Haunting (Scary Story) by: Danielle Standiford

Jaime hated driving. To her, driving was exactly like being in a shiny metal death trap. Or not so shiny, she couldn’t really afford shiny. She had just bought a new house so of course she couldn’t afford a nice car. Buying a house for only one person was stupid, but it was a small house, and it was cheaper than a lot of places. It sucked though because she didn’t exactly live close to school.
Jaime didn’t see the car coming until it was right there in front of her and too late to do anything about it. The car hit her dead on. All Jaime was aware of was the car flipping and then everything went black.
* * *
Jaime woke up frightened. She’d been having that exact same nightmare for what seemed like a couple months so she was pretty used to it by now, but it wasn’t the nightmare that freaked her out this time though. What freaked her out was the loud bang from the kitchen that woke her.
Jaime got out of bed and walked to the kitchen keeping it dark by not turning on the lights. If there was an intruder it would be stupid to let them know she was there. However when she got to the kitchen she discovered nothing out of place and no one there.
Jamie went to check the locks on all her doors but they were still in place so she went back to bed. There was only a couple hours before she had to get up for school but when you were in college every minute is needed to stay focused.
When Jaime woke the next morning it was still dark. She was used to that because of school. She hadn’t needed an alarm clock for a long time. She supposed it was because of her internal alarm clock but it could have something to do with the nightmares waking her up off and on all night.
Jaime walked to the kitchen; turning on all the lights and remembering the events of last night. She wondered if she should call the police but decided against it. No one was here and all the doors had been locked still. It was probably all just her mind playing tricks with her. She had stepped into the kitchen and turned on the lights when a loud scream came from behind her. She spun around just in time to see a little girl standing there staring at her and then disappear into thin air.
Jaime stood there in shock. There was no explanation for what she had just witnessed. Though Jaime had always believed in ghosts to have that confirmed was startling. She wondered if that was why the house was so cheap when she bought it. It would make sense, though she thought there were laws about having to mention people dying in the house. Maybe the little girl didn’t die in the house though; maybe she was just familiar with the house, like she used to live here. She heard of ghosts doing that sometimes. She didn’t get why the ghost was just appearing to her now, though. She didn’t live in the house that long but a month is a good amount of time for ghosts to make themselves known isn’t it?
Jaime heard running in the house, but didn’t see anything when the sound of it made it to the kitchen. She did hear a male voice talking and a child crying. It was probably the little girl, and it didn’t sound like the little girl was alone. Jaime realized she probably wasn’t. She was probably with her parents, or at least a father. That would explain the male voice she could hear now.
“Who’s there,” Jaime called out. Maybe the ghosts would say who they were. She wasn’t going to make it to school today, obviously, but she could learn about the ghosts. She just bought the house, so she hoped she didn’t have to move out of the place.
The lights went out in the kitchen and then all the lights that she had turned on started going out. One booming male voice shouted the word: “Leave”. Or that was the only word she heard.
Jaime was scared now. When a ghost shouted the words “Leave” usually that meant it was time to move. That was ridiculous though for then to ask her to leave. She had been living here for a month. They were the ones who needed to leave. She decided to ignore the warning and go about her day; drinking juice and reading one of her favorite books.
A little while later Jaime heard a knock on the front door and went to answer it, but just as she was reaching out for the handle the door opened on its own. No one was there but she heard the voice of the man from earlier greeting someone. “He’s letting more ghosts in!” she thought and started to back away but stopped when she figured she could find out who these people were by what they were saying.
“Thanks for coming; we really need your help. She scared my daughter this morning. She keeps turning on the lights really early in the morning, too,” the male voice said. This was weird; Jaime didn’t know ghosts consulted other ghosts about humans moving in.
“How long ago did it start,” a women’s voice asked him. She must have been the ghost that the male ghost had let in.
“When we moved in, that was about two weeks ago,” he said. “Can you see her?”
“Yes, but she can’t see me. It seems like she doesn’t know she is dead.”
“What are they talking about?” Jaime thought aloud.
“This was her house in life,” the women continued. “She died in a car accident on her way home, to this house.”
Jaime thought of the nightmare; and she realized. She was the ghost not them.
Jaime started screaming. All the lights went on, flared extremely bright, and then shattered.
All Jaime was aware of was the car flipping and then everything went black.

