On a wide-open country road that draws between the farm fields and vast planes of nowhere,
Simon, a middle-aged man driving in his small silver BMW from the city, listens to a voicemail from his beloved cousin, Jen.
Hey, cuz! It's me, Jen! Imma be out all day helping to clean the streets after the fair. It will be dark when you arrive, and I won't be home so I will leave the door unlocked for you. Remember, my house is the only three-story house on the street since I don't expect you to be able to read house numbers when it's dark. I'll see you in the morning. Have a nice drive!
Simon imagined how dark a small town in the countryside could get compared to the constantly flashing city lights he was used to. Surely, they would at least have streetlamps, right?
Finally at the end of his thousand-mile drive, Simon reaches the small town. It was just as dark as Jen said but there were plenty of people walking around. Probably heading home after a long day at the fair. Simon waited for the streets to clear up before continuing to his cousin's house. Mainly hoping to see her in the crowd. After a short while Simon figured she'd still be busy, and he might as well move on.
Near the end of the street, Simon drove slowly as he looked for the biggest house. He had almost missed it, a tall dark structure hidden in the shadows of the night nearly missed his eye. Simon parked his car in the driveway and made his way up to the front door, and as expected, it was unlocked.
When Simon opened the door the hinges seemed a bit stiff, and the door swung open with a dragging screech. What a flimsy door, he thought. Once inside, he noticed several paintings on the walls of which were all the same. The dark outline of a person with the white of the eyes faintly more visible. It was quite unsettling for him but surely they would look better in the light. Simon felt around for a switch but couldn't seem to find one. As his hands grazed along the walls on his way to the stairs they felt crusty and chipped. Jen must have had old wallpaper.
The third floor of the house was a guest room for Simon to stay for the week. Tired and exhausted, he went straight to throw himself on the made bed. As he sunk into the mattress puffs of dust shot out from under him, but not just any dust. It was thicker, like ash. Jen could have at least shaken out the sheets for him. Without an effort to change into night clothes, Simon let himself sleep still wearing his coat and dress pants, wishing he had worn something more casual.
At what seemed to be about two in the morning, Simon was woken by a knock at the front door. He lazily got up and dragged himself down the stairs to answer it.
Outside stood Simon's cousin, Jen, wearing a green coat, purple scarf and a nostalgic smile, Jen doesn't hesitate to embrace Simon with a warm welcoming hug.
"Yay you made it!" she cheered "Listen, right now I'm just checking up on you but I have to go back and finish up with the after cleaning."
"Really? It's so late! I should come to help you." Simon insisted.
Without a word, Jen smiled, shrugged and walked out towards the street. Simon followed her outside and soon realized that the small town he remembered was just the same as the narrow city streets and lights of where he was from. Simon rubs his eyes for a second look but he sure wasn't seeing things. Jen continued further down the street without him.
Simon caught up to her and his eyes explored his unsettling surroundings. This is wild! Was he that tired from the drive that he didn't even recognize he was in a city? He was still sure he drove into a small simple neighborhood. Simon looked back to Jen with some questions in mind, but she was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
"Jen!" Simon called out.
He became nervous and ran around to look for her, but there was not a soul to be seen. The more he looked he began to notice there were no street signs, cars, lit windows or anything. Did anyone even live in those buildings? Finally, Simon finds an unlocked door and opens it.
"Jen?"
Nothing but a dark abyss could be seen inside, and the streetlights from outside didn't reach past the doorway. There had to be something or someone inside that could help him. Simon walked inside and felt around but there was nothing. No walls, no furniture, no lamps. It was like an endless empty corridor. Simon wanted to call out for help but suddenly this room he was in became hot and the air got thicker the further he ventured. He ran back to the door and outside again. Was the building on fire? There was no fire, but when he stared back into the dark room, he swears he could hear the rumbling of flames.
He turned back to the street and yelled "Come on Jen, this isn't funny!"
Suddenly Simon heard footsteps, but not just any footsteps. They sounded as if someone was running barefoot. The floppy sound of feet on concrete echoed closer and closer. Simon looked to see the darkness at the end of the street advancing towards him with each streetlamp dying after the other. His heart dropped and had no better idea than to just run.
Down the street. As fast as he can. He kept calling out for his cousin, Jen. Whoever was coming definitely wasn't her
"Jen! Where are you? Help!"
The streets were endless. Simon felt as if he was running in a circle. An endless loop of the same buildings he had already passed. Eventually, he ran out of breath and fell to his knees. He put his hands over his head and cowered against a wall.
"Please stop!" He cried.
"Simon, are you okay?" said a familiar voice.
Simon looks up to see his cousin Jen standing over him with her hand on his shoulder. He jumped up and hugged her tightly.
"Jen please don't leave me again. I know I may sound like a child but I am so scared! Let's go home, please! I don't think I'm well. Please take me home!"
Jen scoffs at Simon and pushes him off.
"No way, I have to finish what I started. Stop being a crybaby, you're thirty-two years old. Let's go."
Simon stressfully palmed his face, almost breaking into tears, and dragged his hands down his cheeks.
"You don't understand...!"
Once Simon uncovered his eyes, he soon came face to face with a tall dark figure standing before him. A live corpse. A burnt corpse with bright white eyes that stared at Simon's soul like helpless prey. He couldn't move. He was too shocked and frightened. Is what he saw even real? The burnt corpse inhaled deeply with a thick wheeze. The sound of crumbling skin can be heard from his movement. It reached out and grabbed Simon, by his upper arm. Simon screamed but no words, no cries, not even a sound was made. No matter how loud he tried to be he was mute.
As Simon struggled to slip out from the corpse's grip, it dragged him into another endlessly dark building. Simon kicked, pulled, and hit until the corpse roughly threw him. Simon got up and tried to run away but he was suddenly surrounded by tall blistering flames and metal wall. He was trapped in a furnace!
He turned around to see the corpse standing in a doorway. Nothing but darkness behind it. A large iron door slammed shut between them. Through the window, only the faint outline of the corpse's silhouette and its white eyes could be seen. Just like the figures in the paintings.
Simon ran up to the window, and just as he lands a strong fist against it he was woken by a knock at the front door...
Simon jolted up out of bed gasping for air. It was a dream. It was just a dream. What a horrible dream. What a horrible way to die! What was that monster?! He ran down the stairs and the first thing he looked for was the paintings. There were none. In the places Simon expected to see them there were only windows. If those weren't paintings, then were the figures he saw in them actual silhouettes watching through the shadows?
More knocking came from the door. Simon takes his time to stare. Was it Jen? Was it that corpse again?! It's bright outside surely he's awake now. As he reached for the doorknob his hands trembled. He wanted to just run, out the back door and never to be seen again. Run away from it all!
Simon opened the door.
It's Jen.
Wearing her green coat and purple scarf, she looked at Simon with a confused expression.
"What are you doing here? My house is further down the street!"
Simon shivered. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on their ends.
"What? But this was the first three-story house I saw!"
"Simon, this house has been burnt down for five years, and the third story caved in. It's not even there!"
Simon looked back into the house and saw that the whole interior was burnt to a charred black texture. The smell of old ash finally hit him, and realization dawned on him.
"I actually used to know the old man who lived here..." Jen continued. "He was a sweet guy. Pity he died in the fire."
