The Fraternity House

Luis Lockwell

As I sit at the long wooden table, a large fire rages in the fireplace behind me. The dining room is bare with only a large painting of myself and my family, and Miriam and her family on the wall. The moonlight shines through the large windows covering the empty table. I rest my elbow on the arm of the wooden armrest of the big leather chair twirling a small metal bar between my fingers just smaller than a pencil. Suddenly the big wooden door of the kitchen flies open as Miriam walks out into the dining room with a large plate if Steak and a baked potato.
"This looks delicious Miriam." I said smiling.
"Thank you honey. I was hoping you'd like it." she said happily walking back to the kitchen. Taking a small bite of the steak, I quickly spit it out angrily. "Miriam!" I yell frustrated, as she runs back in.
"Yes, yes what is it?" she asks worried.
"You know I don't like my meat dry!" frustrated I throw the steak at her. "Yes, I-I'm sorry." She looks down apologetic.
"Well do it right next time!" I stand from the table and walk past her glaring. The long empty halls echo as my footsteps click and clack on the hard wood floor. Opening the big wooden door, I step into the library. The large carpet in the center of the room almost like an island surrounded by shelves of books. Fiction, none-fiction and everything in between scattered in the shelves. A large wooden desk sits on the carpet with a lamp and journal. My footsteps echo on the hardwood floor and immediately stop as I step onto the large rug. Turning on the lamp a golden glow surrounds the cracked leather journal. I pull the dror from the desk and take out my glasses and fountain pen. I slowly open the journal as it cracks like snapping twigs. The large door creaks open and a voice echoes through the room. "Luis?" the voice asked. I ripped my glasses from my face and looked up to see Miriam standing nervously in the doorway. "What is it Miriam? Can't you see I'm busy?" I asked gesturing to the journal.
"I'm sorry for bothering you, I just wanted to know if you wanted anything to eat or drink before I go to bed?" she said slowly retreating into.the hallway.
"No, I'm fine. Now leave me alone." I snapped waving her off. Miriam leaves quietly as I turn back to the journal.
"That stupid woman. She can't do anything right. What am I going to do with her?" I mumbled shutting the journal.
"She's such a ditz. Always messing things up and can never do anything right." I look back toward the door and take a deep breath.
"A walk. That's what I need. A good, nice walk." Turning off the lamp I walk out of the library and through the long halls into the garden twirling the bar between my fingers. The moon shines into the garden like the sun illuminating the flowers and hedge designs. I sit on a nearby bench looking up at the house.
"It's such a nice house. All the space, the rooms, the towers, the-" I pause holding the bar between my fingers as a smile creeps across my face. "Hmmm, the towers. Yes, the towers." The smile quickly fades and frustration sets in as I begin twirling the bar again.
"How am I gonna do it? And when am I gonna do it?" I stand from the bench and continue through the garden. "This is going to be tricky."
As I go back inside and walk toward the bedroom, I pass by one of the several staircases and stop.
"Hmmm, I've never been up this one. Might as well take a look and see what's up there." As I proceed up the stairs I found a small window with a little wooden pole sticking out.
"What in the world is that used for?" I look out the window and see a small torn up flag hanging from it and the smile creeps again.
"I think I found it." As I descend down the stairs, my brain is swimming.
"Now, when to do it." Walking toward the bedroom the sun is rising. It's many colors almost like a painting in the sky. Opening the bedroom door I find her sleeping in the large bed. The bathroom door is in the corner and the large dresser in the corner opposite.
"Hmm, she always has been a heavy sleeper." I quickly and gently try to pick her up so she doesn't wake up. Suddenly she wakes up startled.
"Wow! What are you doing?" she asked frightened.
"I was just covering you up. You seemed cold." I said in a caring voice. "Oh. Well, I'm alright. Thanks." She says still curious.
"It's time to get up anyway."
"It is?" I asked confused looking at the clock and see it's already six-thirty am.
"Oh, I guess it is." I say moving away from the bed. "Did you get any sleep last night?" she asked stretching in the bed.
"No. I got busy." I say getting into bed. "However I am very tired now." She nods and gets up. Her nightgown falling just above her feet as she pulls clothes from the dresser.
"Well, sleep well. I'll be downstairs if you need anything." she smiles before going to the bathroom.
"Thank you Miriam." I lay down falling asleep immediately.As I wake up later that day, I go downstairs to discover that Miriam had invited friends over without discussing it with me first. "Miriam, what are you doing?" I asked glaring at her.
"Oh, I, umm, This is John and his wife Barbara." she says trying to hide her worry and fear.
"Miriam, how many times have I told you not to bring people over without discussing it with me first!"
"We're gonna go, I'll see you later." John says as they quickly get up and leave. "Luis I'm sorry!" she yells apologetically.
"No! Not this time!" I say throwing a plate at her. "You've done this many times before and we've had this conversation many times!" I shouted throwing another plate at her.
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" She shouted trying to rush out of the kitchen.
"No! I'm done with you! You've done nothing but screw up ever since we've been married! I don't know why I let your brother talk me into this!" I dig through the drawers getting a string of rope.
"I'm done and it's time you learn your lesson!" I say grabbing her.
"No! Please, I won't do it again!" she screams as I drag her to the tower stairs. "No! Not up there!" She begins pulling on my arms trying to get away. "No! Go up the stairs, now!" I yell pushing her toward the stairs as she screams and begs all the way up to let her back down.

"Fine. You want to get down?" I asked looking at her.
"Yes! Yes, please let me down!" she begs crying.
"Fine." Points out the window. "There's your way down." I say as she looks through the window. "That-That's too far. I'll die." she says as I tie the noose behind her. "If you want to get down, that's your only way." I say standing behind her. "No, no I can't do that." She says still looking down. "Alright, fine. I'll kill you myself." I say putting the noose around her neck. "What!? No!" She says trying to get it off backing up and falling out the window. I quickly tie the rope to the pole watching her squirm. "There. Now, you've learned your lesson." I look down at her squirm and walk away, leaving her hanging there.

"Hold up! He just left her there? He not only killed her, but he hung her from a tower, and left her there?!" I asked looking at the hitchhiker in disbelief.
"Yea pretty much. Pretty sick right?" he asked looking back at me.
"But that's not the end." he said as I look at him curiously.
"Really?"
"Really. After the murder it took years for the police to realize that he had killed his wife and once they arrived to arrest him he had gone insane. Naturally they took him to an asylum, where he spent the rest of his life." I looked back toward the road and spit more seed shells into my cup not knowing what to say.
"So out of all the places you could do your initiation, why would it be at this old abandoned house?" I asked confused.
"Well, first I didn't choose it. They did, and in order for us to become part of the Fraternity we had to go through the house. All of us gathered on the front lawn of the house around one or two am and we had to go inside up all 3 floors and to the top of the tower were the woman was hung and shine our flashlight so they knew that we made it up. Then they would send the next person in"