August 31, 2006 Issue                                       

©2006 The Chestnut Hill Local

House Murder
by Marley Napier-Smith, age 7

Chapter 1: Shadows

The trees rustled in the wind, as if someone was flipping through pages of a book. Four kids in sweatshirts walked down a woodchip path. “Maggy, ya, are we almost there? she whispered. “Ya, if you stop looking at me and look in front of you.” “Okay,” she said, turning her head. “Wow! Looks haunted. And Spooky.” “Ya,” Jack said, “Aimy, we aren’t going in the house, we’re just looking at the front yard.” “Oh,” Aimy said. Daneil whispered, “Maggy, did you bring water?” “No, man.” “I’m thirsty.”

Chapter 2: Haunted all right

“You think you’re thirsty after you drank four glasses of water at WaWa.” “Well, just a little.” “Ya, right, like I really believe you.” Maggy shivered. “Just a sip?” “Oh fine,” Daneil said sarcastically. He unzippered his pocket and took out a water bottle from WaWa and handed it to Maggy. “Ahh! Feels warm. You said just a sip, OK,” she said, screwing the cap back on. “Maggy, just one peek at the house?” “No, look at the gravestones.” “ Fine,” Aimy said, kneeling. It says “2011 — this year, March 4th, today, 8:15, right now. How could someone die right now and be buried?” “No idea,” said Maggy. “Maybe ghosts — really, really!”

Chapter 3: Ghosts

“Yikes! Look Daneil, to your right. Something moving in the shadows.” “Oh, you two, stop goofing around.” “We aren’t goofing, look to your right.” “Great, oh, there is one, yikes!” “No really look, one more time.”

“Du Da Dy. Du Du everybody. Dance, now hold on, my cell phone’s ringing. Hi, Beep. They hung up. Well, look. Whoa, there is something.”

“What?, asked Jack. “A ghost, two words, easy to read.”

“You’re saying I can’t read?” “No, I’m saying, ‘you should know those words. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong. We’re heading home now. It’s 12 o’clock. Midnight.” “Yep, midnight murders. Let’s meet tomorrow at 4 p.m. sharp.”

Chapter 4: The Hallway

“Jack, are you cold?” asked Aimy. “No,” said Jack. “Well you look like it.” “Ha, Ha, really funny. I’m wearing three layers.” “Ya, looks like you’re really cold Jack, Ha Ha.” “Aimy, can I play with your hair?” asked Maggy. “No, Ha Ha Ha Ha!!” “Aimy, we’re all going in the house.” “Yes! Yippy! Wahoo! We’re going in there.” “Guys, it doesn’t sound so exciting to me. And it shouldn’t to anyone. Because it’s haunted,” said Maggy. “You’re right,” the three of them said at the same time.” “Jinks, personal Janks! You owe me … ahh, hmm, a soda! Guys we gotta go in it now.” “OK,” everyone said, hiding.

Chapter 5: Lights, action, danger!!

The dark halls made Jack shiver. “Gh, Ghigh, hg!” “What was that?” “No idea, just keep going.” “Gh, gh, hg, grh, grr!” Maggy, getting scared, tugged on Daneil’s fur coat. “Look behind you!” A pair of yellow eyes gleamed across the hallway, ears poked out of the darkness. “You know what I’m thinking, don’t you?” “Ya, wolf!”

Chapter 6: Where wolf

Claws touched Jack on the shoulder. He turned around. “Where wolf!” he called. Maggy started running. Aimy turned to the door, Daneil followed. But Jack was apparently left behind getting chased by a where wolf.

Chapter 7: Back and safe!

Skrich! Sckim! Scrack! Aimy turned around. “Jack, you’re alive!” “Ya, just got a few scratches!” “Wow, you’re quick.” “Well, we were about to go back to Maggy’s house and sit in front of the fire with hot cocoa.” “Do you want to come?” “Sure, I’ll come.” The fire made Aimy sad because it reminded her of the fire when she was little and when her mother and father died. So, now she was adopted by a nice lady named Lucy. And the cocoa fizzled in her mouth just like a drink her mom used to make for her. She called it Hot Lava because it tasted like it sizzled.

