Our house has been like this ever since mom left. Quiet, creepy, calm, repeat. She left with a realtor she’s been seeing- or whatever, i couldn’t give less of a crap.
Our house is big, or at least bigger than your average two story house. It smells new, like carpets and wood, adhesives and paint. It’s clear it hasn’t gotten used to us, or our habits. We’ve lived here for around two weeks, but every other day, I find something new, a new place, a new room, a new television i didn’t even know we had, but what I found the other night won’t leave my head.
I was wandering around the house, like I always do, it’s not like I have anything better I could be doing. Then as I was walking by like, the third living room, I saw it; a small door chilling in the wall, just there, it looked somewhat like the door from coralline, just that it was more camouflaged into the wall, like whoever’s idea it was to put a tiny door in the wall, had put a great deal of effort and energy to make sure it was hidden.
Coming from the keyhole was a red hue of light, and around the door were a bunch of old brown bookshelves, I literally had to push the one of the bookshelves to get a better look at the door. It’s clearly old and rusty.
“Dad!” I called, “Come check this out!”
“Uhm, sure?” He questioned.
Eventually, he came, then asked, “What’s up? Everything alright?”
“Well actually, I don’t know, I saw this door- I don’t know what’s behind it and I’m curious, do you have the key?” I asked.
“What door hon?” He asked confused.
“It’s hard to see, it’s this one-“ i pointed to the door, “it’s really small.”
“How’d you even see that?” He laughed, “it’s either you have great sight or I’m just growing old.”
*. *
He eventually found an unnaturally small key by the fireplace, it looked like it hasn’t been used in forever, but regardless I tried to find the courage to open that door, dad told me to let him know what I see, and I decided I will.
I fumbled with the key, and the door eventually opened to reveal: nothing.
It was a tiny room with four tiny walls, i couldn’t fit even if I shrunk 5 inches, the only thing that could fit in there would be a bunch of rats, or 3-4 cats.
Well maybe this exaggerated, but it was large enough to fit a child, but anyone grown can’t fit there, it’s physically impossible.
That’s a bummer, i don’t know what I expected but it definitely wasn’t that.
“Hey, look! It’s whiskers, he’s back! I told you he would come back! I told you, I told you!” I heard a familiar voice say, I looked to the direction it was coming from and there was my sister, Avery.
Shes four, and very attached to whiskers, our old cat, he died around two months ago, and she’s never gotten over him.
“Oh babe, that’s not whiskers, there’s nothing here.” I replied
“No? He’s behind you, in his room!” She said, enthusiastic
Now that scared me, “Ave,” i said sternly “there’s nothing in here, look.” I said as I stuck my arm in the room trying to feel around.
“There’s nothing, I told you, go to dad-“
The i felt a pain in my hand that I’ve never felt before, it was indescribable. I let out a scream.
“Don’t scream silly, he’s just playing with you! Him biting just means he loves you, I just knew He would find you soon!” She exclaimed
“AVERY, CALL DAD, NOW!” I screamed.
Even if it was a cat, which I’m sure it wasn’t because I looked, it couldn’t have bit like this, this wasn’t a bite, this was like something I don’t even know how to begin to describe.
“Stop it em, he doesn’t like it when you scream.”
I manage to fling my hand out of the room, I looked at my hand while shaking, it was bloody, so bloody I couldn’t even see straight, Avery was staring at me, delighted.
She wouldn’t listen, all she did was repeat his name over and over, telling me how he missed her and how ill join them both.
I passed out soon after.
*. *
I woke up in the hospital, i looked around, and no one was there, my hand was in a cast and I was hooked onto IVs. I was scared, I yelled for a nurse, and eventually she came, my dad and sister came also, my dad looked concerned and asked me questions, and my sister gave me a look, one that screamed ‘don’t say things you’re not supposed to say’ and I tried to explain to my dad what happened, but he looked at me like I was insane, the doctors said it was probably a dream, but my dad remembers me asking him for the keys to the small room.
They later told me that I ‘slipped outside and broke my wrist, and had a dog come and bite me’ and how ‘a concussion makes people forget things sometimes’ but I know it’s all crap.
I’m home now , and I can’t find the small room, my sister talks to herself after that day, and she looks at me and smiles, sometimes points to the wall, sometimes she comes when I’m in bed,. She stands by the door and slowly walks to me and stands by my bed, that little midget freaks me out. Lately I’ve been hearing her mutter something along the lines of, ”Dont worry Em, you’ll join us too, soon, I know you’re excited, but don’t be too happy, Whiskers isn’t going to forgive you. Whiskers doesn’t like snitches.”
I try to ignore her, but it’s hard, I dont know if I’m going crazy, I could be, I feel insane, but if I’m wrong, and this is real, then I must be a snitch, because he doesn’t leave me alone, he takes every chance to torment me, and so does Avery.
They are in my dreams always, telling me I’m a snitch. A big, fat, snitch.