glance.
“It would be a piece of cake. You said yourself that the alarm isn’t even on. It wouldn’t be the first time you broke into a house.”
“Man, I did that crap when I was a kid. If I got busted for that now, my ass would be thrown in jail.”
Teddy elbowed his side. “Come on, there isn’t another soul within earshot of the place.”
“You don’t understand,” Judas said. “I don’t want anything to do with that house. I’m still sleeping with the lights and the TV on, bro. I can’t smoke or drink enough to get that place out of my head.”
Judas’s body shifted to the side as Teddy pulled his weight from the couch. He waddled across the room and grabbed their coats, throwing the black leather jacket on his friend’s lap. He reached into a wicker basket by the door and pulled out a set of keys.
“If you want me to ask my grandmother, I’m going to have to see for myself. It’ll take five minutes, tops.”
Judas sighed and slipped into his jacket. There was no use arguing with Teddy, especially since he was willing to help find an answer. Maybe if there was a name to what he experienced, something tangible with a history, maybe then he could find peace of mind. If not, his electric bills were going to skyrocket.
They loaded into his truck and drove out to the house in a silence heavy with fear and anticipation. It was very late but still relatively light outside, more like an extended dusk. Shida had closed up for the night. The faint blue glow of televisions flickered in only a handful of windows as they made the turn out of the center of town and headed for the more remote areas of habitation. Out here was where the more eccentric populace of Shida lived their quiet existences. Crazy old men and their hunting dogs, an old woman who claimed to be a witch, whole families of three or more generations who lived off the land during the spring and summer, only to be seen in town during the cold season once a month or so to gather provisions. Their children didn’t go to school and the adults would never be found sitting in the pew next to you at church or sidling up to the counter at Cheryl’s.
Judas started to make the turn up Fir Way without seeing the crooked road sign. God, he’d lived here too long. Even the least traveled paths were part of his subconscious road map. He couldn’t get lost or make a wrong turn if he tried.
“There it is,” Judas said as he slammed the brakes and put the truck in park. The house was like a depthless shadow nestled among the fir trees. It was ten shades darker out here than anywhere else. The house was completely encircled by tall, full evergreens that blocked out the moon and seemed to create their own stygian atmosphere.
“It looks big.”
“It is big. Let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”
Their feet crunched along the gravel and the night was alive with the sounds of singing insects and the rush of nocturnal animals going about their business. At the front door, Judas used his pocket knife to pick the lock while Teddy took a walk along the wraparound porch. The door was open by the time he made it back around.
“After you,” Judas whispered. He needn’t have kept his voice low since there wasn’t another soul for miles but something told him it was best not to wake sleeping spirits.
When Teddy crossed the threshold, the ache of groaning wood echoed like a bellman’s cry to every corner of the house. The mop and bucket were scattered along the living room floor, exactly where Judas had left them, along with some loose change and the two double A batteries that had popped out of his Walkman.
Teddy slowly moved towards the mop with Judas close behind. Neither of them had expelled a breath since their entrance into the house. An owl hooted nearby in the enveloping forest. “What’s next, a bolt of lightning and a screaming cat jumping at us?”
Teddy snickered.
Judas snorted to himself. Maybe he was
“It would be a piece of cake. You said yourself that the alarm isn’t even on. It wouldn’t be the first time you broke into a house.”
“Man, I did that crap when I was a kid. If I got busted for that now, my ass would be thrown in jail.”
Teddy elbowed his side. “Come on, there isn’t another soul within earshot of the place.”
“You don’t understand,” Judas said. “I don’t want anything to do with that house. I’m still sleeping with the lights and the TV on, bro. I can’t smoke or drink enough to get that place out of my head.”
Judas’s body shifted to the side as Teddy pulled his weight from the couch. He waddled across the room and grabbed their coats, throwing the black leather jacket on his friend’s lap. He reached into a wicker basket by the door and pulled out a set of keys.
“If you want me to ask my grandmother, I’m going to have to see for myself. It’ll take five minutes, tops.”
Judas sighed and slipped into his jacket. There was no use arguing with Teddy, especially since he was willing to help find an answer. Maybe if there was a name to what he experienced, something tangible with a history, maybe then he could find peace of mind. If not, his electric bills were going to skyrocket.
They loaded into his truck and drove out to the house in a silence heavy with fear and anticipation. It was very late but still relatively light outside, more like an extended dusk. Shida had closed up for the night. The faint blue glow of televisions flickered in only a handful of windows as they made the turn out of the center of town and headed for the more remote areas of habitation. Out here was where the more eccentric populace of Shida lived their quiet existences. Crazy old men and their hunting dogs, an old woman who claimed to be a witch, whole families of three or more generations who lived off the land during the spring and summer, only to be seen in town during the cold season once a month or so to gather provisions. Their children didn’t go to school and the adults would never be found sitting in the pew next to you at church or sidling up to the counter at Cheryl’s.
Judas started to make the turn up Fir Way without seeing the crooked road sign. God, he’d lived here too long. Even the least traveled paths were part of his subconscious road map. He couldn’t get lost or make a wrong turn if he tried.
“There it is,” Judas said as he slammed the brakes and put the truck in park. The house was like a depthless shadow nestled among the fir trees. It was ten shades darker out here than anywhere else. The house was completely encircled by tall, full evergreens that blocked out the moon and seemed to create their own stygian atmosphere.
“It looks big.”
“It is big. Let’s get this over with before I lose my nerve.”
Their feet crunched along the gravel and the night was alive with the sounds of singing insects and the rush of nocturnal animals going about their business. At the front door, Judas used his pocket knife to pick the lock while Teddy took a walk along the wraparound porch. The door was open by the time he made it back around.
“After you,” Judas whispered. He needn’t have kept his voice low since there wasn’t another soul for miles but something told him it was best not to wake sleeping spirits.
When Teddy crossed the threshold, the ache of groaning wood echoed like a bellman’s cry to every corner of the house. The mop and bucket were scattered along the living room floor, exactly where Judas had left them, along with some loose change and the two double A batteries that had popped out of his Walkman.
Teddy slowly moved towards the mop with Judas close behind. Neither of them had expelled a breath since their entrance into the house. An owl hooted nearby in the enveloping forest. “What’s next, a bolt of lightning and a screaming cat jumping at us?”
Teddy snickered.
Judas snorted to himself. Maybe he was
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