Song: The Haunting
Artist: Anberlin
Word Count: 655

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The house stood alone on the hilltop cast in the silver glow of the moon. The wind blew causing the bare branches of a tree to tremble. A man stood alone at the steps to the house, staring at the door. The wooden steps bent underneath him as he walked up to the porch. The paint was peeling on the door and the hinges were rusty. 

Reaching out a shaking hand he twisted the doorknob and entered, a low moan came from the door as he pushed it open and stepped inside. It was too dark for him to see so he left the door open, allowing the light of the moon to help him find the light switch. He flipped the switch and a single light flickered on in the center of the ceiling. 

The man closed the door behind him then proceeded to move towards the center of the room. The wind made the house creak and the light kept flickering, still he moved forward. On the fireplace that had long since gone cold a small clock sat covered in dust. The man used his thumb to wipe the dust away, finding that the clock no longer worked, it had stopped at a quarter past three.

He turned away from the clock and found himself staring at a framed photograph, like the clock it too was covered in dust. With shaking hands he picked up the picture and carefully wiped the dust away. In the dim light he could make out a young couple, his eyes immediately went to the woman in the picture. Her dark chocolate hair curled neatly around her shoulders, eyes the color of fresh spring leaves stared back at him, her strawberry red lips smiled at him. 

Her hands were clasped in those of a man. They were leaning against each other, heads touching and both smiling. Behind them, a lake could be seen with the city in the distance. The man reached out a hand and touched the woman's face, tears formed in his eyes as he sank to his knees. 

"Why did you leave me?" His voice cracked and he let the picture fall. He buried his face in his hands, letting the tears he had held back for so long finally fall. His body trembled as he bent forward, his head touching the cold floor. 
"They told me that I had to let you go, but how can I when you haunt me? I can't get you off of my mind!"

He raised his head and stared at the picture through the blur his tears caused.
"I just want you here with me, please..."
The wind blew against the house, the light went off suddenly. The lurking moon cast its glow through the windows. He stood and looked around the room. Something moved to his right, but he could not tell what it was.

The light flickered on briefly, he caught a brief shape before the light turned off again. Whether it was a trick of the light or his own mind, the man could have sworn he saw something dancing. He thought back to when he danced with her. How quick and graceful she was, he wished that he was dancing with her now...

He felt a stirring in his heart, an emotion he had never felt before. Longing, grief, anger and sorrow raged inside of him. Part of him had been destroyed when she left, and he could not let her go. They said she was gone, that she was never coming back, he needed to forget her. 

No.

She was not gone.

His eyes searched the room, nothing moved. 

He listened, there was no sound.

"I can't see you," he whispered to the shadows, "but I know you're still with me."

Up on that hill, in that uncanny house, he could feel her with him. And there she would wait until his time came to join her, and together they would dance in the shadows, to a song that would never end.

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