Note to self

I know you're trying to not think about it. I know that's why you are immersing yourself in your schooling. It seems like it's working, right? Yet really you know it's not because I noticed you do whatever it takes to not think about it. Keep in mind; when you start to break down from all the pushed away emotion, you knew it was going to happen. Whatever you do: don't show it, people just tell you you're stupid. Or if they believe you, they sympathize and that's worse. Break down alone this time. You are not a desperate person. You are not a person who needs sympathy. You hate crying. You are not a desperate person! You are not a person who needs OR WANTS sympathy! You hate crying! YOU ARE NOT A DESPERATE PERSON! YOU ARE NOT A PERSON WHO NEEDS OR WANTS SYMPATHY! YOU HATE CRYING! If no one knows how I'm feeling this time the break down will go away quicker. It usually does. You are strong! You are happy! You are awesome! And you can do this!

Does bragging help?

So I happen to know a lot of people who brag about themselves almost constantly. They brag about where they are in life. They brag about what they've done. They brag about what they want to do and what they are doing to make that happen.

I noticed that I don't brag about myself more than a little "woo-whoo this happened sort of way". It happens and I get excited and then later I start to think that what I've done wasn't all that spectacular after all. I don't know why I sell myself short.

I am a nineteen year old female by the name of Danielle Standiford. My mother is a 42 year old woman with diabetes, heart disease, and has had three herniated disks in her back since I was young. My dad is a 50 year old truck driver for a medical company. My brother and I started helping our parents out early with household chores and getting them things. My brother is a 22 year old with a wife and son (Elias the butthead). He is in the Air force and doing great things with his life. However he lives far away and I don't get to see him much....even when he is up is Wisconsin. I had "three" sets of grandparents growing up. I had Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Dan which was my dad's dad and his girlfriend (not wife they never marries though she was always around). Then I had my Grandpa Bill and Grandma Judy which was my dad's mom and her husband (never really saw either of those two because they live in a nudist camp in florida...yeah so not gonna happen). Then there was my Grandma Diane and my Grandpa John which were my mom's parents (they were my "main" grandparents meaning I saw them more than once a year). There is a lot of drugs and alcohol problems in my family. Though I could go into all the family trouble I had I'd rather not and there really isn't even enough time either.

Despite all my setbacks where family and my past is concerned I have met almost all my goals. That is unless my goals changed first.

I was reading some questionnaire that I took in my first year of high school. It first asked where I wanted to be in five years? My answer was "in college". Today I am now not only a graduate of high school but in my second year of college.

Second; It asked what I wanted to be when I was older? I answered a doctor. Which I know that goal changed not only because I hate science but because I literally have a sort of phobia with hospitals.

Third; It asked what my favorite subject is? I answered: "Reding!" Now I know that "reding" isn't a thing and that I probably actually meant "reading" but this is my favorite answer from the questionnaire. Freshman year was the first year I actually picked up a real book to read. It sparked my imagination and made me want to be a writer which is remarkable because I sucked at writing, and grammar, and....well...writing. Of course I started to like English and Writing so much that I became better at it. Practice makes better! But reading this answer was awesome because without writing and reading I wouldn't be me right now and I wrote that answer before I became ME. The me I am now is a different me than I was then but the funny thing is that I would have answered the same....maybe in better grammar but the same answer essentially.

I am a nineteen year old female by the name Danielle Standiford and I am starting my second year of college. I already have my second year of college planned out and don't need to take loans again this year. Do to careful planning last year, though I don't have a job, I still have the funds to pay off the 600 dollar textbook fee out of pocket and still have money left for next semesters books. I am going to school to be a writer. Though I am also minor-ing in teaching because teaching a lit class to high school-ers or college students wouldn't be SO terrible. I'm in a technical college right now about to transfer to a university. I have already gotten about 5-7 short stories published online and this year during college I have a spot on the school newspaper as an opinion writer. I don't have a boyfriend or a baby yet but that means I can take this time to focus on school.

All these accomplishments...and yet I sell myself short....I should really give myself some credit. I have single handedly set out to pursue my dreams....that's amazing.

...

