Plagued

THREE

<Image is what the house might have looked like while it was still 'new'>

The wooden stairs creaked beneath my feet. The house almost groaned at our presence.

I did not feel very welcome.

The building was a total mess. There wasn't even a door, just a hole in the wall.

I wondered what kinds of things this house has seen, how many events had occurred in front of it? 

How many rebellious teens smoking pot and creating arts of graffiti? 

I couldn't even chance a guess.

Taking a breath, I clicked on my flashlight and stepped inside.

It smelt musty, like mould. Perhaps asbestos. I tried to keep my breath shallow.

It seemed the rumours of a fire are true. Ash and burnt wood surrounded the main entrance. A once red rug is charred black.

The main entrance alone is the size of my dining room, a staircase lay straight in front of the 'door'.

I could tell that whomever lived here previously had an eye for décor. I could see a theme of reds, browns and dark ivory. Even though a fire had burned through the home, it looked well kept? It hasn't been reduced to rubble even after all these years.

"Hey look at this!"

I walked over the Sam and see what she was holding.

It was a picture frame, surprisingly intact.

The picture inside was of an elderly man and his dog, I assumed it to be an Australian Shepard.

The man wears a straight face, almost a frown, it seems he didn't want his picture taken- the dog appears equally as upset. There was no happy puppy in this picture.

I wondered how old the picture was. It was in black and white so it couldn't have been fairly recent obviously.

"I wonder how old it is?"

Asks Michael as he approached us.

"I don't know, but it's pretty cool."

I moved away from the two of them and continued my adventure.

I wound up in the living area.

There was a loveseat set in front of a grand fireplace. The there is also a few chairs as well.

It was almost a miracle that they didn't burn in the fire.

Chills run through me and I buttoned up my jacket.

Even in the summer, the evenings do get cold sometimes.

I could see more pictures hung on the walls. Some were of people, some were of animals, some were just of scenery.

I wondered about who lived here previously to have it so well preserved?

The floor continued to creak and groan at my presence. The floor was fairly rotten too. But this was the only place which was actually falling apart- unlike the rest of the house.

This struck me as very odd.

I passed through the rooms, each one just as grand as the last.

"This place is enormous..."

I mumbled to myself.

I could hear Samantha and Michael chat about the upcoming storm.

"When do you want to leave? It's getting chilly and I don't want to get caught in a thunderstorm."