haunted house essay introduction

Essay on A Haunted House

Students are often asked to write an essay on A Haunted House in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on A Haunted House

What is a haunted house.

A haunted house is a place where ghosts or spirits are believed to live. These houses often have a scary and eerie feeling. People say they hear strange sounds, see odd things, or feel a spooky presence in these houses. These experiences make them believe that the house is haunted.

Stories about Haunted Houses

Many stories are told about haunted houses. Some are from books or movies, while others are shared by people who claim to have experienced it. These stories often involve ghosts, strange noises, moving objects, and other unexplained events.

Why are Houses Said to be Haunted?

Houses are said to be haunted for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s because something sad or scary happened there, like a death or a crime. Other times, it’s because the house is old and makes strange sounds. People’s imaginations can make them think a house is haunted.

Visiting a Haunted House

Visiting a haunted house can be scary but exciting. Some people do it for fun, especially during Halloween. Others do it to try and see if ghosts are real. But remember, it’s always important to respect others’ property and feelings.

250 Words Essay on A Haunted House

Appearance of a haunted house.

Haunted houses often look old and empty. They may have broken windows, an old rusty gate, and a garden full of dead plants. At night, these houses might seem even scarier with the moonlight casting long, dark shadows.

There are many stories about haunted houses. Some people say they have heard strange sounds, like footsteps or whispers. Others tell of doors opening and closing on their own. Some even claim to have seen ghosts!

Haunted Houses in Movies

Haunted houses are popular in movies and TV shows. They make the story exciting and scary. The characters in these stories often have to face their fears and find out the truth about the ghosts.

Visiting a haunted house can be a fun adventure, especially during Halloween. Some people like the thrill of being scared. But remember, it’s all just for fun. Ghosts and haunted houses are more a part of stories and our imagination than real life.

In the end, haunted houses are interesting because of the mystery they hold. They make us wonder about what might be living beyond what we can see. But it’s always important to remember that it’s just a story, and there’s no need to be too scared.

500 Words Essay on A Haunted House

The idea of a haunted house.

A haunted house is a building often thought to be occupied by spirits. These spirits are usually the souls of people who have passed away. Many people believe that these spirits have not found peace and so they stay in the house where they once lived.

Haunted houses often look scary from the outside. They are usually old and in bad condition. The paint might be peeling off and the windows might be broken. The gardens around the house are often overgrown and unkempt. This creates a feeling of fear and unease. At night, these houses can look even more frightening because of the dark shadows and strange noises.

Inside a Haunted House

Inside a haunted house, things can be even more eerie. The rooms are often dark and filled with old, dusty furniture. Cobwebs hang from the corners and the air is heavy and cold. Some people say they can feel the presence of spirits when they enter these rooms. Strange things can happen in a haunted house. Objects might move on their own or doors might slam shut. People have also reported hearing strange noises like whispers or footsteps when no one else is around.

Stories About Haunted Houses

Visiting a haunted house can be a thrilling experience. Some people go to haunted houses for fun, especially around Halloween. There are also professional ghost hunters who visit haunted houses to try and capture evidence of the paranormal. They use special tools like voice recorders and cameras to try and capture the spirits on tape.

Haunted houses are a part of many cultures around the world. They are a source of fear, curiosity, and excitement. Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the idea of a haunted house can still give you a chill. It’s a reminder of the mystery and unknown that still exists in our world.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists

Save to my list

Remove from my list

Setting the Scene

Tricked into the Haunted House

Unexpected turn of events, realization and betrayal, haunted house experience, unexpected twist, mixed emotions.

Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists. (2016, Mar 13). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay

"Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists." StudyMoose , 13 Mar 2016, https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay [Accessed: 22 Jul. 2024]

"Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists." StudyMoose, Mar 13, 2016. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay

"Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists," StudyMoose , 13-Mar-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay. [Accessed: 22-Jul-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). Haunted House Adventure: Confronting Fears and Unexpected Twists . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/haunted-house-essay [Accessed: 22-Jul-2024]

• Virginia Woolf - "A Haunted House" Pages: 9 (2489 words)
• The Terrifying Haunted House Story Pages: 2 (454 words)
• "A Haunted House" Pages: 2 (441 words)
• Exploring the Supernatural: Virginia Woolfs A Haunted House Pages: 3 (778 words)
• Fearful Encounter: My Terrifying Experience with a Haunted House Pages: 4 (981 words)
• Virginia Woolf’s a Haunted House: Literary Analysis Pages: 2 (522 words)
• Plots and Twists in Homer’s Odyssey Pages: 5 (1314 words)
• Embracing Life's Twists and Turns Pages: 2 (488 words)
• Tim Burtons Unconventional Childrens Films with Dark Twists Pages: 2 (582 words)
• Crafting Engaging Fiction: The Art of Plot Twists Pages: 4 (1125 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

“A Haunted House” by Virginia Woolf Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

The title of the poem “A Haunted House” brings out bad events that are associated to the house. The poem brings out how the dead are associated to the living; they do not want to wake them up. The poem explains several themes, which include love, positivism, death, and the living. Symbolism has been utilized in this poem.

