Spooky Quilling is now in its penultimate week! I've really enjoyed writing another spooky story for today's post, and I'd like to say a big thank you to Savannah at The Book Prophet, who is the creator of this challenge. You can read all about it here. There might only be one week left, but you can write a lot in a week (with the help of some great prompts!), so you should definitely think about signing up 😊

Prompt number four is all about the supernatural 👻: ghosts or witches, zombies or mummies... you get the idea. The story must be >1,000 words, and the aim is to make the reader hide under their blanket!
Here goes...

When she was an inch or so from touching the handle, the door moved on its own, closing with a soft click. Allaya hesitated, then brushed the handle with her fingertips. It was ice-cold. She frowned and touched it again, but that time it felt normal. Shrugging, she turned back to Korry.

“In here,” said Korry, entering the front room. She’d decorated it with so many cobwebs and grisly accessories that Allaya couldn’t help but laugh. “I think you might have crossed the line this year,” Allaya said. “Some of these are just grim.” She cautiously poked a severed arm and it sprang to life, scuttling across the floor on nimble mechanical fingers.

“Being scared is cool,” said Korry. “You’re missing out.” She handed Allaya her phone and turned to pose.

“Nice,” said Allaya, wrinkling her nose. “Very authentic.”

“Are you scared yet?” asked Korry hopefully.

“No. But I have to hand it to you. If anything dead or undead is lurking in the general vicinity of our house, they’re going to feel right at home.”

“Just wait until I turn on the sound effects. The trick-or-treaters are going to love it.”

“Hmmm. I’m starting to understand why Mom and Dad went out for the evening,” said Allaya. “You will be coming back to help me hand out the candy, won’t you?”

Korry nodded. “Yes, in a little while. You can always leave a bowl on the porch if you want. What about your costume?”

Allaya rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if I can be bothered.” Seeing Korry’s disappointment, she relented. “OK, OK, I’ll put it on.”

“Good. The mood you’re in, being a miserable old witch shouldn’t be too much of a stretch.”

Allaya laughed. “Thanks, sis.”

Once Korry had gone to meet her friends, Allaya went up to her bedroom. She threw her school bag onto the bed and collapsed next to it with a sigh of relief. It had been a long day. All she really wanted to do was curl up in bed with a book and eat as much of the candy as she could manage before falling asleep.

“Never is a long time,” whispered a voice. Allaya reared up to a sitting position, holding her hand to her ear. The right-hand side of her face was freezing cold, as if it had been dipped in ice water. She turned her head, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. I must be more tired than I realized, she thought. Or maybe I’m getting sick.

In the same ear, she heard an amused chuckle. It chimed like a bell, crystal clear, as if it really were made of ice. The coldness spread and Allaya winced, hunching her shoulders. Then she got to her feet, looking left and right. With an expression of determination, she crouched down to look under the bed, then gave the drapes a vigorous shake, and finally threw the wardrobe door wide open. Nothing.

“What makes you think I need to hide?” said the voice. “Really, Allaya, I expected you to figure it out more quickly than this. It’s Halloween. I save the smart ones for Hallowe’en.”

Allaya gritted her teeth, or tried to. Her entire face was numb. She marched up to the mirror inside her wardrobe door and glared at her expression. I dare you, she thought. I dare you to show yourself, whoever you are. I’m not afraid.

“I don’t hide inside mirrors, either.” A sigh, which travelled down Allaya’s body like an icy caress. “I’m always here. I simply choose when to reveal myself. I’m beginning to think you were selected incorrectly.”

There was a short silence. Allaya shivered. “I don’t know who you are, but it’s a good trick, I’ll give you that,” she said. She lifted her chin. It was hard to speak because of the cold. “What do you want? Why did you select me? To make fun of me? That’s pretty lame.”

The laugh came again. “Better. Now we can begin.”

“Begin what?” Allaya wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to ward off the cold. “Who are you?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” The coldness swept through Allaya from head to toe, leaving her weak and struggling to stand. It pooled at her feet in a swirling silver cloud, then drifted upwards until it reformed as a perfect, transparent copy of Allaya herself.

“What is this?” asked Allaya. “If you’re trying to scare me, you can forget it. We’ve got scarier decorations downstairs than this… this fake version of me.”

“Fake? Oh, that’s funny. Look more closely.”

Allaya leaned forwards and then changed her mind, making a frustrated noise. “I don’t take orders from you. Get out of here. Go away. Otherwise, I’ll…” Her voice trailed off.

“Otherwise?” The voice was still a cold whisper inside Allaya’s ear. “You’ll do… what, precisely? You don’t believe in me, Allaya. Remember?” The whisper became almost too soft to hear. “Never have… never will. Well, never is a long time. Let’s see if I can change your mind.”

Allaya reached out to grab the apparition in front of her, but it turned to vapour before she could touch it. There was another laugh. It was like icicles inside her head,  sharp and painful. The weakness returned and she swayed on her feet.

The ghostly vision reappeared on the other side of the room. Allaya approached it cautiously.

“It always amuses me how many of you don’t believe,” said the voice. “People go missing every day, and they never come back.  Where do you think they go?”

“What?” Allaya frowned, gathering her thoughts with some effort. “They choose to leave, or they get into trouble, or… I don’t know. Things happen. It’s life. The world isn’t always a nice place.”

“Admirably pragmatic of you. So, do you think you can rationalize everything?”

“Most things.” She reached out to brush against the fingertips of the other version of herself and recoiled.

“Can you rationalize that?” whispered the voice.

Allaya swallowed. She lifted her arm again. It was trembling and not just because of the cold. When she made contact again she couldn’t prevent a horrified gasp from escaping her mouth.

“Yes,” said the voice, drawing out the word until it became a hiss. “That’s it. Can you feel it?”

“F-feel what?”

“The fear. Your fear.”

Allaya’s breathing was speeding up. She had touched the ghost, her right hand to its left, and she had felt it against her own left hand. As if she were the ghost. But that was impossible. She moved her fingers, grasping the wrist of the ghost. There was no mistake. It was her own wrist. And now the ghost was dragging her towards it, like a sinister magnet. Except it was her. She was dragging herself. The more she pulled away, the closer she got. She dug her toes into the carpet. It felt like she was teetering on the edge of an abyss. Terror flooded her body, like burning acid.

“I selected you because of this.” The whispering voice was all around her now. “Because you didn’t believe. It makes your moment of comprehension so powerful. Your fear will sustain me for a long time.”

“Help me,” said Allaya. Her voice was so faint she could hardly hear it. She tried again, but it was even softer the second time.

“Where do the missing people go, Allaya? Why do they never come back? Come closer and I’ll show you.”

Desperately, Allaya resisted the insidious drag of the spectre, but it was no use. The air shimmered, as if a doorway were opening, and then she was gone. For long moments, all was silent, until the front door burst open, and laughter floated up the stairs. “Allaya?” said Korry. “You’d better be wearing that costume. Allaya? Where are you? Allaya?”