Hunted

The Breakdown.

"Yes mom, I'll be home soon! I'm like an hour away. But if I'm going to get there I need to plug in my phone and drive careful."

My mother reluctantly agreed and ended the call. I was about to plug in my phone when it died. I sighed and grabbed my charger, my car sputtering interrupted me.

"What the..." I mumbled to myself. As my car came to a slow stop I pulled to the side of the road and put my head down. I sighed once again and yanked open the door.

As I opened the hood a billow of smoke erupted from the engine, earning me a wave of coughs and an irritated grunt. I pulled it shut and went to grab my phone, gasping when I remembered it died. And I has no way to charge it.

I placed my cold fingers on the bridge of my nose and shook my head. This kind of stuff always happens to me. The worst predicaments. I looked around the neighborhood, seeing only one house with lights on. It looked like a freaking haunted house but those are all set up. Not actually haunted.

So I decided to wing it, I needed to call a tow truck and my parents. I trudged toward the house, my feet splashing in puddles as I walked.

When I reached for the rickety gate, it swung open for me. I retracted my hand, my mind still catching up from the startle. I shook it off since there was a gust of wind that could have done it and ghosts are not real. Plus, I needed to make two calls. And this was the only how, so fantastic for me huh.

I decided to walk a little slower in case someone came out of the house with a butcher knife or something. It wasn't ghosts but I swear this house gave me the heeby geebys. But once again, I kept walking. I arrived at the door, now noticing bloody hand marks on the wall of the house. They scared me, that's for sure, but it was near Halloween so they were probably just decoration.

I took a deep breath and aimed my hand at the doorknob when the locks unlocked and the door shot open. I shrieked a little, knowing that that could not have been the wind. At this point I was ready to give up and go to another house but I couldn't turn back. I tried pushing myself, pulling myself, but my feet would only move forward.

Finally I gave in out of sheer terror and moved forward. And of course the first thing I step in is a pothole in the wooden floors. I groan as I pull my foot out. Scrapes and cuts slice into my skin, making me crouch down to pull out any splinters. After I had made sure I wasn't cut too bad I slowly stood up to get a better view of the floor boards. There were probably only about twelve in the hallway. All of them looked like oak and had strips of darkness between them. The boards were probably rotting and needed to be replaced before something worse than stepping in a pothole happens. I shook my head as I noticed the creepy photos on the walls and more bloody hand marks.

Just decoration, I thought, just decoration.

I kept stepping on the old floor, a murky powder arising after each cautious step. I then observed a stench. The stench of... no, it couldn't be... caramel apples? I was surprised at the sweet smelling treat. I could not find any of it anywhere. Nor a candle. It was like the smell had wafted in and decided to stay, no biggie. It puzzled me even more at how a house that looks as though it hasn't been touch in years, could smell so sweet.

I kept walking down the hallway, my feet finally reaching an open room which I assumed was the living room. I looked around, seeing there was old, blue wallpaper peeling and fading along the walls. The faded parapet held a classic swirl pattern. It only added to the creepiness that surrounded this house. There was a rug on the ground, it looked as though it could have been white once, but now it was a yellow stained with red. I took a deep breath in realizing the aroma has changed.