Haunted House

Everybody said the old Bosworth mansion was haunted, I used to believe them, but now I know it’s not true, or possible for that matter. When I was younger the kids would dare each other to go up and ring the doorbell. Only the older kids ever actually did it. (Older referring to 9,10, and 11) They would run up to the steps, and ring the bell with no worry, ignoring the looks of wonder coming from everyone under 8. The day I turned 10, which happens to be Hallows Eve, I was dared to do something no child has ever done before, ring the bell on Halloween. Being the proud newly 10 year old I was, and accepted the challenge confidently, but on the inside, I was freaking out about the following day. I had rang the bell 2 times before, once on Easter morning when I was 8, (terrifying) and once on a Wednesday after school last year (scary, but less terrifying.) Never, in the history of ever, had anyone ever gone at 10 o’clock at night, on a Friday, on the 31st of October. And that’s exactly what I did.
Around 9:45, I headed for the Bosworth house, dropping my candy off at my house on the way. I was really scared. It was hard enough to ring the bell in the middle of the day, but doing it at night on Halloween? I couldn’t remember why I agreed to it. Even the 11 year olds wouldn’t do it, so why was I?! At this point I was freaking out inside, but I did my best to act calm. A large group of kids had come to watch, and everyone was silent as I made my way towards those dreaded steps. Suddenly someone called out, “I’ll give you a hundred bucks if you go inside!” I froze at the top of the stairs. Everyone in the crowd started whispering to one another. I decided to ignore the comment and took a deep breath. I walked up to the door and started to reach for the bell, but my hand started moving toward the handle instead. I twisted the knob and the door creaked slowly open. For the hundredth time that night I thought, “What the heck am I doing!?” But my body wouldn’t respond. I heard panicked whispers from behind me, but my body paid them no mind as I inched my way into the house. The door slammed closed behind me, and I heard muffled shrieks from outside.
I was inside the house for about half an hour. When I came out I was limping slightly and had a small bruise on my arm. My hair was covered in dust and the palms of my hands were scraped up. But that’s not why everyone was staring. When I step through the door, I had a huge smile on my face, and I was holding a cupcake. I walked over to the kid who offered a hundred dollars. He quietly handed me the money (why he had it with him I don’t know), and I walked away, leaving everyone wide eyed and gaping. And that’s why I know the Old Bosworth house is definitely not haunted.