“Guys, interrupted Maggy, “should we do it in the morning?” “Well, I’m not going in the hallway again.? “No, we’re going in the kitchen!” “Ok, then it’s fine to me. Ok, 10 a.m. tomorrow, Monday.”

Chapter 8: The kitchen

“You guys sure we should open the kitchen door?” Jack asked. “If you wanna find out,” said Maggy. “Ya, she’s right,” said Daneil. “Fine, if you think we’re gonna be safe.” “Well, I hope we’re gonna be.” “Me too,” said Aimy. Jack turned the doorknob to the right and opened the skreechy door. “Glory, glory halleluiah, we’re in a new room.” Daneil went over to the sink and stared at the faucet. Something slithery and slimy was climbing out of it. Daneil started to worry again. “Water snake,” he thought. “Water snake.” It climbed out of the sink. “Water snake!” shouted Daneil. Aimy raced toward the window as did Jack. Daneil was already out the window. Maggy followed, but her shirt wasn’t on. “Here, borrow mine,” said Jack. Jack took his sweater and put that on, and all four of them raced home. Aimy lived next door to Daneil and Jack and Maggy live across the street.

Do you guys want to go to my house?” asked Daneil. “I’m too tired,” said Aimy. “I’m too hungry,” said Jack. “I’ll come,” said Maggy. Daneil sat on the couch and Maggy was on a rocking chair. The burning fire reminded her of something, but she didn’t remember what. It felt like she was safe and warm now, but she didn’t want to walk through the cold again.

Chapter 9: The next day Maggy wore an old-fashioned dress. It was lacy and patched with love from her mom. She wondered why Mrs. Cirpilbig was acting so weird. Where was she at 4:15 a.m. “Maybe I should get back to my arithmetic test.”

Chapter 10: Some serious shopping

Aimy and Maggy were at Kohl’s shopping for prom dresses, nice sparkly and red halter-back dresses and high-heeled tie-on shoes. Maggy was dating Daneil, and Aimy was dating Jack. Purses galore. “I’ll take this small one.” “$5.95,” said the salesgirl. “Small price, and I’ll take it.”

Then they went to Piercing Pagoda to get jewelry. “Nice ring! I’ll take the necklace that says Princess,” said Maggy. “Come on, we got to try them on at Old Navy.” “Okay, maam.

Chapter 11: Stretch limo

Beep! Beep! “Daneil is here, “I gotta hurry.” Maggy looked out the window. There was a stretch limo! “Awesome!” she said, giggling. She walked down a path to the road. “Awesome,” she said. Ouch. Maggy turned around. “Jack!” Aimy shouted. “Well, can you play un-written?” “Of course! Yes!” Aimy and Maggy shouted.

Chapter 12: Disco Divas

Maggy looked at Mia very rudely. Because she was the mean girl, yeh, mean girl all right. They called them the Teddy bears. Mia came over to Jack. Jack felt like he just swallowed a butterfly.

Chapter 13: Humiliating moments

“So, Jack, want to dance?” “Yes,” Jack said hesitatingly. But he didn’t notice Aimy looking at him. Mia waited until Aimy was looking, then she kissed him. Aimy ran outside sobbing. This dress was for nothing. He should of dated her! Aimy sniffled, then she sat down on a bench. Maggy sat next to her. She ran away without saying anything, then Jack swung the door open. “Where is she?” “Lost for you, Jack. Lost forever. You were the only guy that loved her and now she thinks you don’t.”

Chapter 14: The Attic

Creak. “Putrid stairs, stop creaking,” said Aimy. “Be quiet,” the three of them shouted. Aimy and Jack finally met up. Even though it’s impossible to get Jack and Aimy to meet up. “Shut up putrid stairs. Be quiet,” shouted the three of them. Wow! No windows, only one door and that’s it, except … Aimy and Jack were already halfway down the stairs, a CREATURE! Maggy ran holding on to Daneil very tightly. Maggy and Daneil slipped out an open window. Aimy and Jack leaped running downstairs, almost leaping as fast as a cheetah! Suddenly Jack fell. But everyone else kept running. He tried getting up, but he couldn’t. The figure stared at Jack, he waved and it kept on walking. “Wow!” Jack thought, “She likes me!”

Chapter 15: She likes me?

She or he … it’s a she, oh well, anyway she likes you? Jack looked at her then thought “does she like me? or was that a trick?”