The Beast Under the House

Part 5

"Hi, is this Mr. Goldman? Yes, this is Mr. Renon's contractor, Nick Forrester." Nick sits outside on the front steps as a storm rolls in from the distance. The trees around the property bend and a warm wind flips the leaves. His body is covered in cuts and bruises. His face is swelling, and one eye has swollen shut.

"Yes, I was told to let you know the house's showing tomorrow is going to be postponed. We have some last-minute renovations to finish up. Can we reschedule in two weeks?" Nick dabs his bleeding knuckles on his pants. "Okay, I'll see you then. Thanks." Hanging up, Nick dials another number, and it rings until it ends at a voicemail.

"Hey, man. It's me. I just got word from the boss that there is money to rehire everyone and finish the project. Can you call around and send some exterminators over for an estimate too? Thanks. Come in tomorrow if you get this message, the crew can get started them." He hangs up.

Standing up, Nick goes back inside. Shutting the door behind him, he walks through the foyer, into the kitchen, and goes downstairs. He approaches the door. As it was before, there are no signs of struggle on the floor besides what he and Renon stirred up, and there is no blood from whatever the monster did to Renon.

Taking out his phone, Nick stares at the black screen. Just like the darkness behind the door, a pair of eyes stare at him from the blackness. This time, it's his eyes as he stares at his reflection. Should he really mess with this creature? He is lucky it decided not to attack him, but he didn't mean for Renon to be attacked either. He just wanted to survive the fight and get as far away from him as possible.

Wiping his thumb over the screen, he looks away from his reflection and then presses the phone against his forehead. Taking a steadying breath, the contractor turns on the screen and hits the play button, resuming the song that played earlier, at a lower volume.

The string-filled bridge of the Battle Royale soundtrack twinkles into being. Gripping his phone tightly, the music slips away measure by measure like a ticking bomb. Backing away from the door, Nick watches as the door creaks and cracks open once more. The door swings open, its hinges protesting as the entryway is revealed. A soft blue-light filters from the room, lighting up the space but not revealing the monster's form.

"Where are you? What are you?" Nick asks.

A growl echoes from deep inside the room. Little motes of dust scintillate in the light, glittering like microscopic fireflies. The contractor slips his phone in his pocket, muffling the music, and keeps his hands free at his sides.

"You ask many questions, human. All you need to do is follow orders, there is no need to know the answers to your queries," a voice says. Nick flinches. The voice cuts through the air with a gravely undertone. Disembodied, it feels as if the voice is floating around the room, surrounding Nick.

"I don't know what you want," Nick answers. His palms sweat and he licks his lips as his mouth goes dry.

"You've already served me well and you have been rewarded," the monster answers.

The duffle bag that appeared in the basement still sits on the floor where Nick left it. Nick hadn't even counted it, expecting it to disappear if he got too excited or believed in it too strongly.

"So, this money is mine?" Nick asks.

"It is only the beginning of what you will receive," the monster answers.

Nick hurries over to the bag and unzips it again, inhaling the metallic smell of the fresh bills. Piles of twenties are stacked and bound by rubber bands. This will be enough to finish the renovations and to hire an exterminator. Shoving his hands into the cash, Nick fingers the stacks and pulls one out, running the money between his fingers like a deck of cards. He smiles. With this, he could have a fortune for himself.

"How do I get more of this?" Nick asks.

"Eager, are you? If you do as I say, feed me any person I want, I will grant your wishes."

Renon's screams, the snapping of bones and tearing of flesh echo in Nick's mind. The paper of the money slides in his fingers and as the song on his phone comes to an end, his fear is replaced with the dollar signs before him.

A knock echoes from upstairs. The door closes and the blue light disappears. Jumping up, Nick zips up the money and stashes the duffle bag under the stairs. Someone knocks on the front door again, pounding louder.

Running upstairs, Nick skids in the hall and hurries over the tiled flooring to the front door. He passes though the kitchen, runs by a staircase to the second floor, and passes the large, decorated living room. Maybe with all this money, he could buy this property himself. If anyone deserved it, he did. What if Renon's old Great-Uncle, Danny Moose, knew of the monster in the basement and that's why he was such a shut in? Skidding to the front door as another knock pounds through the door, Nick grasps the door handle and catches his breath.

Maybe that's why Moose never wanted anyone to visit him, as Renon said. Maybe that's why the secret room never made its way onto the house blueprints.

It was a secret.

Maybe with all this money, he can buy the property and make a name for himself. The idea of being rich has a nice ring to it. Maybe he'll be able to buy back his girl and convince her to stay with him this time. Maybe with all this money he'll stop being such a workaholic...

Twisting the door handle, Nick opens the door and swings it open wide. An older man stands there with his hands up to his eyes as he attempts to peer through the frosted glass of the front window.

"Ah!" The man stumbles back and regains his composure. Brushing his hands timidly on his jacket, he fixes Nick with a bewildered look. "What in the world happened to you?!" The man is wearing white shorts and a button-down shirt. He wears leather loafers, and his hair is neatly combed, and he wears a heavy watch on his wrist. His appearance stinks of money. He must be a neighbor or someone living nearby.

"I'm sorry to startle you," Nick says, "I've had a rough day. How can I help you?"

The man shakes his head as if to banish his nosey curiosity. "Oh, I heard screaming, I wanted to check in and see if everything was alright? Is Mike here?"

"Are you a neighbor?" Nick asks.

"Yes, I live just next door. I could hear screaming."

Nick rubs his head and beckons to the man. "Do you think you could help me? Thank you for checking in. Mr. Renon came over drunk as a skunk and got into a fight with me over the kitchen cabinets. He fell down the stairs and I can't for the life of me get him back up."

"Of course, what can I do?"

Nick looks up with a wide smile, stretching it far across his face. "No worries, I think he is okay. But I think the two of us can get him back upstairs. Can you follow me to the basement? I'll show you the way."

***

The End