Anna had never liked the house at the end of Willow Lane. It was old, with broken windows and a heavy door that looked like it hadn’t opened in years. Children said it was haunted, but Anna never believed in ghosts.
One cold evening in November, Anna’s friend Mark dared her to go inside the house. “Just one hour,” he said, laughing. “If you stay, I’ll buy you dinner for a week!” Anna hated dares, but she also hated losing. So, she agreed.
Mark gave her a torch and a small bag with snacks and a bottle of water. Anna walked up the creaky steps and pushed the door. It opened with a long, loud groan.
Inside, it was dark and smelled of dust and something else — something sour. Anna switched on the torch. The light shook in her hand. She told herself she was just nervous and moved forward into the hallway.
The walls were covered in old wallpaper, peeling off in long strips. A broken mirror hung on one side. When Anna passed it, she thought she saw something move behind her. She spun around — nothing. Just the empty hall.
“Get a grip,” she whispered to herself.
The sitting room was full of old furniture covered in white cloths. Dust danced in the beam of her torch. As she walked past an old chair, she heard a soft whisper.
“Anna…”
She froze. The voice was faint but clear. It came from upstairs.
She laughed nervously. “Mark must be playing a trick,” she said out loud. “Very funny!” she shouted. No answer. Only silence.
Anna wanted to leave, but her pride kept her there. She checked her phone. Only ten minutes had passed.
Taking a deep breath, she climbed the stairs. They creaked under her weight. At the top was a narrow hallway with many doors. She picked one at random and pushed it open.
The room was empty except for an old bed and a cracked wardrobe. On the wall was a picture of a family: a man, a woman, and two children. Their faces were blurred and strange, like the paint had melted.
Suddenly, Anna heard footsteps behind her. She turned quickly, but the hallway was empty.
“Anna…” the whisper came again, louder now.
She stepped back into the room, heart racing. Her torch flickered and went out. She shook it desperately. It came back on for a moment — and in that moment, she saw a shadow standing in the corner of the room.
It was tall, with long arms and no face.
The torch died again.
Anna screamed and ran. She stumbled down the stairs, almost falling. The front door was still open. She sprinted outside into the freezing air.
Mark was waiting by the gate, laughing. “You made it twenty minutes!” he said. But when he saw Anna’s pale face and wide eyes, he stopped smiling.
“What happened?” he asked.
Anna looked back at the house. In one of the upstairs windows, she saw a dark figure watching them.
“I’m never going back in there,” she whispered.
Mark turned to look, but the window was empty.
They left quickly, without another word.
Later that night, when Anna lay in bed, she heard a faint whisper in her ear.
“Anna…”
She never slept in that house again. But some nights, no matter where she was, she still heard the whisper.
Look out for Part 2, next
Vocabulary Notes
Creaky (adjective)
Meaning: Making a high-pitched, squeaky noise when moved.
Example: “Anna walked up the creaky steps and pushed the door.”
More examples:
The old wooden floor was creaky under my feet.
I heard a creaky door open in the middle of the night.
Similar words: squeaky, groaning, grating
Peeling (verb/adjective)
Meaning: Coming off in small, thin pieces, often because of age or damage.
Example: “The walls were covered in old wallpaper, peeling off in long strips.”
More examples:
The paint on the ceiling was peeling because of the water damage.
His sunburned skin was peeling.
Similar words: flaking, chipping, cracking
Whisper (noun/verb)
Meaning: A very quiet way of speaking.
Example: “She heard a soft whisper.” / “The whisper came again, louder now.”
More examples:
He leaned in close to whisper a secret.
A whisper of wind moved the curtain.
Similar words: murmur, hiss, breathe (as a verb, in the sense of speaking softly)
Flicker (verb)
Meaning: To flash or shine unsteadily; to go on and off quickly.
Example: “Her torch flickered and went out.”
More examples:
The candle flickered in the cold air.
His eyes flickered open for just a second.
Similar words: flutter, shimmer, waver
Groan (noun/verb)
Meaning: A deep, low sound made by something moving slowly or someone expressing pain.
Example: “It opened with a long, loud groan.”
More examples:
The heavy door groaned as it swung open.
She gave a groan of frustration when the computer crashed.
Similar words: moan, creak, rumble
Shadow (noun)
Meaning: A dark shape made when something blocks the light.
Example: “She saw a shadow standing in the corner of the room.”
More examples:
A strange shadow appeared on the wall.
He walked in the shadow of the tall trees.
Similar words: silhouette, figure, outline
Stumble (verb)
Meaning: To trip or almost fall while walking.
Example: “She stumbled down the stairs, almost falling.”
More examples:
He stumbled over a stone in the dark.
She stumbled through her speech nervously.
Similar words: trip, falter, stagger
Pale (adjective)
Meaning: Light in colour or without much colour, often because of fear or illness.
Example: “When he saw Anna’s pale face and wide eyes, he stopped smiling.”
More examples:
She turned pale when she heard the news.
His face was pale under the hospital lights.
Similar words: ashen, colourless, white
Shiver (verb)
Meaning: To shake slightly because of cold, fear, or excitement.
(Not directly used in The Whispering House but very fitting!)
Examples:
Anna shivered in the cold, dark house.
I always shiver when I hear scary stories.
Similar words: tremble, shake, quiver
Frozen (adjective)
Meaning: Unable to move, often because of fear or shock (or because of cold).
(Describes Anna’s reaction, even if not said exactly this way.)
Examples:
Anna stood frozen when she heard the whisper.
He was frozen with fear when he saw the snake.
Similar words: motionless, paralysed, still
Story written by ChatGPT AI
Image created by ChatGPT AI
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