The Attic

Chapter 5 - Ascendance

                 I wanted to ask whatever it was to stop bothering me, so I decided to talk to the unseen despite feeling dumb about it.

                “W-What do you want?” I asked, almost in a yell.

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                No answer.

                Based on the direction of the sound, it continued to walk to where I was. I was the one it’s after.

                So far it has inflicted nothing physical. All it managed to accomplish was to scare the hell out of me whenever the chains (probably) strapped to its feet sounded faintly until completely audible against whatever background I listened to.

                It was about to enter the kitchen which made me step back until the only space between me and the stove was less than an inch, and jolted to my feet when a figure emerged from the blind corridor, accidentally getting my skin in contact with the hot metal, resulting to a burn.

                “Are you okay?” asked a woman in a concerned tone.

                Startled, I turned to where the voice originated and learned that she looked nothing ghostly, or monstrous. “Ah, yeah,” I replied in my mind as I nodded, meaning that I was.

                Camille paused for a bit, then exclaimed at me, “Oh my, Frank!”

                Her direction of sight led my eyes to where hers were looking, and I found the bacon reduced to something inedible, seeing it having undergone a complete metamorphosis from rawness into almost nothing but black charcoal. My clumsiness was in effect as I added to my already misfortunate state when I spilled what was left of the bacon over the floor, catastrophically flipping the platter over with my elbow.

                “It’s okay,” she killed the stove and assisted me in disposing of the wasted pork. I heaved a heavy sigh as I took out some bread and cereals to substitute for what was supposed a happy face composed of two eggs and a bacon strip on a plate I planned serve her when she woke up.

                Had I been alone, I would have considered eating the bacon on the floor. Such a waste when the economy was already down.

                I had no idea as to how I’m supposed to put an end to the blasted drag of chains. It was haunting at the same time making me believe that I have gone insane. There was no way to explain what the heck robbed me of my attention that I forgot the food over the fire.

                But before anything else, I had a girlfriend to feed.

                Grabbing some milk from the fridge, we started on what I could produce from the shelves – a lonely set of bread loaves and some flakes. Breakfast is served. It was a shame that I didn’t even have peanut butter. Luckily, she wasn’t someone who complained at every lack she spotted. She filled in what was missing. Technically, it was my money used to purchase everything inside my home. Even the very table and chairs we used were her ideas.

                I was the wallet.

                Camille was the brains.