The Midnight House

     All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray, the sound of horse hooves clomping along the street can be heard. Amish buggies and cars occupy the road, but not for long however. The brisk country air seeps through the girl's clothing. She pulls her striped brown sweater over her hands and rubs her arms trying to gain back some of the stolen heat. Her short brown hair ruffles in the wind as she stares up at the old creaky victorian home.
     The old white paint, most likely lead based, peels off the structure. Brown leaves and shriveled flowers coat the lawn. The grass and weeds that have grown long from years of neglect billow in the wind. Nobody has live in this ancient house for years. People say it’s haunted, cursed. The accusation is known by everyone in town. Allegedly a series of gruesome murders happened in this very home decades ago. Supposedly at night you can hear the victims wails of pain, and frightened screams permeate the air. Or at least that's what they say. No one is actually brave enough to stick around the house to know otherwise. That is except for one, the cursed child.
     The girl approaches the house just as she does every new moon. She quickly looks around to see if anyone is watching, spying upon her.
      “ It seems to be clear.” the girl thought to herself, not noticing the man hiding among the bushes .
      Quickly she opens the rotting door and scurries into the home. As she looks around the decaying house she lets out a shudder. No matter how many times she comes here it still manages to disturb her. Every new moon she is lured back to this house, it’s a side effect of the curse.
      One person of each new generation is riddled with the curse, the curse of the beast. What brings upon this curse is reincarnation. The soul that once belonged to that murderer all those years ago shall forever pay for the misdeeds it has done. For on every new moon when the sky is coated in darkness just at their heart once was, the soul must return to its old home and on the stroke of midnight it becomes a terrifying beast.
     The sun has long since set and midnight is near. The girl, now curled up in a ball stares at the time on her phone in fear.
       ” I hate this.” she whispers,” I've never done anything wrong so why…” her voice trails off as soft whimpers escaped her lips. “Maybe this time nothing bad will happen to anyone…”  more whimpers reside from her but they quickly turn into screams as the transition occurs.
      Her eyes are the first to change. They mist over  into a bright amber , her pupils form into horizontal slits.  Her skin turns an ashen gray, as if soot covered her body. Her hair retreats into her body, limbs grow longer, bonier. The sounds of bone grinding and snap in and out of place can be heard .A long sharp tail Juts viciously out of her spine with a satisfying pop and crunch. Her legs bend at disturbing angles, claws erupted from her feet. Her ears morphed into that similar to a bats. Lastly her cheek bones become longer and closer to the paper like skin, seeming as if it's about to burst through her flesh just as her tail did. Her jaw becomes large and hollow, long thin teeth slide into place where her old ones were. As she let's out one last wail of terror the door bursts open.
     Panting the creature stares up at the man who has entered its domain. He stares with horror struck awe at the creature before him. The fraction of the demons brain that belongs to the girl begs for him to run, she doesn't wish to harm him. But sadly the curses hunger is too great to withstand and the demon pounces on him.
     Screams escape his mouth as the beast rips him apart and devours his insides. Here in the midnight home a beast resides cursed for all eternity the soul inside. Unbearable hunger of human flesh, to repent for the destruction that they've left.