Castiel's Humans

Chapter 22- Fear

~oOo~

Can I clear my conscience,

If I'm different from the rest,

Do I have to run and hide? (oh oh oh oh)

I never said that I want this,

This burden came to me,

And it's made it's home inside (oh oh oh oh)

-Monster by Imagine Dragons

~oOo~

One week later

~oOo~

It howled like a wounded beast, whispering secrets through the stone and racing through the unkept grass. Wind. It was a raw force of nature that had continued to batter the old country home relentlessly.

Sarah let her body drown into the mattress hoping it would devour her before the footsteps in the hallway reached her. The night before, she had ventured out into the hallway with soft footsteps until she reached the kitchen to relieve her parched throat. Heavy clad footsteps had stalked her in the shadows of a silent night. No other life resided in the old creaking house, yet every aspect of it was alive. The floorboards protested at her passing, the fluorescent lights blinked as she flinched and the front door opened its black jaws for her approach. This was no home. This was a beast and she was lingering in its bowels. Outside life should have gone on, the crickets that chirped, the cows that mooed, and the pigs that snorted. Even the farm dogs should be snoring. But whenever those footsteps walked the hallways every being dropped their head under their blankets and cowered.

Outside the dogs began to snarl and whimper. Fight and flight was dictating their instincts. A shiver ran up her spine.

The crops are dying. That was why Sarah was left alone with the house. Her mother had gone to see if she could get help from Mia’s uncle, a couple of towns over. It had been ten days since she left. For days Sarah had been a victim of paranoia, the accused was the house.

Thud. Slide. Thud. Slide.

In a childish manner Sarah threw her blankets over her head and hoped, begged, prayed that the thing would leave.

Thud. Slide. Thud. Slide.

Careful footsteps were broken with the sickening sound of something being dragged down the hallway. Closer it came. Her heartbeat became feverish. The darkness under the blankets became suffocating.

Thud. Slide. Thud. Slide.

Then it was at her door. Outside her room.

Thud.

It stopped. Her heart leapt in her throat, her breathing became frantic and a clammy sweat overcame her.

Slide. Thud. Slide.

The sound continued on down the corridor. With a frantically beating heart she wondered if it was too early to let out a breath of respite. Her mother had been gone ten days too long.

+

The next evening of had come too quick for her.

“Day eleven,” Sarah said aloud to herself. The house mimicked her in a mocking echo.

Sarah swallowed hard trying to avoid looking out the kitchen window where she was making her dinner. A large knife had gone missing during the night and through her clenched jaw she’d discovered that Milly had run away. ‘She’ll be back,’ Sarah continued to tell herself. Of course, it was just in her mind. Like a lot of her thoughts she kept them as far away from her mouth as possible. Saying them made it real.