“A Haunted House” being the title of the poem draws the attention of the reader to dreadful issues associated to the house. The poet talks of the couple as ghostly (Woolf, stanza 1, line 2); this explains why the house haunts many people. The writer of this poem is the occupant of the house, who acts as the owner. The poet explains on a first persona scenario, “…whispering not to wake us…” (Woolf, stanza 6, line 3). The use of the noun “us” brings out an individual point of view. It also shows that more than one person occupies the house.

The poet brings out several themes, for instance, the theme of love. The ghostly couple, as stated by the poet was in love. The fact that they go round the room holding hands is a sign of affection. The ghostly couple remind themselves of the good moments they spent in the house. The poet also talks of them kissing, sleeping, and waking up in the morning together (Woolf, stanza7, line 1). A lot of love is blowing in the air because the poet has brought it out in several occasions “sound asleep. Love upon their lips” (Woolf, stanza 8, line 3). Death is the other theme the poet has brought out diligently. The fact that the center of interest revolves around a ghostly couple affirms that death struck earlier occupants of the house. Life after death is another aspect that the poet has vitally talked about it; the couple could whisper and talk to themselves (Woolf, 2011). The dead still have a brain to remember where they left their valuable goods. For instance, the treasure, which the ghostly couple keeps referring to in the poem, is a clear indication, “Oh, is this your buried treasure?” (Woolf, last stanza, line 4). The apples and roses the poet talked about in stanza 4, line 2 is a symbol of nature and aesthetic value. The ghostly couple talked of spending time in the garden; this would further affirm their beauty affiliation.

The use of the phrase “Safe, safe, safe” in the poem asserts safety and enough security. It indicates that the ghostly couple is not harmful to the living occupying the room. The fact that the man went to all directions before coming back and to his surprise found her shows safety. The poet is talking broadly on the buried treasure, which explains the security in the house although it haunts.

Woolf, V. (2011). A Haunted House . Web.

• Poetry Explication on Disillusionment of Ten O'Clock
• Treasured Objects in Beowulf, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Pope’s “Rape of the Lock”
• Virginia Woolf's Life and Works
• Shaking Hand & Kissing: Cultural Aspect
• Reading Between the Lines: The Monster That Haunted Heorot
• Momaday: Summary and Analysis of Poem
• “The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks
• The Essential Emily Dickinson by J. C. Oates
• Stereotyping in "Cinderella" Poem by Anne Sexton
• “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, February 2). "A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-haunted-house-by-virginia-woolf/

""A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf." IvyPanda , 2 Feb. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/a-haunted-house-by-virginia-woolf/.

IvyPanda . (2022) '"A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf'. 2 February.

IvyPanda . 2022. ""A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf." February 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-haunted-house-by-virginia-woolf/.

1. IvyPanda . ""A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf." February 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-haunted-house-by-virginia-woolf/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . ""A Haunted House" by Virginia Woolf." February 2, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/a-haunted-house-by-virginia-woolf/.

A Brief History of the Haunted House

How Walt Disney inspired the world’s scariest Halloween tradition

Chris Heller

Former Assistant Digital Editor, Humanities

The  scariest haunted house of 2017  is a giant walk-through attraction located in the former Georgia Antique Center in the outskirts of Atlanta. Named Netherworld , it features 3D special effects, aerial performers and, of course, flesh-eating clowns. Netherworld frightens so effectively, so inescapably, that people with heart conditions are  warned against buying tickets .

This is what a haunted house is supposed to do. They exist to scare people. The idea behind haunted houses is not new, of course— people have entertained themselves with spooky stories for centuries — but haunted houses are different because they are inseparable from the holiday that vaulted them to cultural prominence. The tradition could not exist without Halloween; Halloween would not be the same without it.

The origins of the haunted house date back to 19th-century London, when a series of illusions and attractions introduced the public to new forms of gruesome entertainment. In 1802, Marie Tussaud scandalized British audiences with an exhibition of wax sculptures of decapitated French figures, including King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Marat and Robespierre. Tussaud's likenesses were remarkably accurate, and with good reason — she created death masks of  the French Revolution's many guillotine victims . When she set up a permanent London exhibition, she dubbed her grotesque collection the "Chamber of Horrors" — a name that has stuck  to the wax museum to this day .

