Challenge Submission The Farmhouse

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Challenge Submission The Farmhouse

Eternal Love

The Most Suspicious of Muffins
Local time
Today 5:25 PM
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5,434
Age
27
Location
NightVale
Pronouns
She/Her
Footsteps moved through the old decrepit house, causing the worn wooden floors to creak loudly. Katie sat in a closet in one of the bedrooms, shaking and covering her mouth to hide the sound of her terrified breathing. Her blue eyes watched the louvered closet door, using the gaps in it to see what was going on outside of her hiding spot. Her jeans were smeared with drying blood, Derek's blood. Her heart pounded as she heard movement through the house. It was looking for her. Katie closed her eyes as she scolded herself for being so afraid. She was a professional paranormal investigator! But, then again, she and Derek hadn't really found much activity that was genuine. And she certainly didn't expect something like what was hunting her down to show up. She thought about everything that lead up to this. She knew she should have heeded the warning signs.

The house was rumored to be haunted, at least that's what the locals said. Some even believed the entire land was cursed. Some kind of horrible event happened there but when asked, the locals shivered and said nothing. The townspeople seemed afraid and there were hints of guilt in their fearful eyes. Katie, was a short brunette with blue eyes, was incredibly curious about what made the towns people so wary. Derek was tall with black hair and brown eyes. He only wanted to see if the place was actually haunted. The two of them seemed to be having no luck when it came to find places that were actually haunted. One random local had managed to give them a suggestion of where to get more information, the library. But, as usual, the information came with a warning that the two college students shouldn't go to the farm, especially at night like they planned. Foolishly, they ignored the warning. Neither of them were easily scared. Both grew up on horror movies and theme park haunted houses. They became interested in the paranormal in high school but didn't start hunting until after graduation.

"The Westly Farm." Katie began as she found information on the old farmhouse on the internet, using the computers in the library. "It was built in 1942 by Arthur Westly as a present for his new bride and their one year old son after they moved to America from England. The house was passed down from family member to family member until it came into the possession of Jack Westly forty years ago." Katie said, as she skimmed though legal documents. Derek looked over Katie's shoulder and spotted a police report. "Look at this. It says here that twenty years ago Jack murdered his son, Orion. The only witness being a salesman known as James Carlton. Maybe we should go talk to him?" Derek suggested. "He was detained in the psych ward of the hospital after suffering a mental break down. Maybe he's still there?"

"Good idea, let's go!" Katie said excitedly before logging off the computer and helping Derek collect their stuff. When they arrived, they were directed to Mr. Carlton's room where he sat, in his wheelchair. They wasted no time in introducing themselves and getting their gear set up. James Carlton was a thin man in his fifties but he looked older, presumably due to the mental issues that had caused him to be detained in the psych ward. "Mr. Carlton, would it be alright if we asked you a few questions about the Westly Farm? We plan on visiting it tonight and-" Katie was cut off by Mr. Carlton. "You're going to the Westly Farm?" He asked in a weak voice, his face paling. Katie nodded in confirmation. "Yes, we are. We investigate the paranormal and we would like some more information before we visit the haunted site." Katie explained while Derek leaned against the wall after he had finished setting up their gear. He wasn't much of a talker.

"Paranormal investigators..?" James asked fear still dancing in his eyes. Katie nodded. "Yes, now, could you tell us about what you saw while you were there.. was it twenty years ago?" She asked, wanting to avoid warnings she and Derek would ignore and get onto the information. Mr. Carlton seemed hesitant but after a few moments he nodded. "Yes, it was twenty years ago. The farm wasn't doing well and my company asked me to go and try to get the owner to sell the property." James began. "The owner, Jack Westly, was not accommodating. He was drunk and angry when I arrived and his son, Orion, was asleep in one of the porch rocking chairs. I had heard from my coworkers that Jack had been making his son run off anyone that wanted to try to get him to sell the farm. I didn't believe it until I showed up on the farm." James said, swallowing sharply and fidgeting with his fingers anxiously.

"What happened after you got there?" Katie asked, incredibly interested in the information she was being given. Mr. Carlton hesitated, swallowing sharply again. "Jack Westly chased me off with an axe. But I didn't leave, I lingered in the cornfield where I saw..." James paused as he became even more pale and began to shiver. He gripped the blanket that was draped over his legs, holding it so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. "What did you see, Mr. Carlton?" Katie coaxed, causing James' brown eyes to meet hers. "I saw Jack Westly murder his son with his axe..." James trailed off, seeming to be lost in a trance as memories flashed before his eyes. Then he seemed to forget that Katie and Derek were there. Tears began to roll down his face. "He was only 19!" Mr. Carlton cried suddenly. "He was killed! And it's all my fault!" He screamed, his voice rising as some sort of breakdown took hold of him. "It's all my fault!" James shouted until a nurse rushed in. The nurse ushered Katie and Derek out of the room. "Visiting hours are over." She said firmly before slamming the door in their faces before tending to the upset man.

