The House with No Doorbell

Judgement Jack

To say Kyle's day had gone to shit was an understatement, in less than 24 hours he singlehandly managed to destroy not only his own life but the lives of at least 4 other people he cared for if not more. He could try and pretend it wasn't all his fault, that Cupid manipulated him or some other worldly power seemed hell bent on leading him down the wrong path, but at the end of the day it had been placed in Kyle's hands to try and make the right calls. Now that is was all said and done it felt as if every decision he made was the wrong one. How could he even try to stop the tears from falling as he angrily hung up on his boyfriend?

Kyle had ran home when he received the call, as if running from the truth of his situation, but now that he managed to betray the last person he had yet to hurt today it suddenly felt so lonely. He stood on his porch, staring at the spot beside the door where a doorbell could have been but his father had been too unmotivated to install, debating if he even deserved the company of his mother he had worried sick all day. He was stalling, but he was just a scared little boy who wanted his mother.

He finally gave in to the desperate need of companionship he felt, not that he earned it, and entered his own home, "mom? Mom I'm home!"

If silence could answer it did, his mother never called back a response.

Fear began to crawl up his spine with each goosebump that invaded his body, his mother was suppose to be home right now preparing dinner like she had said earlier, "M-mom?"

He hesitantly locked the door trying not the let the panic take over, everytime he had panicked today someone was hurt and he couldn't afford to hurt his mother next. He didn't bother calling out again as he made his way through the living room and towards the kitchen, as if fearful he would alert something bad of his presence.

The kitchen had been empty too, not a thing left out of place besides a single note that sat on the table. Kyle prepared for the worst, reading it out loud a few times to make sure the words were correct, "went to check on the Marsh's be home soon. Love, Mom."

He let go of his breath that was trapped in his lungs and in need of release, she was ok. His mother was ok, he had managed to successfully not fuck this one thing up today, if something were to happen to her... he didn't even want to think about that.

"Kinda quiet in here isn't it?"

Kyle jumped about a foot in the air at the sound of the unfamiliar voice invading him home, he searched yet the source was nowhere to be seen. He booked it to the living room, he was sure he shut and locked the door behind him, "hello? Who's there?"

"Didn't mean to scare ya," a giggle answered him, now it sounded like it was coming from the stairs yet no one was there. Kyle quickly made his way up in hopes of locating only god knows what at this point, "Kyle Brofloski right?"

"Where are you?" Hadn't he suffered enough today? Or was this some kind of sick punishment fate was giving him for his crimes? "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things," it sounded like a child, not much younger than Kyle himself but younger none the less, coming from the upstairs hallway now yet no where in sight, "would you like to know a lot of things too?"

"What do you mean?"

The voice didn't provide the response this time, but the attic did as the door from above suddenly opened and the ladder descended to stop before his feet. That was suppose to be locked too...

With shaky hands he grabbed the side of the ladder, was he really about to do this? At least all the other mistakes he made today was when he was surrounded by people that made him feel confident even when he shouldn't be, this time he would be facing this completely alone.