The Petrifying Noise from My Back Door
Pheww! Finally, now that was over. I never had amazing persuasion skills but this time I have finally unlocked the magic of persuasion and convinced my parents to leave me home alone while they set off to town to buy supplies for the upcoming week.
After die-hard requests as well as maybe some bribery I convinced them that in exchange for me doing a whole week of chores they should leave me at home alone with our dog-Peanut. I never was a fan of being home alone when I was young, lasting only 30 seconds before I cried the house down for my parents. But that was when I was young. You might wonder what made me think that I am okay with staying alone in my home.
It was an old Victorian house with French windows with many doors and cabinets creaking but nonetheless if I stayed in one place and avoided the unnecessary trouble of using the bathroom and stuff, I could keep myself clear of anything that would scare me. I decided that the room where I would laze about would be the living room and lie on the smelly old couch that I swear was filled with all sorts of burritos and chips from the previous owners who had sold the couch in their yard sale which was where we bought it after devastating the couchiness out of it. I figured I could play on my console instead of dying of boredom.
I was elated that I avoided wearing scratchy jeans to the grocery store. Uhh! who does not like to stay in the comfort of their pyjamas everywhere and every time. I was not afraid of staying at home though there were rumours that a ghoul dwelt in my beloved residence, I had stayed there for 3 years after all. But what frightened me the most was the recollection of the expression on my dog- Peanut’s face.
It seemed like he had actually been haunted by the Anabelle doll and seen Bloody Mary who had shook the soul out of him. I wish I remembered it some time back before I made a deal with my parents to leave me at home. My teeth were chattering but I made sure to conceal it so that I could still lounge in my tech time. And the moment my parent’s old Chevy lugged away onto the lane, my instincts kicked in and switched on my gadget. I was looking forward to this from a long time until Peanut turned into a spoilsport.
He growled and grumbled in his doggy language and ironed my head until I decided I better look at why he is so startled considering his problem which might be a mouse scouring the scullery could become my problem as well. I was about to tell him off when a chill tingled my spine.
I was rooted to the spot as I figured what Peanut had been so startled about all this time. It was the back door. We just had it replaced and yet it was making a creaking and whispering noise. Suddenly Peanut whimpered as I glanced at his face when I yet again recollected his frozen eyes and red nose. It was terrified face. I am pretty sure mine was not any better.
A storm churned outside as lightning grunted sending me quaking in my boots. I tried to muster the courage to switch on the lights and at last I did so only to realize the power was out. Out of nowhere the door squealed, turning me on pins and needles. I ran upstairs to my room peering out of my window to get a look of what was making me jump in my skin. But I was just too taken aback by this whole ordeal.
That was when my cricket bat caught its gaze. How long could I be a chicken and linger around in my room. I knew my bat was a deadly weapon and I may or may not have accidently hit Peanut who had snuck into my room when I was testing its formidableness. He yelped in pain, and I made a quick apology as I headed towards the back door. I screamed out in a battle cry and ran towards the door. I opened it and swung it again. I found nobody. I tried to gather up courage to look around the house as petrichor from the showers outside filled my lungs.
“No”, I said to myself. I was too young to die and who knows what ravaging out there, it could be a lion or maybe the Gruffalo. All sorts of images in my mind made this a traumatic experience for me. I made a mental note when I heard a familiar meow. It was Mittens, my forgetful neighbour’s cat.
I turned around to find both of us drenched from head to toe or claws for the cat. He was the sinister devil I was frightened by all this time. It did not take me long to complete this puzzle. Peanut joined me surely in disbelief. His amigo had him so startled. Mittens had used his razor-sharp claws and had scarred the door. My dad would not be too happy about that one. The noise was caused by the terrified cat by the lightning and was trying to get in. Never did he know at that moment he had petrified two souls inside the house. Phew! Now that was behind us.
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Cover Image Credits: https://se.pinterest.com/pin/topher-osborn-on-instagram-backdoor-nighttime-door-stilllife-ricohgr–392939136217076680/
Inside Image Credits: https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/v2ryfs/someone_got_stuck_in_the_rain/
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