The Mold

Part i

The sun is beginning to set from behind the tall houses of the neighborhood they're driving through. It blasts yellow throughout the sky, with the beginning hints of oranges, and purples, and pinks that are all trying to gain their own spotlight. The tall houses that block the sky seem monstrous, larger than anything she's ever seen; they're like skyscrapers in the small town they come from. Fancy cars line the extravagant driveways and streets, showcasing the lives of those who occupy such elite homes. Funnily enough, even being occupied the houses have never looked more empty.

Sarah turns her attention from the outside world back into the car; she turns to her long time best friend, Reece, and asks, "Ree, what are we doing here?"

Reece grins, the kind of grin she often pulls out whenever she's feeling like causing trouble. It often reminds Sarah of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland, with shiny teeth on full display as she charms her way out of trouble. "You'll see," is all she says.

Sarah's face is full of doubt, but she knows better than to push Reece; Reece is the most stubborn person she knows and would rather take information to the grave than give away anything before she wants to. She sighs and gets comfortable once more in the ratty passenger seat of Reece's old Chevy impala; she closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath, trying to absorb the last remaining rays of the day's sunlight.

After a bit more driving, she feels the car come to a stop, and Reece pulls the car into park. Sarah opens her eyes, and glances out the window of the driver's side. Her eyes widen at the sight of the poor excuse for a house that stands before her. Once painted a brilliant white, the broken shingles that cover the house are now a decaying gray. Holes litter various windows in the front of the house, and a warped wrap-around porch holds high beams that look as if they might fall apart at any moment, taking the house with it. It was obviously glamorous in its glory days, but clearly hasn't seen beauty in years.

Sarah turns to Reece in confusion, "What is this place? Seriously, Reece, why are we here?"

Reece sighs, "Look, Sarah, I know you've been having a tough time, what with your brother and everything, but you can't keep hiding away like some hermit. It's October! You used to love this month! You always lived for all of the spookiness."

Sarah frowns, but says nothing. Truth is, she knows Reece is right, she just doesn't want to admit that to herself. After losing her brother so suddenly, nothing felt right anymore. If he couldn't be there to enjoy everything, then why should she? What right did she have?

"Look, Ree, I get what you're saying, I do, but wouldn't something like this just be a big laugh in the face to Jace when this would have been something he loved? After all, he was the one who got us into all this creepy stuff to begin with."

Reece has sympathy written all over her face, but is quick to mask it, "That's exactly why we should do it! It would be like honoring him in some way. Besides, if I knew Jace as well as I think I did, then he would be so mad at you for hiding away like you did all summer. It's time you gain some normalcy, Sar."

Sarah takes a deep breath and glances once more at the intimidating house in front of them. Mulling it over for a moment, she finally says, "Okay, you're right. Let's do it."

Reece squeals and goes in for a quick side hug from over the center console, before dashing out of the car, only stopping long enough to let Sarah catch up.

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"How did you find this place? It looks like it hasn't been touched in years," Sarah asks, eyeing the entryway inside the house. Two long wooden staircases take up each side of the room, with a big balcony that connects them at the top. The right staircase is completely toppled in, only a few steps remaining. There are small holes in the ceiling that let in the last remaining light of day seep into the broken structure. When she takes a glance into the rooms that are connected to the entryway, she can see old furniture encased in dusty, yellowing sheets. The whole place has this musty smell to it no matter where she walks, like moldy cheese left sitting for too long.

"I don't know, I just found it. Does it matter, though? This place is so cool!"

Reece's echo comes from a different part of the house, and as the darkness of night races towards them quicker and quicker, Sarah is quick to follow her friend's sound, not wanting to be alone for too long. For a bit longer, they continue to explore the house, Sarah soon venturing up the remaining staircase to visit each room, her fear of being alone long forgotten.

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After about twenty minutes of exploring, Sarah finds herself in a bedroom upstairs. She walks over to the side table next to the bed; on it sits an old, crumbled photo of a woman. She flips the photo around and notices words etched onto the back in an old cursive writing. She struggles to make it out at first, but soon determines that it says: "Anamaria before her 18th birthday, 1864." She's momentarily shocked by how old the picture is, and she wonders briefly what came of the family that once owned this grand home.

Staring at the photo once more, she thinks back to a moment with her brother, Jace. His favorite holiday was Halloween, and this meant that his favorite pastime was haunted attractions and abandoned "haunted" houses. He once told her that the best creepy houses had old-timey photos in them. She was never sure why exactly that meant that they were creepy, but because it was Jace she went along with it anyway.

Ridding herself of memories that are only going to bring her to a dark place, Sarah comes back into the real world. She begins to notice the darkness of the house and the quietness of her friend. She makes her way to the balcony by the staircase and yells out, "Reece?! Where are you?"

After receiving no response, she takes her time down the staircase, and the sudden silence of the house is deafening. She calls out once more and again receives no answer. Frustrated at this point, she assumes that Reece is trying to play a trick on her. She wouldn't normally care, but she really doesn't want to be alone, especially as the house is beginning to give her a bad feeling. Something doesn't feel normal.