In different directions

In different directions

The day started off normal for Rod his normal cup of tea and toast with a small amount of jam on it, normal enough for a Wednesday he always had jam on a Wednesday. The day was normal enough same as every other day in fact, until Rod went to go out of the house and go to work wasn’t very far and a sunny day. Nice enough to walk, which was good because Rod didn’t like the rain. What was strange about this day was the stillness no dogs barking no children playing not even Jolene who lived next door walking down to the mail box “this is strange” Rod thought to himself I wonder where everyone is they can’t all be sick, was a few off sick at work yesterday but the whole neighborhood, too quiet this is.
He kept walking, and almost slipped, funny hasn’t been raining looked like oil that did too was dark and slick, someone must have been working on a car on the foot path again, Tom is always doing silly things like that Rod muttered
As he turned the corner Rod put his hand on the big red letter box the one with AP written on it in large white letters, he always did that when he walked to work, hand on the lump on the top and swing around, using it like a fulcrum to get around the corner. This time though his hand came away red, “must have re-painted it and not put the wet paint sign on” he thought to himself looking down at his hand now totally red.
At work after washing his hands Rod settled in behind the counter and read the fax that was sat in the machine from the boss saying “not well, you take charge of the shop today Rod”.
He had already checked the register and the stock and opened up, hung the open sign out but today looked like it was going to be quiet very quiet
As it was so quiet he got the window cleaner out and wiped the shop window down some vandal had smeared red stuff on it, kind of looked like hand prints, maybe they touched the mail box too, no couldn’t be that, the ordinary window cleaner wouldn’t take paint off not dry like this was, strange, “well it’s clean now any way” he muttered
Back inside the shop Rod decided that as there wasn’t any customers, none at all by 10.30 bit strange that there’s always a few kids come in about this time from the school to get packets of bubble gum and cans of soft drink that they aren’t supposed to have at school, Rod normally sells them the bubble gum any way, not his problem. Today though there’s not one single person around no one at all, not even any cars driving past
He shook it off there’s probably a detour, council is always digging up the road somewhere and painting letter boxes for that matter and not telling anyone.
I’ll just sit here and read the paper till about 1 then if no one is around I’ll shut shop the boss is sick anyway and a few hours without trade never hurt
The paper was the day befores “paper boy been slack again” he grumbled.
The headline read “Sickness Spreads” good thing I’ve had my flu shot then Rod thought
Just as he was about to read the rest of the front page article a shadow crossed the shop window , Rod looked up to see a man in a suit the man was walking strangely, limping almost staggering, his arms flailing in different directions , “oh this is great” Rod thought the first person I see all day and he’s drunk
Rod called out loudly, “go home you drunk!”


Rod shouldn’t have done that


The man saw Rod sitting inside the shop behind the counter, the smell of fresh meat made him start to slobber, and he would have smiled if he didn’t have half of his face missing, the drool mixed in with the blood covering the rest of his face, a groan escaped the Zombies mouth, that was the last sound Rod ever heard

Crying in the night

Crying in the night

She was bending over at the wooden door the sweat pouring off her, her heart beating rapidly I cant possibly do this she thought and she was still feverishly hammering thinking of the horrible noises she had heard down in the dark gloomy basement last night, When she heard a noise stood up straight and turned around too put the hammer down on the table when another hand a cool smooth hand touched hers
She jumped back and dropped the hammer on her foot
“OW”
“Hey babe” her next door neighbor called out
“Didn’t mean too scare you just bringing in some lettuce and tomatoes from me garden you know mine are the freshest around”
He looked at the door then the nails sticking out haphazardly this way and that, bent over some even on the floor, hammer marks on the wood then turned to her standing there with a look on her face like a scared deer under the headlights standing on one leg holding trying too hold her foot in one hand
He hurriedly placed the sack on the counter and grabber her by the shoulder guiding her too a chair,
“Here sit hunny I’ll make you a cup of tea”
“Gordon you know I don’t like tea and I don’t like you calling me hunny either”
But hun’ he stopped himself Helen you look like someone just died and why in the name of all is holy have made such a mess of that door
“Coffee Gordon” she gasped and I’ll tell you all about it

Early this morning I woke to the sound of a baby crying
“Ain’t no babies around here Helen”
“I know that Gordon now don’t interrupt”
I woke too the sound of a baby crying and well I know there aren’t any around here not unless someone’s got one hidden and you know this neighborhood I don’t think that secret would keep long
As I came down the stairs too the kitchen, the crying got louder and more intense it seemed too be coming from the behind that door she pointed too the basement door
It was very dark and very cold down there I’ve never been further than the bottom of the stairs down there in the basement I don’t like it never have
Even though the rest of the house is bright and sunny the basement is cold dark and gloomy and it smells nasty too
I just don’t go down there at all but the crying was coming from down there I just had too go it was so pain filled and the feeling I was getting from it well it was making me cry too I had too go, step by step in the dark each step getting closer too the sound
Suddenly







“Whoa what’s that” Gordon jumped back spilling his coffee on the table
“Oh that Gordon is the source of the crying that cat was trapped down in the basement and it was crying its head off, of course it wasn’t going too sit at the door oh no, I had too go right down and grab it too get it out.
Help me hammer these last few nails into the cat door will you please Gordon otherwise that door will never be opened again and that cats going too wake me up every night