Unusual Man

• Lucy Angus, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2013

Where is the house that is number 56 on this road? I am trying to find this house because I need to deliver these groceries to Mr Sutton. I have never met this Mr Sutton and by the looks of where is house, I don’t think I want to. I keep on walking with the groceries in my hands along the dusty and rocky road. Suddenly I see something in the distance. I speed up my pace and I become closer and closer to the object I saw in the distance. Just some old run down cubby. I go back to my normal pace and keep on walking, keeping an eye out for the house. At last I come to find a dark, gloomy looking house. I stood still next to the ancient, rotting gates. Ahead of me was a big, old charcoal coloured house. The trees looked like these gloomy people that had been frozen. On the ground were sticks and pieces of rotting wood that had fallen off the depressed house. With the big, dark clouds, the house looks like it will never be happy again.

As I walk up to the ageing stone stairs, a small mouse runs across my feet. As I get closer to the house, I can hear small squeaks from the mice in the distance. I could almost taste the rotting wood. There is a layer of dust on the house. The house is like a piece of fragile glass. I touch the house. It felt as cold as a polar cap. A bit of wood crumbled when I touched it. The mice stopped squeaking and an eerie silence wrapped around the house. I kept on walking. The wooden planks I was walking across were squeaking like I was walking on a pit of mice. I placed my hand on the rusty, gold handle. I pushed the old door open. Inside was dark and gloomy. There was a very dim light coming from the very back of the dark room. I slowly walk into the house and stand still in the middle of the room. “I’ve got your groceries” I yelled. “Bring them to the light” said a croaky voice. I followed the light like the voice said. It leads me into a room with a candle. In the corner of the room is a chair with an old man sitting on it. “Hello. You must be the delivery person.” “Yes. I am. Here are your groceries.” I said shyly. As soon as I said that, he disappeared. I felt fear run down my body. What had just happened? I walked over to the chair that he was sitting on. It looked normal. Poof! He appeared again. “Sorry about that. I disappear sometimes.” I screamed at the top of my lungs, dropped the groceries and ran for my life. I ran out the door, down the stairs and on to the road. I was never going back to that house again!