Cellar Dweller's (Part 1)

Suddenly he hears a deep growl coming from a three by three opening in the wall.

" Is someone there?" he asks as he starts to tremble.

The sound continues, as he slowly makes his way to the hole. Shaking uncontrollably, he lifts his lantern to inspect the opening. Suddenly a figure darts from the hole and knocks the light from his hand. It crashes to the dirt cellar floor as it goes out, leaving nothing but the sound of the man screaming as he's pulled through. In the darkness, his screams are drowned out by the sound of his bones crushing. He lets out one final scream, before all goes quiet.

The next day, the sun is shining, the storm has passed and the residents begin to awaken in the small town of Oaksdale, Mississippi. In the house of Tim and Ann Freeman, the smells of bacon frying and coffee brewing fill the kitchen.

Upstairs, their son Tommy lays fast asleep. His room is like any other young boy’s room, with pictures of his favorite sports stars taped to the beige colored walls. On a corner desk, is a small computer he hardly uses other than talking to an occasional friend or two on the internet. Next to the computer, sits a twenty five-inch TV and his collection of video games. His closet is a cluttered assortment of GI. Joe’s, matchbox cars, and of course a pile of dirty laundry.

His bedroom door slowly opens and Rufus, a large tan and black German Shepard slowly makes his way towards Tommy’s bed. Tommy slowly awakens to Rufus licking his face.

" I'm up...I'm up," he says, as he pushes the dog away.

Lifting himself from the bed, he rubs his eyes and stares out the window. Outside his window, birds are chirping and land in a nest in a tree in the front yard. Beyond the tree he sees the old house, the iron gate almost surrounding it, and then remembers the stories he has heard about it being haunted.

His head is quickly filled with fear and excitement, as he gazes at the abandoned house. He sits there motionless as if frozen by its mystery. Suddenly he jumps, as he is startled by his mother’s voice calling him to breakfast.

"Coming mom", he shouts as he takes one last look. Then he gets dressed and runs down stairs to eat.

He sits at the table to enjoy his favorite breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast and overhears his parents talking about the new neighbors who moved in beside the old house. As Ann takes a pie out of the oven, she wonders where they came from, and they talk of going over to introduce themselves to the new neighbors after breakfast.

They hear Rufus barking from the yard, and after several attempts to quiet the dog, go out to look. They walk out to a nice green lawn with an old rusted swing that sits beside a small bird feeder.

As they approach the barking dog, they see him standing excitedly over the same cat the homeless man had seen. The cat is lying in a pool of its own blood and missing an ear. Through the left side of its body are deep wounds that appear to be claw marks. Ann looks down at the cat and quickly turns her head, as she feels sick.

"Whatever could have done that?" she asked in a troubled voice.
" Could have been about anything " explained Tim. " I’ll inform the police after breakfast".