Original Tweet: source
Long trip is finally over, but home doesn't feel the same. Family is acting unfamiliar. Eyes on my back when I turn and an unexpected chill.
Expanded Concept:
"Home at last." John said to himself with a smile as he finished pulling his bags out of the cab. For the last two weeks he was half the country away for a business conference, which was the longest he'd gone without seeing his family since - well, ever. He greatly underestimated how much he'd miss his wonderful wife and two young daughters, and it did not help that he was barely able to get in contact with them over the last half of his trip. But that time had finally passed and he couldn't wait to get inside and hug them all and bother his daughters with his company.
With his luggage in tow he made his way across the driveway and onto the stone paved path that led right up to the front door. For a second he considered knocking, but decided it would be more fun to surprise them. John walked over to the edge of the porch, glad the curtains were drawn so that nobody would see him sneaking by, and knelt down to pick up one of the rocks scattered around. This one had a false bottom with a key conveniently placed inside, so he picked the key out and made his way back over to the door.
John took a deep breath and then in one swift movement unlocked the door and swung it open. "Honey, I'm home!" he shouted out to the house, mimicking an ancient television sitcom that this kids would have never of seen. John stood there waiting for a response, feeling sillier as each moment passed. As he walked up the driveway he could see their car in the garage, so he knew they were likely home. Plus Angela, his wife, knew that he'd be home around this time and couldn't imagine that she'd go out and miss his homecoming. Perhaps they just didn't hear him?
Giving up on the reaction he was hoping for, John gathered up his luggage again and made his way inside. As he crossed the threshold, a chilling wave passed through his body causing him to shiver intensely for a few short moments. Nearly making him drop his luggage. As quickly as it came, it passed. Leaving John confused and concerned, something was wrong here. Dumping all of his luggage aside, he kicked the door shut and began shouting out for his family. "Angela! Jenny and Amy! I'm home!" he shouted as he began to slowly make his way through the dark house. All of the lights were off in every room it seemed like. With only the little light that could force its way through the curtains to see by, this didn't feel like a home to John. The long shadows coming off the various pieces of furniture throughout the living room made it feel unfamiliar and uninviting. Past the living room he could see more light coming from the kitchen. Maybe they were trying to surprise him instead?
With the thought of his family planning a surprise for him warming his hear and pushing away his fears, John made his way through the dark living room. Doing his best to ignore the immense discomfort he felt as he made his way. Preparing his best surprised reaction he stepped into the faint light of the kitchen, but found it was just as empty as the living room. The thin curtains over the kitchen windows blocked much less light than the ones in the living, but everything in the kitchen still felt off. The feeling of uncertainty and gloom returned as he looked around the kitchen. There wasn't any signs that his family had been in there that day.
While looking around the kitchen, he glimpsed around the cabinet into the hall and noticed light coming out from under the basement door. "Huh? Why would they be in the basement." John asked himself softly. There was nothing down there other than the water heater and piles of boxes with misleading labels. It may say Christmas Decorations, but end up being full of old books. Organization was not this house's strong suit. Maybe they were trying to get it all organized as a present for him when he got home?
Another warm thought to push away the uncertainty. John walked down the hall and opened the basement door, then as he was standing at the top he called out, "Hello? Anyone down here? Angela?" A few silent moments passed by and with each passing second the warm thoughts were being pushed out of his mind. Reluctantly he began making his way down the stairs, even if there was nobody down there he still needed to turn the light off and of course the only light-switch is at the bottom of the stairs.
A loud slam came from just behind him and blasted through the narrow stairwell as hit the fifth stair down, nearly causing him to tumble down the rest. Luckily he managed to keep his balance and turned back towards the top. John's face nearly blanched white as he saw the door was now shut. "Whoever did that, that's not funny!" he called out, hoping it was just his kids playing a prank or the wind. Hastily he climbed back to the top and went to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. With a loud thump he threw his shoulder against the door, but it didn't even move an inch. It's not like this door had a lock on it, so he couldn't imagine what was causing it to hold so tightly.
