A Horrifying Truth
Annoyed, Andrew threw his pillow off the bed. The irritating sound had been keeping him awake for hours and he had had enough of it.
He needed to find out what was causing the noise. He let out an exasperated sigh as he threw the covers off and got up. As he got closer to the window he detected the now-familiar smell and covered his nose. The boy’s heart nearly stopped when he saw what was outside his window.
They Didn’t Take Him Seriously
Halloween had always been Andrew’s favorite holiday. It was only a few days away and he was looking forward to the usual celebration, but this year, it would be different.
This year’s Halloween was to be very different from anything he had experienced before. He tried to talk to his parents about it but they didn’t listen until there was a very strange occurrence.
Something Weird
There was nothing unusual about that Friday morning. Andrew had forgotten about what happened the previous night and was looking forward to the weekend ahead.
His Halloween costume was taking shape, thanks to his mother, and he was excited about trying it on. Unfortunately, something strange and unexpected was about to happen that would change everything.
After School
Andrew jumped out of the bus the moment the doors opened. He set off for home at a hurried pace, planning to grab a snack, try on his Halloween costume and then off to the park to meet his friends.
His face broke into a huge smile when his house came into view. Not because of the sight of his house, but because of the decorations in the neighbors garden.
Realistic Decorations
The neighbor’s decorations were very realistic and resembled some well-known Hollywood horror movies. The front yard was decorated to closely resemble a cemetery and there were horror movie characters dolls on the porch.
Andrew was impressed by the neighbor’s detailed decorations. He hoped that Mr. Johnson, the neighbor, would allow him to play with them.
A Closer Look
Andrew started quickening his pace to get a good look at the decorations. He wasn’t really allowed to watch horror movies or be exposed to anything scary and he was excited for the opportunity to take a closer look at the horrific scene.
He looked around him, checking that there was nobody around, and then walked in Mr. Johnson’s front yard. He was about to see something completely unexpected.
He Couldn’t Forget It
Filled with excited anticipation he walked towards a grave. When he reached it, he was overcome by a foul smell that made him gag. He had never smelt anything like it before. Was it coming from the grave?
He stepped back and was suddenly reminded of the night before. There was that sound again … the one that kept him up last night and eventually featured in his nightmares.
A Happy Boy
Andrew Griffin lived with his parents in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was an only child and his parents doted on him.
He was a happy boy, popular with teachers and peers alike. His parents worked hard to give him everything he needed and it was very important to them to give him a good childhood.
Keeping Safe
Andrew’s father, Ashton Griffin,was a police officer. He taught his son from a very young age how to keep himself safe. Officer Griffin would do anything to keep his son safe.
Andrew looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. His father was his hero and he wanted to be just like him.
Simple Life
The Griffin family lived in a lovely suburb of the beautiful town of Albuquerque. While Ashton went into town for his job as a police officer, his wife stayed at home during the day.
Andrew’s life was simple and happy. His parents kept him safe and protected from the darker side of life and he never faced any danger. But they would not be able to protect him from what was in the neighbor’s yard.
Something Strange
It all started one Thursday evening. Halloween was right around the corner, and it was Andrew’s favorite time of year. He loved nothing more than dressing up in scary costumes and getting candy for it.
But on this night, something truly strange happened. Andrew was fast asleep in his bed when he received the first sign that something was wrong.
A Nightmare
Andrew had been tossing and turning in his sleep. He was having a nightmare that robbers had climbed up a ladder and were trying to break through his bedroom window. He cried out in his nightmare, but no help was coming.
The sound of the robbers knocking on his window seemed so real in his dream, but just a few moments later, he awoke to realize that the sounds weren’t coming from his nightmares.
Questions
Andrew could hear the loud knocking sound from right outside of his window, and he was terrified. His forehead was covered in sweat and his hands were shaking as he raised his blanket over his face.
He didn’t feel brave enough to get up and investigate the weird sound. Were there robbers outside of his window, or was it something else? It took some time, but eventually, the young boy was able to fall back asleep, not knowing what would happen the very next day.
The Next Day
The following day started like any other. Andrew had all but forgotten about the strange occurrences from the night before. It was Friday, and he couldn’t wait to get home from school.
His mother had been working on his costume for a few days at this point, and he couldn’t wait to try it on as soon as he got home. But he had no idea what he was about to come across.
He Had Plans
As the school bus stopped in Andrew’s neighborhood, he quickly hopped out. It was a short walk from the bus stop to his house. He’d already decided that once he got home, he would grab something to eat, try on his costume, and then head out to the park to play with his friends.
Before he knew it, his house came into view, but that wasn’t what he was staring at. His expression shifted into a large grin when he saw the decorations in their neighbor’s yard.
The Horror!
The decorations were straight out of a horror movie. Michael Myers and Laurie Strode stood on the front porch while the front yard had been turned into a pretty realistic-looking graveyard. It looked super scary!
Andrew was beside himself with excitement. He couldn’t believe how realistic it all seemed. He wondered if the neighbor, Mr. Johnson, would let him play with it.
A Better Look
Andrew picked up his pace, desperate to get a good look at the horrific scene. His parents rarely let him interact with the world of horror, and naturally, he was curious.
