The wind blew hard, rustling the leaves and attempting to wake the willow trees from their deep slumber. The sun was barely visible now as it hid away behind wisps of clouds. As the lights of the sky went out, the feeble houses were lightly illuminated. But no one walked the streets now, and no one dared to. Tonight was the night that the Wilton house came alive. Strange, loud noises could be heard echoing from the mansion, and lights flickered randomly. There were occasional shrieks heard from the home. The word spread through town quickly and no one preferred to question it. Of course there were those who said otherwise at times and dared to enter the house but lingered there too long. They were never seen ever again. Since John disappeared, no one had entered or left the premises. Instead they go about their own business as if the Wilton house never existed.

Slowly and very quietly, footsteps of a young girl approached from the distance. Fear shook through the neighborhood and lights went swiftly out. Simone continued on her walk from the center of town, ignoring the fact that the only light left was the one streetlight. She pulled on her ragged jacket, nervously. Her hair whipped around her face, slicing at her. She had the feeling like she was being watched, and it wasn’t a good feeling. Simone knew she shouldn’t be out here tonight, but her errands at the well took longer then she thought it would.

“Ribbit, ribbit” came a load croak, causing Simone to shriek and jump. She whipped around and noticed a small frog. She smiled cautiously down at the frog that looked very lost and extremely hungry.

“Hey there little guy,” she whispered, shaking her finger at him. The frog croaked in response, and Simone smiled. She held out her hand, and the frog leaped into it. But the second it landed, Simone felt a jolt and dropped it. The frog jumped off and hopped fast away, and Simone suddenly felt something take over her, and she began to follow it. She left all her belongings on that sidewalk and followed the frog on its path.

If anyone had been watching that day, they would have told the story of the girl who followed that mysterious frog. And there was such a person. A small child who had watched from her window but when she later reported it to her parents they just laughed and told her not to make up silly stories.

Simone followed the frog up the stairs and into the creepy old house. Simone had no control over her actions for some strange reason. She felt like a puppet being manipulated. The door creaked open, and the moment she stepped foot in the house, the whole mansion fell silent. Her heels clicked against the wooden floors that slanted this way and that way. By this time, she felt herself returning to normal and couldn’t see the frog anywhere. She knew where she was and terror filled her. She turned to run out but the door swung shut, and bolted itself indicating that she was locked in. She banged against the door with all her might but she couldn’t open the door. Crying in fear, she slid down onto her knees.

She wished she could blame the frog, but it was only a frog, and therefore couldn’t have done much damage. So she settled on blaming herself for the trouble she got into.


“Ribbit, ribbit” came the croaking of the frog again, however only this time, Simone refused to look up or follow the frog. It was a strange little frog that brought her here, and she wasn’t going to follow it anymore even if she was forced to.

“Oh would you just look at me,” a voice said. Simone looked up quickly and in the spot of the frog was a man. Simone backed away from the man, scared.

“I’m sorry I brought you here, but you are the one I have loved. Don’t you remember me? It is I, Flynn Johnson and it is said, that you are the only one who can break the spell,” he said, sighing and falling back against the wall.

“Ok? I don’t understand.” Simone yelled at him, in anguish.

“No, of course you don’t. You don’t remember me and please don’t yell,” Flynn exclaimed. “I was your friend. And I was among those who went missing as they explored this place. The one who changed me into a frog took pity on me probably because of my beauty and didn’t kill me. And I change every day in daylight.”

“Well, your modesty didn’t change at all,” Simone replied smirking at him.

“So you remember?” Flynn asked hopefully. He helped her up, and pulled her in for hug.

But she never got the chance to answer him for a growl came that second. They both turn to see a slimy green monster grinning at them.

“Run,” Flynn screamed, holding Simone’s hand and pulling her. They flew through the house, till they reached a hallway. Here they stopped and stared at each other.

“Remember the princess and the frog story I read to you when we were younger?” Flynn asked anxiously.

“Um, sure?” Simone said, wondering where he was going with this.

“Well kiss me quickly or else, we both will die,” Flynn shouted. Simone didn’t get what kissing him had to do with the slimy monster but behind them the monster was quickly approaching and Simone wasn’t going to take any chances. It bared its teeth at them and was preparing to pounce onto them when Simone kissed Flynn. The moment froze just like that and everything disappeared.

***


“Simone! Wake up this instant! You do not go to school to sleep,” the teacher was yelling in her face.

Simone groggily lifted her head to see that everyone in class was staring at her and the teacher was walking back to the front. Her face blushed furiously and she sunk back in her chair. Flynn, her crush and best friend was staring back at her. She turned a darker red, when he winked at her. Picking up her pencil, she began to work her way through the remainder of this partially dreadful day.

When the last bell rang, everyone shuffled out of the room and Simone was the last to leave. She felt obliged to stay behind a moment and had told Flynn that she would catch up in just a second. As she trudged slowly, waiting, she heard it strange familiar noise that made her turn, and there it was, the frog in the hallway.