Itty Bitty Stories

In The Next House

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I realize living alone in an empty old house next to a stranger who doesn’t ever leave his can be completely terrifying.

So I decide to bake a cake.

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In The Next House

It was cheap. That’s the only reason I bought it. I was going to settle for an expensive apartment…but why do that when there’s a huge house on the market that’s cheaper than it? It makes perfect sense to me. And it’s closer to where I work. Despite the big lack of furniture for the place, there’s more room. And I’m by myself.

It’s an old house. And it’s in the darker, woodsier places of the state. The porch is huge; goes from window to window. It’s kind of on a dark grass hill. But I’m not the only house, though; There’s one to the left of it. There’s another one on the right of me, but it looks more modern. The one on the left looks like mine.

The girl who sold me the house was very eager to get it off her hands. She made it seem like I was going to change my mind once I saw the place in person. I don’t mind how old it seems, inside and outside. I like the place and where it’s located. Close by where I have to go. I’d rather have this place than the shitty apartment I was going to move into.

The inside is big and roomy. Really dark, but I don’t mind it. The kitchen is old, wooden cabinets and there’s a deck clinging to the side of the house. There’s stairs on it that lead to the backyard of the place. The first 20 yards is grass; the next, all dark gloomy trees and woods. The sun is towards the top of them, brightening the blue sky.

At night, I presume, it gets creepy really fast. Dark woods…old house…how can it not? Good thing I was never afraid of the dark as a child. It never bothered me. The dark is peaceful and welcoming.

All the furniture I have is shoved in here. I only have my couch, a TV, my food and water, my bed, clothes, dresser, nightstand, and a coffee table. I do have knick knacks here and there, and the place came with a modern fridge. That’s probably the only thing that’s made from the 21st century. That and the washer and dryer.

I have four bedrooms all together. I’m only taking up one, so the rest remain empty. I have three full bathrooms and one tiny one downstairs. I’ve already piled my bathroom needs in the ones I’m going to use, which will only be two. The one connected to my bedroom and the one downstairs.

I head outside to my deck. It’s a dark wood color, just like the house. It’s almost a purple, but not quiet. It still looks like rotting wood. I step down the stairs carefully; I don’t want one to give out on me. They look pretty damn old.

I make it down to the grass safely. I take my first step into my backyard. It’s not fenced off, none of it is, so whoever lives next door to me shares it. The woods is staring me in the face. I step towards it, looking deeper and deeper into it. It’s like it never ends. Its mesmerizing; all you see is tree after tree.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”