At the turn of the 20th century, as Rebekah McKendry describes in  Fangoria  magazine , the closest relatives to modern haunted houses began experimenting with macabre themes. In Paris, the Grand Guignol theater became notorious for its on-stage depictions of  graphic dismemberment ; the theater's director, Max Maurey, famously boasted that he judged each performance by the number of people who passed out, shocked, in the audience. In 1915, an English fairground in Liphook debuted one of the first " ghost houses ," an early type of commercial horror attraction. The public appetite for horror was picking up.

Lisa Morton, author of  Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween , tells Smithsonian.com that Halloween-themed haunted houses first emerged during the Great Depression as American parents schemed up ways to distract young tricksters, whose holiday pranks had escalated to  property damage, vandalism and harassment of strangers . "They came in about the same time as trick-or-treat did," she says. "Cities looked for ways to buy these kids off, essentially."

Those first haunted houses were very primitive. Groups of families would decorate their basements and hold "house-to-house” parties. Kids could spook themselves by traveling from basement to basement and experiencing different scary scenes.  This 1937 party pamphlet  describes how parents could also design "trails of terror" to spook their children. The effects may seem familiar to anyone who has ever been disappointed by a sub-par scare:

An outside entrance leads to a rendezvous with ghosts and witches in the cellar or attic. Hang old fur, strips of raw liver on walls, where one feels his way to dark steps....Weird moans and howls come from dark corners, damp sponges and hair nets hung from the ceiling touch his face....Doorways are blockaded so that guests must crawl through a long dark tunnel....At the end he hears a plaintive 'meow' and sees a black cardboard cat outlined in luminous paint..."

The haunted house didn't become a cultural icon, though, until Walt Disney decided to build one. Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion opened in 1969, nearly two decades after Disney first approved  the beleaguered project . The attraction, which was designed in the style of the  Evergreen House  and the  Winchester Mystery House , quickly became a success. In a single day shortly after its debut, more than 82,000 people passed through the Haunted Mansion. The attraction's centerpiece is the  Grand Hall , a 90-foot-long ballroom sequence of  dancing ghouls at a birthday party . Disney brought to scene to life through an exceptionally complex series of illusions known as Pepper's ghost, which use refracted light to project and shape ethereal images. "A lot of the professional haunters will point to one thing, and that's Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. It's the start of the haunted attraction industry," Morton says. The attraction was revolutionary, as she explains in  Trick or Treat :

What made the Haunted Mansion so successful and so influential, however, was not its similarity to haunted houses and "dark rides" (that is, tawdry carnival haunted houses) of the past, but its use of startling new technologies and effects. Ghosts were no longer simply sheets hung in a tree, but were instead actual shimmering translucent figures that moved, spoke and sang. A witch wasn't just a rubber-masked figure bent over a fake cauldron, but a completely realistic bodiless head floating in a crystal ball, conducting a complex séance.

Within a few years, the haunted house had spread across the country. The United States Junior Chamber, also known as Jaycees, became famous for raising money through its haunted houses. (The fundraising venture was successful enough to spawn its own how-to guide.) In California, Knott's Berry Farm began hosting its own Halloween night attractions, which soon transformed into a multi-week slate of events. Every year, a man named Bob Burns attracted national media attention for  his detailed recreations of classic horror movies . Evangelical Christians even made their own anti-Halloween attractions; Jerry Falwell and Liberty University introduced one of the first " hell houses " in 1972.

As Hollywood began to embrace slasher movies like  Halloween ,  A Nightmare on Elm Street , and  Friday the 13th , the haunted house industry reaped the benefits. The horror boom fueled a demand for scary attractions, not to mention cross-promotional advertisements. "If you went to a haunted house in the 1980s and 1990s, you would've seen a lot of Freddy Krueger, Jason, Pinhead. The haunted house industry really followed the movie industry at that time," Larry Kirchner, president of  Haunted House Association , a trade group for haunted house operators, tells Smithsonian.com.

Professional haunted houses first emerged as a force in the same era, quickly outspending non-profit groups like the Jaycees. Then, tragedy struck: A fire at a haunted house in New Jersey  trapped and killed eight teenagers . In the aftermath of their deaths,  attractions were shut down , and politicians enacted  stronger safety regulations.  Volunteer organizations struggled to compete against new competition under tougher rules. Soon, many were forced out of business. It was a watershed moment for the industry, says Kirchner: "The Jaycees got pushed out because their haunted houses were fairly basic. It was based on the premise that people would volunteer, but when you have people opening big haunted houses with lots of advertising, that's hard," he says.

During the next two decades, the number of professional haunted houses erupted. Kirchner estimates that roughly 2,700 of them operated nationwide last year. A large haunted house attraction can reportedly earn  $3 million during the Halloween season , and the industry is worth  $300 million , according to an NBC report.

