Stadler House:
Chapter Five
By: Roger Alderman Jr
The falling rain created a rhythmic drumming on the window of the massive two car garage. The stench of the air inside held a hint of teenaged sweat and marijuana smoke in the makeshift game room. “You know that’s bad for you, right?” John asked.
John quickly follows the question with a grunt as he presses the weighted barbell into the air. John’s face turns pink and then shades of red. His arms shake at the top of the press. Sweat beads across his forehead.
Tyler smiles as he watches John struggle to lift the weight, “Oh My God, No!” Tyler takes a long drag from a joint as he raises his hands in false surprise. He looks to the window as the rain intensifies its drumming.
The weight bench creeks and groans as John lowers the barbell into the weight bar holder. John grabs a pair of dumb bell’s and straddles the weight bench. He lowers the weights and motions towards the house, “What happened in there?”
Tyler shakes his head and exhales smoke into the air. He searches for words as he stares at the floor, “Thought I was over everything, but when she spoke.” He looks up taking a long drag on the joint before continuing, “I was there, man. All over again.” He rubs throat instinctively as memories flood into his mind.
John looks at Tyler in confusion, “When they stuck the tube in your throat to pump your stomach?” John returns the dumbbells and grabs a towel. “How the fuck did she know?” he asked as he wipes his face and places the towel around his neck.
Tyler takes a long drag from the joint, “Felt like I was tired to that table again.” He turns to face John and offers him a hit from the joint. John immediately takes a long puff from the joint.
Maggie’s voice echoes from the other side of the garage door to the inside of the house, “Bed Time!” John and Tyler jump as lightning strikes nearby outside the Stadler House followed by the boom of thunder. They chuckle until they turn to face the door and see Maggie stands in the doorway arms folded with a scowl on her face.
Tyler and John fan at the smoke as they fully know they have been caught. “Shit!” The boys look at each other faces full of guilt. Tyler speaks first trying to hide his building smile, “Sorry, guess we didn’t see you there.”
Johns holds back the building drug-fueled giggles and offers a fake smile. “Yeah, maybe wear a bell or something,” John can no longer hold back his guilty laughter. John’s laugh is infectious and Tyler joins him.
Maggie glares at the boys with folded arms, “All right guys, time to come in and get ready for bed.” She shakes her head fully aware of the fact the boys have used the area for smoking weed. She exhales understanding the fact she would have to cover for them yet again by using air fresheners and air conditioning filters, again.
John lowers his head and leaves the room laughing. His face turns bright red as he fights and fails to stop his laughing. “Sorry, Maggie,” he struggles to turn from Maggie and slip into the hallway.
Tyler stops at the doorway. His demeanor turns serious as he looks at Maggie, “I saw the look on your face.” Maggie looks at Tyler as her brow furrows at his words, “Tyler, the others listen to you. You need to stop the gossip, now.” Tyler studies her expression, “I know you saw something.”
Maggie turns leave clearly upset, “Make sure you’re in bed by Midnight.” Tyler nods in understanding, “Thanks.” Maggie leaves the room, “Midnight.” Tyler closes the door and eyes the billiard table.
Tyler gets spooked as thunder booms nearby and a flash of lightning illuminates the darkest parts of the game room. Tyler pulls a small baggie of green from his pants and tries to roll another joint. He pauses to close his eyes and steady his shaking hands, “Get it together.”
The rain intensifies further and the wind picks up causing the garage doors to rattle violently. The noise would be unbearable without the added insulation to help drown out the noises from both outside and the game room. The brilliant flash of another bolt of lightning reveals a small figure near the door to the house.
Anna glares at Tyler with a look of pure malice held firm in her expression. A demonic smirk twists at the corner of her mouth. She seems to glide silently across the room until she arrives opposite Tyler at the pool table.
Tyler stands next to the old billiards table racking the Balls, as the joint dangles for the edge of his lip. He straightens his posture and takes a long drag from the joint. He gasps at the unexpected sight of his youthful tormenter standing little more than arm’s length from him at the billiard table, “Anna! What the fuck are you doing in here?”
