THE SPOOKY HOUSE

BY AMANDA

One Friday night mom and dad had left me and Sarah alone. This
didn't happen to often because my brother Micheal is older and
watches us. I had been trying to get them to leave us alone for a
long time (doing extra chores, making good grades and stuff), now
that they had we didn't know what to do. Sarah thought we should
play "Spooky House ". We would turn off all the lights. One of us
would be the monster, the other would be the detective. If the
monster caught you, they could tie you up and you didn't want
that to happen. Sarah liked to tickle after she got you. We
flipped a coin to see who was who.

I had to be the detective, Sarah was the monster. Before we
turned out the lights, we went to Dad's tool room and got some
rope and stuff for the monster. After that I got a flashlight so
I could have light to see by. It made things more spooky. We
turned off all the lights and Sarah went off to hide. I waited
for a little while then began searching for the monster.

If I was smart, I'd look for the monster with a gun, but I didn't
have a toy gun for this game. I crept around the house pointing
my light around and tripping over stuff. It's really weird. You
live somewhere forever and you can still trip over stuff in the
dark.

I just made it to my dad's study when Sarah came at me with a
roar. I screamed and ran away. She chased me for a while and then
hid again. I waited, then started again. Sarah was pretty good at
this game, which is what made it so much fun.

I made it all the way upstairs when Sarah attacked me again. This
time I wasn't getting away. She put the rope sround me and pulled
me into my mom and dad's bedroom. She wrapped the rope pretty
tight around my arms to keep me still then wrapped the rest
around my hands. She didn't tie any knots, since it was just
pretend so I held the rope to make it feel like I was tied up.

She sat on me and tickled my tummy. I laughed so hard, I thought
I'd pass out. When she was finished, I unwrapped the rope and
said, "My turn."

Sarah got the flashlight and I got to be the monster. Sarah made
a good monster but was a lousy detective. I jumped out of the
linen closet and scared her so bad, she just collapsed on the
floor shaking and screaming. I wrapped her up in the rope and
took her to my bedroom closet.

"What are you doing ?

"The monster's keeping you hostage. Your dad is rich."

"Monsters don't want money."

"This one does."

I put here in the closet and wrapped the rope around the big bar
inside.

"I've tied you up in a cell so you can't get out !"

"Help, someone help me !!" Sarah called.

"Be quiet !" I told her.

Sarah wouldn't shut up though so I had to find something to shut
her up with. I went to my chest of drawers and found a big
bandana I used for a cowgirl outfit. I tied it over her mouth so
she was quiet.

"You have to stay here until the other detective comes to get you
loose." Sarah looked at me all weird but nodded her head. I
closed the door and went downstairs to the kitchen. I got another
flashlight so I could be the other detective. I looked all over
the dark house, pretending to be searching for Sarah.

She looked real glad to see me when I opened the closet. Sarah
hates the dark. I acted scared,"There's a monster around. I need
to get you loose before he comes an gets us both."

I took time unwrapping the rope. I took the cloth off her mouth.
After her hands were loose, she pointed and screamed.

"Monster !!!"

We ran away and hid from the monster in our imagination. He
chased us all over the dark spooky house. He ran down the stair
and I tripped on the bottom one. It diodn't hurt but he had
caught us at last. We went back to my room and wrapped rope
around ourselves. He was tying us up to keep us for ransom. He
needed to hold me so the cops would stay away. Sarah tied the
bandana back over her mouth. Since that was the only one i had, I
took a pillowcase off my bed , folded it up and tied it over my
mouth.

We sat there and pretended the monster was watching us, pulling
on the ropes he had used to capture us. We didn't get loose
though. the monster was too smart. We were so into the game that
we didn't hear my brother coming home from his date. he turned on
the light and found us sitting here, looking like we were tied
up. We made noises at him and he came over and pulled the stuff
off our mouths.

"What are you two doing ?" he asked.

"A monster came and tied us up." Sarah said, sounding like she
was scared. "Oh really? Then maybe I should leave before he gets
me too."

Micheal put the cloths back over our mouths and let us keep
playing tied up in the spooky house until mom and dad came home.
He didn't say anything about it to them either.