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If anyone ever asked me if I believe in ghosts, I'd tell them without hesitation "Of course I do" I never really understood why people didn't believe in them, it's no surprise that there are skeptics, but to outright dismiss them? Heh I tell you, some people are so close minded.

Which described one of my good friend's perfectly, his name is Devin. He was an 18 year old kid who believed in only what he saw, he was so wrapped up in what was real that he fell short in considering the possibility that some things just can be explained.

I was determined to prove to him that ghosts and the supernatural did exist. It came to the point of obsession, I tried playing tricks on him like leaving mysterious letters in his room and pretending that I didn't know what they were about, making knocking and footstep noises around his house and claiming they weren't mine when we were the only two in the house, I even tried calling him with a blocked number multiple times in some sort of periodical manner attempting to provide some sort of background and story to which a ghost might have.

Unfortunately, none of that worked, he was always coming up with some sort of excuse or reason for what was happening. It was such a downer.

But tonight, tonight would be different oh yes it would because tonight was Halloween night, the night that the veil between the spirit world and the world of the living was thinnest. I was bound to prove my point tonight, and I knew just how to do it too.

I would take Devin down to an old abandoned house, one that only I knew of between the two of us, and I would simply walk him around, show him the place and act like I just wanted to hang out and do spooky stuff because it was Halloween and because I was determined to make him a believer. So I decided to call him up. the phone rang, but after two rings he picked up

"Hello?"
"
Hey Devin it's Allen, what are you up to tonight?"

"Nothing, tonight stinks, I had plans with my parents, but they got sick"

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, would you like to come out with me tonight? I know a great place we could check out, being that it's Halloween I figured we could do something that would give us chills, and I figured a haunted house would do that"

"Heh heh, I told you, there's no such thing as a haunted house, but I'm in, I've got nothing better to do anyways"

We talked for a few more minutes about completely different subjects, but the whole time in my head I was going over all the ways I could prove to him that I was right. We'd go through the kitchen and all the room. I just KNEW I'd get him. I smiled mischievously as we said our goodbyes and we hung up the phone. Tonight was going to be awesome.

About 8 PM I set out to meet Devin at his house and then waste no time taking him to the haunted house.

Once I got to his house he was outside in his yard walking around aimlessly. He really DIDN'T have anything to do. So I walked up and we greeted each other with our usual handshake and headed out towards the house.

Along the way I decided to tell him what I knew about the house, not that he'd believe me of course, but mostly just to make conversation as we made our way there.

"You know Devin, they say that in that house a man by the name of James Nevil died. They also say that his ghost still haunts the house and that inside house you can hear his footsteps and sometimes if you're lucky you'll even see his ghost'

As I suspected, Devin just rolled his eyes and laughed, but he did humor me by asking

"Oh yeah? Well then tell me, what does James Nevil look like?"

His question threw me off a bit, half expecting to end the subject right there, but I was delighted to tell him thinking maybe my knowledge of the ghost might intrigue him more

"Well, he's tall, long black hair, somewhat of a lanky guy. That's all I know of him"

Devin nodded and at that moment I knew that until we got to the house, he would show not event he slightest bit more interest.

About 10 minutes later we had reached the house. We both starred up at it. It was even creepier then I had remembered it to be. We walked up the walk way surrounded by poorly tended grass and weeds to the front door. I looked at Devin and I asked

"Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be"

He said with a half smile as he looked at me. I then opened the door slowly and took a look inside. It was very dusty and dirty. Much of what you'd expect from an abandoned house. We entered and began taking a more detailed look at the furnishing of the house. for an abandoned house there was still some furniture in good condition and some portraits still on the walls. It was a bit surprising, but I figured no one would mess with it considering how no one else lived here besides Mr. Nevil.

We approached the portraits that were on the wall and sure enough on the wall hung a picture of a tall lanky looking fellow with long black hair wearing very fancy clothing, the type of clothing you'd see someone wearing if they were going to a formal dance or somewhere fancy to eat.

Devin turned to me and said with a small smirk

"Well well, looks like you were accurate in your description of him, and from the looks of it he was pretty well off, I wonder what else he has around this place"

His sudden interest in this place made the anticipation grow. he was walking right into the supernatural and he didn't even know it. Oh what a laugh I'm going to get when I see his face.

I followed him to the first room of the house and the door was cracked so we decided to make that our first stop. We opened the door fully revealing it to be a normal sized bedroom. Consisting of a twin bed, a dresser with a full body mirror on top, a ceiling fan, a closet with nothing in it, and worn out tattered carpeting.

