The House

Chapter 2 - Day1: The Mission

Tom Something turned out to be Ron McLaughlin, and he was about as energetic and helpful as my cousin Craig.

He didn't know why the electricity was out, and from his inflection, I gathered that he didn't really care either. He sent me on a mission to check the main switches to see if the power tripped there.

I don't want to go on this mission. 

The more I think about Ron's directions to find the main switchboard, the less I like the mission. I don't like it at all!

The campaign starts by sending me back down the rotting patio steps... I don't mind that part because at least it's not sending me into the dark house... I only have the cell phone's light, and I need to conserve battery life. Besides, I've tried to use its light inside, and it only helped in adding some more ominous shadows to the mix.

Being sent out of the house is a relief. 

My relief is short-lived, though. The fat raindrops aren't plopping down slowly anymore; they are definitely coming in increasingly faster drips. They splatter into my face, slap me on the head and run along my scalp and into my eyes. Not fun at all. It feels as though I'm being pelted with eggs.

I've never had eggs thrown at me before, but I imagine that it might feel something like this, wet and slimy. Just perhaps more painful and crunchy.

Water balloons, then. Yes, it feels as if I'm being bombarded with big, fat water balloons! Minus the fun...

"Around the east side of the house," Ron had said. 

Great... That was extremely helpful.

The sun sets in the east, as far as I know, and the east is... well, somewhere... and so is the sun. All I can see are clouds and more clouds and decreasing light. I have no idea in which direction it's decreasing!

Well, according to Ron, there is a utility room down a flight of stairs around the corner on the east side of the house. The switchboard I'm looking for is in that utility room. 

Awesome...

From the bottom of the patio steps, I can only turn left or right towards the sides of the house. Stepping off the stairs, I pick left and dart through the now blinding rain. After stumbling through tangled weeds, wrapping themselves wetly around my legs, hampering my progress, I finally turn the corner and...

No stairs.

Ivy covers this side of the house, nearly blocking the windows. Lots and lots of thick Ivy. Ivy is pretty, but it usually means bugs, lots and lots of bugs. I'm not fond of bugs.

There is what looks like a pathway disappearing into an intertwined forest of vines and thorny branches. Very inviting. This path seems to end at another building, but I can only glimpse small parts of this building through the thick growth. 

Only the roof is clearly visible. Light green and curved, almost the shape of a bulging circus tent. Its edges are decorated with iron carved and shaped in a lacy pattern. Pretty, but in a spooky way. 

I don't really like spooky...

"Okay, so the creepy building is to the southwest of the house... I think... Good to know."

I spin around and fight my way back to the front of the house. I struggle past the porch and past my car, towards what probably has to be the east side of the house. 

What a great geography lesson!

And it isn't even the only geography lesson I'm receiving first-hand. I'm also learning that rain is wet when it comes streaming down. Wet and very, very cold, especially with the wind behind it. I already knew that I could've done without experiencing it first-hand.