Life Inside This Nightmare

3.

As we're walking down the street the hairs on my neck slowly begin to stand on end. Someone's watching me. I decide its just my imagination playing a tricks on me and let it go, soon enough the feeling fades.

We walk up a street full of the most beautiful houses Ive ever seen. All mid-century, Victorian master-pieces. He had said he'd seen me walking but I'm 100 percent sure Ive never been down this street before. The farther down we go the more elaborate and elegant the houses become. In the distance I can see a house that, in my personal opinion, is the most beautiful of them all. I can see gargoyles siting high on their perches glaring down at the world with malice and resentment.

We continue down the street and I'm completely entranced by how all of the houses seem to match but be completely different at the same time. I'm still pondering this as my soon to be host turns sharply to the left with a key in his hand. I look up to find the house I had been admiring stand in all its broken glory. Even from here I can see the damage and decay, yet the house is still breath taking.

"This is where you live?! " I squeak.

He looks back at me with amusement dancing through is eyes.

"Yeah, man. Inhetired it from my parents after they passed. "

He says it so nonchalantly, if i hadnt been watching him I wouldn't have seen the tightening around his eyes as he said the word "passed". Its probably better not tk pry, I think to myself.

"It's beautiful but if I'm honest its run down. What have you done to it? " I ask approaching the porch.

He watches me, I can feel it. I brush my hair more into my small, round face and peek at him through it. Yep, he's staring at me. I walk over to the door and do my best to look annoyed. I hear him chuckle quitely before he opens the door. He turns to meand very gentlemanly ushers me inside. I snicker and take a step inside.

I make it all of 5 steps before I see the fluffiest thing in the world come charging at me. Right as I'm about jump out of it's way it launches itself right at my chest. My reflexes kick in and I catch the giant ball of warm chocolate brown fur. It looks up at me and I fall in love with the small face staring up at me. With out thinking about it I whisper,"This is the cutest cat in the history of cats."

I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a deep, booming laugh from behind me. I turn to find my host doubled over laughing. I feel my face burn hotter than it has in a long time.
"what!" I demand, not liking being laughed at. Although his laugh is just magnificent.

"I'm sorry, it's just that, my cat there, he, oh my, I can't. " he tries to stop laughing a few times before I turn around walk off.

I bet there's a piano somewhere in here, I think just as walk into a room still holding the cat and spot a grand piano sitting in the middle of the room. I sit down and place the cat on top of the piano. I run my fingers along the keys from end to end, to my surprise it's in tune.

"let's see.. " I mumble to myself while hitting a few keys. A few seconds later Moonlight Sinatra flows from my fingers and I fall into my almost dream like state I always fall into when I play. I'm over half way through the song when I feel that I'm no longer alone. He doesn't speak so neither do I.
I let the song trail off and being Fur Elise without ever lifting my fingers from the keys. I take a look around the room while I play, spotting a few pictures the look like my host as a child.
"What's your name anyways, guy? " I say as I finish playing and turn to look at him. He's standing in the door way staring off into space.
"Hello?" I still get no response. I proceed to walk over to him and quickly realize how much taller than me he really is. He towers over my five foot six frame by a good eight or nine inches.
I reach up and poke his face as I say "hello" for the sixth time in a row. This finally snaps him out of his daze. To my delight he looks embarrassed and blushes.
"uh yeah, what? " he grumbles as he turns away from me and heads toward a different room. I look back at the cat on the piano and smile. The little guys fast asleep. I turn away and hurriedly follow after my host.
"So, let's try this again. What's your name, man? " I ask.
"Nick, well Nickolas Call but please just call me Nick."