\u201cThis is the house,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
The house stood out like a skeleton at a baby shower. The neighborhood was sprinkled with neatly cut yards, bright painted exteriors, and basketball goals propped up on the edges of drive ways. Not this house. Once-red paint, which had turned almost black-purple, was in the process of pealing itself free and the yard looked like the Australian Outback. The windows had all been broken by baseballs and only the basement windows, hiding behind the thin, grey stemmed, weeds, seemed to be undamaged.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do I have to do?\u201d Jim asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrab a can of beer from the basement,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan of beer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYup, the ol man who used to live here had a fridge full of Miller Light,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man was a drunk,\u201d Aaron piped in from the group of boys that had tagged along as witnesses, \u201cIf he didn\u2019t have a beer in his hand, he was asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when the shit went down, he left it all in the fridge, never drank a sip again,\u201d Kevin finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, the fridge in the basement?\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShould be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim stepped onto the cracked concrete path that led to the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust grab one can?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYup,\u201d Kevin nodded.<\/p>\n
Jim stopped in front of the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you\u2019ll leave me alone?\u201d<\/p>\n
The boys smirked behind Kevin and Aaron.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got it,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
Thunder boomed overhead as mountains of clouds slowly rolled their way in front of the sun.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, wait, Kevin!\u201d Aaron said, looking up at the swirling embryo of a storm swirling overhead, \u201cLet\u2019s go with him!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow why in the hell would we-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCause its bouta storm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim turned to watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd?\u201d Kevin asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd my mom said I hadda be at home if it storms today.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen get your ass home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I hadda smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGo to the woods, go behind the ball park, just-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI ain\u2019t got time, man! If I come home drenched, Mom\u2019ll have my ass. Let\u2019s jus go in, wait at the basement door, and let me smoke one or two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin looked up at Jim and the house then back at Aaron.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go with him, but I\u2019ll stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gonna leave a bro like that! Come on, this house is scary shit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin looked up at the sky, swore, shook his head, and turned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine, let\u2019s go. You owe me.\u201d<\/p>\n
They strode over to Jim.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know I do! And I swear I\u2019ma quit before Christmas, I put it on my momma. Can\u2019t be killin my lungs for soccer.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever,\u201d Kevin grunted, \u201cOpen the damn door, Jim.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim turned back to the door and jostled the door knob.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s locked,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDamn,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got it!\u201d Aaron said, stepping past Jim and pulling out a knife that was folded like a pocket knife but was way too large, \u201cUsed to do this when I\u2019d lose the house keys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aaron slipped his knife in the door, pressing it against the lock cylinder and holding the door knob. Kevin looked back at the squad of boys; they tapped their feet and switched their gaze back and forth from the clouds to the house. Kevin knew he was going to lose his audience at the first flash of lightning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere!\u201d Aaron grinned<\/p>\n
He opened the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go,\u201d Kevin said, \u201cJim first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim nodded and the three walked in, Jim in the lead. The family room was caked in filth and every step the trio took kicked up a cloud of dust that floated through the air like a specter and settled back down on the rotting furniture that filled the room. The door to the basement stood slightly ajar beside the couch, offering a sliver of a view at the rotting staircase behind. The house was cold, way too cold for summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you Jesus Christ!\u201d Aaron cried, pulling out his squashed, almost empty, pack of cigarettes and a cheap one dollar lighter.<\/p>\n
The three watched sparks jump as Kevin spun the lighter wheal. He got a flame and raised the lighter to the cigarette at his lips.<\/p>\n
The front door slammed shut, the lighter went out, and a flash of lighting lit up the evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cShit!\u201d Aaron jumped, dropping both his lighter and the cigarette, \u201cWhat the hell was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wind, calm down,\u201d Kevin snapped, \u201cJim, hurry up and get that damn can.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Jim walked silently over to the basement door, Kevin strode over to look out the window. The storm was directly over them and the kids had left. Turning back around, he saw Jim still standing in the basement doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo on,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened here?\u201d Jim asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust get the God-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, no, he wants to know,\u201d Aaron grinned, \u201cLet\u2019s scare him a little.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin shook his head and went back to looking out the window.<\/p>\n
Aaron tossed the lighter and his knife on the couch and exhaled a plume of smoke through his nostrils, \u201cLike a year ago, this little kid took a tumble down those stairs. He landed bad, I mean B-A-fucking-D. And after he hit the floor, someone,\u201d Aaron chuckled, turned to look at Kevin, and continued, \u201csomeone locked him in a freezer. Dude was already twisted up like a pretzel but in the end he suffocated. The cops never caught who did it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The three were quiet for a while.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say that boy\u2019s ghost still chills here, but hey, ain\u2019t nothin to piss your pants bout. Way I see it, ghosts are like fire,\u201d he took another puff, \u201cHell yea they\u2019ll kill a son of a bitch but they need fuel. You put a fire in a jar, close the lid, out it goes. No air. You put a ghost in a house, ghost is gone\u2026til someone intrudes. See, right now, we\u2019re the fuel. But if we\u2019re fast enough, we might just get a lil burn, not a holy damn scorchin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin hadn\u2019t been listening to the two boys. He watched rain fall down from the heavens and beat against the windows. His breath floated out like smoke and fogged up the glass in front of him; a chill ran up his spine and tickled the hairs at the back of his neck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWeren\u2019t these windows bro-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGAH!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHoly Shiiit!\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin spun around to see Aaron fall onto the couch, clutching his throat. Blood seeped out from between his fingers, his legs whipped about spastically, his eyes rolled back in his head, and in one hand, he held his knife.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim stood in the doorway to the basement, as if frozen, staring.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the fucking hell?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin ran to the couch and knelt down; putting his hands over Aaron\u2019s as if maybe his would stop the bleeding. Aaron gargled, spat, and couched up thick wads of blood. Kevin jumped to his feet, \u201cDo something Goddamnit Jim, open the fucking door and get someone!\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin ran to the door and began to yank at the handle. It wouldn\u2019t budge, it was locked, and his blood soaked hands merely slipped on the knob. He slammed against the door, kicking it, yelling as loud as he could.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp! He\u2019s gonna die! Help, he is gonna fuckin die!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim was still in the doorway when Kevin turned around.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell was that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026I don\u2019t know, I-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know? He was a goddamn yard away, how the hell don\u2019t you know?\u201d<\/p>\n
