frightening red masque. "Allan? Now where did he go?"

After being spooked by Edgar's mask, I ran into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face. "Oh hey, how's it going?" I asked an angry looking orangutan. Orangutan? "I see you've met my Uncle Orang-Outan. He's in the middle of his nightly routine. He showers, brushes his teeth, and then he has to shave. If you need to wash up before bed there are other bathrooms in the house." "Nice meeting you Uncle Orang-Outan." "Uncle?" I thought to myself.