Chapter-2

It was big house in the corner far away from the city, black painted and the windows were huge.

"Are we going to stay here?" I said, studying it from the street.

"Don't you like it?" Mom replied, she seemed excited about the new house but for me I still missed our old house.

Brad jumped out of the car and ran towards the door and quickly opened it and headed inside.

"Let's go in too" Mom said and she joined Brad, I just stood there as the door slowly shut before me, it made a loud creaking sound as if screaming for help. Our front yard was ok, it was not that big and was filled with dead flowers and plants, "That's going to my chores list" I said, did the people staying here previously ever cleaned this place? Or how long has it been since somebody moved in here? " How old even is this house anyway" I kicked away some few dead leaves from the porch as I made my way inside the house, the door creaked as I entered the house and as soon as I touched the floor with my feet it creaked as well, " How old is this house!" I said, "it's creaking everywhere I touch!" The floor felt old and even the walls felt very rough and ragged, I gazed around the house for awhile and there were still boxes left to be unpacked. I could hear heavy footsteps all around the house, Brad and mom were moving around from one room to another, "Brooke!" mom called out, "have you found your room?"

"I just entered the house!" I replied

"Well don't just stand there, go take a look at your room…. OH come here Brad sweetie let's go check your new play room," she said as she rushed to the corner of the room followed by Brad jumping around and making all sort of noises.

I cringed a little seeing mom so excited, I've never seen her this excited, Iam more used to her being all serious and no smile.

I was climbing the stairs when all of a sudden Brad came running, nearly crashing into me.

"Hey! Be careful Brad you little brat!" I yelled and slapped on top of his head, he stood there rubbing his head and quickly darted off.

The walls were already decorated with paintings and frames-old paintings and frames that were already discoloured and some were in ruins, I slowly took one off from the wall and examined it it was a painting of a little girl holding a basket filled with- something that probably looked like wool from a sheep, it should have been beautiful if it had not been discoloured.

"Brooke!"

I quickly turned around and mom was standing right next to me, " go check out your room, Iam ordering lunch, what do you want" she said,

I quickly put back the painting back on the wall and clapped the dust off my hands," Iam down for anything." I replied,

"ok, just make sure Brad doesn't do anything dangerous, watch him" she said and she started punching numbers on her cell phone. I checked my room, it was ample but had only one window and a ventilation, there were new curtains hanging above them, my bed and things were already laid out, mom had hired some maids to clean and arrange the room, I sat on my bed it was soft and spongy, "I like this room" my old room was nice but it was small unlike this room which is big, "I wonder how the living room and the kitchen looks like" I thought to myself and quickly got up on my feet in excitement "Time to explore!" I said," Well at least it's a big house."

First I went to my mother's room as it was just next to mine, apparently Brad's too because mine is in the middle but got to check mom's room first, it was large and beautiful her room was slightly bigger than mine but, hey! That's what every parents do, they always take the best room, I looked around her room and saw a photo frame of us with our dad in her table next to her bed, "why does she even keep this?" I said, I really hated that picture and I really looked ugly there, I know she's keeping that picture because dad is there but there are lots of other better pictures with dad in it why choose this one?, I placed the frame face-down before leaving her room.

Brad's room was smaller than mine but had been filled with his tanks and toys and there was also the large stuffed bear Aunt Mary gave him on his birthday last year, a long mirror was next to the bear, it was so long that I could see my whole body, " why is this mirror in Brad's room? It should have been in mine," I was checking out myself in the mirror when Brad barge in suddenly giving me a heart-attack, "What are you doing in my room?" he said, pointing a wooden sword at me.

"Brad! You little brat, don't you know how to knock? You almost gave me a heart-attack."

"Why would I knock in my own room"

"I don't know, use your fingers," I replied," anyway tell mom Iam taking this mirror."

" you can't, it's already glued to the wall." He said and he ran towards the mirror and pointed at the corners, it really was all glued up.

"Well you better always keep your room open because Iam coming here everyday," I said as I left his room.

"Iam going to put traps here, so you won't come." Brad replied.

"Nice try and come down to the kitchen, the food must be here already."

" I won't be here for dinner tonight," mom said as she picked up the takeout containers from the table and threw them in the dustbin, "eat whatever you like for dinner."

It's just going to be pizza than, I can barely cook.

Brad started licking his finger, licking away all the sauce in his hand, "eww!!" I said, "Stop it! That's disgusting," but Brad being a brat licked even further. Our kitchen was spacious and felt fresh I could feel the breeze coming from the window and the wind chimes clinking. I got on my feet and made my way to the sink to wash my hands, the tap was A bit rusted so it was difficult to twist the head of the tap but nevertheless it did and cold water splashed my hands, "Brad come here" I said

"You need to wash your hands," Brad quickly got down from the chair but when he did he knocked the jug from the table- or so I thought, it fell to the ground but luckily it did not break.

