The Wind

[perzephone]

I don't like the wind when it's strong, like tonight. It buffets the house, making it creak & groan. Sounds like someone walking in the walls & on the roof. Reminds me that Pazuzu lives in our fireplace.

Not too long ago, I had picked up an anthology of the year's best horror. I don't remember the exact title, but one of the stories has stuck with me. A family moved into a country house. It had a pair of large stone rabbits on the walkway & rabbits would congregate in the yard at night. Everything was okay at first, but then, gradually, things began to become haunted. At first, I think it was just a mirror. They turned the mirror to face the wall or some such. Then it was a pair of shoes under a bed. Then this wall, or that piece of furniture. It wasn't the whole house - just a bit here & a bit there. Even the cat became haunted, probably because it spent so much time under the bed. The father still worked in the city & eventually, he became haunted, too. At the end, he shrunk down to brownie-size, mounted a rabbit, picked up a spear & the story ended w/him about to lead a pixie raid on the house.

Sometimes, I just don't like living in this house. It's noisy. It's been invaded. It belongs to the scorpions. Nothing I can do seems to be strong enough to keep what's inside, or outside, at bay. All truth be told, we don't belong here & the house isn't subtle about reminding us, every single day.