Someone's At The Door

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I pulled up to my mail box and grabbed my mail before starting up my long driveway that’s lined with the oak trees that grow around here. My classic antebellum house sits perfectly in the center of the end of my driveway. My fiancé and I designed the house in 1861 and were going to move in once we were married. That never happened of course, and it was sold off. The family that bought it kept it up well though. There were only a few repairs I had to make when I purchased it back last year. The grand white house sits on 20 acres of land, in the middle of since grown over cotton fields and a rice field on the edge of the marsh. I’ve spent many afternoons swinging through my thoughts on the front porch swing and rocking in the rocking chair on the upper balcony that runs across the front of the house like the porch. The previous owners added upgrades like a garage that can be accessed from the newly renovated kitchen. My fiancé and I were planning having a big family some day, so we had three bedrooms plus what you would call our master today. The old owners also added a master bathroom on and put in a big guest bathroom upstairs and a half bathroom down stairs. Every time I stepped in the front door I recalled the conversation between my fiancé and I when all that stood on these ground was the frame to the house.

“This will be the foyer.” He was explaining while we were standing at what was to be the front door. “It will extend to the back wall. The grand stair case will descend from the center at the back wall, with plenty of banister for our children to slide down.” His smile at the part about our children stretched across his face, his eyes filled with passion, and I thought my heart was gonna give out that very second. “The landing at the top of the stair will take you to two guest slash kid rooms on the left and the right will take you to the third guest slash kid room and last but not least our room.” Again with the heart stopping grin. “How does that sound?” Unlike most men during that time he actually cared about and wanted my opinion.

“That sounds lovely.”

“Great. Now the formal sitting room will be there like you requested.” He said gesturing to the right of the foyer. “At the back of the stair case will be two doors on either side, the left side will be the study, the right will take you to the kitchen. And just left of us here will be the dining room, complete with its own door to the kitchen.” He looked at me willing me to give him some input on the plans,

“Seems like everything is planned, right down to where our children will play.” I said uneasily.

“Emmy, you’ll be a great mother. I know you will, and I’m always right. I wish you wouldn’t worry yourself with such nonsense.” He said pulling me close so my head rested on his shoulder, gently kissing me on the forehead in the process. He always knew what to say to calm me.

“It’s comforting to know you have such faith in me, but I have none. Therefore my worry will persist.” His only response was an odd mix of exasperated affection.

            Those memories keep me coming back, memories are what hold me here.

            All the way up my driveway that feeling was growing strong, eating at my stomach until it was nearly in knots. I put my car in park and stepped out to be blast with a scent that was neither human nor animal. A shifter had been here. I immediately suspected Luce trying to pull another prank and walked in to my house. Once inside the scent turned human and it wasn’t Luce, or anyone I knew for that matter.

            My survival instincts kicked in to over drive, all my muscles tensed ready to defend whatever attack came towards me. My fangs were pushed through fully and I could feel the erratic throbbing of my veins in my face. I searched my entire house and land within a few minutes. There was no one, just a scent that vanished at the edge of the road. I assume they must have had a car waiting there for them. I went straight to my blood supply, if they come back I’d need to be as strong as I’m capable of being. Not that strength is an issue, I could go days without feeding and still be strong enough to do things like rip car doors off with ease. But there was no telling how many could possibly come back or what they wanted. The shifter had been all through the house, even down to the cellar where I keep the blood supply in a refrigerator. That just great I’ll be up all night trying to figure out why the shifter was here, why one would intentionally go through my house and things. And what exactly was I gonna do if he returned?