Posted by
Catmman on Monday, October 20, 2008 10:42:11 AM
You are vaguely aware of this place. It seems familiar.
Other than a slight breeze, there is no noise – not a sound.
You survey your surroundings - something isn’t right. The houses are in the right place. Cars in driveways, on the street. But something just doesn't feel right.
The sky though darkening, is holding on to that last bit of dusky light. You can make out the faintest hint of the occasional evening star through fast moving clouds; the moon is beginning to rise casting a pale glow upon the landscape when it isn’t obscured by those same clouds – or is that smoke?
Then you notice it. No grass on the ground. Bushes are uprooted, their foliage gone. Flower beds are trampled showing not a hint of growth. You look at the trees. In places you notice where lower hanging branches have been torn from the trunk. Bark is stripped from the base of almost every tree. You walk towards one of the trees and notice the bark is stripped from the bottom of the trunk to about (you raise your arm) the height of someone reaching like you are now. “What the hell is this?” you think to yourself.
Again you notice the lack of any sound. Other than the occasional rustle of leaves high in the trees - nothing. No dogs. No cats. No animals at all, not even insects. No vehicle noises. No sound coming from home air conditioners turning off and on. No distant traffic noise.
Nothing.
On the air an odor wafts. You take a few deeper breaths trying to figure out what it is. Then it hits you – decay. Like a piece of meat which has turned. That stench of decaying, rotting meat. It permeates everything. You notice it in every intake of breath.
You turn and look back at the tree. You see…what is that? Teeth marks? Like someone tried to take a bite out of the tree? Who would bite a tree? You look at the ground again. All over, in every yard you look, it appears as if someone has dug up the grass. Amazingly it looks as if it were done by hand. You look closer to one particular spot and notice…a finger nail?
You bolt upright. You just heard…what? You look down the street, your street. You hear it again. Is that the wind? No, too intermittent, too guttural.
An animal?
That sound again, this time coming from behind you. You look towards where you think the sound came from and see…something. Like a piece of cloth being blown by the breeze. It appeared just for an instant. You hear the noise again…louder this time…
You see...
What IS that!?
Your blood chills…
You awake with a start. You fell asleep in your lounger reading your book.
“Weird dream” you think to yourself.
You move to sit up in your chair…
You notice the lights in your home are off. Your music is no longer playing. You look towards the desk in your study – no time on the clock. “Power’s out” you mumble.
You move to stand up. You stop.
“What’s that noise?”
You notice a scratchy, rubbing sound from the wall in front of your house – almost as if someone were rubbing sandpaper against the brick. It sounds like someone is shuffling feet outside on your porch. You notice what sounds like an occasional slap against the wall.
You step out of your study taking a few steps towards the front of your house – you stop. You notice a scratching - coming from outside the front door.
You take another step towards the front door – and freeze. You notice a scratchy, tapping on the window to your dining room at the front of your house. The curtains are drawn, you see nothing.
Then you notice a sound. It begins intermittently, but is becoming steady. It sounds guttural, primal, threatening.
And it’s getting louder…
To be continued...