"Well, that was a new experience." Katie said with a shiver, a little jarred from the sudden outburst. "You're not too scared to visit the farm, are you?" Derek teased, hiding his own fear behind humor. Katie turned to look at him. "We're going. But we should gather a bit more information while we have the time." She suggested. "We could go talk to the officer that wrote the police report. He might be helpful." Derek offered, putting his hands in his pockets. Katie nodded in agreement before the two of them headed over to the police station to talk with Officer Roger Blake.

"You want to know what happened at the Westly farm?" Officer Blake asked as he eyed the two college students. "You're lucky the sheriff is on vacation. He'd have you spend the night in jail if he heard you asking about that accursed place." Officer Blake stated, glancing around at the other officers. He ushered the two into a more private room so they could speak. "You know that everyone who has set foot there has been killed, right?" He asked. "We haven't heard much of anything. Almost no one has given us any information." Katie replied, keeping her resolve." We're curious why no one will talk about about the farm and why everyone looks so guilty." Katie added.

Officer Blake sighed. "Everyone in this town feels partly responsible for Orion Westly's death. We all knew his father was abusive but he had Orion so well under his thumb that the kid never pressed charges. Had the poor kid believe that his mother's suicide was because of him and that his dad was the only person that would ever love him. We couldn't do anything to help. A lot of folks around here fear that they're going to meet the same fate Jack Westly did." Katie cocked her head to the side. "What happened to Mr. Westly?" She asked, taking note of how the Officer shuddered at the question. "After Orion died, Jack was take into custody. He had his trial here and was found guilty. He was going to be transferred to a prison in another state with better security but he never made it there..."

"What happened? Did he escape?" Derek asked, now interested in the story. Officer Blake shook his head. "He was found dead in his cell." He replied. "How did he die?" Derek asked with morbid curiosity. "Same way his son died, blunt force trauma and stab wounds created by an axe blade." Officer Blake replied. "Someone broke in and killed him?" Katie asked. "That's what we thought. But there was no evidence left behind and the security cameras went out during that night. No one knows what happened. It could have been anyone." Katie was quiet for a moment, pondering Officer Blake's words. "It's a bit odd, isn't it? Jack died the same way his son did." Officer Blake nodded. "What got the town really talking was the fact that Orion's body was missing from the morgue. The info got leaked somehow." Roger said before realized he'd said too much. "It's time you leave, I have work to do." Roger said before ushering the college students out of the station. "I would consider not going on that farm if I were you, unless you want to die like Jack did." Roger added under his breath before leaving the two investigators alone outside the station. The two looked at each other. The sun was setting. It was time to set up camp on the farm.

When the pair got to the farm, Katie felt uneasy. While Derek unpacked and set up their equipment, Katie moved around the porch area of the house. They had gone around the corn field as not to get lost within the stalks of corn. It only added to her unease. A farm that had been abandoned for several years shouldn't have corn that was still healthy and growing. If Katie was being honest, the farm didn't seem so abandoned aside from the rotting corn and lack of any sound other than the ominous caws of crows above them. It wasn't rotting away as much as would be expected. It was almost as if someone was taking care of it. The thing that made Katie the most uneasy was the scarecrow slumped on its post in the center of the corn field. It was dressed in a black hoodie, worn jeans and red converse sneakers. The clothes looked old and undesirable for anyone to wear and even though the face of the scarecrow was hidden by the hood, Katie still felt that it was watching them. She did not express this to Derek to avoid being teased.

Night came quickly and the pair began investigating the house, separating to see where the activity was most prominent. Katie stayed inside, observing the first floor while Derek inspected the outside of the house. For a while, there was nothing but silence, eerie silence. Katie jumped when the cuckoo clock in the kitchen struck midnight. The sound had broke the silence so suddenly, she barely noticed Derek calling for her. When she did, she turned away from the harsh sounds of the cuckoo clock and hurried outside. "What's wrong?" She asked when she reached her friend, his brown eyes looking around wildly. "Where did it go?" He asked, not bothering to look at her. "Where did what go?" She asked. Derek pointed toward the scarecrow's post. It was empty. "The scarecrow.. it was there a minute ago." He told her. "You're not scared, are you? It probably just fell. The old thing was hung there pretty carelessly." Katie told him, thinking rationally. Derek seemed to calm down a bit. "I'm going to go find out." He told her. "Wait here." Katie did as she was asked as Derek headed for the cornfield.

Katie was impatient as she waited for her friend to return. She inspected her nails and huffed. However, it wasn't long before a horrible sound caught her attention. A scream, Derek's scream. Derek rushed out of the cornfield. "Get inside!" He shouted. His shoulder was bleeding profusely, blood trickling between his fingers as he held the wound. "What the hell?! What ha-" "I said get inside!" Derek ordered as he rushed toward the house, but Katie stopped him, her hands pressing against his chest, becoming covered with his blood. "What happened?!" She asked in a panic, unsure of what was going on. "That scarecrow.." Derek panted. "It's not what it seems. We need to get insi-!" A cry of pain prevented Derek from finishing. Katie was unable to catch Derek as he staggered forward and crumpled onto the ground in a heap, his blood smearing on her jeans as his body brushed against her. A scream escaped her throat as she saw an axe sticking out of Derek's back.

