One Strange House

Chapter Two

   7962 Coriander Street, also known as grandma's address. Jack and I strolled down the street, taking in the rose bushes and poppies and totally normal looking houses until we come to a stop at grandma's house. It'd lost it's luster, and now loomed over us with chipped paint. It had a many windows, but a quarter of them were cracked and dusty. One of the lights were flickering wildly, flashing enough to give someone a seizure.

  "So.. What's the plan?" Jack asked, stopping to look at the huge structure before us.

  Not dying. "Scout the house, make sure it's empty, and then get a moving team because we won't be able to do this whole thing alone," I replied. That is, if we're alone.

   "Okay. Let's head in then," and with that, Jack and I opened the door. It was old and thick, probably mahogany. The doorknob thunk-ed as it turned and creeeaaaaaked as it opened. Of course, since grandma was moved into an old people home and no one was here to clean this place, I had the pleasure of breathing copious amounts of dust and general nastiness. I have asthma, so I immediately reached for my inhaler. Otherwise I'll die. Not really, but I won't be able to breathe. So sort of.

  Jack pulled out his smart phone and turned on his flashlight. We saw tons of cobwebs and a rat or two. "Spoopy Scary Skeltals," Jack sang behind me.

   "Jack, if you don't shut up right now, I'll--," suddenly, I heard a loud THUNK in another room, "Holy shit what was that oh my god we're gonna die I'M GONNA DIE A VIRGIN NO."

   "Seriously, we could die and that's all you're worried about? Not your family, not your friends, not yourself. Just whether or not you got banged. What is this generation coming to?" Jack muttered in the background. I ignore him, and instead go to investigate the thunk. As I round a corner, I see a shadow darting down the path, disappearing among it's sketchy shadow friends. I'm so going to die. This sucks. Well, I guess I have to follow it anyway. I motion towards Jack to follow me, and with him a few paces behind me, I see it. Black, yellow eyes, gleaming white fangs.. Panting... Where have I seen this before?

   As I gaze into it's abysmal stare, I stumble forward. I must get closer. I must. I must. Nothing will stop me. As I get closer and closer, I hear someone call my name. It sounds so far away. It's as though, in that creepy old house, all I could see, all I could focus on, were those eyes. Twenty feet. Fifteen feet. Ten feet. I'm finally closing the distance, but as I take another step forward, I miss. There's no ground. Why is there no ground? Why is there no floor?? Those are the thoughts flashing through my mind as I tumbled in, down, down the pit. Pitch black, jagged rocks and pieces of wood hitting and scratching me. Now that the creature's hold on me was broken, I was slowly regaining my composure. I wasn't screaming. I wasn't distraught. Instead, I focused on the silhouette slowly growing closer. It was big and humanoid. Perhaps Jack?

   Yup. Slamming into me, Jack held tight and yelled "Marceline!!". At least, he tried to, but the wind whistling by my ears cancelled out any hope of being able to hear him. Thank lord for my ability to read lips. I look down and see a small light at the bottom of the pit. I gesture to Jack to show him how to use hoodies to catch air, in a barely successful attempt to slow down. We descend closer and closer to the light, until it's blinding. So unbearably bright that it takes over everything, and I feel myself slipping. Leaving. Falling. I'm out for the count, and I'm sure Jack is too. Hellooooo Dreamland.

   I awake to a cool mist on my face. I somehow landed on grass, with no injures (aside from scratches and bruises attained on my way down) and all my things accounted for. About ten feet away was Jack, curled up in the dew. Calling his name, I push myself up and go to help wake him. He's confused when he wakes up, and after I explained what happened, he had a strange reaction. Maybe he hit his head?

   "There was no beast. You're crazy. Where are we??" he grumbled loudly. I look up for a quick survey of our location and gasp; Low fog clung to the ground, and there were large willow trees dotting the landscape. By large, I mean huge. Some of the branches have rope, with.. nooses? No, it's probably my imagination. The sky is a glorious purple with blue, evident of the night, and in the distance I could see warehouses and factories. The factories, upon a closer look, made clouds. Actual clouds. I can't believe my eyes, and I see strange beasts and animals, as well as people strolling down lamp lit streets lined with tasteful but odd homes. I see, behind some corners and in some crannies, past the wonders, something slightly alarming. Odd scarecrow-puppet hybrids are hidden, made of off-white canvas cloth. Instead of proper eyes, they have scribbled and messy circles, and just a sloppy line for the mouth. Their blank expressions seemed to follow me as I walked; it was terrifying. I relay all of this to Jack, and he gets up to see the same I do. Guess I'm not too crazy.

   "We need to investigate," I say.

   "Without a doubt," he replies, wondering at the scene before us.