I just wish I could have a full day of fun without having to fight back tears when I think of how happy everyone else is at that moment. It's like I feel like I am just pretending to be happy sometimes and that makes me even more depressed. I pretend though because people are worried about me, I don't know why; I'm so depressed but the worse thing I do is cry randomly. I am not one to even think about suicide...which is something I like about myself I guess. When I randomly start crying though my mom freaks; like I'm not aloud to be depressed. What really pisses me off is when she talks about sending me to Mississippi...like that would make me feel BETTER! No that would be the worst thing to happen to me right now. Now if we went to Orlando for the Harry Potter Diagon Alley....lol no but seriously I wanna go SO badly! Harry Potter is good for me right now lol!

What's wrong?

So my mind hasn't been in a good place lately. I've not been able to sleep, wake up early and fall asleep really late, tired because of it, and I've been crying to much. I know I'm depressed but I don't know why. Well I kinda know why but I don't want to admit that that is why I'm depressed because I'm the one everyone thinks is strong, and I let them think that because that's who I want to be. I need....well I need a job for one, but I also need some time to be ok with this thing that is making me depressed and it's something I've been trying to be ok with for years but lately it's really getting to me. I don't really want to talk about it but I know that I should because that's how people get better so I figured I'd talk about it without talking about it. On here...where no one really listens anyways.

Calm before the storm

So, I've been terribly busy lately. I don't know why though. I have a job where I work, well I work more now then I did at housekeeping, but I work during the week so I have weekends (mostly) off. You would think that that would mean I have a lot of more time to do things but NO. For some reason, though I say "some reason" I actually know the reason, my stack of homework is getting larger and larger. So, I know that I only have about 5 weeks left of class including this week and not including finals week, but what REALLY is bringing up my stress level isn't the homework really; its the grades. I know what you're thinking "isn't that the same thing?" NO! It isn't. Not when you have a teacher that gives you a zero on a bibliography because of only two simple mistakes. All I did was forget to put the publication date and then alphabetize the bibliography, but I get a zero out of forty? Well that means that my grade is now an F and I only have about 5 weeks to get it up. How will I do that you ask? Why don't you tell me. I just want a passing grade that doesn't bring down my GPA...like a B. Is that so much to ask? Is it? It's gonna take a lot of work to get to that point. A lot of work and less time. Why cant it be summer? Why cant I be writing this at the computer at home knowing that all I have to do is work and then have fun? Why cant I have endless bonfires and the sound of crickets at night?
Last night the sky was beautiful with the dull hue of a storm approaching. The calm gentle greyness is what I love most about storms. It's the suspense leading to the sky opening and letting loose this awesome power. The rain pelting down and the sky letting loose a deafening CRACK of lightning that bashes away everyone's hopes of sunlight. The one moment of calmness before the world is torn asunder: that's what I love about storms. Yet yesterdays storm kinda scared me.
My life is the storm right now, wheres spring break must have been the calm before the storm. It didn't feel like that though. I felt just as stressed then as I am now. My last couple months have been hell. I was sick, started to feel better, got sick again all while I was working two jobs. Then I was working one job and it was spring break but I still wasn't feeling well (still a little sick) and my brother was up from Mississippi so everything was endless visiting with my brother or babysitting my nephew. Then after spring break (the supposed calm) I went to staying at my aunt roni's house while she was away, school, and work. And NOW.....now I'm at school, work, and endless hours of homework trying to get a passing grade.....Seriously....I'm about to break....Lets just hope I can make it until May. Then maybe the sky will lighten and sun will peak through and everything will be right with the world until the next storm comes.

waiting for anti-valentines day

So, my friend Katlyn and I made plans to go to this anti valentines day party at the majestic theater on friday. I was originally going to stay home and wallow in self pity, but my parents weren't going to go out if I did, so I asked Katlyn if she wanted to go dancing.

I am ever so glad I made these plans now that it's tuesday and my parents had a little spat and aren't talking to each other. I don't even have the advantage of reading to ignore it because I'm reading a bibliography (another one) for my history class. That sucks because now I have to hear my dad tell me my mom is a bitch and I actually have to comment "hey shut up I'm not taking a side in this". And I have to force my mom to eat because she's not hungry when she's mad.

So in doing all this I can just think "It's just until Friday", which if I was staying home I probably would have to deal with it because I'm not sure they're feeling very "happy valentines day" this year.

So that's that. Again, thank you Katlyn for being there for me. For my other friends, thanks; even though you all have boyfriends so you aren't really invited to go with us lol. Thanks, also to the random people that read my blog.

Maybe I'll actually enjoy this valentines day....we'll see.