WoD Wednesday: Debunk

Debunk: verb: To expose the sham or falseness of

Debunk

It’s dark and no one knows where we are. I should never have argued with Nate over the stupid scary house at the end of the block. I know it’s haunted, even though he won’t admit it. Does it really matter if he believes me? Now, we’re hunched behind this bush and he’s trying to get me to go through the hole in the chain link fence so we can enter the creepy abode.

“Come on, Josh!” He walks to the fence.

“We should go back. This is a really bad plan.”

“No.” Nate stalks back. “I’m going to debunk this story your brother told you about this house. He just doesn’t want you going in.”

“Why would he do that? He has no reason to lie to me.”

Nate sighs long-sufferingly. “Because he’s your older brother. It’s what they do. I do things just to scare Lucy all the time.”

I frown at him. “That’s mean.”

“That’s the point! I can’t believe you really think his girlfriend and he went into the house one and were chased out by a glowing ghost! Did he even tell you why a ghost would be here?”

I shrug. “He’s not really the researching type.”

With a growl, Nate grabs my wrist and pulls me up and through the fence. As we approach the house, we see a dim light in one of the lower floor windows. Why is there a light in there? This house was condemned ages ago. The only reason it hasn’t been torn down yet is because there are other projects higher on the city’s priority list. At least, that’s what Mom says when she complains about the “eyesore of the neighborhood.”

Pulling Nate to a stop, I point at the window. “See? It’s glowing. That must be the ghost. Let’s go now.”

“No way! Let’s go look in.”

How can he be so fearless? Yanking me by the wrist, he strolls right up to the window and looks in. His eyes widen and a flush creeps up his face. What is he seeing? He turns around back to me, meets my eyes, then starts busting up laughing.

I hear a scream from inside and try to get out of Nate’s grip. Stomping resounds on the hollow wood floors and suddenly, I see my brother’s head in the window. Opening it, he glares at me.

“What are you doing here? I told you not to come here.”

I’m baffled. “What are you doing here? You said it was haunted!”

“James, who’s there?” a girly voice yells out.

Turning his head, he says, “It’s my brother and his dumb friend.”

“Hey! I’m not the one who believed the house was haunted!” Nate objects.

“Whatever. Get lost. This is the only place I can meet up with my girlfriend alone.”

“Is that what they’re calling it now?” Nate says. I have no idea what he’s talking about. “What if we tell your Mom and Dad what you’re up to?”

“You won’t.”

“Why do you think that?” I ask defiantly. Who is he to tell me what to do?

“Because to tell them, you would have to admit to sneaking out tonight. You would get in trouble, too.”

Well, crap.

“Bye kiddos.” He leaves the window and Nate and I stare at it for a couple minutes.

“Told you.”

“Shut up. Let’s get back to my house before Mom discovers us gone.”