World So Cold

13. Hell House

Guy one, at the outside table, said, "It was the scariest thing I ever saw in my life, I swear to God."

Guy two, through the serving hatch, told them, "From the moment we walked in, the walls were painted black."

"Red."

"I think it was blood," the girl at the inside table guessed.

"All these freaky symbols."

"Crosses and stars and..." guy one trailed.

"Pentagons."

"Pentecostals."

"Whatever, I had my eyes closed the whole time," the girl said.

"But I can damn sure tell you this much. No matter what anyone says..."

"That poor girl."

"With the black..." guy two began.

"Blonde..." guy one said.

"Red hair, just sitting there," the girl replied.

"Kicking!"

"Without even moving!" guy two cried.

"She was real," the girl told them.

"One hundred percent," guy one confirmed.

"And kind hot," guy two admitted. "Well, you know, in a dead sort of way."

Dean looked between Sam and Laurey with eyes raised. "Okay!"

"And... how'd you find out about this place anyway?" Sam asked.

All three teens, who were sitting together, said, "Craig took us."

---

The three entered a music shop. Laurey was holding Jonathan who had finally fallen asleep again.

Craig, behind the counter, asked, "Fellas. Miss. Can I help you with anything?"

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" Sam questioned.

"I am."

"Well, we're reporters with the Dallas Morning News. I'm Dean, this is Sam, and that's Laurey," Dean said. "Pardon the baby."

"No way. Well, I'm a writer too. I write for my school's lit magazine."

"Well, good for you, Morrisey."

"Umm. We're doing an article on local hauntings and rumor has it you might know of one," Sam explained.

"You mean the Hell House?" Craig asked.

"That's the one," Laurey confirmed.

"I didn't think there was anything to the story."

"Why don't you tell us the story," Sam said.

Craig began the story. "Well, supposedly back in the 30s, this farmer, Mordechai Murdoch, used to live in this house with his six daughters. It was during the depression, his crops were failing, he didn't have enough money to feed his own children. So I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?"

"Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick, rather than starve to death. So he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop, but he just stung 'em up, one after the other. And when he was all finished, he just turned around and hung himself. Now they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringing up any other girl that goes inside."

"Where'd you hear all this?" Dean questioned.

"My cousin Dana told me. I don't know where she heard it from. Ya gotta realize, I didn't believe this for a second."