The house had a red door. It was why she wanted to buy the house, even though all of the other realtors told her there were other houses she could look at, other houses with red doors. “I want this one,” she said.
Every last realtor, save for myself, walked away from the potential commission. I didn’t and now I wish I had.
We closed the house with the red door on Halloween. I pulled up to the address 15 Mockingbird Heights, staring at its bright red door, winking at me. My client stood on the stoops wearing red heels. “Oh good, you’re here. I thought you’d ditch me like the others.”
“Me? No way. I gotta earn my commission,” I laughed, holding up the keys. The red key tags shining in the sunlight. My hand shook somewhat. “Just excited for you.” She grabbd the keys and I left a jolt up my fingertips. “Go ahead, then,” I said.
“Oh, but you must see it,” she begged.
“But, I saw it during the last three tours of the house.”
“Not when it was mine,” she said, laughing, turning to the door. The key clicked the lock open and pushed the door open, “after you,” she said grabbing my hand as she pushed me through the door, slamming it shut.
Day 19: Faceless Figures made to look like a Face.
Front row center.
That’s where I was sitting. Never do I get tickets this close, but there was a question on the radio.
“What are the names of the spooky trio in the Nightmare before Christmas?”. I dial so fast that I was surprised when it rang through and was answered by an intern.
“What’s your answer caller number three?”
“Uhh, Lock, Shock, and Barrel.”
“You’re correct,” interjected the radio DJ, “You’ve won tickets to tonight’s show. Front row, center. Whatdya think of that?”
“Wow,” I said. Pretty big stuff. Now I was sitting in the audience, waiting for the show to start. “Funny,” I thought to myself, “I don’t even know what I am seeing.”
The house lights flashed and slowly dimmed. The crowd grew quiet as the curtain opened to see myself watching the show.
Day 20: Creature with long tongue and glowing eyes.
My puppy had gotten out one night.
It was as I was patrolling the streets in my neighbourhood with a flask, calling for her, I could hear the other neighbourhood dogs barking as I passed them.
“Steelllllaaaaaaaa!” I called. Echoing my voice into the night. It sounded strange to be calling her as she typically never left my side. The nearby dogs barked, but as I stood on Hickock Hill Road on the sidelwalkless side of the road, the air seemed to echo with any noise. Stella was a black puppy, and it was after sunset, so much harder to see. “Stella?” I called again, “Where are you?” Brutus the pit-bull in M. Delaney’s yard was barking, it sounded like a warning.
“Hush, Brutus,” called Mr. Delany from his porch. “Find her yet, Allie,” he asked, sipping from a teacup.
“No, not yet,” I sighed as I scanned the yard across from Mr. Delaney, though it was mostly dark and my flashlight didn’t reach far.
“I doubt she is in Mr. Yoshi’s yard,” said Mr. Dalaney. I shrugged, I could see the forms of Mr. Yoshi’s tuxedos cat, Pip and Pop. They were sitting in his flower bed, Pip yawned in the bean of my flashlight and Pop let out an eerily quiet yowl. “I wouldn’t worry, Allie. She’s come home, especially when she is hungry.”
“I hope so,” I said.
I continued walking further up Hickock Hill until I ran out of streetlight and it was quite dark that the flashlight was my only way to see anything. “Stella?” I called, swinging my flashlight left and right, when I hit something reflective. I stopped. “Stella?” I called again. I heard shuffling and paw pads on the gravel in front of me. “Stella?”
Suddenly there was a pool of light around me and a large creature with strangely glowing eyes. A long, wet tongue flicked out and brushed my face. “Stella!” I called, wrapping my arms around the creature. “I found you!”
Day 21: Clown in a bunker with a ‘Free Hugs’ sign.
First day of bootcamp and after a lengthy orientation I was advised to take my bag to my bunk around at Bunker 3.
This was the normal procedure, but I had arrived late to the orientation and didn’t have time to drop off my gear.
No one else was in Bunker 3. There was a soul around and was surprised by this. The gravel crunched under my feet, “Home Sweet Home,” I said, “for the next year, I guess.” Smiling at the empty bunker door as I pushed it open. A chill ran up my spine.
The door squeaked upon opening, stepping through the door I saw a figure in the middle of the main bunker room. It was a clown. It was smiling, and holding a sign that read ‘Free Hugs. Today!’
“Um, no….thanks,” I said and slammed the bunker door closed.
“No thanks, Sir?” a voice said behind me. I turned.
“Captain Grant, uh, Sir,” I said, saluting. “Um, yeah, there is some…thing in Bunker 3.”
“What?” said the Captain, lifting his head and stepped toward the door. As his hand touched the door another chill went down my spine. Captain Grant pulled the door open. The clown still stood in the middle of the main bunker room, holding its sign. “Oh, that’s just Carl. If you aren’t into hugs just let him know.” Captain Grant walked out of Bunker 3, leaving me alone with Carl and the sign.
I smiled at Carl. Carl smiled back at me. He pointed to a bunk that appeared to be free.
“Hey, thanks,” I said as I dropped my bag on top of the bunk.
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