"Psst! Hey, Luke." A ten-year-old boy crouching beside the flower beds around Amanda's house turned to see his friend, Sam, wave at him.
"What are you doing? This is Miss Amanda's house," Sam said.
"Duh," Luke rolled his eyes. "I know that. It's time to check her out." He grinned like it was a brilliant idea.
Sam sighed. "Why do you sneak around people's houses? It's wrong."
"So I can know everything about them. Miss Amanda is super nice and always smiling but she never invites anyone over to her house. My mom says she offered to bring her some hazelnut cakes but Miss Amanda refused. I think she's hiding stuff," Luke concluded.
"What stuff?"
"That's what I will find out. Hehe."
"I gotta go. My mom needs me," Sam said and left Luke to his self-imposed duty of discovering Miss Amanda's secret.
Since Amanda moved into the neighbourhood, she was polite, friendly and kept to herself. None of her neighbours knew anything about her. But Luke was fascinated. The curiosity of this enigmatic woman nagged at him.
There was noise and clanging of pots in the kitchen area. Luke slowly raised his head and saw Amanda move to her bedroom. He quickly made his way to her window and peered inside.
Amanda stood in front of a tall mirror, and combed her hair with her fingers, admiring herself. Then she began to twist, like in a dance. Bone crunching and gurgling noises filled the room. Luke froze, chilled to the bone. The hairs on the back of his neck and hands stood straight.
Amanda's once smooth skin became wrinkled and saggy, and her once long and luscious hair was now thin and white. Her body contorted and twisted in unnatural ways as she let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed against the walls of the house.
Luke tried to run but he couldn't look away from the horrifying sight. He watched Amanda, the young, sweet lady transform into an old lady.
Luke trembled, not from cold but from fear as he watched Amanda come close to the window. He couldn't tear himself away and run. She opened the window. Her eyes were the most terrifying part of her —they shone with a red light.
"Have you heard of the idiom, curiosity killed the cat?" She asked Luke in a low and terrifying voice.
Luke shook his head vigorously. He was tongue-tied.
"Now you do. Don't ever sneak around people's houses again. You hear me?"
Another nod.
"Now, run home!" Amanda said with a slow grin. She closed her window and watched Luke run as fast as he could.
Luke didn't tell anyone what he had seen. Amanda's secret was too dangerous to uncover. He also never sneaked around houses again.