The Fear of Fall: 16 Years Later

Chapter 3: All Over (1/2)

The sun was beginning to set on the drive back home. The sky was full with pink clouds as the sun got lower and lower, with darkness filling the space left. The car jumped up and down and Nick made his way up the driveway. Something was off. He stepped out of the car and made his way into the house. The sound of Teresa coughing echoed throughout the hall, for a moment it felt he was in the house that sat not to far away from where he was now. He made his way back to the bedroom and saw Chelsea assisting his mother out of the bed.
"You all right?" Nick asked going to assist her.
"Oh yea we're fine. It's just bath time for Teresa, then we are going to get her to bed." Chelsea said smiling.
While walking pass Nick, Teresa stopped, and hugged him.
"I love you Nick." She muttered.
Nick hugged her back, "I love you too."
Chelsea continued to assist her to the bathroom. Nick stepped out of the room and the thought of something being off finally hit him. Where was Julia? Nick started to panic. He ran outside and looked around. "Julia!" He yelled. Birds flew out of the trees from the sound of his voice. Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He turned on the flashlight and walked the trail leading out to the old house. This was the night it all ended. It had to be. There was no other way around it. Nicks throat felt scratchy and dry, his fingers felt numb, and his arms felt weak. Once he approached the house, he stopped, hesitating. Then, a scream echoed from inside. The porch steps creaked loudly as he walked fast up them. The door was already open.
"Julia?" He yelled into the house. Nick stepped in and saw a phone lying on the ground, Julia's phone. The sound of muffles coming from the living room seemed to scream in Nicks ears. He ran into the living room, revealing the old woman sitting on top of Julia with her night gown covering her face, just as she had done to him years many years earlier. Julia flailed her arms from side to side struggling. The old woman looked up from Julia revealing horrid eyes. Eyes with tiny black dots in the middle with layers of red and yellow surrounding them. She drooled heavily. Nick with no hesitation ran forward and kicked the woman in the face as hard as he could. She fell back. A sharp pain surged into his toes, but that didn't matter now. Julia coughed on the ground and Nick pulled her up. He nearly carried her to the door, pushed her out, and was about to walk out himself when a hand grasped his face and pulled him back in. He fell onto the ground, hitting his head, with the woman slamming the door shut, giving him no where to escape. Julia was on the other side of the door crying trying to get in.
Whatever was fighting for the soul of this old woman was winning, and it was viscious. The woman's back was hunched over and her arms hung low. She creeped towards him smiling, he struggled to crawl away while still facing her.
"Not this time." She shouted and lunged at him like a cat would lunge at a mouse. Nick kicked her back with his good foot and then stood up. He made it to the living room before everything started to spin, little stars blurred the darkness. Nick caught his balance just in time because the thing behind him made a noise, almost like a angry growl of a child, then started chasing him. He had no time to react. There was no where to go. Nick looked around and saw an open door down the hallway in the living room, he ran for it. The sound of footsteps thumping fast behind him sent terror through his veins. He ran into the room and attempted to shut the door behind him, but a arm came through and stood in its way. The door slamming on the arm made the thing that was taking advantage of the woman's soul let out a raspy howl and retracted it's arm. Nick locked the door and retreated into the far corner of the room. He touched the back of his head and felt a wet substance lightly flowing out of it. His breathes came heavily and he felt like he was going to pass out. Nick closed his eyes and dozed off for what seemed like hours, but was actually only a minute.
The sound of banging on a door at the front of the house awoke him.
"Nick! Nick! Please tell me your okay!"
It was Julia. Nick stood slowly, not wanting to make himself pass out again. Besides Julia banging on the door, the house was still and quiet. The rust on the old door knob stained Nick's hand as he slowly pulled open the door and peaked out. There was nothing. The floor creaked as he made his was towards Julia. He stopped in the living room and looked down at the ground. It was a round object in the dark, but as Nick got closer he saw it was a bracelet. Chris's bracelet that he never went without wearing when they were kids. Nick picked it up off the ground and held it to his chest. A swooshing sound came from the attic door, Nick looked back at it and saw the woman jump down from it, landing like a frog that just finished performing a leap. Nick crept back towards the door Julia was at as she made his way towards him slowly, smiling. Suddenly she leaped towards him, Nick closed his eyes in preparation for what was to come. Nothing happened. When he opened his eyes the woman was standing a foot in front of him, not smiling, but a face that looked weak and tired. The woman grabbed her hair and started spinning, "No more," she screamed, "I won't let you hurt another innocent soul!"
She spun faster and faster, until suddenly, she did a fast fall forward. Like the soul of the woman was fighting back. The ground made a loud thud as her head hit. Nick breathed a sigh of relief and continued his was towards the door. It was now storming outside, thunder shook the house. Julia wasn't on the other side anymore, Nick thought she must have gone back out to his moms house for help. He opened the door and stepped into the rain. An idea came to him. The mud splatted beneath his feet as Nick made his way towards the shed outside of his house. He grabbed the red container of gasoline that was always there, headed back to the old house, went back inside, and emptied it throughout the house. When he was done he stood at the front door where the trail of gasoline began, pulled out a lighter and a cigarette, lit the cigarette, and threw it onto the gasoline trail. Nick stepped back as he could feel the flame sizzling some of the hairs on his face. He stepped off the porch and watched the house burn. A hand landed on his shoulder, "Nick! Thank god your okay!"
Julia glanced at the house burning, "What was that thing?"
Nick looked at her, "I'll tell you later, it doesn't matter now, it's all over."
As the two watched the house burn a silhouette of a woman appeared in front of the door, not on fire, but seemingly untouched by the flames.
She waved at Nick and smiled, "Thank you." Then under her breath where Nick couldn't hear it she said, "Thank you grandson."
And just like what happened the time Nick and Chris entered the house 16 years ago, the woman's body disintegrated into dust, except this time, it flew out of the house and into the wind. The flames of the house grew stronger and stronger, unaffected by the rainfall.
Nick put his arm around Julia, then turned walking back out to the house.