These days, haunted houses are no longer just about creepy characters and hyper-realistic horror. Instead, the industry has flocked to all sorts of new, extreme frights:  zombie runs ,  escape games , and  experiences seemingly designed to traumatize . How long will these successes last? Can the haunted house last another half-century? And if it does, what will it look like?

Kirchner doubts that the haunted house is here to stay. "If I was going to guess, I'd say no," he says. "Every business will eventually fail, so we just want to last as long as we possibly can."

A Halloween without haunted houses? Now that's a scary thought.

Get the latest History stories in your inbox?

Click to visit our Privacy Statement .

Chris Heller | | READ MORE

Chris Heller is the former assistant digital editor, humanities, for Smithsonian magazine.

A Summary and Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Haunted House’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘A Haunted House’, by Virginia Woolf, both is and is not a ghost story. In less than two pages of prose, Woolf explores, summons, and subverts the conventions of the ghost story, offering a modernist take on the genre. ‘A Haunted House’, which first appeared in Woolf’s 1921 short-story collection Monday or Tuesday , can be read here .

‘A Haunted House’ is at once easy and difficult to summarise; how we analyse the story depends on which aspects we emphasise. In summary, the narrator describes the house where she and her partner live. Whenever you wake in the house, you hear noises: a door shutting, and the sound of a ‘ghostly couple’ wandering from room to room in the house. The narrator (whom we can assume, tentatively, is female) claims to be able to hear this ghostly couple talking to each other. It’s clear they’re looking for something:

‘Here we left it,’ she said. And he added, ‘Oh, but here too!’ ‘It’s upstairs,’ she murmured. ‘And in the garden,’ he whispered. ‘Quietly,’ they said, ‘or we shall wake them.’

Next, the narrator describes reading a book outside while hearing the ghostly couple, in the background, hunting for this mysterious thing around the house. But as soon as she drops the book and goes to look for them, there is no sign of the ghostly pair – just the sound of the wood pigeons and the threshing machine.

The narrator confides that you could never see the ghosts, just reflections of apples and leaves in the sunlit windows. The house itself seems to be speaking, saying something about buried treasure. The light is fading, and the rooms are darkened. The narrator imagines the male ghost leaving the female one behind for some reason. It is now night-time, and the ghostly coupling continue to ‘seek their joy’. They appear to reminisce over the bed (where the living, present-day couple now sleep) where they once slept, centuries ago.

The narrator then imagines the ghostly couple standing over her as she sleeps, and, holding a lamp over the bed of the living couple, the ghosts pause, still seeking ‘their hidden joy’. Then, the narrator wakes up and feels that she has solved the mystery, and now understands what this ‘buried treasure’ is what the ghostly couple have been seeking: ‘the light in the heart’.

‘A Haunted House’ seems to be Woolf’s attempt to convey the feeling of sensing something just on the edge of hearing or sight: something you cannot see head-on but which you sense in the house with you, just on the periphery of your vision. We can probably all relate to the experience of being alone in a house and feeling that every creak, every hum, every far-off sound betokens something – a ghost, or an intruder, for instance.

Woolf’s story seeks to encapsulate that experience. That title, ‘A Haunted House’, is ripe with potential irony. And it is only ‘potential’ – for all we know, there may have been a ghostly couple in the house with the story’s narrator.

But it’s suggestive that the narrator seems most attuned to the presence of the ‘ghosts’ when she’s in states of semi-consciousness or her mind is somewhere else: just waking up, or engrossed in a book, for instance. Consider the very first sentence of the story: ‘Whatever hour you woke there was a door shutting.’

Three things suggest themselves here, at least. First, the use of the second-person pronoun ‘you’ attempts to involve us in the narrator’s experiences, as if to suggest that we have all felt something similar to this, things on the margins of our conscious experience. Second, the fact that she begins by talking about just waking from sleep – something that will come again at the end of the story – suggests waking from a dream.

Third, the fact that she mentions waking at any hour is indicative of someone who might fall asleep at any moment – someone who daydreams in the most literal sense, falling asleep during daytime, and therefore (arguably) more prone to confusing dreams with reality.

