The House On the Corner

Every day I walk down the street to the company that recently hired me. I pass the same people, the same houses and pet day in and day out. The scene never changes.... That is until a month ago. Something strange started happening in the old, dilapidated house around the corner from my home. Every morning that I walked by it I heard music. At first I thought that it was just my mind playing music until I walked by it the second and third day. The music is very dark in nature, the very tone almost sends a chill up my spine. The abandoned house and unkempt yard makes my skin crawl. There was a petition to have the house demolished making its rounds. My curiosity has finally gotten the best of me one day, so I decide to investigate the source of the music. I check to see if my 45 is loaded as I slip it back into my waist band. I stop on the road and look at the house. I shudder at the thought of what might be behind it's black or boarded windows. I take a deep breath as I reassure my self.

“You've been though worse,” I say as I walk through the overgrown yard.

I take another deep breath as I arrive at the front steps. The music is even louder now. It feels as though I am being watched as I reach my hand out to knock on the door. Before my fist touches the wood it slowly creeks open. The ray of light from the door illuminates the dark room. I step inside and the music seems to grow in intensity. I knock on the door frame loudly.

“HELLO?! ANYONE HERE!?!” I shout as I take a step inside.

The sound feels like it's inside my head now as I venture deeper inside the house. As soon as my foot clears the door slams shut making the room go dark again. I draw my weapon and a LED flashlight from my pocket. I back up to the door and try and open it.

“It's stuck!” I exclaim trying to pry it open with no avail. “Well, I should have figured this would happen. Luckily my wife knows what to do if I don't return,” I say as I slowly walk further into the house.

Some of the walls are stripped of their plaster and what wires might have been there. I enter the kitchen and see that the fridge is almost falling through the floor. I shine my flashlight to the floor and see it stained black, like old blood.

“I've always wondered what had happened inside this house,” I say walking over to the fridge.

I balance myself on the floor joist in front of the fridge and budge it open with my flashlight. A potent stench begins to seep from the piece of metal. I get second thoughts and decide to leave it alone. I carefully step away from the fridge and notice part of the stench as blood begins too pour out of the bottom of it. I cover my mouth and try not to gag as I quickly turn around and run into a door. I cautiously open the door and find stairs leading to the basement.

“I don't know about this, but it seems the music is coming from here,” I say.

My face begins to cringe as I descend the stairs. The music is even louder here. I can feel the steps creaking under my weight. Another smell fills the air. A different smell from earlier, I can see a red light at the bottom of the stairs. With every step the music gets louder, and the light brighter. At the bottom of the steps is another door. The light is coming from underneath it. I place my hand on the door and feel it vibrating from the music. As I open the door the music quiets drastically, I let out a sigh as my lungs can fill with air. But there was not only the strange smell, but I can taste it in the air. I steady myself and my weapon as I open the door swiftly and see a young girl dressed in black.

“We have a question,” the girl says sitting in the middle of the room.

The record player sitting next to her stops playing the music as she stands to her feet.

“Something isn't right,” I say as she smiles at me. My blood runs cold as she shows her white teeth.

“Will you play with us?” she asks reaching out her arms.

“I'll play with you my dear,” I say with a smile as I tuck my gun away. I hid a knife in my shirt sleeve as I walk up to her. I can hear light foot steps coming up behind me as I walk. I stop and they stop with me. I glance over my shoulder and only see my shadow. 'Smart girl, her accomplice knows how to work,' I think to my self. I take another step but quickly turn around and throw the knife directly behind me. I hear the blade thunk against a wall and faint grunting. “You think this is the first time I've done this? I've been to Afghanistan, you twerps can't kill me that easily,” I say with a smile.

I didn't expect another to come from behind the girl. A young boy jumps at me with a knife as catches my cheek as I pull out my gun and fire. I hear him thump to the floor. I turn back around and point it at her. She stands there in almost complete shock. Her body trembles as she falls to the floor.

“You're not going to hurt anyone anymore,” I say as I hear the front door kicked in. In moments the room is filled with white lights and laser dots as a swat team storms the basement. I put my hands in the air so they don't shoot me.

“What the HELL happened here?” the chief of police asks holstering his gun.

I tuck my gun in the back of my waistband. “Little miss goth and her two brothers lured people into this house by playing strange music to attract their attention and then killed them,” I say looking down at the girl on the floor.

“What happened to the bodies?” he asks looking at me.

“We ate them,” she says with a crooked smile. You're dead once daddy finds out you hurt us,” she says with a creepy laugh. She pulls out a knife and comes at the chief. I push him out of the way and take the stab. “You're gonna join the others!” she exclaims.

“You first,” I say with a raspy voice as I pull the trigger and blow her brains out.

“Captain!” the chief yells as I fall to a knee. I start coughing up blood.

“She had quite the punch behind the knife blow,” I says with a bloody smile.

“MEDIC!!!” he yells as he runs over to put pressure on my wound. “You're gonna be alright,” he says.

“Why the worried look? You know I’ve looked worse than this,” I say coughing up more blood. I start laughing.

“You were always one crazy son of a gun. I never thought I'd get to repay you for everything that you've done for us,” he says looking at me.

“Tell the wife and kids that I will always look after them,” I say as the room fades to black.