Fall of the House of Usher

by Julie W. Buscher
(Brighton, Colorado)

The book that frightened me the most was Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher." This was required reading by my high school literature class.

One dark and dreary night as I climbed our steep, squeaky basement stairs, my nose buried in the scariest part of the book, almost reaching top of stairs, suddenly, without warning, my older sister appeared on the top stair stoop, beginning her climb down. Horror of horrors! Fright! Startled out of my wits! I let out a banshee scream, the book flew into the air, ending up where I do not know to this day, I grabbed the rail and held on tight to keep from falling down the stairs.

Unfazed, my older sister's said: "Well, what the heck is the matter with you, Juliaaaa?" That was the last Poe book I ever read.

Julie Buscher is the author of Homer the Helicopter.