‘A Haunted House’ might be described as a short story – and, in one way, as a ghost story – but its language is almost that of a prose-poem. The rhythmical prose beats like a heart with the repeated refrain: ‘“Safe, safe, safe,” the pulse of the house beat softly.’ This mantra reappears later, with ‘softly’ changed to ‘gladly’, and then again in the final paragraph as the couple are reunited, with the adverb changed to ‘proudly’ and ‘pulse’ upped to ‘heart’ – and, suggestively, the tense shifted from past to present, as ‘beat’ morphs into ‘beats’:

‘Safe, safe, safe,’ the heart of the house beats proudly. ‘Long years—’ he sighs. ‘Again you found me.’ ‘Here,’ she murmurs, ‘sleeping; in the garden reading; laughing, rolling apples in the loft. Here we left our treasure—’ Stooping, their light lifts the lids upon my eyes. ‘Safe! safe! safe!’ the pulse of the house beats wildly. Waking, I cry ‘Oh, is this your buried treasure? The light in the heart.’

Was it all a dream? The pulsing sound that beats through the prose in its almost poetic rhythms could almost suggest the quickening heartbeat of the narrator as s/he awakes. The accumulation of active present participles, of ‘sleeping’, ‘reading’, ‘laughing’, ‘rolling’, and ‘stooping’, only intensifies the here-and-now of the moment being crystallised in prose.

That final phrase, ‘The light in the heart’, looks back to the use of both ‘heart’ and ‘light’ earlier in the same paragraph. Woolf’s ‘story’ positions itself neatly between dream-vision and ghost story, reinventing both using the new style of modernism and that movement’s interest in shifting tense and perspective. As with much modernist fiction, perception, rather than objective reality, is foregrounded.

In an essay on Henry James’s ghost stories, published in 1921 – the same year as ‘A Haunted House’ – Virginia Woolf called for new writers to find fresh and original ways of arousing fear and terror in readers of ghost stories:

To admit that the supernatural was used for the last time by Mrs. Radcliffe and that modern nerves are immune from the wonder and terror which ghosts have always inspired would be to throw up the sponge too easily. If the old methods are obsolete, it is the business of a writer to discover new ones. The public can feel again what it has once felt—there can be no doubt about that; only from time to time the point of attack must be changed.

Woolf sought to do this with ‘A Haunted House’, a story which is both a ghost story and a riposte to, or analysis of, the conventional ghostly tale. But, given that final phrase, ‘The light in the heart’, it is also a love story, and – given its relative plotlessness, its brevity, and its prose-poetry style – barely a ‘story’ at all.

Discover more from Interesting Literature

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

4 thoughts on “A Summary and Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Haunted House’”

I hadn’t read this before and thought when it started that it was going to be the narrator herself taking on a male and female persona and looking for love. Because it seems like to me if she only hears them when she wakes or when she’s reading that they only exist in her mind and not in “reality.”

Reblogged this on Greek Canadian Literature .

Oh, this is definitely going on my TBR list. Thanks! I wonder that she suggests Radcliffe, rather than Poe, as the last “supernatural” horror writer, though. I suppose didn’t much go in for ghosts, per se, but it still seems an odd oversight.

I loved this story. I discovered it last year and read it several times, then featured it on my blog as well. I had never read a ghostly story like this before and it truly stands out. One of the lines that has remained with me was ‘Death was the glass; death was between us …’ Love the brevity of the story too—kind of like being given a private glance into the other side of reality.

Comments are closed.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

• TOP CATEGORIES
• AS and A Level
• University Degree
• International Baccalaureate
• Uncategorised
• 5 Star Essays
• Study Tools
• Study Guides
• Meet the Team
• English Language
• Writing to Inform, Explain and Describe

Haunted house narrative writing. The house stood on the top of lonely hill. There was no chance of taking the way through roads. I had to take the shortcut.

13 Redwood Villa

It was cloudy and the first few specks of the rain were exploding on the dark gravel. I was in the park and I knew that I was going to get drenched if I didn’t make my way quickly from there. A major storm could be heard on the distance echoing through the silent night.

I had to reach there, as quickly as possible. Just a few moments ago, I had got the message from my friend, Lucy, to go there – 13 Redwood Villa. She had asked me to reach there by 7 pm and it was already half past six. Thunder clapped overhead and the clouds burst on the horizon.

The house stood on the top of lonely hill. There was no chance of taking the way through roads. I had to take the shortcut. “What shall I do”, I pondered over it the second and decided I’d go the hill way to the top. So, I moved forwards. It was dead chilling cold and the rain had made it even more difficult to walk. The cloud had obscured the moon in the dark night and the whole way filled with sense of anger and malice.

I took a deep breath of the cool night air and walked faster towards the house. My curiosity was already beyond its limits. Now, I was almost to the top. The flickering light of the house could be seen nearby.

Finally, I reached there – 13 Redwood Villa.

The house stood, 3 storeys high, with boarded up windows and a broken chimney, giving the house a menacing look. Its door had been boarded up too but you could easily push it open between the planks at the bottom.

