Depending on the Circumstances, Locked Windows can also be Dangerous for Children
Willi rushes down the hall, with no clear plan of where she’s going or what she will do. She wants her house! She needs her house! She doesn’t want it to be eaten; it’s hers!
She wishes she could scrape that stupid House Thief off the wall and toss them outside.
Actually…yeah. Yeah! Why can’t she do that? There’s a snow shovel in the basement. She could grab that and scoop House Thief up and kick them out! Then she can ask The Attic Antiquarian for a way to get home. She gets the feeling they’d know how to do it.
Feeling comforted with a plan, Willi sprints faster down the hall, eager now to get downstairs and to the basement.
But…she’s been running for a while. Shouldn’t she have reached the stairs by now?
In fact, is she still in her hall?
It’s darker and much longer than it ever was before. Not so dark that she can’t see, but there are shadows looming, dancing on the walls. She can’t make out what could be making the shadows—they almost seemed to be coming from everywhere!
Willi knows she should stop, gather her wits, maybe sit down for a bit. But something inside her is telling her it might not be safe to do so.
She runs faster, no longer sure where she may end up.
But going faster is also a mistake. Willi doesn’t run often, so it’s not long before she’s out of breath, before she’s falling behind, before her legs are desperate to rest.
Should she risk looking behind her?
Staggering, Willi takes a quick glance—
There’s…something there. Something big and pink and taking up the whole hallway. Willi couldn’t go back if she wanted to. It undulates, almost like it’s inside out flesh.
But what’s strangest about it is the way it moves. It folds in on itself, curling its corners to walk down the hall by walls, floor, and ceiling. It’s uncomfortable to look at, yet Willi can’t stop staring.
“Hello?” Willi calls to it. “Do you want something?”
She had hoped that, even though this creature had no mouth, it would still be able to speak as many other mouthless creatures had. She had hoped it would explain itself, reveal that it’s not as scary as it looks, that it’s just as kind as all the other strange things here.
But it says nothing. Instead, it reacts to her voice by going down faster, the weird flesh hugging itself on the walls.
Willi doesn’t want to know what will happen when it reaches her.
She turns and starts running again, looking this way and that for an exit, any exit. But the hallway is so long and none of the usual doors are around. Where is she that her house can change so much like this?
There! It’s not a door, but a window. At this point, Willi will take anything. A part of her is nervous—she’s on the second floor, after all. But this place already makes such little sense; surely falling has it’s own rules too?
Willi rushes to the window and attempts to push it open. It doesn’t budge.
Stupid parents and their rule to lock windows to keep her safe.
Willi reaches up, hoping it’s not too hard to unlock. She’s seen her parents do it, flipping a switch of sorts…
Aha! Willi flips the lock and pushes up on the window. It opens with ease.
With mild grunting, Willi climbs out, not sparing another glance to the pink flesh, and hops out the window, hoping the fall won’t be as bad as expected.
And, in fact, it’s not, for she doesn’t fall at all. Immediately, her feet seem to hit…wooden floor? Willi glances around her surroundings.
She’s in Wilbur’s room.
She looks back out the window. There’s nothing but darkness. No sign of the hallway or the pink flesh that was chasing her.
Perhaps she’s in some twisted version of Wonderland. That would certainly explain why nothing is making sense.
Willi turns back to Wilbur’s room and looks around. She doesn’t come in here often. Why would she? It’s just a reminder that a stupid baby is coming to ruin her peaceful life.
So far, Wilbur’s room looks the same as it did the last time she was in here. Crib, toys, shelves full of little clothes.
The walls, however…
Willi turns to them. She remembers painting them a cream color with Father, the one good memory of this room. But now, parts of it have spatters of black, almost like someone threw black paint on it.
Willi approaches and taps on the blackened part of the wall, then immediately pulls away. Something seared into her. Not pain, but some type of sharp pressure, like she was a balloon and someone was pressing a knife into her, but she just wouldn’t pop.
The house rumbles with a deep hum.
“Who is touching me?”
That sounds like House Thief. Is this a part of them then? Willi is tempted to touch it again, but she doesn’t want to have that strange feeling. She wishes she had a stick to poke it with. This is why everyone should carry a pencil on their person. Free writing tool and free stick.
She hopes House Thief growing into her walls won’t make them harder to scoop off. Willi looks to the door leading to the hall. Should she risk going out? Will the pink flesh be waiting for her?
She grabs the knob, opens it, and pokes her head out.
There’s no flesh. Not only that, but the stairs are right there as well. Willi doesn’t remember them being so close, but right now, it is a blessing.
She quickly leaves, bounding down the steps with nervous adrenaline.
Lucky chapter 13! And this one got really weird X3
This creature in particular is based off this tweet (CW mildly disturbing)! I thought it was fascinating and had to incorporate it in one of my stories. I’d love to explore it more!
Thank you for reading!