Tag Archives: Appalachian thriller

The Last House Before the River Knows Your Name

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(A Thriller That Starts With a Wrong Turn—and Something Watching)

I wasn’t supposed to be there.
Not on that road.
Not at that hour.
Not anywhere near that house.

Google Maps said, “Turn left.”
I said, “That looks sketchy.”
Google Maps said, “Turn left anyway.”
And because I have unresolved people-pleasing trauma, I did.

The road was wrong.

Overgrown.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that feels personal.

And then I saw it.
The house.

It looked abandoned—
but abandoned in the intentional way,
like someone wanted you to think nobody lived there.

Vines crawled up the porch.
Wood rotten.
Paint peeled.
Windows dark.
Except…
not dark.

Because as I stepped out of the car,
one upstairs curtain shifted.

Like something inside had just noticed me.

Awesome.
Fantastic.
Exactly how every horror movie begins.

I told myself not to go up to the door. I went up to the door.

Because of survival instincts?
Never heard of her.

And honestly, it wasn’t bravery.
It was rage.

I had spent all day delivering packages for a company that pays in crumbs, caffeine crashes, and existential despair.

The LAST thing I needed was a haunted house with attitude.

The porch groaned under my weight like it was waking up.
A cold breeze slipped past me.
And something whispered my name.

My ACTUAL name.

Not “hey.”
Not “ma’am.”
Not “girl delivering stuff.”

My name.

“Carmen…”

Nope.

See, this is when normal people leave.
But not me.
Because I was angry, tired, and one overdraft fee away from choosing violence.

So I knocked.

And the door…
opened itself.

Behind it was movement.
Not a person.
Not an animal.

Something else.

And then—

My phone buzzed.

A message from a number I didn’t recognize:

“Don’t go inside. It’s not meant to see you yet.”

Yet?

YET???

That’s when I realized the house wasn’t abandoned.

It was waiting.

A.L. Childers (Audrey Childers) is a nationally emerging author known for blending humor, truth, social commentary, history, health, and metaphysics into powerful, unforgettable writing. With over 200 published books, she explores everything from government corruption to women’s empowerment, spiritual protection, thyroid health, Appalachian folklore, and the hidden mechanics of power.
Her work can be found on Amazon, TheHypothyroidismChick.com, and across social platforms where readers follow her for honesty, insight, and real-world wisdom.

A.L. Childers is the author of over 200 books spanning investigative nonfiction, history, spirituality, political analysis, women’s empowerment, and social commentary. Her writing blends deep research with lived experience, often exploring the systems that shape—and limit—ordinary lives.

Her bestselling titles include:

If you enjoyed this piece, explore Audrey’s books and blog for deeper dives into power, policy, and the people caught in between.

✅ Disclaimer:

This blog includes metaphysical commentary and personal interpretation. Not medical advice. Fiction. Do not enter haunted houses or follow GPS instructions blindly.