Uncle Spike's Visit

• Georgia Gillies, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2009

He sat in the colour-fading armchair Grandpa used to lounge in when he was still alive. My brother and I sat in the lounge room rug just in-front of the chair. Uncle Spike was tapping his fingers on the lounge chair, staring at the clock next to it on the side table. Grandpa's chocolates were there too, just where Grandpa left them. Uncle Spike undid the wrapper of one of the delicate chocolates that was confined inside, and threw the wrapper carelessly behind him, it landing in the fire as if it were all setup. He greedily then popped the old chocolate into his waiting mouth.
"Are you sure you want to hear a ghost story? I mean, it's 11 o'clock at night. Jamie, you knew what happened last time you wanted me to tell you a ghost story..." said Uncle Spike menacingly. I grimaced at the thought. I spent two weeks hiding in my bedroom, convinced that a werewolf was hiding in the basement. Only after Dad said he 'killed' it did I leave my refuge.
"I'll cope" I stuttered, a lump in my throat.
“Good to hear” Uncle Spike grinned evilly, “Ok, where do I start?” he questioned himself. He got up from the lounge chair and began to walk around the room, hands behind his back.
“Your Aunt Drusilla was a very funny lady” he began, “We went in search of some fresh meat to feed on” he smiled in my direction and I thought that Uncle Spike had some new, sharp top teeth jutting out of his gums like Vampire teeth. That’s not right; I shook my head in disbelief. I was hallucinating.
“Almost got killed by some Vampire gang” he shook his head grumpily “Dru was never the same”. There was a long pause, to long.
“She got these giant worms as bodyguards” he explained, using his hands as a ruler to express the size of the worms, “And in your sleep, they would drool on you”, he clutched his face in a dramatic act to express his face being covered in warm, sticky spit. “They all died eventually” he sat down in the armchair again and sighed, “expect one”. One of his stupid long silences again.
“It loved me, and it still follows me where ever I go”.
I looked at my Uncle in shock. No, I can’t be in the house?!
“I think it’s in the kitchen, peeking in the fridge for a bite to eat” and that’s when I heard the fridge door open as I gazed helplessly at my Uncle. The Vampire teeth were back.
Run Jamie, run!” teased my brother. And guess what I did. I ran.