Random Writing

The House

The house isn't the same to her anymore. Before, it stood for hope and faith, courage and bravery. It was home.

Now the house holds a completely different meaning. Because she knows what is really inside. The house now stands for despair and fear, cowardice and weakness.

But, even though she knows of the horrors waiting just inside those walls, she knows what she has to do. What she was born to do. And that is to go in.

The trees sway ominously before her lining the path up to the small cottage and their steady creaking is the only noise to be heard. The birds stopped singing a while ago. Even they are too wise to trespass.

As she picks her way up the stone pathway, rocks crunching beneath her boot, the girl takes in the house. It looks the same on the outside. Same slanted roof perfect for climbing. Same door with the chipped red paint. Same porch with the lone rocking chair she and her brother always fought over... before he was changed.

Slowly, silently, the girl comes to a halt just before the stairs leading up to the front door. She reaches down into her boot and pulls out a small silver knife. The one thing she always has with her. Properly armed, she climbs the steps onto the porch, pushes open the door, and walks into the lion's den.

There is no light in the house once the door closes behind her. Not a single light turned on, not a single candle lit. But they don't need light to see.

There is no noise in the house save for her shallow breaths and the soft pad of her feet and another's.

The girl looks up to the balcony waiting for the thing to show itself. She considers calling out to it but that would only wake up the rest of the group causing more trouble for her. Better that she take them out one by one.

"Well it took you long enough." Her gaze flies to the wide open door just across from her. He stands there, one arm out to the side holding open the kitchen door, the other tucked behind his back. Hiding something, she thinks to herself.

She straightens to her full height, but still does not come close to the size of the man before her. "You didn't exactly make it easy for me."

"That was the point, Kayla." He grins at her. "I couldn't have you just showing up out of the blue, armed to the teeth with weapons to kill my people."

"Your people," she whispers still staying quiet and hoping that no one else has awoken. "I am your people, Jason. You're my brother."

"I was your brother," he corrects the smile disappearing from his face. His soft brown eyes harden as he glares at her. "Now you are nothing to me."

Kayla nods. "So be it." She brandishes the dagger and takes a small step forward. Her brother backs up. A small squeal sounds from behind him. Kayla cocks her head to one side. Jason is hiding something.

She moves forward, he moves back. The two continue like this until Jason can back up no more. The hand behind his back twitches and footsteps, small footsteps run off to the side, behind the counter where Kayla can't see. She furrows her eyebrows.

"Stop running away," she growls. "Or are you too scared to face your little sister?"

At that Jason growls and launches himself at her. With practiced speed, Kayla darts to the side, narrowly missing a swipe at her stomach. When she turns toward her brother again, he is gone, and in his place stands a large, grey timber wolf. Now the fun really begins.

Kayla runs forward and lunges at her brother, knife extended. He moves to jump away but the knife connects before he can get to far. Jason whimpers, the silver burning his skin. Had she stabbed just a little bit deeper, it would have been a fatal wound instead of just a pesky scratch.

She tries again, this time trailing around behind him and leaping on his back. Her brother howls in surprise and tries to shake her off. She regains her balance and, with steady hands, plunges the knife deep into her brothers back.

The cry that follows is agony to Kayla's ears. Pulling the knife from his back, she falls off of the shrinking wolf and onto the floor to watch as her brother returns to his natural form.

Seconds later, her brother lies on the ground, eyes toward the white ceiling. His breaths come in short gulps of air. It is nearly unbearable, even though she knows that he is only a monster. Her brother was lost a long time ago when that beast first entered her family's home.

And as the howls of his pack travel through the halls and reach her ears on the floor below, she knows that her task is far from over.