“Am I sure this is the house”, I thought to myself. Lucy hadn’t told me about why she wanted to see me. I was not really excited now, not after the dreadful smell and the abandoned look the house gave. “Well, I couldn’t turn back now, after all I’ve come till here”. I was stuck between fear and excitement.

But at last, a crack of thunder, a flash of lightning and slowly I pushed the door open. The rusty hinges gave a scary creaking noise. I took one last look at the outside of that fearsome house. The rain was splashing down around me. And then I had ducked under the planks of wood and was inside, peering about in the darkness.

This is a preview of the whole essay

As my eyes adjusted in the darkness, the room slowly came into the view, the long bare corridor with doors leading to unknown rooms. I then started even forwards. Suddenly I heard a squeak. I was totally daunted. And then I heard some footsteps as if someone was wandering around me.

My heart was accelerating. Thud, thud, thud... The rain was still pattering dismally on the window panes. Although petrified, I went to the door to see who it was. No one! I again heard the noise. I looked down. Thank god it was just a cat, an abandoned little black cat.

But its look was enough for me to give a fright. I had looked at the cat’s face in the gloom and I could see its dark hair, its perfect features and a ghastly eyes staring back at me. I slammed the door close and made a run. I could hear the cat meowing back as if trying to break inside. It all seemed stupid now. I should’ve never come to this house.

I was still running and just at the moment I saw a big door on the corner of the corridor. I went inside and entered a large bare room. It was all dark and smelled of sodden clothes and rotten fruits. Running through the side of the room I noticed a flight of stairs ahead of me. I could hear someone muttering on top of stairs.

Hurriedly, I ran up the stairs and reached the second floor. The windows upstairs were covered with large, black curtains which flapped along as the gust of wind rushed inside the windows. All the walls were covered with cobwebs. The floor creaked under my feet. That corridor had even more doors that led to unknown rooms. And I could still hear the voices.

Just then I saw someone hurrying inside one of the doors. It might have been the same person of whom I had heard footsteps of. I was shocked and shivered with frightfulness. “Who else could be inside? Was it Lucy?” I decided to follow the person. But the dim light of the moon flickered and the person darted away. I missed. That must have been my imagination.

Slowly I entered the room standing just behind me. That room was such a mess, as if someone had torn it apart in rage. All the things were tipped over on the floor. Through the bars of windows I could see the sky slowly clearing up. I looked at my watch. It was already ten to seven.

I still hadn’t seen Lucy yet. “If this was her trick to scare me then I would’ve never forgiven her, but what if she wasn’t playing a trick. She should’ve been here by now!”

I left the room and marched towards another room, and another. Through more doors and up another staircase and I realised I was totally lost. I swore I was. But I knew I was now on the topmost floor.

As I stood there, stiff, I heard the owl hooting and outside and also the rustling of leaves. But beneath all the noise, was the terrible silence that overpowered every other sound.

The voices were getting louder.

I checked through almost all of the rooms until I was really exhausted. I paused for a second and went towards the windows. I needed fresh air. Outside the windows I could see the whole city as dead as doornail. There was no trace of any sound, not even a single muttering or laugh. I again turned towards the corridors. I only had two more rooms to check.  

I stepped up to one door and slowly reached for the handle. Just as I was about to enter inside, a group of bats hovered outside from the room. That was scary. I screamed with terror. I closed my eyes and ducked down until every bat had flown away. Luckily it was all quiet again.

Hastily I grabbed out the torchlight from my pocket and set it alight. In the flashlight I saw a puddle of liquid on the floor. Drops were splashing into it. “Was that a blood?” I frowned.

As I looked up, I saw a large chunk of wood that had fallen out of the ceiling. The rain was seeping into through the crack. I sighed with relief. The puddle on floor was just a rain, not the blood.

Just then I noticed some white thing on the floor. I focused the light on the floor. The light shone vividly at a large pair of sharp fangs. My head snapped up. I tried to scream but no sound came up. I stumbled back, clutched my stomach and fell over on the floor. I was unable to rip my eyes away from the sight. It couldn’t have been a real Dracula!

Startlingly, I crawled forward to touch the fangs. It came off onto my hand. It was just a fake pair of fangs. I was confused for a moment. Was it any trick!

It was now already five past seven and I was still wandering around the house. I still had to check in through one more room. The door stood on the farthest corner of the corridor. It looked creaky and intimidating. The illusion made it look even more sinister. Standing there, watching the quiet patience of the door, I knew it was more than a fright inside. I knew something was there. Not evil or malicious, simply dangerous!

The muttering voices were now gone. The whole house stood dead quiet. The only thing I could now hear was my own breath. Through the windows, the pale light of the moon shone beneath the dark deep clouds. Everything seemed so ghastly and unrealistic. I got up and slowly made my way towards the final door. My knees were now too weak, I had to bend and walk.

