Moon Crossed

Chapter 3

Hey guys! I'm here again, haha! You guys better award me for updating so fast and bombarded me with comments and votes.

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"Calm down Collin," Aunt Martha told my uncle.
"Alex isn't going over there".
She turned to me. "The Marling's live in that house, she said, lowering her voice to a whisper".
She raised her finger to her lips. "No more questions -- okay ?"

"Just stay away from there, " Uncle Collin growled. "Come help me unload the car ".
I took one last glance at the run down wreck of a house. Then I trotted over to help my uncle.
It didn't take long to unpack. Aunt Martha helped me in the guest room while Uncle Collin made me chicken sandwiches in the kitchen.
My room was small and narrow, about the size of my closet back home. The tiny closet smelled of mothballs. But Aunt Martha said the odor would go away if we left the closet door and the window open.
I crossed the tiny room to open the window. And saw that it faced the Marling's house next door. A rusted wheelbarrow tilted against the Marling's side wall. The windows were dark and coated with dust.
I squinted into the window across from mine -- and thought about Uncle Collin's shouted warning.
Why was he so worried about the Marling's ?
I raised the window and turn back to my aunt. She tucked the last of my T-shirts into the top dresser drawer. "The room is small. But I think you will be cozy here, Alex " she said. "And I cleared all the junk from the desktop so you'll have a place to do homework".
"Homework" I uttered.
Then I remembered. I'd promised to go to the local school for the weeks until I stayed in Alaska.
"Hannah will take you to school to Monday morning, " Aunt Martha promised. "She's in the 10th grade too. She'll show you around".
I didn't want to think about going to a strange school. I picked up my camera. " I can't wait to get into the woods and take some shots, I told my aunt.

"Why don't you go after lunch ?" she suggested. Straightening her gray hair, she led the way through short hall to the kitchen.

"All moved in?" Uncle Collin asked. He was pouring fruit juice into three glasses. The sandwiches were set out on the small, round kitchen table.

Before I could answer him, we heard a hard knock on the back door. Aunt Martha opened it, and a girl about my age walked in, Hannah.

Hannah was tall and thin, an inch or two taller than me. Aunt Martha was right. Hannah was very beautiful. She had straight black hair, olive-green eyes and a nice smile. She wore a black green sweater pulled down over black tights.

Aunt Martha introduced us. We both said, "Hi"!
I hate meeting new people. It's always so awkward.
Aunt Martha asked if she'd like a sandwich. "No, thanks" Hannah replied. "I already ate lunch".

"Alex just arrived on the bus, " Aunt Martha told her. "That's why we are having such a late lunch".
I gobbled my sandwich down in a few seconds. I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was.
"Hannah, why don't you and Alex do some exploring in the woods?" Uncle Collin suggested. "She's a city kid". You'll have to show her what a tree is !"
Everyone laughed.
"I've seen lots of them in movies !" I joked.
Hannah laughed.

"I want to take a million photos, I told her, grabbing my camera case.

"You're into photography," Hannah asked.
"Just like your aunt and uncle ?". I nodded.
"I hope you have colour film, Hannah said. "The fall leaves are really awesome now".
We said goodbye to aunt and uncle and headed out the front door. A red afternoon sunwas sinking behind the trees. It made our shadows sketch long and skinny over the grass.
"Hey -- you're stepping on my shadow !" Hannah protested, grinning. She swung her leg to make her shadow kick my shadow.

"Ow !" I cried. I swung my fist, and my shadow slugged her shadow.

We had a good shadow fight, punching and kicking. Finally, she stomped on my shadow with both of her with both of her sneakers. And I dropped to the ground, making my shadow slump over the grass in a dead faint.

As I sat up, Hannah had her head tossed back, laughing. Her straight black hair blew wildly around her face.

I climbed to my feet and raised the camera to my eye . I turned and pointed it towards the Marling's house next door. I took a few steps rowards the house, trying to frame it in my viewfinder.

"Hey --!" I cried out as Hannah grabbed my arm.

"Alex --- don't take a picture !" she warned in a throaty whisper. "They'll see you !"

"So what?" I shot back. But I felt a shiver as I saw something move in the dark front window.

Was someone staring out at us? I lowered my camera.
"Come on, Alex". Hannah tugged me towards the back. "Are we going into the woods or not ?"

I squinted up at the Marling's house. "Why was my uncle so upset when I asked about that house?" I asked Hannah. "What's the big deal ?"

"I don't really know," she replied, dropping my arm. "The Marling's are supposed to be a weird old couple. I've never seen them. But --- I've heard stories about them".

"What kind of stories ?" I demanded.
"Frightening stories," she whispered.
"No. Really. What kind of stories?" I insisted. She didn't answer. Her olive green eyes narrowed at the broken porch, the faded, stained shingles. "Let's just stay away from there, Alex".

She started jogging along the side of the house towards the backyard. But I didn't follow her. I crossed the driveway and stepped into the tall weeds of the Marling's front yard.

"Alex -- stop!" Where are you going? Hannah called.

Holding my camera at my waist, I made my way quickly up to the house. " I'm a city kid," I told Hannah. "I don't scare easily".

"Alex please --- !" Hannah pleaded. "The Marling's don't like kids. They don't like anyone coming up to their house. Please. Let's go to the woods".

I stepped up carefully onto the rotting floorboards of the front porch. I raised my eyes to the front window.

The reflection of the setting, red sun filled the glass. For a moment, it appeared that the window was on fire.

I had to look away.
Then, as the sunlight faded from the window pane, I turned back and gasped.
Inside the house, the window curtains were slashed and torn.
As if some kind of animal had clawed them, to shreds.