Short fiction story: Horror, Romance and Intrigue filled #26 HILLWAY AVENUE (Part 1)

Finally, I arrived #26 Hillway Avenue. It was clearly written in bold letters on a wooden board hung on the wall of the building, with flowers well packed in basket, also hanging near the house's number tag. It is a big building, has a big parking space and no gate, just tall trees. I think I noticed coconut trees and palm trees among many other tall trees that stood before the house, like giant guards, guarding the mansion like it is the forbidden city palce in Beijing, China. It looks like an early 20th century building, guessing by the compound and building structure, I would say Lisa must come from a rich ancestry. The birds' chirping sounds were loud, I think a little too loud than they should be by this time of the day. It's just half past 12pm, and the sun is just a tad hot. Arriving here from the supposed four hours drive which took me another two hours to ask around for direction, making it six stressing hours drive, on very sandy roads that are almost deserted. If my fuel tank was not filled to the brim, I would probably be stuck somewhere on the deserted sandy roads, left at the mercy of any nearby evil. I wondered.

I alighted from my car, a black Peugeot 504 ,with pretty old leather seats. It was my father's first car and he insisted I continued riding it. I guess it's something common with men like my father who believe everything should be passed down to their offsprings. He believes it is some sort of blessing to use the same stuff your ancestors used. His lineage means so much to him. It would break his heart if i had refused to ride the old car since it was same car he used when he visited my mum's family during his youth. Lisa is walking towards me from the exterior corridor of the building where she had waved at me from; to tell me that I was at the right place. I have known Lisa since my final year in the University, that is four years ago and now with our relationship formal, I decided to get to meet her family. I will be spending the weekend with them, contrary to my normal routine of not missing clubbing with my colleagues every Friday night. I hope Lisa's parents are as lovely as she has been telling me.
I gazed at her as she walked slowly towards me, smiling broadly with her head bent slightly to the side and a little of mixed feeling showing on her face like a shy debutante being introduced to a handsome prince. I know I'm handsome anyways, just that my father was not fortunate enough to be a king. She is no doubt shy, but this time, she looked more beautiful, wearing the naive-shy-teenage girl look on her face. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly to her bossom. I gasped and was about to whisper into her ears before she beat me to it. 'I missed you', she said. Those were the exact words I was about to say to her. I lingered in her embrace for a few more seconds and then touched her sides, just below her breast region and more towards her rib region and she instantly disengaged from me and giggled as she said, 'when will you ever stop tickling me baby?' 'I love to see you smile so I won't stop',I replied. She held my hand and dragged me along with her as we walked towards the main building.
I stumbled on a stone as my left foot hit hard on it. 'Oh, shit', I cursed under my breath. Lisa bent quickly to look at my first toe which was bleeding as my sandals could not protect my toes skin from peeling off. Lisa kept repeating, 'I'm so sorry' like she was singing me a lullaby. Just immediately, I heard the sound of birds and their flapping wings, this time, louder than the first time as though something or someone was after them. Impulsively, I looked towards the direction of the noise and the noise ceased almost immediately like nothing happened. I persistently, kept looking there trying to wrap my head around what just happened and to see the cause of the chaos when my eyes fell on an owl.. no, three owls, in an upside-down position, with their claws clenched tightly on the same branch of the tree, strange looking tree I must say because it looked nothing like the normal giant trees here. Why should the not-tall tree be standing amidst the tall trees. It was rather too short and had very little dry trees but just on the floor beneath it lay fresh green leaves!

'Hey baby, loo...', I said as I turned to look at Lisa, only to meet her weirdly and strangely gazing at me. The look on her face was scary i must say. Scared, as i turned to see her not bent and looking at my toe, but standing just behind me 'oh jeez!' I exclaimed 'you almost scared the hell outta..' she placed the second finger of her left hand on my lips, cutting short my sentence and making me swallow the rest. The look on her face was one I had never seen all through the four years we have been together. Gradually, she turned the weird look to a smile. 'we have to go in quickly so that I can treat your wound with the first aid kit', she uttered and slowly placed her right hand on my not-too-built chest, maybe checking my heart beat as I thought but slowly leaned forward and placed her forehead against at mine before leaving a kiss on my lips. The kiss, though did not last long, was deep and passionate. Needs wrecked through me and I felt like there were too many emotions behind that kiss that she wanted to lay bare to me. Emotions she felt might be better left unsaid and undisclosed to me. I figured it could be pain, doubt and intimacy all merged. I was confused. Maybe there was really nothing to discover, no hidden emotion behind the kiss, maybe there is. It could be the new environment or my sudden feeling of doubt about how I had imagined her place and my weekend to be, and the present situation of things, not excluding the weird environment which is kind of making me feel uncanny. Well, I pushed it to the back of my mind, mentally telling my myself my head was trying to play with me. But I cannot remember taking alcohol before leaving for this trip... 'Oh, Ken you are just worrying over nothing. Stop this attitude of reading meaning into meaningless things' I said to myself.
Suddenly, I felt my hand being held and dragged along, snapping me back from my world of crazy thoughts. I realised the kiss had ended and Lisa was dragging me along so as to go tend to my wound inside her house as she had earlier said. I almost missed my step, maybe not because she dragged me so hard but because I was lost in my thoughts. I had forgotten I was trying to ask her about the tree and the strange looking owls with black eyes which seemed like it was gazing directly at me. 'let's go inside', she said again having figured I was dragging my feet. I followed her calmly like I was under her spell almost even imitating her walking pattern and her length of leg strides as we stepped into the long corridor, increasing our pace towards the huge door made of wood and with many strange carvings and drawings on it, making it look rather more scarry and antique than strong.
As lisa's left hand reached for the handle of the door, I felt a strange feeling envelope me. So many emotions that i cannot even identify, taking hold of me. Its grip was so strong that It sent shivers down my spine. I shaked for a second. I think I can identify the emotion now. It was FEAR. I felt like turning back. 'No, am no coward, besides what reason will i give Lisa for trying to go back? That I'm afraid? That am not comfortable with her home? That I feel there is something strange about her house, compound, environment? Ken, come on, grow up. You are reading crazy meanings into meaningless events. She is going to think you ain't man enough and cannot protect her. No lady wants a coward for a boyfriend. Man up Ken, Man up!'. I tried to convince myself though deep down,I know the truth...the bitter truth. I could feel it more than anyother feeling right now. The truth is...
I AM SCARED! I SHOULDN'T HAVE COME!

Images source: https://pixabay.com

Please leave comments of your thoughts and opinions. I want to better my skills, so i believe that criticism and commendation enhance learning and improvement. Feel free to drop your comments, resteem and upvote.
I want to give credit to some of the people that inspired this work. I will like to thank @muratkbesiroglu. Though I have not been opportuned to interact with him, I got inspired after a long time, to pick up again, and dust my old and resting writing tools after I came across his sci-fi story and went into his blog to see his posts. I respect your writing skills sir.
I will also like to give special acknowledgements to @dimimp. Your works in the steemit platform through @steemjet continues to strengthen and motivate me. You are really a rare gem.
I also want to give credit to who have been the backbone to my growth here in steemit. I love you @chisolum, you are wonderful. To @udembaselfmade and @udembahenry,i thank you for always encouraging me. You are true mentor.
To @joshuaigwe, you are the best bro.

It is Captain Sazzy on the wings of superstar!