Horror Filled Tales For A Dark Night, Or Day

The Wallpaper

Jacob was a ten year old boy that attended school regularly, tried not to get into trouble, and usually listened to his parents when they told him to do something.  So he couldn't believe it when his parents told him that for the summer while he was off from school, that he would be spending time at his Grandma's house.  

"Ahh.. Why do I have to go there?" Jacob begrudgingly asked his parents.  "I've been good, and my grades were at least a little above average this year." 

"Grandma's been a bit lonely since your Grandpa passed away a few years ago.  And doesn't have too many friends anymore that can visit her very much.  And she hasn't seen you in person for a long while Jacob, please just be nice to her, you only have to stay for a couple of weeks." Jacob's mom said, as she helped pack his bags.

" But it'll just be me and her.  "And we don't like the same things at all." Jacob complained. 

"You don't know that for sure." Jacob's mom said.  "Just because she's old, doesn't mean that Grandma doesn't have any fun interests that the two of you can't work on, or do something new together." 

Jacob sat on his bed, feeling the defeat.  He knew he wouldn't be able to convince his parents to let him stay, or to go anywhere else for the beginning of the summer.  He had been trying to change their minds for days now, bringing up various things so he could stay home.

"Alright, let's go." Jacob's Dad said to him, as his mom picked up his suitcase off of the bed, all packed and ready to go.  Jacob followed his dad out to the car, getting into the backseat as his mom got into the front, his dad loading Jacob's bags into the trunk.  After, his dad got into the driver's seat and off they went for a long four hour drive to Grandma's house, that was far off in a more country like setting, unlike Jacob's family home in a more suburban location.

Jacob watched the scenery go by through the backseat car window.  He wondered what he could possibly do at his grandma's house that wouldn't make him go crazy with boredom.  Luckily he brought some of his favorite video games to play on his handheld gaming device.  Jacob wasn't allowed to have a cell phone just yet, his parents didn't believe he needed one, that it would just be a distraction and that he had a computer at home, in which they took the time to look over his shoulder in the living room every now and then to see what he was doing.  They also told Jacob that he would see his friends at school anyway, so they didn't need to be talking, or texting each other at home instead of doing homework, or something else constructive.  And his parents always knew where he was, Jacob would only get to go to places his parents would drop him off at after school where adult supervision could be had, or one of his parents would go with him somewhere, where they could keep an eye out for him.  He wasn't a trouble maker, but Jacob knew his parents worried about the world's menaces that could badly affect, or hurt him out there, so it was both a disappointment and a bit of a surprise that they were going to let him be at his Grandma's house with mostly just him and her.  He had even thought for a moment that maybe he should be at least a little proud that his parents were going to trust that he would be okay with just one elderly person to stay with for awhile, and that she would probably need his help more than he would need hers, even if he inwardly groaned at the thought of having to help take care of his grandma in part for some of the summer.  He was going to be able to have at least some time during the summer break from school to spend at home before classes came back on.  

The car drove up the driveway to Grandma's house when they got there, and Jacob looked up at the house.  It was tall and yellow, with a pointy roof, and  large windows on the first and second floors, with white shudders on them.  The stairs with their handrails that lead up to the front porch of the house were also painted white, everything looking in good condition despite his grandma having lived in the house for so long, from years and years before Jacob was even born.  A few large trees  surrounded the house, with a couple of large Lilac bushes that had many of their small flowers in bloom.  The other houses that Jacob and his parents had passed by on the way over were much of the same, large houses with various small additions of shrubbery planted around them, trees of different sizes also growing in the area.  It wasn't necessarily farm land, although Jacob could definitely see something like a stable with horses being a part of someone's property out somewhere.  But it was a big outer landscape that was within a few hours reach from the inner city, and then the suburban surrounding area.  When the car stopped Jacob and his parents got out of the car, his dad going around to the back and taking Jacob's suitcase out of the trunk, before going up the stairs to the porch of the house.  At the door Jacob's mom knocked a few times then stepped back so that the screen door could be opened out for them.  Shuffling footsteps were heard as someone from inside the home came hurriedly to the door.  A few seconds later the lock on the door could be heard turning, followed by it's knob.  The door opened with Jacob's grandma in her knitted shaw,  over a long, simple floral dress and with her short grey hair pulled up from her head into a loose bun, coming out to greet everyone.