 My family has been haunted by a spirit for nearly 13 years by Kyle Harrison Like clockwork I've come to expect its shrill tones groaning in the night It starts soft the way an infant might wail if abandoned on the street Then it rises and rings out through the trees Overcoming them and snaking its way to our home Eventually it settles into a repetitive high-pitched scream the kind that a woman might make if she were stabbed to death When we first moved here and heard it Malcolm assumed it had to be some prankster kids trying to initiate us with some local hazing custom This property is remote though and spotting intruders would be easy Plus the disembodied screams were enough to make anyone feel on edge It couldn't be the work of truing kids When it didn't happen again after that first time we assumed it was just a fluke But that second Halloween we realized we definitely had a haunting on our hands What do you suppose it wants? I remember asking nervously Dad and Malcolm wisely boarded up the windows and bolted the doors We were sure such simple physical precautions could protect us from the supernatural and Somehow it did We stayed awake all night listening to the whaling The noises got louder Sometimes we heard the spirit bang against the house like it was trying to get inside. I Think we prayed all night. I know that none of us got any sleep Gradually though as the years passed Somehow we became accustomed to the ghost We began to understand that as long as we didn't do it any harm It would do us none as well We did consider moving and we came close too But then the ghost dissuaded us from that path One time as we prepared for the yearly haunting We were discussing the possibility of buying a property on the opposite side of town Would we have to mention the ghost to any prospective buyers mom asked Malcolm seemed to think that we should but dad was against it If we say a word We'll never get out of here Then as the clock struck midnight. I realized something Where's the ghost? I asked None of us said a word only listening to the wind and waiting for the screaming But instead we were greeted with utter silence Dad went to the window and peered out must be taking a night off. He joked as he began to raise the blinds Wait, maybe it's a trick Malcolm warned Dad complied with his request and we sat still for another hour Still nothing Maybe the ghost moved on I Suggested nervously. I Don't know why but the silence was scarier than anything. We had experienced before as We looked out toward the property The only thing worth noting was a mist of black smoke wafting across the night I'm going to bed mom said dad joined her Suddenly all our preparation seemed unnecessary But I didn't go to bed neither did Malcolm Something felt very wrong The ghost is normally around the barn, right? He whispered once our parents were sound asleep Yeah, you know the creek. I was still watching the smoke. It snaked across the sky almost with a mind of its own. I Knew he was planning to go investigate and like any younger sibling. I followed The air was still that night our traditional jack-o-lanterns on display at the edge of our fence line but still Not a whisper from the ghost We were almost at the barn Malcolm lit a lantern Peering into the old building But there was nothing there Disappointed we returned to the house and he remarked and I guess I never thought I'd say this But I missed the ghost. Did you leave the door open? I asked as we got close to the front porch Malcolm pursed his lips together and then dashed inside He dropped a lamp in a panic and began to wail His agony sounded worse than the ghost I Came inside slowly looking into my parents bedroom They were lying there Seemingly sound asleep But a closer inspection Showed me that something evil had crossed over them Their bodies were torn apart at the chest cavity with a diagonal slash And there was dark black smoke coming out of them. I Collapsed to the ground Shocked as the smoke escaped outside the window and disappeared Malcolm was trying to resuscitate them But I could tell from the wounds and the blood loss It was pointless That was three years ago Since then the ghost has returned and Malcolm and I have done our best to keep things together while we survive The mortgage and other debts have made it impossible to leave I've come to understand that the ghost was never here as a threat But as a warning When it screams It tells us that we're safe from a greater evil Perhaps it even protects us from it I've come to respect its purpose Tonight though, I don't know what's gonna happen Because it's nearly midnight and there is only quiet