Chapter Text
Everybody knew of the abandoned farmhouse on the edge of Eastridge. And everyone knew never to get near. Not just because there could be long forgotten animal traps in the grass or the fact it's still somehow labeled as 'private property'. But because of the tales troublemaking kids spread like wildfire.
"There was a shadow in the window, I swear!" One would insist.
"It had a pitchfork pointed at my face!" Another had stuttered.
When you asked 'what had?', all you got was a pale faced look.
"I don't know man. Go see for yourself."
You'd never intended to follow through.
Another crack of thunder pierces through the sky, making you shudder and nearly miss your next step against the uneven ground. You're completely soaked, the freezing downpour beginning to seep deep down into your bones. It's getting hard to walk from how stiff your legs are. Why now? Why now of all times did it have to rain this hard? And God, why did you have to leave home at all? Without a plan at that.
You trudge though another patch of mud, trying not to lose your balance and fall into the canal by the roadside. The stupid forecast never said it'd be this bad! Now you can barely see what's ahead of you. As you keep a wobbly pace, you can differentiate a few warm tears between the droplets falling down your face. Cold. Oh, so cold...
CRASH!
The light battling behind the clouds certainly isn't helping. Before long, you find yourself holding onto the edge of a dilapidated fence lined in tall brush, praying you're not too much of a target to be struck. Where are you? You may as well be a sitting pigeon out here. A frozen, trembling pigeon all alone and without a way back. What a way to go. Your tears are starting to blur your vision, the shaking of your shoulders making it too difficult to hold your thin jacket closer. Why on earth did you leave?
And then, as you raise an arm to wipe at your running nose, past the torrent of rain blowing in your face- You see something.
The outline of a farmhouse. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Ominously standing behind countless rows of dried up corn stalks, tall yellow grass, and the barb wired fence you're leaning on. How far did you walk to get here? Surely it hadn't been that long? The shadow of the old building sends goosebumps up your arms, and before you can get your balance back, another flash of lighting illuminates it and its even more menacing looking barn across the field. You stumble.
'It's just a barn. It's just a building. There's no reason to be afraid.'
And unfortunately, it looks like your only option. Gathering your breath, you push off the fence with any energy you have left, wandering alongside the property until you can squeeze your way through a hole big enough in the wire. You make a dash for it. The field is waterlogged and rocky, but by some miracle you don't fall over, managing to make it to the large double doors of the barn. They bang against eachother in the wind, leaving just enough space for you to slip inside.
The change in air is immediate. It's musty, yet dry, the smell of wet wood permeating from the creaking, shaky walls towering high above you. This thing is massive. You tear your eyes away from the roof, realizing your legs had given out from under you.
"Oof-"
With a thud, you land against the packed dirt floor, barely catching yourself with your hands. You can't feel your feet anymore. All you can see is whatever the sky lights up through the crack in the door, and you wonder if you should have kept your eyes on the farmhouse window. But you know nothing's there. No one is here. No one but you. The fear on your face melts into sorrow, a miniscule sob escaping your throat. You're alone...
You shut your eyes weakly against the dirt, stifling your cries. Well. You got what you wanted.
"Hey! Who's out here?"
Or not. A loud shuffling breaks through the unending pitter patter of rain, being cut off by the door slamming once more. It echoes off the walls.
"I swear, if it's one-a you kids messing around out here again-"