No Trespassing

 

He stood gazing at the dilapidated house. A big "No Trespassing" signboard hung on the old, rusted gate.   The cold air enveloped his entire body. He gathered his courage and began walking towards the old house, hoping for shelter and food. He had been lost in the woods for two days now and was tired, exhausted, petrified, and pale. The walkway leading up to the house was cracked. Weeds and dandelions poked out from these cracks. Red roses grow wildly in thick batches by the gate. The moonlight cast a ghoulish glow on the house. The vines formed a twisted maze on the side of the house, reaching their tentacles towards the roof. The house's walls had decayed from years of  neglect. Patches of original paint hinted at the house's former prosperity. Cobwebs covered the corners of the doors, with tiny black spiders threading toward their prey. 

The door begrudgingly creaked open. A musty, dank smell crept into his nose. The house was eerily silent except for the intermittent creaks and moans. Black and brown mould dotted the ceiling in clusters, evidence of rain seeping through the roof. He quietly entered the dark living room. The calm moonlight struggled to penetrate the darkness through the windows covered with grime and dirt. Sharp shadows roamed around the room. The sofa and chairs overturned, revealing deep grooves on the ground where they used to sit. The wallpaper lay curled on the floor. Picture frames were hung unevenly A misplaced grand bookcase stood in the corner of the room, undisturbed for a long time. Selecting the correct book could reveal a secret doorway into a labyrinth, he thought! 

He made his way back into the hallway, a slimmer beam of light came from behind a door. He approached and pushed open the door, albeit with a lot of effort.  Dust swirled around the room as he made his way inside. The cabinet mirror was shattered into pieces. An empty medicine bottle lay in the porcelain sink. The only sound to be heard was the drip, drip of the faucet. A closer look revealed the discoloration of the water, a brownish concoction.  As he approached the bathtub, a violent odour made its way to his nose. He  leaned over and peered inside. Crusty rags filled the bathtub, with little hints of movement underneath them. It would be unwise to see what was under the rags. 

He was extremely hungry by now. In search of some food, he found himself at the foot of the staircase. He stood and stared at the top, wondering when a person with a twisted head would crawl down and have him for dinner. He summoned his strength and tiptoed his way up the stairs. Each step intensified the moaning and creaking as if the steps could collapse at any moment. He turned to the right, in the hope of finding some food. The door did not open easily; a forceful push was needed. Stepping inside, a dresser seems to have been pushed against the door, attempting to deny anyone entry. He could make out the silhouette of the bed, edging in closer for a better look. On the bed, a toy doll was missing its head, the sight of it sent him into a state of trauma. The wind intensified outside, the rustling of the leaves and branches was louder. In the corner, a little chair began to rock slowly. The room had once belonged to a child. crayon markings scrawled on the wall where wallpaper used to stick. The carpet squished as he walked. Little picture frames remained face down on the carpet. 

He was by now exhausted from the exploration. His hunger had died, and so had his hopes of living to see another day. He got down the stairs and slowly started approaching the main door. Suddenly, a howl echoed throughout the house. He jumped onto the old sofa and hid his face under the torn sheet. He was trembling and cursing himself for coming to this house. He closed his eyes and fell asleep in no time.

"Hey, you scoundrel!! How dare you enter my house?" she screamed. Her raucous voice was enough to dumbfound him. Because of the sunbeam, he couldn't fully open his eyes, but he could see an old woman with long white hair and big eyes staring at him with rage. "Was she the home owner or the howling witch?" he thought. As he was trying to get up and reason with the lady, "Thud" came a loud noise. A sudden, strong blow to his skull was enough to take out his brains in a single hit. Splashes of blood were all over the sofa. She picked up his dead body and took it out of the house. She flung his body, and it fell just outside the property gate. 

The poor, little mouse lay lifeless near the same old, rusted gate that said "No Trespassing."!