The Shutter House
Every
picture fell off the walls. The entire house came to life from the shaking. All
of the earthquakes Tony had felt since moving to Southern California didn’t
prepare him for this level of force and destruction.
He
ran to the girls’ room, holding his hands in front of his face while dodging
knick-knack projectiles. Lights sparked from above and rained down in showers
of fireflies as he charged down the hall. The doorway to his daughters’ room
loomed ahead. The sound of their desperate cries reached his ears, cutting
through the roar of the house shuttering in its foundation.
Tony
found his two young girls huddled together on the floor beside their bed. Their
toys and books fell from shelves, posters peeled off the walls, and the bed
rumbled like an object possessed.
“Daddy,
what’s happening!” his youngest cried, her head on the shoulder of her older
sister.
“You’re
okay, I’m here.” Tony skidded to a stop and dropped to his daughters’ side,
wrapping his lanky arms around them both.
“I
want Mommy!”
Tony’s
heart sank, though he understood his petrified daughter’s response. The world
was collapsing around her and she didn’t understand why. His thoughts went to
his wife who had recently left for the store and prayed she was safe.
The
quake’s fury was unrelenting. Tony collected his daughters, his youngest in his
arms, and his first born at his side. They ran down the crumbling hallway. The
only things left on the walls were cracks streaking from ceiling to floor like
gaping wounds.
They
rounded the corner into the entryway and crashed through the front door. Tony
led them to a safe distance, dropping to the grass in the middle of the front
lawn. Nothing would hurt them out in the open air as the buildings collapsed
around them as the shaking—
There
was no more shaking, the earthquake over. Tony looked around and saw no one
else exiting their houses. No fallen trees. No damage of any kind for as far as
he could see. He looked back at the house, with a daughter clinging to each
arm, just in time to see the front door snap from its hinges and fall forward
like the house was inviting them back inside.
A wonderful post Michael most enjoyable to read albiet a bit scary.
ReplyDeleteHave a good day.
Yvonne.
Evil house! I like it.
ReplyDeleteScary! The house invited them back in by the door flying off? I don't think I'd want to go back :0
ReplyDeleteOoh scary stuff! Very original idea, I love how it went from being a normal earthquake story to something supernatural! :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't expect the end! I thought something bad was going to happen to the mum. Nicely done and very creepy, Michael.
ReplyDeleteYikes what a creepy story. I loved the ending, great job.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend, Michael!
You captured the description of an earthquake perfectly.
ReplyDeleteLoved this story. The House Possessed. Gave me goosebumps.
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend!
That is frightening. Great twist at the end, and I hope they don't go back inside.
ReplyDeleteAt first I wondered what kind of run down house do they live in with "Lights spark[ing] from above ... rain[ing] down in showers of fireflies.
ReplyDeleteThe end cleared it up for me in the beautiful twist.
Earthquakes are fun. My wife doesn't like them. But to me they are nature's roller coasters. Granted, I have never experienced one as bad as you describe.
Yvonne, Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteAlex, indeed, it's quite the monster.
Heather, I wouldn't either. It would be time to move.
Laura, thank you. :)
Nick, I'll have to revisit and have the mom have some kind of a simultaneous experience. That would be interesting.
Julie, thanks, you too! :)
Michael, thanks, I've had a little bit of experience.
Carol, good. :) That's what I was going for.
Medeia, thanks so much! :)
James, you and me both. But I don't want to be around for the big one.
Creepy story Michael, loved the ending.
ReplyDeleteThat would be an awesome house to have. I would so go back inside!
ReplyDelete