Home Sweet Home...

“Honey, you will love it here...it's nothing like San Diego". Rebecca looked glossy eyed at the house as her, her mother, father and baby brother Adam pulled into the driveway. "Needs a coat of paint,...it's a keeper". " It needs a miracle, call a priest", said a smirking Rebecca.

Dinner conversation went as usual, Rebecca's father talked of his job and how his transfer was a good move for the entire family. Richard worked as an agent for the EPA for the last 20 years in California. Recently Firebush, Mississippi had developed a serious case of water contamination brought on by frenzied mating of a new breed of mosquito. Rebecca sat there listening to her ipod as usual when the dinner table moved, perhaps it was her imagination.

"Becca honey your going to miss the bus", yelled her mother from the bottom of the staircase as 7:00 blinked in front of Rebecca’s hazy view. Rebecca stormed out of the house, red hair flowing behind her with half a bagel in her mouth. "All right class, we have a new student...I am pleased to welcome Ms. Rebecca Matthews to our class...everyone say hi to Rebecca...stand and introduce yourself dear", said Mrs. Cartwright in a half sarcastic, half enthused tone. Many students had bust into laughter, some sat staring as though Rebecca wore her face inside out. Standing and pulling her shirt oddly out of shape around her hips and tucking a thick lock of her hair behind her ear she stood. "Hey, ummm.. everyone calls me Becca...I just moved here from California, my dad works for the EPA......we moved into the corner house on Hunter Rd". With her last statement everyone in Mrs. Cartwright's class looked nervously at each other then back at Rebecca.

Rebecca sat alone at lunch until a rather unusual looking girl pulled up a chair and took a bite of a turkey sandwich. "Hi, I'm Laura...nice to meet you...Becca right?" "Yes...your in my Trig class right?", said Rebecca. "Can I ask you a question? How does it feel living there...after all that happened", said Laura. " I don't follow...after what happened?", said a Rebecca with a sense of urgency. "Come with me". Laura led Rebecca into the historical archive section of the school's library. The town of Firebush was rich in history if nothing else. Pulling a dust covered book from the forbidden stacks, Laura opened the text to reveal a image of Rebecca's home on Hunter road, circa 1930. "So, what’s the big deal? I live in a old house big whoop". "No....read", whispered a concerned Laura, also reminding her peer to lower her voice. "Becca, history has it that your house is cursed." Right away she thought of the moment at dinner when they all felt that chilling vibration. Laura continued:

"Around the time of the civil war there was a general

named James Elroy. He abused his soldiers, starving them,

beating them for no reason. He was rumored to be into the

dark arts if you know what I mean. Anyways, one hot July night,

Elroy drew a circle on the ground with the pentagram,

summoning the devil himself for a deal. It is said the devil

promised him 100 demon souls in exchange for 100 of Elroy's

mens' souls. To make a long story short, Elroy slipped into the

tents of his men and slit all of their throats, blood ran like a twin

river along side the Mississippi. Well everyone always said to never

make a deal with the devil...the ground cracked open to reveal the

sinews of hell whilst lassoes of fire grabbed dead men by the ankles

and half dead men around the necks until their eyes popped from

their sockets, pulling them to their eternal resting place. Elroy waited for his soldiers to rise from the brimstone renewed with dark strength and a taste for blood but there was nothing but a lingering dark cloud in the night sky. Elroy had been fooled into letting demons trade places in hell with those men. ...It wasn't until 1930 that a house was built on that cursed earth, and Becca....every family to live in that house has been murdered.”

Rebecca couldn't sleep that night because of an intense thunderstorm. Just as she began drifting off, a hand slapped her across the face. Screaming, she jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. Stopping her in her tracks were bloody hand prints illuminated on the wall by the glimpses of lightening through the windows between the claps of thunder. The floor began to tremble and grow hot as a glowing red light could be seen between the floor boards. The sound of a baby crying is heard in the distance. "Adam!!!!" cried Rebecca. Making her way towards the sound, blood bathed the floor along with nail scratches as though someone had been dragged to the basement. Inching down the steps, Rebecca found her baby brother standing, pointing to a dark corner. "What is it Adam", said Rebecca, voice trembling. As the words left her mouth, a pair of red eyes with green pupils glared at her, throwing the mutilated bodies of both her parents at the feet of her and her sibling. The bones of her mother and father had been picked clean, the creature had left behind only a necklace around her mother's neck that read "World's Best Mom". Best tasting mom was more like it! At that moment, decrepit hands sprang from the walls and ceiling, grabbing Rebecca by every limb. "Run Adam!", yelled Rebecca but it was too late. The creature had stretched its mouth as wide as the child and swallowed him whole. "YOU SON OF A..." before she could get the last word out Rebecca was completely pulled apart leaving her torso to flop until lifeless for a few seconds. The events to transpire on Hunter Rd was never discussed again.