The Room

The Room

         That bedroom is the source of all my nightmares, Jose thought. The girl’s arms folded tightly across her skinny eight-year-old body held her wrinkled and tattered dress still against the cold breeze. Her face frozen and stark, like the vacant opened door house behind her. All signs of color and warmth cruelly drained out of both. Her eyes red rimmed from the recent tears of terror. Staring off into the nothingness under wrinkled brow, Josie’s eyes matched the second floor windows staring down on her, dark and empty.
         Opening her bedroom door, it had suddenly assaulted her. She could still feel its cold, malignant fingers of terror, reaching out touching, grabbing her, trying to pull her towards it. The hideousness which lay beyond the threshold enveloped her mind in a cold blanket of panicked dread. She bolted down the stairs and out of the house instinctively.
         She'd not moved a muscle since she entered the road. Standing stone still in the clouded half-light of the deserted street she seemed as lonely as a scarecrow in a long dead cornfield. Her mother would never believe her or take her side on this. She was such a witch sometimes, Josie angrily thought.
         Now with sun light suddenly breaking out of the clouds something suddenly crystallized deep within her. Josie spun on a determined heel and charged back. Josie grabbed the only thing she found to help her. Slinging the thick handled broomstick over her shoulder she raced to face the ghastly grossness now occupying her bedroom.
         After all, mom said to clean her room before dinner or else no pumpkin craving tonight.

Word count: 274 with title