Oliver's Haunted Journey

The year is 1945. The second World War has finally ended. Na' I don't mean to allow my temper influence my words, but I stopped givin' one buck about the war, even if it was great. My father was taken by Japanese filth four years ago. My momma took it pretty hard I'd say... wasn't three months gone by before she flipped her wig and offed herself with my father's m1911 pistol. Before I allowed the authorities to come and shove me into their 'system,' I ran away and never looked back. A pity, I'm only 16 but I was makin' 25 cents an hour as a busboy.. I was pretty well off! Until my pop was murdered and my mother smitten by depression.

I've been unable to stay in any populated areas too long. The first couple weeks of my runnin' away, I'd try to glom some stuff from people that looked to be havin deep pockets, but a few swift beatings made me realize I'm just not cut out for robbery from rich folk.

Poor people seem to be dumber, not be focusin' as much on the shady-lookin youth, clad in raunchy clothes. I don't steal much from 'em, not that they have much to steal. A loaf of bread here, can o' beans there. Had one family catch me last week, an' instead of a beating like them rich folk like to do, they gave me a can of tomato soup and then set me on my way. Poor people are nicer than folks with money. Dumber, but nicer.

I've been jumpin from vacant house to vacant house ever since I left home. As soon as the neighborhood starts to pay too much attention to me, I pack my few belongins and leave. It was really getting' to be a tough pill to take.

Name's Oliver by the way. I stand as tall and mighty as I can at five feet eight inches. I only weigh one twenty, but it makes it easy to get in and out of small windows. I've been told by countless dollies that I have a cute face. Not exactly a compliment, as us men strive to be men. Well I try anyway. Sure made it difficult with the B group at my home neighborhood.

B stands for bully by the way... The B group had 6 guys, don't remember most of their names, but I do remember Donny Arthur. He was a real creep. Apparently Don's idea of a good time is him and his friends stealin' all my clothes in the woods, swattin my bum hard with a branch, then tyin' my hands behind my back and running off. Naked with red marks on my rear-end, there's not much I can do except try to remain hidden as I sneak my way back home. Buncha nerts they were.

So I was looking for a new home to stay in, hopefully for a couple weeks as I was gettin real tired. I kinda found myself in a really rural area of this new neighborhood I came across. The houses were way far apart and looked empty and dead. This was a gold-mine for me! I walked around for a few minutes, trying to find the perfect house, when I came across just that.

This house was spooky as hell. From the outside it looked like it had three stories. The windows were covered in dust from the inside, and boarded on the out. A black metal fence, high as my chest, surrounded the entire property. Ivy branches and other plants had long since dried and died havin climbed their way up the rusty barrier. Gettin over the fence was a pinch for me. The grass was brown, shriveled up rose-petals littered the walk way. As I walked up to the front door, the wood creaked somethin awful underneath my feet. This place was cool.

I had to rip off a couple 2x4s to gain access to the door. Was easy seein as though the wood had rotted within each nail. I stood on my tip toes to peer through the stained glass near the top of the door. Couldn't see very much, the once see-through glass had long since clouded and describing what I saw as a blur was bein' generous. So I slowly opened the door.

My eyes were pulled to the hinges as they screeched when the door opened. I poked my head in first, then my body followed. What I saw was amazin'. A large fancy-like staircase swung around the main entry room. To my left and right were archways, leadin to other parts of the house. On an end table by the door was a lantern. I picked it up and inspected the contents, pulled out my zippo and lit the wick. I decided to go left first, into what seemed like the family room. My hand rested on the entry-way as my eyes took in the room. Saw a couple o' couches, expensive lookin. I walked in front of one of the couches and braced myself as I gently sat on it.

"d....oo ...sss..."

My head spun faster than I could have willed it, straight to the opposite doorway. I held my breath and waited for some break in silence. I heard the wind beating on the house and my worries disappeared. Old houses like this have lots of history y'see. But sometimes that history don't always wanna stay in the past.

I stood up from the couch and went over to a hutch and opened the doors. Inside were loads of pictures. Saw photos of two parents and 3 children. One small girl, a boy who looked to be eight or nine, and then a man who looked to be 17 or 18. I brushed the dust off of some of the picture frames but looked at them all.

I gently closed the hutch, and rested my forehead on it.

shhhhWHACK!

I gasped and my body turned itself around and I backed into the hutch hard, knocking over one of the pictures in it. My eyes immediately pointed towards a mirror that had fallen off of a wall. I guess my disturbing this old house had it's downsides. Full of adrenaline, I dizzily walked over to the mirror and picked it up, careful not to cut myself on the shards. I held it straight out in front of me, and noticed the edge of some piece of paper that was hidden inside.

I removed the paper and set the mirror on the floor. I sat on a couch and opened this letter. I was confused when I opened it. There weren't no words on it, but crusted up red splotches all over it, with a little metal thing in the center of it. I gently brushed my finger over it and hissed sharply as it cut my finger! I stuck my finger in my mouth for a moment, then folded up the paper and put it back into the envelope. As I stood I felt dizzy. I stumbled over to a wall and leaned against it. I was breathing deeply, my skin starting to sweat. I walked through a doorway and found myself in the kitchen. I wal... and rested m... a countertop... before I fell asl... my eyes ope... n I saw what... looked like the...

A kinda.. peace took me over. I didn't see or hear nothin, couldn't taste or feel... everythin was dark. But I was okay with it.

