The barn that stayed with me.

There is something peaceful about discovering the side of the world where it's purely natural and quiet. It's so pleasing to know that in the rural areas there's not a lot of people to worry about. It's just you, the cattle, and beautiful sunsets painted across the sky. There's just something beautiful about lonely places with old vintage-looking homes. It was almost as if the homes possessed hearts and the windows were the eyes in which to look into. But there can also be something horrific among the quiet and inside these homes.

In this world, nothing is ever perfect and no human is ever good or bad. I was just seven years old when I first moved into the old farmhouse. Everything about this side of the country was old and vintage which I loved. My mom, who was a model and made lots of money by selling her face, had found this property on the market. It not only had a house that was farmhouse style but it had an old red barn. The paint was barely chipping and faint. The thick double doors opened and closed fine without a creak. The inside barn was the best part as the sun hit through the dusty glass windows and into the golden yellow stack of hay. It felt like home. There's just one thing you don't get told about places or people that feel like home and that's that in the end you wind up hurt.

I raced towards the ladder as the wood still seemed so strong and fine as I climbed. The barn had some type of loft layout. I sat down on the wooden slabs with a big grin on my face as I yelled out," MOM! DAD! COME IN HERE!" I scrunched up the small amounts of hay that laid on the wooden slabs. My parents had appeared, all I could see were their silhouettes and hear their giggles. Not too sure if they could see me, I said out loud, " Mom, I'm right here!" I keep smiling because this is just one of those good days.

"Dad, didn't you say this house was many years old? Like older than grandma!" Dad chuckles and explains, " Yes, dear Alisha. This barn was built in the 1970s. I'm actually surprised that It hasn't fallen apart or the paint hasn't faded. Especially since we're now in 1998… it’s been quite a while since this beauty has been holding up.

"Alisha, please get down from there," mom said looking concerned. I can see her features now and I can see why she's so successful as a model. Her features are soft and her eyes are hazel brown and somehow the sun magnifies that beauty. I got lucky and got my mom's good looks and I'm not saying my dad isn't blessed with good looks. I climbed down the ladder and ran to my parents to embrace them in a hug.

The next day, I went to the old barn while my parents laid fast asleep. The barn itself looks gorgeous. Something about the barn attracted me, but I really couldn’t say what. As I ventured through the stacks of hay and tripped over the old rusty buckets of nothing. I had found something unusual. It was a dirty doll, with buttons for eyes and yarn for hair and a little dress. I dusted her off but still couldn't manage to dust off all the dirt off it. That's when I had the brilliant idea to take it home and wash it. I ran across the field to my home which wasn't that far from the old barn.

“Look, dad!” I yelled out in excitement. Dad was sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper. As he softly places the paper flat onto the table he looks at me and the doll in my hand, “Oh! Where did you get that?” I sit down right next to him as I say,” I found it at the old barn!” I pushed the doll up to his face as he exclaimed, “ALISHA! Please don't put that dirty thing so close to my face.” I slowly do so and sit her on my lap. “Dad, can you put her in the washer?” This time he smiled as he said in a kind manner, “Uh uh uh, what do we say? What’s the magic word, now?” I smile big and say loudly,” Pretty please with a cherry on top!” My dad laughs and takes the doll as he examines her,” So what is her name?” He asked me. I hadn’t thought of naming her because his question surprised me. Looking at his big emerald green eyes I say, “ Esmeralda.”

Later that night, I tossed and turned and it was unusually cold and my sheets didn’t keep me warm enough. I hugged Esmeralda as I looked at my night light. This light was special because it had carvings of stars and it rotated which made my room a magical place. My window faced the old barn and I can see the lights were turned on. I thought dad had told me that those lights didn’t work. Maybe the person he called came and fixed them while I was playing with Esmeralda in my room. I can’t believe I found Esmeralda in that old barn. I could see her features this time and she was beautiful. She had bangs and long straight hair and her buttons were brown and she had a stitched smile. Her dress was yellow with orange flowers and her feet had shoes painted on them.

