Collection Of Short Stories

Dream

I pull up to the house, and step out of the car onto the poorly lit street. I ring the doorbell and the Hellenic couple answers the door oddly quickly and grin at me with eerie smiles, almost as if it was forced. They told me as usual that the contacts were on the fridge and to make myself at home. The house that the Hellenic's lived in was quite large so I liked to wander. On the days I went exploring, I had discovered that some doors were locked. Today was no different than any other.  I had decided to just wander the house in search of something to do. After an hour I got a bit hungry so I went to the kitchen. I saw the silver key as soon as I had entered the kitchen, it was almost like someone had placed it there for me to find. I picked it up, and instantly my intuition kicked in. I knew this was the key to the locked rooms. I had a silent argument with myself, trying to decide what to do. In the end my curiosity got the better of me and I knew the couple wasn't  supposed to be home for another hour or two. I quickly checked to be sure that their son was in bed and fast asleep before I took my chances and ran to one of the rooms at the end of the hallway, shoved the key inside of the lock and turned it. The sound of the lock clicking filled my ears and I twisted the doorknob to see what awaited me on the other side. It was a darkened room with no light source except for a grimy window that probably isn't even helpful in broad daylight, not to mention that it was almost 10:00 at night. The room was filled with cardboard boxes. The only thing that really stood out to me was a picture with a crimson frame that was sitting on the window ledge. I walk over to it and there I see a sight that makes my stomach turn, heart pound and blood run cold. There is a photograph of me sleeping, taken from the foot of my bed. I drop the picture and the glass shatters. I run to the basement door since that was the other room that was locked and pray that there are no more pictures of me. Heart still pounding in my chest I unlocked the door, it creaked open and I held my breath as the stairs shifted beneath my feet.  I bolt down the stairs and turn on the lights to see something that makes me drop to my knees. Some of my clothing is hanging on one wall, and on another there are photographs of me from months ago, in different rooms of my house. I'm panting with fear. I push myself to go look at the other room in the basement the last locked one, when I unlock it all I see is a picture of me with a red X on it, and today's date scrawled underneath. I hear a car pull up to the driveway and the front door unlock. I sat there on the floor, paralyzed with fear as I hear footsteps getting closer and closer. I can't move. I hear someone breathing heavily behind me, then everything goes black.