The Outsider - Retelling

The Outsider

Darrel McCormick was struggling to adapt to his new surroundings. His mother, Diane McCormick and father, John McCormick claimed that the countryside would be a much more quiet environment to sleep, but he's found himself missing among other things his usual lullaby of passing cars and even the occasional vocal group of teenagers. 

Since they moved in last week, every night some creature would howl and cry out in the woods like it was being dragged down to hell slowly. Tonight, however, it seemed to be closer than usual. 

Slightly irritated he grabbed a flashlight to see if he could scare off whatever was making the racket. As he crept through the dark hallway, he felt his nose grow stuffy and sting a little. As if he was about to get a nosebleed. 

He paused in the kitchen, anxious fluttering in his gut. Ever since he was little, his nose would inexplicably bleed when someone he was unfamiliar with was close by. Tissues were a must for when he was out in public.

He scanned the room slowly, watching shadows grow morph in the light of his torch. A loud shrieking howl made him snap his attention to the window where the silhouette of someone looking in with two bright red bloodshot eyes was visible. Right as his flashlight met the figure it ran off with another shriek.

He turned on his heel and ran down the dark house to his parent's room. Right as he broke in his breath was rapid, "Ma! Pa! I saw- I saw a... burglar... or-or a murder or demon or-a something!" he sputtered futility about the intruder or monster he had just seen. 

His mother and father consoled and restrained him until they could fully understand what he was saying. "It's-It's eyes were as red as blood and-and it shrieked like-like a' banshee and I'm sure it's what's been keeping me up!"
His mother sighed, "We'll look into getting a security system, but I don't think you actually saw anything out there. Maybe it was the reflection of something in the window? Or an owl?"
His father agreed "Owl eyes flash red when met with a flash light. That would explain the sound as well."

"But-but it ran before I flashed my light over it! Please believe me!" He pleaded.
"Well if it makes you feel better you can lay out your sleeping bag in here." His mother offered, dismissing the issue.

With a disappointed sigh, he got up and retrieved his sleeping bag from the storage closet. Hearing the distant echoes of the howling shrieks whispering through the dark halls of his home. An uncertain fortress.

The next day they discussed last night's events over breakfast. "It just ran off right before I could get a look at it but I swear it's eyes were glowing like nothin' I'd ever seen. It had a vaguely human silhouette though. Scrawny." Darrel said through a few bites of scrambled eggs.

His parents gave each other a concerned look "Do you think you'd feel better spending the night at the neighbor's house?" His mother offered.
Darrel nodded "Yeah."
"I'll see about getting you your own firearm." His father suggested, which made Darrel a bit uneasy. He's shot guns before and has even gone hunting, but he's never owned a gun. Been personally responsible for one.

After being excused from the table, Darrel went to watch some TV. He heard his father in the kitchen talking on the phone, asking the neighbor's if It'd be okay for him to stay. From what he heard, they complied.

That night as he slept on his neighbor's couch in his sleeping bag, he could still hear the howling shrieks. He turned over and buried his face into the back of the couch, pretending they didn't exist. His mind couldn't stop thinking about his family though, wondering if they were alert enough if whatever that was broke in.

His eyes shot open when he heard the horses out in the neighbor's barn start to let out incredibly loud nickers, whines, and whinnies. He sat up, staring up at the window that glared into the protective walls. He saw horses running frantic from the bonfire that was once a sturdy barn.