Trigger

Trigger: Chapter 3

Once I’d devoured all the food on my plate, I placed it neatly in the sink. Something glittering just below the shallow water caught my attention. Poking out under a low stack of plates was a long, serrated steak knife.

Tossing a quick look around to make sure no one was around, I dipped my hand into the water and pulled it out. Wiping it dry on the loose shirt, I tucked it in my pants against my thigh. Just in case. I’d told myself. After all, they were still two strange, older guys I’d just met. With all this talk about nightmarish creatures, maybe they were crazy to top it all off.

Silence hung thick in the air. I turned down the hallway to the main living room. The wallpaper barely clinging to the walls was ripped and worn, peeling in certain spots. The house was decaying. How did Ayden live here? Did Mick live with him? It was massive. Even if both of them lived here, it would be more space than necessary.

Glancing at the front door, I noted that it was still unlocked and at easy access. I considered leaving, but decided against it. My gaze then drifted upward towards the high ceilings and an ancient looking chandelier, still glistening in what few streaks of sunlight the dirty windows permitted entrance. Looking at the staircase, it had blood red carpet spilling down the center. At the top was a large window.

The lighting in here would make for some great shots. I laughed at myself for thinking about photography at a time like this. I found a strange beauty in the brokenness of the house and I wanted to see more.

The bedroom I’d woken up in, apparently Ayden’s, was on the first floor. Therefore, I was curious as to what resided on the second. Have you ever heard of the saying “curiosity killed the cat?” Well, I was one curious cat. I’d been this way as long as I could remember and it has never ceased to get me in trouble.

No one was around, so I let myself wander towards the steps, hesitating only a moment then working my way up. The floor was more thickly carpeted with dust at the top of the steps, suggesting that no one had been up here in a long time. Two empty corridors stretched out far on each side of me.

With a deep breath, I continued pushing forward. Thoughts in the back of my mind pulled to wonder if being up here without permission was wrong. Neither Ayden nor Mick said anything about not going upstairs. If they didn’t want me up here, they should have mentioned it, I convinced myself.

Looking left, and then back right, I decided to go down the left hall. Passing by the window, I glanced out to see that this house was one of many, though all the rest seemed to be deserted. Beyond their rooftops were large warehouses and finally the river.

I took each step carefully and slowly. The floor cried out from the stress of my weight. Still, for the most part, it felt sturdy.

I walked down the hallway, the thick darkness deepening every inch I crept away from the window. Holding my hand out, I let my fingers trail against the wall feeling the frayed wallpaper until it bumped into a knob. Stopping, I twisted it and pushed the door open.

Its hinges squeaked with age, dust releasing itself in a thick cloud. Light spilled through the opening and into the hallway. There was a small window in this room. It was also excessively dusty, making my nose itch as I stepped inside. Other than that, the room was very similar to Ayden’s.

A large dresser was pressed against the wall with a few items laid out across the top. A full sized bed was neatly made in the center. Near the foot of a bed was an open trunk, items spilling out over the floor and bed. It was easy to tell this had been a girl’s room.

Thump.

I spun around anxiously on my heels, my breath catching in my throat. There wasn’t anyone there. Thump, thump. It came again. I looked back around the room. It sounded like it was coming from the closet. Slowly, I approached it.