After several more unsuccessful attempts at getting the door to open, John turned and slowly began making his way down the stairs again. His heart was hammering like a drummer in a metal band at this point, but if he could navigate through the basement he should be able to climb out one of the windows set at the at the top of the walls. As he reached the bottom of the stairs the lights flickered, then as he looked around the basement he nearly fell to his knees, horrified at what he saw. Across every surface from wall to ceiling were splashes of something dark and red, it looked like blood. It smelled like blood. John began to notice a very thick coppery smell as he continued to look around, almost making him wretch. As he began to look closer at the splashes he began to see symbols, but they were like nothing he had ever seen before.
A primal sense of fear kicked in and John turned right back around, the loud thumping of his feet hitting the wooden stairs matching his heart beat. When John reached the top of the stairs he didn't even stop to try the door, instead he just put all of his weight and momentum into it as he connected with his shoulder. The door swung open effortlessly and John flew through, crashing into the wall opposite of it creating a large dent and matching cracks in the drywall.
Ignoring the intense pain that was beginning to flare up in his shoulder, John began to run to the door. As he entered the kitchen he paused. This wasn't right. Everything was torn apart. The cabinet doors were all open or torn off. The widow was broken, causing the tattered curtain to sway in the wind. The table and chairs were shattered and their parts scattered throughout the room. John snapped himself out of the daze he was in and began running to the door. Something was definitely wrong here. He needed to get out of here immediately.
John's breath caught as he entered the living room, but he did not stop. It was much like the kitchen in that everything was torn apart and scattered around. However this room had the same dark splashes over every surface. Symbols covering any space that could hold them. He adverted his gaze the best he could as he continued to run to the door. When he finally reached the door and went to throw it open, the second he touched the doorknob a scream echoed throughout the house. Sounding as if it came from the second floor, which is where his daughter's rooms were.
With a deep breath John ignored every sense in his body that was telling him to run, flee, and leave this house behind and let go of the doorknob. "Amy! Jenny!" John called out as he began to run up the stairs near the door. There was no way he could leave his daughters here, he needed to get them out and run. Making sure they were safe was now the only thing on his mind. As he crested the stairs and looked down the hallway, he noticed a light leaking out from under the door to Amy's room. It was an ominous looking red and caused John to pause for a split second, but another scream echoed throughout the upstairs and pushed him into motion again. It was coming from Amy's room, so he made a B-line for the door leaking red light.
John crashed against the door, sending it flying inwards with a crash and opening the room up to him. What was inside rooted him to the hardwood floor beneath his feet. All of the furniture in this room was pushed and tilted against the walls. In the very center of the room were several large circles painted with that dark red substance along with a multitude of those small symbols. More than he could ever possibly count. Standing in the center of the circle was his wife and his two children, each looking just like they day he had left them. A small hope fluttered in his chest that this was all some cruel joke and they'd be laughing about this in a few seconds. That hope was dashed the second his wife began to speak.
A cruel smile spread across his wife's face, showing off teeth that had no place in the mouth of a human. Far too many and far too sharp. "Your family is mine now. Won't you join us?" the creature said with his wife's face. It's voice burning John's ears like a red hot poker and reigniting his primal urge to run, but his body did not listen. His feet remain planted firmly where he stood. The creature then pushed his daughters forward, prompting them to walk towards John. Their long dark hair was hiding their faces as they walked to him in an unnaturally calm and smooth manner. As his daughters reached him they each took one of his hands in theirs, causing John's hands to burn with a white hot pain as though he'd just put them directly into a campfire. Still he could not move.
They then looked up at him and began to smile, their hair falling back and revealing their faces. Menacing red eyes replaced the beautiful blue and brown he was used to seeing. Their expressions completely foreign to him. Tears began to flow freely down John's face. The girls held more tightly onto John's hands before saying in unison,
"Welcome home."
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