Kevin took a step towards him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just happened! I swear! The knife jumped up and flew at him! I don\u2019t know! I swear! I don\u2019t know!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFuckin pussy,\u201d Kevin mumbled, storming towards the basement.<\/p>\n
Jim hopped out of the way as Kevin stepped down to stand on the first step, staring into the dimly lit basement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want from me?\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped, as if waiting for an answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cVengeance,\u201d Jim whispered and then slammed into Kevin\u2019s back sending him tumbling down the stairs. He hit his head on the railing, a rusted nail ripped through his pants leg, his knee smashed against the concrete, and he landed awkwardly on his left leg when he hit the cement floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell,\u201d he shouted, his leg bent beneath him, \u201cYou bastard!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened here, Kevin?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim\u2019s voice was suddenly deep and as Kevin looked up, somehow, Jim stood beside him.<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck you, Jim, fuck you! You fuckin killed Aaron, you\u2019re gonna die! I\u2019m gonna fucking kill you!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho pushed that kid down the stairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re fucking insane.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim reached down, grabbed Kevin\u2019s throat, and lifted him into the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho pushed that kid down the stairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHoly shit!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim didn\u2019t strain. It was almost like he was holding a stuffed animal.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho pushed that kid down the stairs?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell are you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim, without so much as a grunt, threw Kevin across the room so that he slammed into the large, six foot long treasure-chest like freezer. He landed, once again, on his left leg, except this time there was a pop.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did it\u2026oh shit\u2026oh shit this hurts\u2026I did it,\u201d Kevin said.<\/p>\n
Jim strode over to the refrigerator that sat next to the freezer.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you help him when you saw he was hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was dead when he hit the bottom, what could we have done?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim stuck his hand through the fridge door, not making a hole, not using force, just passing through. A second later, Jim had pulled a warm can of Miller Light out of the fridge. (The fridge had been off for a good year.)<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you gonna keep lying to me Kevin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was pretty close to being dead,\u201d he paused, clutching his leg, \u201cGoddamn this hurts\u2026but he was just shaking, twitching and mumbling you know\u2026Jim please jus let me up. My leg\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim opened the freezer with his free hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what\u2019d you do bout the shakin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t mean to, it\u2019d been a joke! But he was messed up and we couldn\u2019t get in trouble, we really couldn\u2019t. And\u2026Jesus Christ this hurts\u2026and we\u2026goddamn\u2026please help me Jim, I\u2019ll leave you alone. I swear! No more bullying!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019d you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim grabbed Kevin by the throat again and lifted him over the freezer.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026we put him in the freezer. Now, come on Jim, let me down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim let go of Kevin and he fell into the freezer.<\/p>\n
\u201cShit! Help me! Goddamn! Help me! What do you want?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim didn\u2019t answer. He opened the can of beer and began to pour it on Kevin.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo all you did was put him in the freezer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes! That\u2019s it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019d you do after that? Just left?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo\u2026we closed it and sat on the top\u2026so he couldn\u2019t get out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim tossed the can into the corner and pulled out the one dollar lighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, who killed the boy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did. Now, please let me-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWHO KILLED THE BOY?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim leaned over the side of the freezer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019re you doing? Wait!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember how Aaron said fire needs air to live?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim rubbed his thumb across the wheel of the lighter and a jet of blue jumped out onto Kevin\u2019s jean leg.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell!\u201d<\/p>\n
Flames leaped across his beer soaked body with a SWOOSH. Kevin screamed as the fire reached his mouth and climbed down his throat, clawing its way deeper until it boiled the acids of his stomach. The smell of burnt hair and flesh wafted into the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell so do humans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim shut the freezer-<\/p>\n
-only for a moment.<\/p>\n
He opened the freezer again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry\u2026\u201d Kevin whispered through crispy lips, the fire was gone, but his body was an ashy black, \u201cI\u2019m so sorry\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat was the boy\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t\u2026\u201d Kevin could hardly speak and what he did say was a faint whisper, \u201c\u2026know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWant me to tell you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJim,\u201d Jim said and shut the freezer door.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cThis is the house,\u201d Kevin said. The house stood out like a skeleton at a baby shower. The neighborhood was sprinkled with neatly cut yards, bright painted exteriors, and basketball goals propped up on the edges of drive ways. Not this house. Once-red paint, which had turned almost black-purple, was in the process of pealing … Continue reading “The House”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":7,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":151,"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions\/151"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deadsquirrelpro.com\/sethpen\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}