Katie looked around wildly before noticing movement in the cornfield. Icy fear gripped her, freezing her in her place. A figure emerged from the stalks of corn and walked toward her and Derek. "Trespasser..!" The figure growled in a hoarse voice. It sounded angry. Her icy fear turned into hot adrenaline, breaking her out of her frozen state. Katie turned and ran inside the house, slamming the door shut and locking it. The door was old but she hoped it would hold. She could heard the figure's steps causing the wooden porch to creak. Katie found a window and peered through a small hole in the curtains. She watched in horror as the figure came up to Derek and pulled the axe out of his back. It was at this point that Katie got a good look at the figure. Black hoodie, worn jeans, and red converse sneakers. It was the scarecrow!

But, now she could see its face. The front of the hoodie was open allowing her to see the full horror of the creature outside. Messy straw blonde hair poked out of the hood of the hoodie. The male's face and chest were stitched together with the care of someone who had worked in a hospital or morgue. She quickly realized that Derek's killer was none other than Orion Westly. For a few moments, Orion didn't seem to notice her. He seemed to be inspecting his axe. Katie hoped he would leave and forget about her, but something worse transpired. Katie could only watch as Orion began chopping away at Derek with his axe. The action was so violent and horrible that she nearly fainted. If Derek hadn't truly been dead before, he was now. Then, Orion's gaze somehow found hers, his glowing green eyes staring at her with madness and anger boiling within them. Katie backed away from the window and looked around in a panic for a place to hide. She quickly ran upstairs and into one of the bedrooms, slipping into the louvered closest. She wiped her hands frantically on her already bloody jeans before hearing the loud bang of the front door being kicked in.

Footsteps moved through the old decrepit house, causing the worn wooden floors to creak loudly. Katie sat in the closet, shaking and covering her mouth to hide the sound of her terrified breathing. Her blue eyes gazed through the gaps in the louvered closet door to see what was going on outside of her hiding spot. In addition to the creaking footsteps Katie swore she could hear something metal scraping against the floor as if it was being dragged beside the killer that was hunting her. She could only assume it was the axe that had been used to kill Derek. The horrific sounds grew closer and closer. Katie knew there was no escape, not up here. She had to think of a way out, but all she could think of was Derek and how afraid she was.

Unfortunately, this distracted her and she didn't see that Orion had entered the room quick enough. The closet doors were thrown open, almost being ripped from their hinges with the force. "Found.. You.. Trespasser.." Orion growled with a sharp wheeze. Katie tried to scream but the sound got caught in her throat as Orion raised his axe. As her flight or fight response kicked in, Katie moved and kicked Orion in the stomach, causing him to groan and double over with pain as the axe slipped from his hands. Katie grabbed the axe and slipped past him, her adrenaline fueling her actions. She lifted the heavy axe as best as she could. It was scary how easily Orion had been able to lift in. She brought it down and stuck it in his back like it had been in Derek's.

A unearthly cry of pain left Orion's throat and he fell to his knees. Katie backed away, preparing to run but at the same time she wanted to make sure she had killed him. She hadn't. Orion's arm twisted unnaturally behind his back and pulled the axe out without much hindrance. He then turned toward her, his glowing green eyes locking on her. A violent growl escaped his throat. Insanity and fury blazed within his eyes as he stood up. Katie turned and ran. She rushed down the hall and down the stairs, refusing to stop even though she could hear Orion's pounding steps as he chased her.

Katie darted down the stairs and headed for the front door, rushing past the broken down door and making a beeline for the corn field. She glanced over her shoulder and quickly sidestepped as Orion's axe flew at her, the blade grazed her cheek leaving a small gash but otherwise missing her. She wasted no time in diving into the sea of corn, hoping to get off the property. However, the cornfield was vast and she quickly became lost. She panted in a hushed manner, trying to figure out which way was what. Then, she heard movement all around her, circling her. "You.. can't.. hide.. Trespasser.." She heard Orion's voice croak viciously. Katie began to panic as she couldn't see where he was going to come from or which the road was. Then, the field was silent, eerily silent.

"Found.. You.." A hoarse voice whispered just behind Katie's ear. Pain exploded in the back of her skull and everything went black.

The next morning, the town's police arrived and found a horrific sight in the center of the cornfield. Two scarecrows, one short and one tall, were perched on the post, bloody and stitched up haphazardly with bits of hay sticking between the stitches. Officer Blake shook his head sadly and ordered the other officers to take the scarecrows down and take them to the morgue.
 
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