Someone was inside the house, but I was not sure if he lived there or not. He might just be wandering the rooms like me. It felt like I was far enough ahead of him in the hall that he would not see me. Quick glances in the kitchen and family room saved me time. The bedrooms were strange. There were no windows at all. One room, the one at the back, was hopefully my way out.
I had first half-circled the property to locate all the openings of the house and to see if there was animals, gates, or fences that would slow me down. Not going all the way around was probably a mistake.
It stood close to a dirt road that was off the main street to and from town. The road appeared to be used often. You could follow tracks of all kinds, just like someone could see and try to follow my steps. But, mine were different because I stepped off the road quite a few times to look for something or wander somewhere else.
The very back room had a barn right up behind it. At first glance, I saw light, so there was either a hole or a door to enter or exit that room in to the barn. I wanted to poke my head inside, but it would not have done me any good. It was dark in there.
I went back to the front and entered the house. I really only remember the man inside and the back room. He had blonde hair a bit over his ears, parted on the left side and swooped over. He had missed a few Sunday school haircuts. He had a beard started, but no mustache. He had green eyes that stared at me curiously. I think he was just shocked to see another wanderer.
The back room also had no windows and the walls were made of dirt and grass, painted white, but faded to an ancient white color. There was a small area one could kneel to pray. On the slight raise of ground was an old picture and possibly old candles. The photo had been of a person, but all one could see was the red jacket. The man’s presence seemed close, so I bent down and slid through a hole in to the barn. I wanted to look from side to side, but I felt the need to get out in the tall grass again.
The rest of the area on the other side was overgrown bushes taking over the side of the house, the tall grass, broken fencing, and a small man-made muddy pond. Unkept trees lined the yard close to the road an the mailbox was open, the door hanging by a hinge.
Just then, around my ankle, wrapped a long squishy tentacle. A head that looked like an octopus with no eyes, blue and cream in color, was hanging limp. Its only squishy arm had no strength to continue. At the same time, someone that looked familiar had jumped in the pond to cool off. He was trying to lift his feet up out of the dark muk. Just then a young child was moving fast on his belly, his cheeks all red, eyes scared.
With my other foot, I scraped the dying creature from myself. The child was lost in the tall grass, the man from the pond was out and running down the road. I felt the presence of the man from the house. Wanting to run, I made myself walk tall, breathing normal, and not looking back. I reached the mailbox, closing the door, while continuing on down the road at a slow steady pace. I heard the mailbox door slowly open again.
