Pumpkin Hollow

Chapter 4: Hide and Seek

(Chapter 4: Hide and Seek

+It's so quiet, not even the birds are chirping. Searching around the courtyard, for security, anybody, I'm soon disappointed not to even find a bug pass. Only the dead grass and trees appear to be the only ones moving, and the only ones here.

The streets are bare, but looking farther down I can see a few glowing specks in the distance. Running, trying to get closer I begin to frantically call out to them.

"OVER HERE!" I shout waving my arms in the air. "HELP, I NEED HELP!"

With my breath running short, I stop. Feeling more shocked than dim-witted I can see that the figures are cars, not people. What was scaring me was not the fact that they are empty, but that they're all on their sides. Crisp dried blood lies spattered along the seats and shattered windows.

Gazing amongst the destruction the rest of the town lies in ruins in the distance. Cars toppled amongst one another, charcoaled trees with cinders still falling like black snow. The buildings are falling apart, the same-burnt remains as the hospital. Dried blood splattered against some of the walls. What happened here? My mind speaks with fear. Where did everybody go?

+The homes didn't seem as damaged as the rest of the town. Some were even in perfect condition. Wandering down the blocks, I can almost picture how it used to be. There weren't as many houses as now, and I can notice a few buildings that have come around recently. My feet are terribly sore, but soon enough I finally find 204 West Greendale. It's different than I remember. Then again, you wouldn't normally see apocalyptic debris of cars and house strewn across a family-friendly yard. Rattling the door to my luck, it's open.

+Peering inside, various objects are scattered across the floor. The furniture is torn and shoved towards the far wall in the living room. Squinting to see, the lighting is terrible, even with the windows uncovered. Then I notice the problem. There are wooden planks nailed in layers over the windows. Someone was trying to keep something out, or something in.

"MOM...DAD..." I call out. "It's me, Matt! I'm home, where are you?"

I walk up the stairs to inspect the bedrooms. Pictures hang from the walls of unfamiliar people, and many of an old couple, but none in which reminded me of the past.

CreEEAAAKkk...

Suddenly, rattling comes from down below. Fleeing down the stairs, I carefully walk to catch another movement.

CreEEAAAKkk...

It still sounds like it's coming from underneath me. I start to randomly open doors that look as if they lead to a basement. Then, as I grasp the knob on the fifth try, I hear the noise getting closer. Gradually cracking it open piece-by-piece I come to see a descending abyss of stairs. Luckily, they didn't creak as much as the door.

At the bottom now the creaking has stopped. I can hear heavy breathing in the blinding dark.

The click of a shotgun chills my blood as a cold end of metal hits my nose.

"Who the hell are you?" A woman demands with her hand steadily on the trigger. Her short brown hair makes her appear as a cougar, or some kind of ferocious cat.

"M-Matt Midnigh," Her eyes grow wide as she furiously smacks me to the side with the barrel. I fall to the ground biting my tongue in the process. A metallic taste seeps into my throat and causes me to stand down in an attempt to show my peace.

"Who are you and what are you doing here!" She demands, "What do you want, money?"

"No, no I'm here to find my parents." I flinch. "Have you heard of anyone by the names of Kenneth or Farrah?" I ask shielding my face with my hands. She lowers the gun and helps me up. Dusting my pants off, she begins to trudge up the stairs.