Home For Sale

Home For Sale

Lewis first drove by the home three months ago. He always loved the upscale neighborhood, but the rising home prices made it impossible to afford. His worst nightmare would have someone come in and pounce on it before he had saved up enough. Other homes in the same neighborhood were sold within a month or so, but not the one he favored, and he didn't care why. His mind focused more on the upcoming bonus he'd receive from landing that big contract for his company.

A week later, he received the bonus, and the next day, he spoke with a realtor about the home. She took him around the single-story home, then introduced him to the backyard. To his surprise, a large oak tree sat in the middle of the yard, and within its thick branches was a treehouse. He'd never seen one before except at the movies.

"Is that treehouse safe?" he asked.

"It probably needs a little work. I don't think anyone has been up there in years. It could be something nice to have whenever you get married," the realtor answered.

"Maybe, but marriage is out at the moment. I need to be alone for a while."

The realtor gave him an odd look then they returned inside. It wasn't long before the home was his.

His enjoyment of the area only increased. The neighbors were terrific, and although dogs barked sporadically during the daytime, they were quiet at night. What bothered him was the sudden appearance of sleeplessness. He was used to hearing traffic overnight, and without it, he didn't have the luxury of falling asleep immediately. He became used to waking about three hours after going to bed, grabbing some water or milk from the refrigerator, and drinking it at the kitchen table.

Very early one morning, while perched at the table with a tall glass of milk, he swore he saw the shadow of someone climbing down from the treehouse. Maybe he just imagined it. After all, it is early in the morning. He kept staring at the base of the tree, but nothing happened. He took another sip of milk. When he sat his glass down, a shadow moved past the kitchen window.

He left the table and opened the back door. His nose caught stench of something awful. He'd smelled it before, and even asked his neighbors, but they never detected it. A shadow climbed back up the tree, so he retrieved his phone and switched on its flashlight.

"Hey, come down out of there."

No one answered.

He climbed the wooden ladder, praying the rungs wouldn't snap. His head breached the treehouse's floor, and the stench became unbearable. Shining his flashlight around, the twisted, mummified body of a young boy lay on the floor. A shadow rose from the body and stormed at Lewis. He lost his grip and fell out of the tree, snapping his spine.

The home was for sale once again.