Storm of the Century

Chapter 7 - The Basement

12 foot above me, there was a kitchen full of food. I'd get hungry eventually and I'd need to venture up there. Maybe the thing would give up and leave?

I still didn't want to risk it though. So I waited it out that night. As the darkness consumed the night, the window of my basement became an abyss. I decided I'd try to get some rest and then go up once the sun had started to come up. The pattering of the rain outside comforted me and drowned out anything else.

I woke up the next...I woke up. Looking to the window and still seeing no colour. I'd felt like I'd slept for a while but, the sun still wasn't out. I hadn't slept for a whole day and woken at night had I?

I didn't even have a way of checking.

My phone was upstairs and whilst I did have to make the journey up there soon, my phone wasn't a priority.

That's when my eye caught something in the corner of the room. A 3 foot high shadow nestled next to the washing machine. Everything seemed to slow down for what felt like an eternity. The rain still hitting the glass outside at the same pace. I felt on high alert, every drop making my ears perk up. My eyes trying to pick up the still vague form in the corner.

I could hear it's muffled breathing, echoing across the basement.

Eventually the shadow moved. It was as if the unknown entity had woken up and just noticed I was there. Registering me, it started to approach. I could hear it's nails skipping across the concrete floor.

It got within 10 feet and all I could see was the familiar white tuft of fur on his chest.

It was Rex.

That's when I realised I hadn't brought him down. In my own selfish survivalist actions, I forgot. I'd thought of going up for food but not Rex. How could I forget him.

But then if I hadn't brought Rex down, how had he got down here. He was definitely still in his bed when I'd ran away down the basement. Surely I couldn't have missed him running down the stairs with me.

Even as I'm writing this now, he's still on the other side of the room. The light from the single bulb hanging from the ceiling doesn't reach that side of the cellar. He's still not come out of the dark. Every now and then, the light will flicker and he'll seem to get closer. No matter how much I call him, he doesn't come out.

He'll stand at the edge for hours on end. Looking directly in my direction. I've tried taking a closer look but no matter how hard I try, all I see is the snowlike emblem on his chest whilst the rest of him is obscured by darkness.

It looked like it had to be him and I'd forgotten he got down here but whenever he'd stand watch over me for hours, I'd stay prompted against the wall. My eyes never looking anywhere else but at him. During the staring contests, I hear the voices again. Mrs Peters calling me for help and Susie crying too. They'd start off sounding as they were in real life, each passing minute they got progressively more disturbed. Rather than taking turns they now sung a horrific duet at me. They wouldn't stop. They haven't stopped.

I just want to make them stop.

They're not even the worst part of the voices. It's not always there but it creeps in from time to time. A manic, deep laughter will fill in the background noise. Acting as adlibs to the weathering women's voices.

I'm not sure how much more of them I can take. Susies voice will routinely call me and beg me to open the window. When she speaks I completely avoid looking to that part of the cellar. Not wanting to see if she's there. I know she's not there, but if there was a face to this mocking of her, I didn't want to see it.