Spooky

Chapter 17

{Author's Note:
Thank you so much to all of my readers! I'm so glad that this many people are enjoying this book so much. Every time I get a notification or a message from someone who's enjoying this book, I get so absurdly happy... I'm so glad to see that this book is making other people happy too! Thank you (again)! <3}

-Scourge's POV-

The motorcycle rolls to a gentle stop in front of a surprisingly picturesque little brown house made of dark wood with even darker trim. The lawn is overgrown, with vines starting to claw their way up the mailbox; three stairs reach from a small path, branching off the sidewalk, to the porch that holds one lonely rocking chair and a set of silver wind chimes. The porch has an awning over it, held up by pillars of wood—one at each corner, two at the top of the steps. My eyes drift upward, spying a beautiful circular stained-glass window perched above the end of the awning.

"Wow," I murmur, cutting the engine and extending a leg to catch the bike. Shadow quietly gets off, stepping forward to yank the vines off the mailbox, seeming a little annoyed. I flip out the kickstand, park the vehicle fully, and hop off as well. 

Shadow turns to look at me, and, finding my eyes still glued to the window, smirks slightly. "That's the attic window," he says as I step up beside him, his eyes following mine.

"It's beautiful," I reply sincerely.

"Wait until you see it from the inside," he answers, striding forward. "C'mon, I don't have much I have to get." I trot along after him, looking around. This neighborhood is quite pretty, if a bit cramped. Quiet, calm, and a little eerie. I'm used to loud city streets, but it's dead silent here by comparison, and it sets my hairs on end. Shadow, however, seems perfectly at home—rightfully so—as he climbs the creaking steps up to his front door. Pulling keys out of his jacket pocket, he fumbles for a few minutes; then, the lock clicks, and the door creaks open. He steps inside, pulling the keys back out, and I follow him inside as he flicks on a light. There's a medium-length hallway in front of us, with a little cabinet for shoes, coats, and whatnot to my left. On the right, after a doorway, is a staircase that presumably reaches up into the second floor and the attic. "Um," Shadow starts, seeming a little uncomfortable, and I turn to look at him. He scratches the back of his neck. "I—Uh—Feel free to look around if you like. I ju—all my stuff's in my room."

"Okay," I reply; in response, he nods and heads up the stairs. It must feel kinda weird to him—he doesn't seem like the sort of person to invite people over often, so the fact that he let me tag along makes me feel kinda special. I don't want to push any boundaries, though. Slowly I step forward, looking all around. The walls are weirdly bare, plain off-white, the wood and trim a deep brown, with brass doorknobs. I peer to the left, seeing a rather picturesque kitchen. Marble countertops—or faux marble, I dunno—with a silver sink and nice cabinets. There's a window over the sink offering a nice view of the front lawn, but when I walk over to look out it I realize almost everything is covered in a surprisingly thick layer of dust. The window, the countertops, the sink, all of it. Like it hasn't even been touched in almost a year. Puzzled, I walk from there back out to the hall, realizing that two of the three spaces in the cabinet are dusty too. Continuing forward, I poke my head into the living room, which is surprisingly dust-free for the most part. There's a well-worn couch in the middle in front of a decently-sized TV, with a short, squat table between the two. The wall to my right has a large case, but I can't see what's in it from this angle. Stepping back out into the hall, I pass the staircase, looking about. It's a bit dark, so I can't see much of anything, but once I reach the back wall I notice a hallway perpendicular to this one. The left side has a door to the backyard, as well as a different door that, upon inspection, leads to a small, clean bathroom (also a bit dusty). The right side holds only one door, which is closed; I want to open it, just out of curiosity, but that feels far too invasive. Re-tracing my steps, I decide to finally join Shadow upstairs, treading carefully. The stairs creak beneath my weight, and I rest my hand on the banister for a bit of support; when I reach the landing, I see a slim L-shaped hallway. To the left are two doors, both closed, and to my right I see the hallway extend, then bend back towards the front of the house. There's one door, hanging ajar, which bears a little hanging sign from the door handle that, upon closer inspection, says "Shadow's Room" in cursive font. The door itself has a yellow "KEEP OUT!" sign on it, styled like a biohazard warning sign. I smirk, amused, and push the door open a bit, knocking on the frame.