Eleanor had never liked the old house on Willow Street. It stood at the edge of town, abandoned for decades, its windows dark and lifeless. Yet, whenever she walked past it, she had the unsettling feeling that someone was watching her.
One evening, as she hurried home, she noticed something strange—the house’s front door was slightly open. It had always been locked before.
Curiosity tugged at her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the creaky wooden porch.
“Hello?” she called. Silence.
Inside, the air was thick with dust and the scent of old wood. A large mirror hung in the hallway, cracked down the middle. As she stepped closer, something in the reflection caught her eye.
A shadow.
She turned sharply. No one was there.
Her heartbeat quickened. The house was empty… wasn’t it?
Then, from upstairs, a floorboard creaked.
Eleanor froze. She should have run, but something compelled her to stay. Carefully, she climbed the staircase, her footsteps muffled by dust.
At the top of the stairs, a single door stood ajar. She pushed it open.
The room inside was untouched by time—a chair by the window, books stacked on a small wooden desk, and an old gramophone. But what made Eleanor’s blood run cold was the photo on the wall.
It was a picture of her.
Not a childhood photo, not an old family picture—a recent one. She was standing in front of the same house, wearing the exact clothes she had on now.
The floor creaked again. This time, it was right behind her.
She spun around—but the room was empty.
The mirror in the hallway shattered. The front door slammed shut. The house groaned, as if breathing.
Eleanor didn’t wait to see what happened next. She bolted down the stairs, past the broken mirror, and out into the night.
As she reached the street, she turned back. The door was closed again. The house was silent, as if nothing had happened.
But as she walked away, she knew one thing for certain—the house had been watching.
| Word | Synonym | Antonym |
|---|---|---|
| Abandoned | Deserted, Forsaken | Occupied, Inhabited |
| Groan | Creak, Moan | Silence, Quiet |
| Shatter | Break, Smash | Fix, Repair |
| Shadow | Silhouette, Shade | Brightness, Light |
| Frozen | Paralyzed, Stiff | Moving, Active |
| Unsettling | Disturbing, Alarming | Comforting, Reassuring |
| Compelled | Forced, Driven | Resisted, Ignored |
| Recent | New, Current | Old, Ancient |
| Escape | Flee, Run away | Stay, Remain |
| Whisper | Murmur, Hiss | Shout, Yell |
| Strange | Weird, Unusual | Normal, Common |
| Old | Ancient, Vintage | New, Modern |
| Silent | Quiet, Soundless | Noisy, Loud |
| Broken | Shattered, Ruined | Fixed, Repaired |
| Empty | Vacant, Hollow | Full, Occupied |
| Dark | Shadowy, Gloomy | Bright, Light |
| Crack | Split, Fracture | Seal, Mend |
| Creak | Groan, Squeak | Silence, Quiet |
| Fear | Terror, Dread | Bravery, Courage |
| Watch | Observe, Stare | Ignore, Overlook |
| Disappear | Vanish, Fade | Appear, Emerge |
| Haunted | Possessed, Spooky | Normal, Ordinary |