“Help me!” Esmeralda said. Frightened, I threw her across the room. How can she talk? My heart raced and my breathing got heavy and fast. “Help me,” Esmeralda said quietly this time. I curled up in my bed as I sat trying to surround my body with my sheets. My eyes were glued to Esmeralda. She just seemed like any normal doll laying there. I didn’t even see her lips move as she talked. I glanced quickly to the barn and that’s where I spotted the lights inside were flashing on and off but the light wasn’t a yellow anymore it was a dark heavy red. My heart grew heavy and tears started forming in my eyes as I saw dark shadows in between the flashing I finally yelled out, “DAD! MOOOOOMMM!” But they didn’t come. I yelled out a second time, “DAAAAD! MOOOOOMM!” I could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and I quickly hid under the sheets fearing that it might be that scary thing in the old barn.

“Sweety, what's the problem?” Dad and mom asked in unison. I couldn’t look up, I was too scared to do so. I feel my bed slump as both of them sit on either side. My dad gently removed the sheets from my face as he reached for a hug. I can see through my window that the old barn looks the same as it did when I first saw it. It looked calm and normal now. I couldn’t tell them what I saw. Instead, I said, “ Can I sleep with you guys tonight?” Dad scanned the room before answering, “Why is Esmeralda on the floor sweetie? As he left my side to go pick her up I instantly yelled, “NO! LEAVER HER THERE!” My mom, shocked that I yelled, asked,” What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?” I looked at her tears forming in my eyes,” I'm scared.” I whispered. She hugged me at that moment and promised to sleep in my room so that I wouldn’t be scared.

The next morning, I wouldn’t dare touch Esmeralda or go into that old barn. What I saw last night was not normal. “Alisha, are you feeling better? My dad asked. I turned to where he is standing outside just right in front of the door near the living room. I go to him and I can still see that old barn from here. “Dad, did the person you called already fix the light in the old barn?” I asked. My dad scrunched up his face and said, “No, as a matter of fact, he has not come by yet” Why do you ask, Alisha?” My heart started beating fast. As I ran to the old barn I could hear my dad yelling out my name. Seeing what I had seen last night something still attracted me to this old barn as my body trembled and my breathing grew heavy. I could see that everything was the same from the day that I first laid eyes in here. It was dark inside the old barn except for the small amount of sunlight that entered through the double doors. I could see the dust floating in the air. It grew cold inside the barn that I could see my breath before me. “Alisha.” said a voice as it held a tight grip on my shoulder. “Alisha!” this time the voice said with more persistence as it turned my body around I could see a familiar face. “DAD!” I yell out tears coming down my cheeks as I hug him hard, my head on his shoulder. Dad holds me as he says, “Why are you crying, Alisha?” I didn’t respond even if my instincts told me to tell Dad, I just couldn't do so.

Later that night I couldn’t fall asleep, it was colder than it was yesterday. I sat up and Esmeralda wasn’t where I had left her. I scanned the room searching for her. On top of the shelves, under my bed, on the tv stand and she was nowhere to be found. “CREEeeaaAAAK” my closet door opens slightly. I could feel my heart beating out of my body. My body trembled as I tried to muster out the words,” Leave -me alone!” One thin leg lipped through the ajar door and soon another until there were six more legs coming out the door with a big heavy body. This creature looked like a spider but it was hideous, its fat rounded body had loads of tiny hairs. Its thin neck had multiple black eyes, small and big ones. Its teeth were tiny and sharp, some poked out of its mouth. The creature held seven small dolls in each of its legs. There were four boy dolls and three girl dolls among the dolls I could see Esmeralda. "The creature malevolently said, "It's your turn, my dear."

At this point my body was paralyzed, I couldn’t move or scream no matter how badly I wanted my dad and mom to be here. The slimy creature stomped its free leg on the hardwood floor so loud I thought it was going to wake my parents. The noise didn’t do anything as the creature came near me and stepped on the dolls slowly forming a malicious smile. Its smile grew wide and big. The creature was getting near my face and all I could do was try to scoot farther away from it until I no longer could. Its face, with its wide mouth still forming a smile, came near me and I fell hard onto the wooden floor. “Alisha, run!” the dolls yelled out. I stood up but the creature was too fast for me and got between the exit door and me. Inside the creature's mouth, I can see children like me all yelling out for help. They no longer looked like happy kids, their skins were bloody with scars and some had their eyes missing or arms. In the bunch, I could see Esmeralda as I recognized her long red hair. A small warm tear dripped down my cheek as the creature claimed me and yanked my heart out of my chest.

Months later, I now know why the old barn never aged. It never aged because the creature kept it fed with the lives of many children. Now I try to save children from having the same fate as I.