He ran until he was on the sidewalk in front of Mr. Johnson’s house. He glanced around, making sure that no one was watching before he walked into the front yard, but he had no idea what he was about to come across.
Excitement
He walked toward the first grave, his eyes wide with excitement, but as he bent down to get a better look, he smelt something. He gagged the second the scent hit his nose. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled before and it was coming from the grave.
Confused, the young boy stumbled back. What on earth was that smell? But as he backed away from the scene, he heard a familiar sound. One that haunted his nightmares the night before.
The Same Sound
Andrew was terrified as he stared at the scene before him. It was the same sound he’d heard the night before, and now, he was terrified. Where was it coming from?
He looked down at the tiny grave. It looked a little too convincing for Andrew’s liking, but as he took a step forward, he was hit by the smell once again. It was the worst thing he had ever smelled, and it was worrying him, so he decided to do the first thing that came to mind. He was going to call the police.
Panic
When his father answered the phone, Ashton was overjoyed to hear his son’s voice. He thought the boy wanted to catch up, but when he heard the panic in his son’s voice, he froze.
“Dad, you have to come home. Something’s going on in Mr. Johnson’s yard and it seems bad,” He tried to explain the situation to his father, adding that he’d heard the sound the night before, but his father didn’t seem worried.
Go Home
“It’s probably compost or the decorations, don’t worry about the smell. As for the noise, it’s probably just an animal,” Ashton told his son. He was brushing the entire situation off, despite his son’s concerns.
“No, it’s not compost and I don’t think it’s an animal, Dad,” He rolled his eyes, “I think there’s something in the grave.”
Go Home
But the boy’s father shook it off. “It’s probably just a part of the decoration, okay, son?” His father chuckled and ordered him to go home. He didn’t want to, but he decided to do as his father said.
That afternoon, the sound and smell would come and go. Andrew watched from his bedroom window, but he couldn’t see anything suspicious in his neighbor’s yard. If only he’d known what was going on.
He Was Scared
Nighttime came sooner than Andrew wanted it to. He was beyond freaked out. The sound had progressed from just a knocking sound. Now, he could hear things being moved around in the neighbor’s yard, but he couldn’t see anything.
Perhaps it was a ghost, he thought to himself. He hadn’t seen Mr. Johnson all day. Was he okay? Andrew was worried.
Bedtime
Before he knew it, it was time to go to bed, but he knew that it would be a tough night. Andrew got dressed in his pajamas and crawled into bed, his eyes not leaving the window.
He tried to stop himself from thinking about the realistic decorations in his neighbor’s yard, but suddenly, he was terrified. He curled up in his bed and shut his eyes tightly.
Silence
At first, his bedroom was completely silent. He couldn’t even hear the wind rattling the trees outside. But that didn’t last long. Just half an hour later, the sound started again.
He grabbed his pillow and placed it over his head, hoping that it would drown the sound out. But eventually, hours passed, and it wasn’t stopping. He was terrified. What was going on outside?
An Obnoxious Sound
Enough was enough. Andrew huffed as he tossed the pillow to the floor. The obnoxious sound had been echoing through his room for hours at this point. How was he supposed to sleep?
The boy got out of bed with a long sigh, desperate to get to the bottom of this. But as he approached his window, the familiar scent reached his nose. Andrew covered his nose with the sleeve of his pajamas and looked outside, but his heart dropped when he saw what was staring back at him.
Staring At Him
In the dark of night, his eyes had landed right on the small grave, but he was terrified to find that a tiny white face was staring right back at him. Its eyes were wide as it watched him from afar.
Andrew couldn’t hold it in. He screamed as he ran away from his bedroom window and jumped under his covers. At first, he wondered if it was a decoration, but it wasn’t. Whatever it was, was alive.
Helping Him
His parents heard the commotion and came rushing into his bedroom. He was sobbing as he hid under his covers. “What is it? What’s the matter?” His dad asked, panicked by the scream that had woken him up.
“There’s something in Mr. Johnson’s yard and it was staring at me!” The boy sobbed. His mother quickly went to check the window, jumping slightly when she saw the white face too. “Honey, come look at this,” She told her husband.
Laughing
Ashton approached and looked through the window, but Andrew was surprised to hear his father laugh from the window. “Oh, Mr. Johnson will be glad to hear that we’ve found Evie,” He said.
Andrew was confused as he stared up at his father. “Evie is Mr. Johnson’s pet Lesser Anteater, she went missing two nights ago, he’s been searching everywhere for her. I’m going to go tell him,” Ashton said and left the room.
An Explanation
But Andrew wasn’t put at ease. It was still a difficult night for him. It didn’t explain the smell or the sounds, but the following morning, he finally got some answers. Mr. Johnson had decided to pay him a visit. The old man thanked the young boy for finding his beloved pet, but as they spoke, Mr. Johnson gave the boy some interesting information, “We had to give her a bath last night. If you don’t bathe them regularly, they smell absolutely terrible. My yard stank of her last night. I saw that she had been moving the decorations around in our yard, she was living off of an ant nest in the yard too.”
Suddenly, it all made sense. The smell was all thanks to Evie, and the sounds were from her moving around the yard and catching ants. Andrew felt silly for being so afraid. To reward him for saving the day, Mr. Johnson let the boy play in his yard with his awesome decorations. In the end, everything was alright.