Farm House

I would place a bet that this back road is the longest that there has ever been. Why someone would have a back road so long and far away from the highways is beyond me...My friend asked me to come along with her to get a new puppy and at first I was excited, I mean who doesn’t love puppies? But as we continue driving...something just does not feel right. I feel that something bad is going to happen, my stomach is fluttering with butterflies and my heart is racing. “Are you sure that this is safe Melody?” I ask my friend nervously. “It will be quick Val, you don’t even have to come out of the car” Melody replied.

The longer we drove down the back road, the more familiar it looked and the more sick I felt. Thoughts raced through my mind: I have seen these trees before. Where have I seen this back road? These trees, the fields; I know I have been here before but when? This scenery is not sitting well. I really hope she knows where we are going.

“Where did you find out about the puppy again? I ask Melody. “An ad on social media ya worry wart” Melody jokes. Except I do not think anything about this is funny. Going to a strangers home to see puppies down a long mysterious back road just does not sound like a smart idea but here I am. You’re being silly, we will be driving back to town with an adorable puppy in no time I reassure myself as we continue.

The back road is so long that the sun is starting to set. I am beginning to wonder if we have been duped and there is no farm or puppies at all. Maybe some boys we went to school with pulling a prank or something. I hope something innocent because if not, it could be something sinister. My stomach always tells me when something is wrong and I feel like I might puke.

Finally, we get to the farm. Now it is nighttime and I am sure my parents are wondering where I am. “The people selling the pups told me to text but there’s no reception. I’ll have to go and knock” Melody calls to me from outside the drivers door pulling on her jacket. There goes texting my Dad if I am about to be murdered.

The farm house looks more like a rundown abandoned prison if you ask me. Just as creepy as I would have expected a farm to be with a 45 minute long back road.

“Are you coming Val? Puppies!” Melody screeches in excitement “erm...I think I will just wait here Mel” I call back. “YOUR LOSS” she laughs walking away.

The weirdest thing about the farm, especially the land surrounding it, is the familiarity. Maybe I have been here as a child and I just do not remember?

Each detail is as odd as the next: the creepy gnomes in the gardens at the side, the misplaced hills in the fields, the trees, the graveyard at the back that you can barely make out in the dark and mostly the statue at the large front window to the farm house. I stare at the statue, it looks old and untaken care of. I cannot tell if it is a man or woman but it’s face is scary. The statue starts to smile at me LOOK DOWN. You have to be a complete whack job to think a statue smiled at you. I look up and it winks. My heart is racing. I am positive that staying in this car is making me stir crazy.

Where is Melody? I start panicking. I go to text her until I remember that there is no reception. Dammit Melody. I grab my jacket and go to see what is taking her so long. As I walk past the window, I try to look the other direction to avoid the statue but I can’t... something is pulling me to look in the window. The statue stares as I stare back, glued to the ground, unable to move. The statue slowly smiles revealing pointed teeth that sends a cold chill throughout my body. I try to scream but my voice is gone. I need to find Melody.

Finally, like a curse was lifted I was able to run. I run as fast as I can and bang on the front door screaming “MELODY! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR. WHERE IS MY FRIEND?!”

Nobody answers and I am not waiting any longer out here so I open the door and run inside calling for Melody. “Melody? Mel please answer me. Mel? Are you okay?!”.

I start running through the farm house, it is empty. Each door has a bare room behind it. No furniture, no people, nothing. “Mel! Don’t worry, I will help you!” I continue calling, searching through the dimly lit hallways. She’s okay, she’s okay, she’s okay....

I hear people laughing faintly in the background or maybe from outside? The sounds are scrambled. The laughs come from every which way. I am lost, in a hall with nothing but a mirror on the wall. I impulsively smash the mirror and grab a shard of glass . My hand is bleeding but I have nothing else for protection and so it is all that I can do when the person or thing that has Mel, comes for me too.

Suddenly I am at the bottom of a hill in the field how did I get here? I look around and that is when it hits me....Finally, I know why this is all so familiar. I am at the location of my childhood nightmares. As a child I would often dream of this farm and these fields with the hills and trees. Is it possible that I foretold my death in dreams as a child? Maybe this is a dream? Yes, that’s it. I’m dreaming. I am having the nightmare I had as a kid. I see a dark tall figure coming towards me that snaps me back to reality. I try and run but all of the hills make it impossible. Each time I go to run, I fall down just as fast from the uneven field. My ankle is hurting, my hand is hurting and I have no breathe. I am ready to give up and surrender to whatever this things is that’s chasing me but then I remember Mel. The thought of Mel fills my eyes with tears as I lay on the ground whimpering like a little girl between the cries Melody please be okay...Melody...Mel.

I look up and see the graveyard. It’s close. I think I can reach the graveyard to at least hide behind a tombstone to catch my breathe before finding Melody or before the dark figure gets to me. The figure continues to follow me but never catches up as if knowing that no matter what I do, it will eventually get to me and so it takes it’s time.

I make a run for it to the tallest tombstone but my hand is still bleeding and I am becoming weaker and weaker. I need to find help fast. I need to find Melody. Maybe Mel is hiding in the trees and brush?

My ankle is too painful to put any weight on and my hand is in no condition to crawl on. I use my other hand to take off my jacket. I wrap my jacket around my hand and start rolling my body into the wooded area. My eyes get heavier as each second passes and eventually I fall into a deep sleep alone in the dark brush.

“Oh, Val” Melody says sitting next to me. I can’t believe she is alive! Or am I dead? “What happened to you?” I attempt to yell but my throat is sore and my voice is hoarse. There is a mark on her face and neck. It looks like a burn or scrape, it’s oozing green puss. “Who did this to you?” I ask, pointing to her neck. She smiles back at me but her teeth are different, they’re pointed. That’s not Mel’s smile. Where have I seen that smile? It looks so familiar...

...

“Hi Valerie, I am glad you’re awake. I will be your nurse today, my name is Ellie”.

Nurse? I look over and see Melody sleeping in a hospital bed next to me. “Your friend is going to be okay. I am sure this is all very confusing and scary but the two of you girls are lucky. The car accident could have been much worst. Your families are waiting to see you, I will let your Dad know you’re awake”.

A car accident. It was all a dream. It felt so real.

I look over at Melody, relieved that we are both okay. That is when I notice something. A bandage on her face and neck. My heart pounds. I look at my hand and it is bandaged too. “NO!” I scream in terror. “It was a car accident, this was all just a dream!” I scream again.

I hear Mel’s voice “was it?”

standing over me is the statue, smiling with pointed teeth.

The end

Or is it?