Lastly, I reached it. I grabbed the door handle and pushed myself inwards.

Oh my God! The room was so dark and so creepy. No windows, no light, nothing! I stood there in the silent darkness for a moment, holding my breath. I knew there was something hidden behind this darkness. I was now too much scared. So, I started backing away. Suddenly, something touched my back. I swore it was a human hand. “I must run away”. All these creepiness was now too much for me to bear.

But a noise behind me made me stop. I turned around slowly and tried to adjust my eyes in the darkness. Bare feet hit the floor loudly as I heard someone running towards me. “Hello, who’s there”, I shrieked with fear.

Silence! But suddenly the lights flicked open and the balloons popped out. I saw all the faces I knew. Before I could even realise anything, everyone shouted “Happy Birthday, James!”

English coursework                               Asmita Dhakal         Page  of 4

Document Details

• Word Count 1578
• Page Count 5
• Subject English

Related Essays

A haunted house. As I stood, gazing at the dilapidated house. I shivered

The House On The Hill.

The Haunted House

Haunted house

A Haunted House

Virginia woolf, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

English Studies

This website is dedicated to English Literature, Literary Criticism, Literary Theory, English Language and its teaching and learning.

“The Haunted House”: Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf has crafted a highly abstract narrative titled “The Haunted House,” which presents challenges to comprehension upon initial reading.

Introduction : “The Haunted House”

Table of Contents

Virginia Woolf has crafted a highly abstract narrative titled “The Haunted House,” which presents challenges to comprehension upon initial reading. The story employs intricate narrative techniques, contributing to its complexity. Set within a home occupied by a contemporary couple, the narrative reveals that the same house was previously inhabited by another couple a century ago. The underlying thematic exploration centers on life, death, and love, ultimately emphasizing the enduring nature of love despite changing circumstances. The story posits that love transcends time and space, persisting even in haunted places.

Couple in “The Haunted House”

In the opening passages of “The Haunted House,” Virginia Woolf intricately weaves a sense of mystery and intrigue as the contemporary couple residing in the house perceives doors closing, suggesting the presence of a ghostly couple moving throughout the rooms. This phenomenon sparks speculation that the spectral pair is in search of something left behind, perhaps years earlier. Woolf subtly hints at the enduring bond between the ghostly duo, despite their ethereal existence, as they navigate the space together.

Furthermore, as the narrative progresses, the ghostly male figure expresses a sense of emptiness, symbolizing his loss and yearning for something elusive. His dialogue hints at the profound impact of his lover’s passing, which left him emotionally adrift and physically separated from his home. This loss is poignantly illustrated through his journey “North, went East,” symbolizing a physical and emotional departure from his former life, only to return to find it irrevocably changed.

Meanwhile, the contemporary couple observes the ghostly wanderings with a mixture of curiosity and empathy, recognizing the ghostly pair’s quest for joy and fulfillment in their eternal bond. Woolf masterfully explores themes of love, loss, and longing, inviting readers to contemplate the enduring power of love beyond the constraints of time and mortality.

These elements from the story emphasize Woolf’s skillful use of narrative technique to evoke a sense of mystery, while also delving into profound themes of human experience and emotion.

Love in “The Haunted House”

In a brief exchange, the ghostly couple conveys their enduring love, rooted in their shared history within the house. The current occupants sense they are searching for something lost, possibly a valuable item like gold or currency. Despite their efforts, the elusive nature of their quest persists, driving them onward. Upon entering the bedroom, their undisturbed presence suggests a serene connection to their love.

Interpreting the spectral dialogue, the current residents discern phrases like “death between us,” “hundreds of years ago,” “here we slept,” and “kisses without numbers,” revealing the depth of affection between the ghostly pair. This profound love seems to be the very essence they seek. Ultimately, the revelation of “the light in the heart” resonates with the living couple, signifying their shared understanding and discovery.

This mutual comprehension underscores the absence of animosity between the living couple, allowing them to grasp the essence of the ghostly couple’s quest. Unafraid and attuned to the mystery of love, they welcome the spectral visitation as a testament to its enduring power. Indeed, the presence of the ghostly couple reaffirms the notion that love transcends time and space, returning to the places it once thrived.

Works Cited: “The Haunted House”

• Cassigneul, Adèle. “ Virginia Woolf’s Haunted House of Fiction .” Journal of the Short Story in English. Les Cahiers de la nouvelle 70 (2018): 73-86.

Relevant Questions about “The Haunted House”

• How does Virginia Woolf utilize the motif of the haunted house to explore themes of memory and trauma in her work?
• What symbolic significance do the various rooms and elements within the haunted house hold in Virginia Woolf’s narrative, and how do they contribute to the overall atmosphere of the story?
• In what ways does “The Haunted House” reflect Virginia Woolf’s modernist style and experimental narrative techniques, particularly in its exploration of consciousness and perception?

