A collection of short stories inspired by HP Lovecraft

I have recently read some of HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos stories, and have been inspired to write my own set of spooky stories. This is my first, so I hope you enjoy and please comment!
The Light from the Window
In a small town named Crowford on the south-east coast of England, was an old house. The house had stood for many years, and no one was quite sure of it’s origin. The house had three rooms downstairs and four upstairs. It also had an attic and a basement. It was situated in a small woodland patch at the bottom of a twenty-seven foot cliff. It was on the small woodland patch near the beach. The walls were red-brick, and the roof was similarly coloured. All the windows of it were boarded up.
I had never dared venture into the house myself. First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nicholas Lovell, and I am seventeen years old. I live in a terraced house on the top of the cliff. I was always more known for staying in and studying than going out and playing. I was brought up by foster parents. But anyway, people my age were always sneaking into the house for dares and things. Then one summer’s day the inevitable happened.
A boy around my age named Alex Graham was walking past the old house with his friend Larne Patrick. Larne, for fun, stole Alex’s school bag. Alex attempted to retrieve it, but Larne refused to give it back until Alex entered the house. Alex did not want to do so, as it was getting dark, but this idea was accepted with jeers from Larne. So, Alex plucked up his courage and entered. Larne stood outside and watch the frightened Alex go in. He stood waiting for a while, but no Alex.
Then, something happened. The light in the downstairs window turned on. Larne could see the light shining through the holes and cracks in the wood. Why Larne did not just assume it was Alex, I do not know, but anyway, the boy turned and bolted into the night. The police searched the house, but found nothing. They could not get the hatch to the attic open, and even though the wood was brittle, it could not be smashed. The police had to give up the search of the house and surrounding area after two days.
Now, I would have thought that this would have put all others off of entering, but alas, it didn’t. A week later, a sixteen year old named Toby Summerton was jeered into entering. He refused at first, but to maintain his “Tough boy” image he went in. The group waited for ages, and then the thing happened again. The light appeared, shining through the cracks. And they ran. Toby’s friends, one of the toughest groups I know, who can face up to fully grown thugs and pick up the biggest of spiders, were terrified by a light in a window.

* * * * *​

Now, after the police and everything searched, there was no more stupidity around the house. Until the day in winter me and my friends decided to go round that way to see if we could see a light in the window. There was me, Daniel Parker, Ryan Blann and Aidan Hammond. We’d just left school, and decided after we all placed bets on what we thought was taking people. We cut off from the road and walked down the slippery slope down the cliff. When we got to the bottom, it was just a ten foot walk to the house. We arrived, and looked at the old barren thing.
Seeing it in all it’s glory in the dark sent shivers down my spine. Shame that the bright yellow police lines spoiled the atmosphere. Then Aidan dared me to go in. I refused. Then he started to chant chicken, and Ryan joined in. I still refused. Daniel told them to stop and said he’d come in with me. Aidan decided that Daniel was brave, and said he would too. In the end, we all ended up going. We ducked under the police line and walked up to the house. It was spooky. I look into the surrounding trees. This was one of the scariest moments of my life.
Aidan clutched the door knob. He asked us all if we were ready. We agreed. And he opened the door. From what I could make out in the dark, there were stairs directly in front of us and a door either side of us. We decided to split up. Me and Daniel would go upstairs, whilst Ryan and Aidan would look round the room with the light. My heart thumped in my chest as my foot touched the first step. The stairs stopped after about ten, and then there were ten more going up in the opposite direction to the attic. We didn’t know whether to check the first floor or attempt to get in the attic.
Eventually we chose attic. As we wandered up the stairs, we could hear Ryan and Aidan muttering below. Daniel tried the hatch first. It wouldn’t budge. Then I tried. And I saw something. A small hole, like a lock. I pointed it out Daniel, and he suggested using a pencil. I pulled one out of my bag, and shoved it in the hole. The hatch opened. We walked up into the attic, but couldn’t see anything of interest. But then I spotted something in the corner. A skull.
I was about to go and get it when we heard a noise like a gas lamp lighting, and we saw light from downstairs. I could now see why everybody was afraid of it. It was so unnatural and so unearthly. We rushed downstairs, but by the time we were down the light had gone. And so had our friends. Daniel rushed into the room to look. I tried to stop him but then I heard the noise. Blinding light flashed from the room. And I saw a figure inside it. It was the last thing I ever saw.