Gray Goose Road

October 15th, 2017

Amy had returned from her folks, and she agreed to watch Kellen while I ran some errands. Honestly? I've had about enough of the inside of that house for a while. All day yesterday, I saw things I couldn't explain. Nothing like chairs stacked on the table like a pyramid. But things moving just outside of my peripheral. I'd turn and just as I would get a glimpse of these fucks, they would disappear! Kellen wasn't helping either with his incessant babbling. Of course, I blew up. I made him cry. What made me sick was, after I thought about what I did... I liked it.

I drove the Nissan into town. I was going to get a few things to fix for supper to make it up to Kellen, maybe some special time things for me and Amy... That's when I noticed, when I walked into the store, every child I passed. Every single one of them glared at me. It was like they knew. Did they know? Holy shit, what the fuck is going on here? I willed myself to the cooler and picked out a couple of frozen pizzas when I felt something tug on my pants leg. I looked down and saw a little black-haired boy wearing overalls and boots. He was glaring at me as well.

"You're an evil witch." the boy said.

My heart raced as I stared him down. "The hell-"

"I said you look strange, mister!" the boy said with a wide smile.

No, no. I know what you said, you little shit! I know exactly what you said! Everyone around us heard you! There's no way you can fake this, you deceitful little-

I hurried to the counter and began paying for things as I heard other children chanting. it was a dull roar, but as I got closer to the door I heard it clear as day.

"Witch of Gray Goose Road. Witch of Gray Goose Road."

I threw everything into my car and slammed the door closed. I couldn't figure out what the hell was wrong with me as I took my seat and started the car. The tapping on my window made me nearly spit out my heart. It was old man George Tillis. "Good afternoon!" he said cheerily.

"Hey." I said back.

"I see you found it."

I stared at him. "Ummm... What?"

George smiled widely. "We've been wondering when you would. I knew you would when you arrived."

"George, what the hell are you talking about?"

The old man only pat my door and walked away. And it left me wondering what the fuck all this meant.

My trip home, I could still see the things in the corner of my eyes. I also heard those fucking kids whispering to me. I can't remember when it changed, but their words "witch of Gray Goose Road" turned into "back under the house". And as soon as I had put the food and snacks away, that's what I did. With my shovel and my pickax, I pushed back under the house and began chiseling away at the wall, which had rebuilt itself again. I was going to find out what the hell was going on. And these damned voices were going to help me.

My pickax burrowed through the wall, pulling bricks out and to the ground. I turned on my cell phone's flashlight and pointed it at a massive cavern. Yes, the same place I had found the book with the shallow recess behind this wall. It was now impossibly massive. A cave that stretched on for eternity, a darkness that swallowed the light from my phone like it was an appetizer. I pulled myself through the opening in the wall and began walking.

I didn't know what time it was. My legs were sore, my lungs ragged from breathing in this musk. My head was feeling light as I waved my flashlight to the same stone walls as I continued deeper into the void. But at least the shadows out of the corner of my eyes had stopped. Finally. And it took being in a strange place to feel normal. I thought it was strange, how calm I was feeling, despite how my legs burned and my lungs desired oxygen. It was like all the anxiety, all the stress from the hour above, the store in town, those kids. Everything was melting away and my mind was calm. I guess my head drooped because I wasn't even using my flashlight anymore. I was just walking. When I looked up, a speck of light pierced the darkness. A bright, radiating light that pulsated with life. As though it were calling to me. I reached out to it and ran. Despite my legs' protests and my lungs dying, I pushed on as the light grew more and more.

I blinked, and I found myself under the house, now with Amy and Kellen. She was staring at me as though I had done something wrong. "A-Amy?"

"The hell is wrong with you?" she asked as he shoved my shoulder. "I've been calling for you for hours! You said you'd be gone for a few minutes and I thought you were in your man cave!"

"Woah! I... I was-" I looked at the wall I had broken open.

THAT FUCKING WALL WAS STILL IN ONE PIECE!

Amy followed my gaze and glared back at me. "It's time for dinner. You're coming with me. Now." she said and pulled my hand, leading me out of the underpinning of the house.