The Ancestral Home Hauntings

01

The tranquility of the outside world was a stark contrast to the atmosphere of my home.

The autumn leaves on my lawn rustled against the gentle breeze as the sunset filled the sky with a golden-yellow hue. The streets were deserted, except for the occasional cars that passed by my house every three hours. The houses were far enough almost to feel like I was the only one living in this area. Some days, I felt like Courage, the cowardly dog - living in the middle of nowhere.

Funny. The area I lived in was also named "Nowhere."

I was never quite used to the serene environment. Everything worked in slow motion compared to the fast-paced, bustling city I grew up in. My mother always expressed her love for the suburban areas. She was never fond of cities- she always told me how she wanted to move to a quiet place after hitting a certain age. For her, the age was sixty.

I never wanted that for myself.

But life had other plans for us.

Her fifty-seventh birthday was her last. From then till now, everything went in a blur. It felt like I stepped into a portal from my old home to the new one. The new house wasn't entirely new. It was my late mother's ancestral home. According to her will, I would inherit the house after her death.

It wasn't a lot, but it was adequate. The rooms were smaller, the bathroom was half the size of my old home's, and the kitchen was small enough to fit no more than two individuals. Despite being in the family for generations, the tiny house seemed brand new, fresh off the market.

My limbs worked on autopilot as I moved from room to room, cleaning, cooking, and decorating everything last minute. I had no idea how long I had been doing this for. It could've been for hours, even though it felt like years.

Leon was visiting today after his shift at the Racoon City Police Department. He wanted to see my new house since I moved in a few months ago but didn't have the opportunity. Something always got in the way, either late-night shifts at the RPD or I'd be away for college. Finally, after months of postponing, our schedules aligned, and Leon was on his way here.

The doorbell rang, freezing me in the living room with a rag cloth and a duster. My hair was in a messy bun, sticking out in all directions. Dust and grime covered my body. I could even smell the stench of my sweat diffusing in the air.

God, I felt hideous.

The doorbell rang again, snapping me out of my thoughts. Part of me wanted to make him wait so I could look decent before I opened the door. But his impatient ringing gave me no choice but to let him in.

"Can't you wait five minutes?" I barked as soon as my gaze fell on the familiar grinning face of my friend. He was in casual attire - jeans, a T-shirt, and a black leather jacket, unlike his police uniform. Leon looked much younger when he dressed like a regular twenty-one-year-old.

"Is that how you treat your guests?" A teasing smirk played on his lips; his azure eyes flashed with mischief. "especially when they are visiting you for the first time."

I rolled my eyes at his statement.

"Yes, when they act like zombies are after them."

Leon visibly shuddered. In an alternate universe, zombies would've been fictional - something the authors, screenwriters, and filmmakers whipped up for entertainment.

But in Racoon City, it was real. And disgustingly creepy.

I still get the chills when I remember the zombie infestation a couple of months ago, right around my mother's death. It was also when Leon joined the RPD as a rookie cop. Now, he was a detective.