Chapter Seventeen: Crimson Horror

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It was strangely quiet when they went inside their house. Usually Patricia would be waiting to greet them.

She was nowhere to be seen.

"Patricia! We're home!" Steven called out.

No response.

"Why don't you go put your things away, dear." Rosemary said to Sadie.

Sadie was eager to get back to her grandmother, so she ran up the stairs as fast as her little legs could carry her.

She dumped her school bag on the floor at the foot of her bed and got changed out of her school clothes.

When she was about to go down the stairs, she noticed Luna scratching at Patricia's door.

"What is it, Luna?" Sadie asked as she approached the cat.

Sadie turned the handle but something on the other side of the door was preventing it from opening-Sadie wasn't strong enough to force it open.

"Mum?" She said. "Are you in there?"

No response.

She gave up on the door and walked to the top of the stairs. "Dad?" She shouted.

"What?" He answered back as both he and Rosemary came to the bottom of the stairs so that they didn't have to yell to one another. "What is it?"

"I can't open Mum's door. It's stuck." Sadie replied.

Steven pulled a face, his brows lowered, and his mouth twisted to the side. Both he and Rosemary went up the stairs-joining Sadie.

Luna was still scratching at the door. "Come on cat, out of the way." Steven said as he shooed her away with his foot.

He turned the handle and sure enough, the door was stuck on something.

Holding the handle and putting his side to the door, he shoved the door open to behold a mutilated crimson mess that was spread from the bed to the door.

The stench of copper filled his nostrils and was so strong it made him choke and gag.

His normally tanned face went deathly pale when he saw what was touching his foot.

What was once beautiful, golden, wavy locks was now a lump of matted, blood-stained mess. He knew immediately that it was his wife's hair.

A deafening silence overwhelmed him as his legs gave out from under him and he fell to the floor.

He did not know it, but he was screaming.

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