Poetic Comments on “The Haunted House”

In the haunting whispers of the ghostly pair,

Echoes of love, timeless and rare.

Lost treasures sought in shadows deep,

In the bedroom’s embrace, their love did keep.

Through murmured words of “death between us” they spoke,

Centuries past, where love awoke.

“Here we slept,” they reminisced in delight,

With kisses unnumbered, their love took flight.

In the heart’s gentle glow, the truth did gleam,

Love’s essence found, a radiant beam.

For in the embrace of love’s sweet art,

The living couple discovered the light in the heart.

Unafraid, they welcomed the ghostly embrace,

For love’s eternal presence, time cannot erase.

Thus, in the house where love’s echo resounds,

The visit of ghosts, in love, abounds.

Related posts:

• Government’s Usage of Euphemism: Hiding Truth
• “You Fit Into Me”: by Margaret Atwood
• Resistance and Anger in Mahmoud Darwish
• “The Eagle” and “Hawk Roosting”: Comparison

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Haunted House — Exploring the Scariest Haunted Houses in Sioux City

Exploring The Scariest Haunted Houses in Sioux City

• Categories: Haunted House

About this sample

Words: 579 |

Published: Jun 13, 2024

Words: 579 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, body paragraph 3.

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Dr. Heisenberg

Verified writer

• Expert in: Geography & Travel

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 854 words

1 pages / 539 words

2 pages / 1289 words

3 pages / 1500 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Haunted House

As the sun begins to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the landscape, a sense of foreboding fills the air. The haunted house stands at the end of a lonely, winding road, shrouded in an aura of mystery and dread. [...]

Throughout history, the concept of a haunted house has intrigued and terrified individuals across cultures and continents. These structures, often characterized by their eerie atmospheres and mysterious occurrences, serve as [...]

The Belvedere, a historic building located in the heart of the city, has long been shrouded in mystery and intrigue. Over the years, countless reports of paranormal activity have emerged, leading many to believe that the [...]

Every town has that haunted house worth writing an essay about. Old. Gloomy. Creepy. It sits amongst trees that are dead, standing over an overgrown yard. Shutters swing in the breeze, hanging on by rusted hinges. The paint has [...]

Welcome to Highland Park, one of the most affluent, beautiful, and charming communities in all of Texas. Located just a few miles north of uptown Dallas, Highland Park might seem to be an extension of the big-city hustle and [...]

The statue of liberty is an iconic feature of the United States. People all over the world travel to New York City and go directly to the historic statue. Costumes of the green woman are made, people dress up like the statue [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Literature Short Story

The Story Of A Haunted House

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Amigo Brothers
• Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?
• The Chrysalids
• Book Report

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

Elektrostal

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Elektrostal , city, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia . It lies 36 miles (58 km) east of Moscow city. The name, meaning “electric steel,” derives from the high-quality-steel industry established there soon after the October Revolution in 1917. During World War II , parts of the heavy-machine-building industry were relocated there from Ukraine, and Elektrostal is now a centre for the production of metallurgical equipment. Pop. (2006 est.) 146,189.

• Bahasa Indonesia
• Eastern Europe
• Moscow Oblast

Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

Information

Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu.

• Update data

Elektrostal Demography

Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Geography

Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal .

Elektrostal Distance

Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia.

Elektrostal Map

Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city.

Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages

Elektrostal Weather

Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset

Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal.

Elektrostal Hotel

Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price.

Elektrostal Nearby

Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings.

Elektrostal Page

• Information /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#info
• Demography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#demo
• Geography /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#geo
• Distance /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist1
• Map /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#map
• Nearby cities and villages /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#dist2
• Weather /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#weather
• Sunrise and sunset /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#sun
• Hotel /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#hotel
• Nearby /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#around
• Page /Russian-Federation--Moscow-Oblast--Elektrostal#page
• Terms of Use
• Copyright © 2024 DB-City - All rights reserved
• Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data

Leninsky District, Moscow Oblast

Leninsky District is an administrative and municipal district, one of the thirty-six in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast just south of the federal city of Moscow. The area of the district is 202.83 square kilometers. Its administrative center is the town of Vidnoye. Population: 172,171; 145,251; 74,490. The population of Vidnoye accounts for 33.0% of the district's total population.

More information and contact

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leninsky_District,_Moscow_Oblast

Coordinates 55°33'25.739" N 37°42'31.371" E

Sygic Travel - A Travel Guide in Your Pocket

More interesting places

• Privacy Policy
• STOCK 360° TRAVEL VIDEOS