"Brad!" I yelled, "can you at least go on a day without making trouble."

"But I didn't drop it, it just fell on its own." He replied.

"Very funny." I remarked, " so who did it then? A ghost? Don't make me laugh, now come here so I can wash your hands."

Brad slowly walked towards me I grabbed his hand into the sink and let the water clean his hands, "Now, listen here Brad, mom's not going to be here for dinner and tomorrow your going to school, so I don't want you causing any trouble and hurting yourself ok." I said rubbing his hands with soap, he slowly nodded at me and rubbed his hand on a paper towel and walked away from the sink.

It was already two in the afternoon and I was helping mom unpack all the boxes in the living room, I started replacing all the books from the shelf with our new ones, the books there were all really old and most of them had already been eaten by some creature and like always the floor creaked every time I moved, " Mom why did you buy this place?" I asked.

"You don't like it here?" She replied

"It's not that I don't like, but isn't it a bit too old for us to live and like the floor always creaks whenever we move."

Mom slowly sighed, "I'm sorry honey, this was all I could afford, the other houses near my work were just too expensive and if you don't like it there's nothing I can do."

"Well better do something about the floor creaking too much."

"Brooke can you finish this by yourself?" mom said and she quickly stood up, " Iam late for work."

"Well, sure." I replied," there's not much to unpack now, when are you coming back."

"Oh! Probably late at night." She replied as she tied her hair in a pony tail and hurried upstairs to her room, I wanted to finish unpacking as quickly as possible so I did lighting fast when something dropped from one of the boxes, it was a leaflet about Halloween that we got last month before moving away and some silly words were written on it, it peaked my interest so I slipped it into my pocket to read it later, as I was finishing unpacking Brad came running towards me I quickly raised my voice and yelled "Hey! Be careful there are boxes everywhere." He stopped before me catching his breath, " Brad why are you so naughty." I said, he quickly looked at me and said, "there's someone in my room!"

"Oh really who is it? Michael Jackson! First you knocked a jug and saying a ghost did it now your telling me you saw someone."

Brad really had the horrid expression in his eyes which I've never seen, " No! There's an old man in my room."

" Grandpa's already dead," I replied.

"He's not grandpa…" Brad said and he started to cry.

"Ok stop!" I grabbed his hand and made my way to his room, Brad was trying to pinch me to let him go but I held him tighter, I opened the door to his room and there was no one.

"Look!" I said pointing at his room, " there is no one here."

Brad slowly rubbed his eyes, " but he was there," he said , " I swear I saw him in the mirror." Hearing this I burst out laughing, " Brad you silly boy, that's your reflection."

"I know my own reflection!," he said, his voice quavered in rage. " and I don't look like an old man."

I gave out a loud sigh, " well, I don't know what's going on, but I think your going mad, come here." I said, he quickly ran towards me and hugged me, I held his hand and went to my room and made him sleep cause I was tired of him running around and I too took a short nap.

"Hi! Is this pizzeria, I would like to order a large size of..."

"Mushroom pizza!!" Brad yelled through the phone call I was making, I slapped the top of his head, " You brat! Can't you see Iam talking," I said angrily, " what kind of pizza do you want?"

"Mushroom pizza with chocolate cake!!" he replied jumping up and down the dining table.

"Ok! I would like to order a large size of meat lover's pizza and nothing else."

"Hey!!! What about my cake?"

I quickly hung up the phone and walked towards the table, " we're having meat pizza for dinner and if you don't want, good for me I'll have more to eat."

Brad stomped his foot hard on the ground and loudly and angrily he said, " I hate you!!!!"

I asked for the meat pizza because I know that Brad isn't going to eat the mushroom pizza, he just says that he likes mushroom because it's good for health, while actually he prefers meat.

"Iam not eating anything forever." Brad said and he walked to the chair and sat there facing the wall.

"Good for you!" I replied, he says that all the time when he doesn't get the food he wants to eat or so he says and when he gets the food he doesn't like he will only play with it and make a lot of mess, mom's not home most of the time and I don't know how to cook so we order take outs most of the time, but to be honest take out taste better than my mom's cooking, so I am not complaining about ordering food everyday. The door bell rang and I quickly went to get it- the door as usual creaked when I opened it, it was the pizza guy, 'so fast' I thought, I paid the delivery guy his money and grabbed my door to close but he just stood there smiling at me,

"What!?can I help you?" I said, " if you want tips, don't try me I don't give away tips."

"How long have you been here at this house," he replied.

"Why do you care?" I said sounding curious.

"Oh! Nothing." He said and put the money in his pocket, " have a great night ahead, you know many people don't get that."

I stood there so confused, " what do you mean?" I asked but he just smiled at me gave me an awkward salute and turned away walking towards his bike.

"Weirdo!"

I slammed the door shut, 'that one was not nice' I thought but who cares at least the pizza's here.

"Hey! Bratty the pizza's here."