Little Red House

Chapter 1 - Red House

        Chapter One

        "C'mon!" I punched the stirring wheel of my old truck with whatever effort I had left. It was night time, and my surroundings were dark. As forgetful as I can be, I had forgotten to stop by for gas. The tank was empty and I had no idea where I was. The truck had begun to slow down as I entered a small downtown and I stirred the car towards an empty gravel road before an overgrown farm field. As soon as I drove unto the gravel, my truck had died down. I groaned and the tears that I had been holding for so long had threatened to spill.

"What the hell!" I screamed. The tears spilled over and I let out a cloud of sobs. Today definitely wasn't my day! I had another one of the 'misunderstanding' moments with Michael, my dad. He yelled, I yelled. The apartment wall shook from the glass cup he threw against it. I hated it! I hated when he came home drunk, I hated that I had to work to keep the bills paid while he partied, I hated that he screamed at me when nothing was my fault, I hated my life. I was getting tired of the nonsense. My efforts to support my own life were leaking out. My strength was draining from my soul. I rested my forehead on the steering wheel, taking deep breaths.

After fighting with Michael I had decided to drive out in my old, sweet truck. I had done this a million times. Driving out to the unknown after another unfortunate day. Forgetting about everything as I watched the streets zoom past me and the dark night hug the world around me. It calmed my nerves, helped me relax at least for the night. 

Then, I realized it was probably time to head back home. But I still had to figure out how to get the car started. Maybe there was a gas station in the small town. I grabbed my keys and got out to the fresh, cool air. 

Just as I was about to head towards the humble town, I noticed a small house. It was to the right side; why haven't I noticed it before? Thought it looked worn and abandoned, it's bright red paint looked fresh. Strange, huh? A maple tree grew at its side, wrapping the roof with its heavy branches. Who would leave such a cute house? Curiosity got the best of me; I had to explore! The grass in the yard was overgrown and it was hard to see where to step. Using my phones flashlight, I walked towards the dark house. The porch's railing was gray for the white paint had chipped. A step to the front door was broken and the right side of the porch was caved in. I hoped the boards wouldn't collapse under me. I skipped the broken step and stood in front of the door.

A rush of cold air blew out of nowhere and I tugged at my thin jean jacket. I turned my head towards my car. It seemed to glow under a lonely light post which light flickered every few minutes. An eerie feeling krept up my spine leaving a shiver. Definitely strange. I chickened out and decided not to go inside. Who knew what could be in there! I walked to one of the windows to take a peek inside. I ended up facing the kitchen. To the left was a scratched up counter, the sink was filled with dirty water, broken glass was everywhere and filthy rags lay in random places. A wooden table was on the right side, one of its legs broken and so it stood lopsided. There were no chairs to be seen. Beyond the kitchen, straight ahead was, what looked like the living room. There was a couch, with ripped fabric. I glanced at the table and then back at the couch. Someone was sitting on the couch, all in black.I gasped!  I couldn't make out the face because of the hood that was pulled down low. The figure stood up and I took a step back, my breath deepened. Suddenly, whoever that was had disappeared.

"What was that?" I shook my head. It was too late of night; my mind was playing tricks. Suddenly the red house didn't seem cute nor cozy, this place began to give me the creeps. I quickly walked to the car. Walking to the gas station unarmed, in the dark was a bad idea. I had always kept a palm-sized pistol under the backseat. It was strapped right under and all I had to do was get it before walking to the station. As soon as I got into my truck, I took a deep breath.

"Going somewhere?" I spun towards the passenger seat next to me. There, casually sat the hooded figuire in black, holding a blood red apple. I did what was left to do; I screamed.