As we walked in we noticed beside the bed there was a gym bag, but it looked to full. It wasn't flat like an empty one so we assumed that it was full.

Devin chuckled a bit and said": "Haha poor guy, he must've been some sort of athlete or something, he left his gym bag out and everything. He must've been preparing to go play some ball or do some sort of exercise before he died"

I nodded and I suddenly found myself wrapped up in it as well. What other secrets about this mysterious man was there?

We decided to leave that room and go down tot he next one. As we made our way to the second room we both suddenly got chills. it didn't feel that cold in the house, but if it was the ghost you'd think the chills would come when you entered the room not when you left it.

We came to the second room which was closed. So we opened it and went inside. It was a bathroom. Which was also nicely furnished. This man was indeed very well off as Devin had previously described. What caught our attention most wasn't the nicely displayed bathroom, but what was sitting on top of the toilet seat. It was another gym bag. One that looked identical to the first.

Devin was once again the first to remark

"Dang another gym bag? This guy must've been really committed to the fitness thing, kinda weird huh Allen?"

I nodded once again suddenly not feeling so confident. What was a gym bag doing in the bathroom? Why did he have two? Did he really do that much stuff with sports?

I lost all thoughts on trying to get Devin to believe in the supernatural at that moment, I was more concerned with the mysteries that was right in front of us.

We left the bathroom closing the door behind us and decided to venture to the other side of the house. We figured that if we stayed in the same area too long we wouldn't have time to see everything before we had to leave.

As we entered the living room once again passing through it to get to another room in the house we walked into the kitchen. The floors were tile and was covered in dust. There was still dishes left in the sink and some of the cupboard doors were still open.

As we walked in more something caught my eye. On the stove on top of one of the burners there was yet another gym bag completely and totally identical to the first two.

With that I instantly got chills again. I tapped Devin on the shoulder and just pointed at the bag. Devin suddenly became a bit more cautious and his voice didn't sound so energetic anymore when he spoke

"Uh... Allen.." Devin said

"Three gym bags? That's really strange, why would there be three gym bags in separate rooms in the house? You'd think he'd keep all his stuff in spot, and of all places the bathroom and kitchen?"

I shrugged as goose bumps poured over my skin.

"Maybe we should gather them all up and see what he's got in them? It might tell us more about the dude" Devin said with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Yeah, that sounds good, let's do it" I said in a less-then-comfortable voice.

Devin grabbed the bag off of the stove and proceed back to the bathroom, when we opened the door we were both stunned to find that the bag was gone. We looked around trying to find it, but no sign of the gym bag was anywhere.

I took another look at Devin as I noticed his skin started showing signs of goose bumps. I then remembered my previous reason for bringing him here, but I couldn't bring myself to be happy with it. I never expected to become caught up in this as well. I felt a little disappointed, but it quickly vanished as I saw Devin leave the room.

I quickly followed him and seen him standing in front of the open bedroom doorway. I looked at him and saw his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. I followed his gaze to the bed and saw why he was so shocked. The bag by the bed was also missing. The only bag there seemed to be, was the one Devin was holding.

We both found ourselves frozen on the spot as yet another chill washed over us. Once we regained our composure a bit Devin dropped the bag and backed up a few steps. I backed up with him neither one of us taking out eyes off the bag. We looked at each other.

"One of us should open it" Devin said with more then a hint of fear in his voice.

"atleast that way we'd know what's in it, and it might clear up this weirdness" he added.

I looked at him but silently agreed. I stepped forward deciding it was my job to be the brave one considering as I was the one who brought us here in the first place.

As I stepped closer to the bag I reached down to open it, but before I could out of nowhere we heard a blood curdling scream which appeared to fill the entire house with it's volume. Echoes coursed through the house and we instantly were paralyzed with fear.

every bone in our body seemed to grow cold as we then heard two more screams, these screams also very loud. upon further realization, the two screams were ours.

We dashed out of that house as fast as we could dodging furniture and walls as we scrambled to the front door bolting out. I glanced back just once and when I did I saw good ole Mr. James Nevil in the doorway holding a gym bag staring at us as we ran.

We never found out what was in that bag, but we assume it's still there to this very day for those brave enough to enter Mr. Nevil's house. And we never found out the reason for the scream that we heard, but what ever the reason is, or should I say WHERE ever the reason is, it's in the bag.