Anna’s smile widens to a ghoulish grin in her long red nightshirt, “You still mad, bro?” Her long wet hair obscures all of her face except for a single hazel glaring eye showing. She giggles as she slowly looks around the game room.
Tyler exhales and places a hand on his chest above his heart, “You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Tyler watches Anna puzzled by the fact he never watched her enter the room. He turns his attention briefly to her feet confused as everyone makes a noise crossing the poorly installed wooden floors of the game room.
Anna tosses her hair back over her left shoulder with a small playful nod of her head. She giggles as she examines Tyler, “Wouldn’t be your first. Would it?” Anna thumbs the protective cap off the medical syringe held stealth fully out of sight.
“Little Bitch,” Tyler drops his pool stick and lunges for the young girl. Tyler stops feet from her as terror fills his face. “Anna?” Tyler presses for an answer from his tormentor.
Long white streaks race through Anna’s hair. Her skin grows pale and the flesh tighten into an undead pallor claims her image, “Do you want us to come back later?” She gestures to the wall near the doorway and growls the words, “Oh wait that’s why we’re here now.”
Tyler’s attention goes to the walls as two human looking shadows race around the room along the surface of the walls, “What the hell?” Tyler gestures to the dark figures on the wall. His eyes follow the shadows as they stop above Anna on the ceiling resembling two oily patches.
The shadow figures drop from the walls landing behind Anna with an audible thump. Anna's eyes become two black soulless voids, “We’re here to play.” The color Anna’s dress bleeds away revealing a burial shroud.
Tyler steps away bumping into the pool table with trembling hands. “What are you?” he begs the demonic child. He pushes away from the billiard table and runs to the wall opposite Anna.
Anna glares at Tyler, “Don’t change the subject.” The radio signal goes to static as she passes by. She stops and turns to Tyler. The shadow figures blur across the room placing themselves between Tyler and the exit.
Tyler glances around the room seeking an exit, “Dr. Stadler! Maggie! Anybody!” He sees the window and rushes towards it. A shadowy figure runs on all four limbs like a large dog, stopping in front of the window, and utters a demonic growl.
Anna stalks Tyler across the room. She tilts her head from side to side her neck pops and cracks loudly. She pauses and offers a demonic smile, “You cheated death before, but no more.”
Tyler turns in time to see the other shadow come from behind him growling, “What are you talking about?” Tyler backs away from the growling shadows, “Anna.” He sidesteps the shadow creatures and runs for the door.
Anna motions for the shadows to get him before he can reach the door. Anna follows behind the shadows as they race towards Tyler. “You can run, but you’ll just die tired,” Anna chuckles.
Tyler clenches his fist and takes a fighting posture. The two-shadow creatures barrel into Tyler sending all three into the wall behind him just feet from the door. Tyler struggles with all his might against the shadow creatures.
Anna watches clearly amused by Tyler, “No one gets away twice.” Anna struts in front of him and reveals the Medical Syringe. She licks the needles with closed eyes as she shudders in anticipation.
Tyler in a very unheroic moment of surrender releases the contents of his bladder as he pleads, “Help Me!” Both Tyler and Anna look down at the slowly growing pool of warm yellow.
Their eyes meet Tyler weeps as Anna extends her arm silencing him with a single finger pressed against his lips. Tyler opens his mouth to scream.
Using the medical syringe Anna forces Tyler to watch as she withdraws some thick black fluid from her tongue. She pulls out syringe sending a spray of the oily black bile onto Tyler. In a blur of motion, Anna drives the syringe deep into Tyler’s chest.
Tyler gasps and look at his chest and sees the syringes. He watches as the syringes empty their contents into him. His body tries to fight the fluid resulting in violent seizures throughout his body. Tyler gasps in a raspy voice, “Someone... please… help.” His eyes become glassy as his legs lose strength and he collapses to the floor.
Anna’s image slowly reverts to the small unassuming child, “Okay love ya bye.” Anna smiles as she skips away from Tyler towards the door. Rather than open the door, she passes through it like a ghost. The shadow creatures vanish as a bolt of lightning strikes nearby rattling the garage doors as the pressure wave of the thunder reaches the doors.
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