English Short Stories for kids, Learn English through Stories

A Thriller Story: The Whispering Shadows

English Stories

Sharing is caring!

In the small village of Willowbrook, the days were quiet and peaceful. It was the kind of place where everyone knew each other, and nothing strange ever seemed to happen. But there was one place in the village that no one dared to go—the old abandoned mansion at the edge of town.

For as long as Emma could remember, she had been fascinated by that mansion. She had heard stories from the villagers. They said the mansion was haunted. People whispered about strange noises coming from inside at night—whispers, footsteps, and the sound of old doors creaking open. The mansion had been abandoned for years after the mysterious disappearance of the family that lived there. Ever since then, no one had dared to live in the house.

But Emma wasn’t afraid. She was 15 years old, curious, and loved solving mysteries. She decided that one day, she would find out what was really going on inside that mansion.

One chilly autumn afternoon, after finishing her homework, Emma gathered her courage. She was going to explore the mansion. Her parents were busy, and she knew they wouldn’t miss her for a few hours. She grabbed a flashlight and a notebook, just in case she needed to take notes.

The sun was starting to set as Emma walked down the village road toward the mansion. The wind was picking up, and the sky was covered with dark clouds, making the mansion look even more mysterious. It had large windows that were mostly broken, and ivy climbed up the walls, covering parts of the building. The door to the mansion was old and wooden, with strange carvings on it.

Emma stood in front of the door, staring at the faded carvings. “I’m going in,” she whispered to herself.

She pushed the door open slowly. It creaked loudly, like a warning. The air inside smelled old, like dust and forgotten memories. Emma stepped inside, shining her flashlight around the room. The walls were covered with peeling wallpaper, and the floors creaked under her feet. There were old paintings on the walls, but the faces in them seemed to have been scratched out.

Emma shivered but pressed on. She knew she had to find out what was behind the whispers.

She moved through the house, room by room, each one filled with more dust and decay. The farther she went, the colder it became. She reached the living room, which was large and empty except for an old, broken chair in the center. As she walked across the room, she heard a faint sound behind her—like someone whispering her name.

“Emma…”

Her heart skipped a beat. She spun around quickly, but no one was there.

“It’s just the wind,” she muttered to herself, trying to stay calm. But as she turned back toward the room, she saw something strange—a shadow moving across the wall.

The shadow was small and seemed to be dancing across the room. Emma frowned. Shadows don’t move like that, do they? She quickly turned on her flashlight and shined it at the shadow. It disappeared instantly.

Now Emma’s curiosity was stronger than ever. She had to know what was causing that shadow. She followed the sound of her own footsteps deeper into the mansion. The hallways seemed to stretch on forever, each corner darker than the last. The whispers grew louder, echoing through the halls.

“Emma…”

This time, the voice sounded closer. She could hear it coming from behind a door at the end of the hallway. Emma approached the door carefully, her heart racing. She reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly.

Inside was a small room with a single chair in the middle. On the wall across from the chair was a large mirror. But what caught Emma’s attention was the figure standing in front of the mirror. It was a shadowy shape, flickering like a flame. Emma could barely make out the features, but she could tell it wasn’t a person—it was something else.

“Who’s there?” Emma called out, her voice trembling.

The figure turned, and Emma gasped. It was a woman, but she wasn’t like anyone Emma had ever seen before. She had long, flowing hair that seemed to float around her, and her eyes glowed faintly in the dark. She was wearing a long dress that looked old-fashioned, almost like something from a time long ago.

The woman smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was cold, as if she knew something Emma didn’t.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the woman whispered.

Emma took a step back, her mind racing. “Who are you? What is this place?”

The woman’s smile faded, and she turned back toward the mirror. As Emma watched, the woman’s reflection in the mirror started to move on its own. The reflection smiled at Emma, but it was a cruel smile—one full of malice.

Before Emma could react, the figure in the mirror spoke. “You’re not supposed to be here. You should leave.”

Emma’s heart pounded in her chest. She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew she had to leave.

Just as she turned to run, the woman’s voice echoed through the room again. “The shadows know you are here.”

Suddenly, Emma felt something cold brush against her skin. She looked down and saw shadows moving at her feet, stretching toward her. They twisted and turned like they were alive, following her every move.

Terrified, Emma dashed out of the room, running down the hallway. She could hear the whispers all around her, growing louder and louder. The shadows were closing in.

“You can’t escape,” the woman’s voice called out.

Emma didn’t stop running. She reached the front door and pulled it open with all her strength. But the door wouldn’t budge. It was as if something was holding it shut from the inside.

“Please, let me out!” Emma shouted, pulling at the door.

The whispers were so loud now that they almost drowned out everything else. They were coming from all around her, but when Emma looked over her shoulder, no one was there.

With one last desperate effort, Emma pushed the door open just enough to slip through. She stumbled outside, gasping for air. The cold night air hit her face, and she felt the shadows retreat behind her.

When Emma looked back at the mansion, she saw the light flickering in the windows. The whispers slowly faded into the distance, but she could still hear the faint sound of the woman’s voice calling her name.

Emma ran all the way home without stopping. When she finally reached her front door, she glanced back one last time at the mansion. It stood in the distance, silent and dark, but Emma could swear she saw a figure standing in the window.

That night, Emma didn’t sleep. She lay awake, thinking about what she had seen in the mansion. The shadows. The woman. The whispers. She knew she had barely scratched the surface of the mystery, but she didn’t know if she was brave enough to go back.

The next day, she told her best friend, Sarah, about everything that had happened. Sarah was curious, just like Emma, and they both agreed that they needed to figure out what was really going on.

But as they walked past the mansion, Emma noticed something strange. The door was open—just a crack. And faint whispers seemed to drift out, calling her name.

The mystery of the mansion wasn’t over yet. And this time, Emma knew she couldn’t turn away.

More stories:

Resources:

Sharing is caring!

Related Posts