Crooked Man

F I F T E E N

The scream is close to us. Pretty close. It's coming from the kid's house.
"Mum!" he shouts. I'm just frozen there as he runs to his house. After a few seconds I go after him. It's not like I can leave him there to see his mother dead or something.
"Wait up!" I shout. I run as fast as I can and reach him as he reaches for the door to open it.
"Wait..." I say. "I'll go first!"
"You don't have to, really." He says giving me a look that says "please do go on in because I can't take this much". So I push the door open and step inside.

As I walk through the house, I smell a disgusting smell. Like something is burnt. I remember Rick telling me his mother was cooking. I walk the hallway looking in every room. The living room is the first door to my right. She's not here. I look at the blue tiles on the floor and then the yellow wallpaper. They don't look too appealing to me. It's cold inside. When I reach the kitchen, I see a woman standing besides the kitchen counter and humming.

"Hi...miss?"
She turns around and looks at me confused.
"Well hello there darling, what brings you here? And where Rick! He's late for dinner!" she says looking behind me to see if Rick's there.
"Umm...Rick is right outside. I just came to check on you because I thought I heard a..." I gulp. The look in that woman's eyes makes me shake.
"Yes darling?" she asks with the same accent as Rick's.
"A scream?"
She stares at me. Just stares for a few seconds.
"Well then you must've heard wrong honey. Everything is, just, fine here."she smirks. Creepy. "Oh and will you tell Rick to come in as you go?"
"Umm...yeah sure Miss...?"
"Miss Bennet. Flora Bennet."
"Good evening Miss Bennet." I quickly walk to the door and tell Rick to go in for dinner.
"Won't you stay for dinner Monica?" he says with puppy dog eyes.

Only if I had known saying yes would cost me too much...