Nursery

The Church was a nice place. From what I am told. But I’ve never went to church myself so I wouldn’t know. There was a church around where I lived. It didn’t feel safe. Like the churches I hear about. But it was abandoned. Some locals said it was out of money. But others said it was because something evil lived there. I had to know.

Later that day I made my way over there. It was dark and stormy. I had opened the door and got in. I shut the door behind me. I wasn’t supposed to be in here. But the place smelled old and gross. Mold and rust everywhere. It was in a huge place. The rows and rows of wood seats. The windows on the walls broken. The glass on the floor. The cross on the wall had fallen and broken. And the candles, lit. No one was here but me. I watched them and then just like that, they went out. Maybe the wind?

I walked down and down the hallway on the left. It was a nursery. The beds lined up on the wall, empty. All but one. It had a blanket on it. It seemed to have something under it. I reached out to grab the cloth but just as my fingertips brushed the blanket. I heard footsteps. Thump thump thump. The footsteps where getting closer and closer. I had to get out. I ran out and into the room next door. The thumping stopped after I left the room. Then, the door next door opened. Softly.

I stood next to the wall, listening. No sound was heard until, a baby stared to cry. Then I heard the sound of a music box. But the crying didn’t stop. It kept playing. The song was Pop goes the weasel. The song stopped. And the crying had stopped. I then can’t describe what I heard. But it sounded as if, something was being eaten. Then it stopped and the door to the nursery closed with a click.

I slowly came out of the room. I had to leave. I jogged my way back to the main door. But when I got there, there were men in white sheets. Like, a child who put a sheet on and called themselves a ghost. They were chanting. I couldn’t understand it. But when I entered, they all looked up at me. All at once. They watched me the whole walk down the middle lane. The heads on their shoulders turned to me. Even when I was behind them.

I then ran for the door. But it shut before I could escape. I was in a panic now, I ran for the door to the left again. I ran all the way. I opened and dashed in the first door I could get in. I hid in the closet in there. And I heard it. The sound of the music box. I was in the nursery. Then, I heard the baby start to cry and the thumping came back. It was so close that I couldn’t run anymore.

Slowly, the door opened. The hallway was dark and I saw nothing. I took this chance to get through the window. But it was stuck. I started to hit the window. The pit pat of bare wet feet on title floor. Finally, I ran at the window and out. I fell out and I heard a scream. I ran. And ran. And ran. I stopped when I reached my house.

Days later I was asleep. And from the bathroom, I heard something.

All around the mulberry bush

The monkey chased the weasel;

The monkey thought 'twas all in good fun.

And the sound, of a baby about to cry.