Page 5 of Dusk Macabre

In this day and age, what was unusual was for it to be deserted like it was, without any vandalism. And now, I was going to have it all to myself.

Almost—except for one speed bump. The mystery man that knew his way around the house like he’d been scoping it out and exploring it for years. He was my one obstacle.

The guy’s clothing had been way too nice for him to be hiking through the woods, and I hadn’t seen a vehicle in front of the house. His outfit had to come from some fancy, edgy high-end fashion designer. Or maybe it was created and tailored, especially for him? It almost looked like bespoke. I went to plenty of goth clubs and nobody—I mean, nobody, ever looked that good.

I snickered to myself thinking of my friend Vance, who sometimes tried and failed to dress similarly. Really, he just ended up looking homeless. It didn’t help that he was older.

Vance was stuck in his ways and wouldn’t listen to me about not hitting on way younger women and he didn’t let me help him choose outfits. The result was that he came across as an out of touch, lecherous guy far past his prime.

Truth be told, many considered me to be too old to wear whatever I wanted, but I didn’t care. I just didn’t go “all out” anymore and instead stuck to copious amounts of black with the occasional extra frills. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could do whatever I wanted; I was just tired.

Tired from my busy day, I rolled over and fell asleep thinking of the man on the house’s property and wondering where he hung out.

When I woke up, I was back in the woods. My stomach dropped down to somewhere around my knees. The last thing I remembered was climbing into my bed. My head was supposed to be against a pillow, not a tree. My hands should have been against my nice soft sheets instead of clutching dirt and leaves. How the fuck did I end up outside? Not once had I ever sleepwalked.

Once again, I had to pull my long strands free of the tree bark. I could have sworn I went home after yesterday’s adventure.

Rubbing my head, I searched for lumps and bumps, in case I’d gotten knocked out earlier. It wouldn’t be that far-fetched to trip over a rock or the curly root of some plant. The scar on my right knee was a reminder of the hazards I faced every time I entered the forest.

After I brushed myself off, I reached for my phone. It wasn’t there no matter where I patted myself down. My pockets were empty and I didn’t have my backpack. The device wasn’t on the ground, either.

Moonlight spilled through the branches overhead, providing just a little bit of light. Enough so I could see everything in silvery shades of gray with wavering shadows and mist winding its way around the trees. It was both spooky and pretty.

Suddenly, I remembered the advice to search for the north star, and I craned my neck back. It was nowhere to be seen, not with all the leaves blocking it. The old recommendation to check moss on trees for direction was an old wives’ tale, so that wouldn’t help me either.

I was out in the wilderness, exposed, without any supplies, and trying to function on pure speculation. There was the assumption these were the woods I frequented, but I had no clue if I was there. The trees in my area all looked the same whether there was daylight or not.

A chill ran down my spine, separate from the chilly night air. I was vulnerable to whoever or whatever showed up.

Not that it would help me much if a coyote or bear came along, but I grabbed the largest stick I could find and clutched it in my fist.

The prevailing wisdom was to stay where you were when you were lost. The problem was no one gave a shit about me.

Matilda at the propane office would wonder where I went, but only because she didn’t want to have to pick up the phone. My boss would have her send me a text and when I didn’t answer, they’d find a replacement. Nobody was coming to save me.

With nothing better to do, I started walking. It was slow going, feeling my way around in the dark with a big stick. Not only was I at risk of falling on my ass or faceplanting a boulder, but I was also getting mouthfuls of spiderwebs. On top of that, bunches of leaves from short branches kept whipping my cheeks. I was not having a good time.

Eventually, the brush cleared and I found myself facing the large brick wall.

My shoulders sagged as the tension left me. This wasn’t the best option, but I could break in and have a roof over my head until morning.

Leaving myself with enough space to run and jump, I scanned the woods one last time when something caught my eye. The right-hand edge of the wall looked out of place, with the stones angled almost like a staircase. Weird. I didn’t remember it. Earlier, I had gone back and forth and never once noticed it.

Or yesterday. When was I here last?

Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and walked over and pulled myself up. It was much easier to navigate, this time.

Perched on top, I stared at the house. The windows were dark, there were no vehicles around, no signs of life anywhere to be seen. All was quiet. The place was just as deserted as I’d assumed it would be.

Unfortunately, the staircase-shaped stones weren’t available for my descent. I twisted around and lowered myself off the edge, my muscles screaming at me for the nerve. I let my arms straighten while I clutched the lip, bowing my back toward the wall. I twisted my head to the side. Ten-foot drop? Easy-peasy.

The ground came much quicker than anticipated and I landed with a grunt and what would soon be a sore ass.

“Fuck,” I muttered, rolling over. I was almost disappointed when there wasn’t a hot man with black eyeshadow waiting for me.

Once I got myself inside, my plan was to try and figure out what the hell I was doing in the woods in the middle of the night. Possibly some investigating, too, since I was here.

Dusting myself off, I jogged on the balls of my feet over to the same door as before. The knob turned easily, and I shut the door as carefully as I could and locked it, wincing when I heard the tumblers fall in place. Under normal circumstances, no one would have heard anything, but the night was deathly silent.