I woke up, well sorta woke up, and found myself in what I think was a bath tub. All my clothes had been stolen away! I felt warm water on my skin, which was naked as a peach. I was about to blow a fuse, but I couldn't move any part of my body! I'm talkin head, shoulders, fingers and toes! Somethin was holding me up in the bath, while somethin else seemed to be scrubbin me down in the warm water. Whatever was holdin me from behind put its head up to my ear and whispered something, but I couldn't quite catch it.

"sh...'ave...on..."

My head was let go for jus' a second and it fell back and hit the edge of the tub. The second this happened my whole body jerked up and I grasped both sides of the tub, looking around, seeing no one. I got a right chill on the back of my left shoulder, so I splashed some water onto it. I looked around the bathroom for my clothes or a towel or somethin, but couldn't find nothin for me to keep my dignity, but I wasn't 'bout ready to live here in this tub. So I climbed out carefully and stretched my sore muscles.

SHHHH!

My body turned around so fast, and I nearly fell back on my bare bum as I saw what was inside the tub. Nothing. Darn thing was empty, looked like it hadn't been used in years! I then looked down at my naked body and there wasn't a drop of water on me. My hands brushed my skin slightly, I had just received a bath! I was completely clean, had no more weeks of dirt and grime on any inch of my body... But some how...

I coughed it up to my hittin the ole dome on the bath tub, and decided to go outside the bathroom--fully naked I might add!

As soon as I left the bathroom I heard something.. a song. Couldn't quite place my hands on which song it was, as I had never heard it before. Slowly, one bare foot in front of another, I nervously followed the music.

"Oh, give me a home where the Buffalo roam, Where the Deer and the Antelope play"

I was gettin' awful nervous as I rounded a corner. By now I had no idea what to expect. I know that sometimes life doesn't always end the way we think it does for some people... I just never did experience it mehself.

"Where seldom is heard a discouraging word, and the sky is not cloudy all day."

I saw a door on the left side of this hallway, and the music was coming from inside there. Slowly, one bare foot in front of another, I nervously followed the music.

"How often at night, when the heavens were bright, With the light of the twinkling stars."

I walked up to the door, and rested my left hand on it as my right grasped the nob. Beads of sweat were runnin' down my neck and followin' down my bare back, and they'd tickle as the beads would get lost farther down.

"Have I stood here amazed, and asked as I gazed, If their glory exceed that of ours."

I turned the nob and pushed the door open slightly. Slowly, one bare foot in front of another, I nervously entered the room. The second I was able to see the gramophone, the music stopped. I walked up to it and brushed the cob webs off the rim of the instrument, and then noticed that there was no flat disc on it. Whatever I heard couldn't have come from this music-player.. It just couldn't!

I started to turn when I heard something coming from the gramophone. Butterflies had taken residence in my stomach once more, but I could almost hear what was being said.

"Av... otchyu.."

I leaned in closer to try and make out the words...

"Hive.. gatchu.."

Little bit closer...

"I'VE GOT YOU"

I gasped out loud and backed away from the device only to bump into someone behind me, a clothed someone. A rather high-pitched yelp escaped my throat, as my body lunged forward and twisted, slamming myself into the ground.

Dusty workboots, linen pants, suspenders, white button up shirt with sleeves rolled up, and a bowler hat. A man lookin to be probably 18 or 19 years of age was standin there, hands in his pockets and chewin on a piece of wheat.

My eyes met his and he was smilin' down at me. His eyes felt calm yet... hungry..

His body seemed to instantly disappear and reappear inches from my face. I whimpered with fear and looked straight up at him, my emotion clearly visible on my face. He bent down until his face was just above mine, looking down.

"Well howdy there partner! Name's Roland! Sure are hopin' ye do find some pleasure in this but that don't have a lick of matter here because I've got you and you are mine!"

He put his right hand on my head and I felt cold where he touched me. He ruffled my hair and chuckled.

"Y'ready there partner?"

Confusion now took my face, which barely reduced my fear--but enough so that I could spit out almost a single word.

"Wha-?"

"Good!" He stood up and literally the blink of an eye we were somewhere else. Somewhere that looked like a jail cell.. or rather one of them medieval dungeons. Candles littered the walls enough so that you could easily read a book in here, provided you could actually read a book--which I'm assumin' you can seein' as though.. well you get the picture.

"Let my fun, begin!" He clapped his hands and my body was pulled forward to the center of the room. My wrists and ankles were spread farther than was comfortable and what looked like polished leather cuffs was locked on all four appendages! Chains came out of the ceiling and floor faster than fallin' water and attached to all of the cuffs, locking me mid-air, completely naked, my arms and thighs strainin' somethin fierce.

Roland walked up to me and ran his hand down my tummy.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya kid. I did! Before I broke that mirror I said 'Do not stay'! I articulated and everythin'. Open wide!"

He shoved something large and long passed my lips, and locked it around my neck. Darn thing tasted like leather--probably was.

I looked down, mouth gagged, and noticed that my willy started to grow. I would say I was embarrassed but confusion and fear were the dominant buds in my brain.

Roland grabbed something from inside a wooden hutch and walked up to me from behind.

"You livin' folks sure can have nice skin, but you take the trophy kid. Not a blemish or scar on your entire body. Plus where'd you get this!?" He grabbed my left bum cheek, which forced a quietly sharp yelp from my gagged mouth.

"Just remainin' the one problem! Your skin is way too white! Let's put some blush in that complexion shall we, kid?"

He walked in front of me and slapped a paddle against his hand in front of my face.

"Y'ready there partner?"

THWACK!