The abandoned house

we found an old abandoned house today,

and kicked in the door.

there's all these creepy mirrors,

and a strange feeling that seeps into our pores.

the people there before us must've left in a rush,

precious things scattered everywhere,

I'm almost afraid to touch.

I feel so odd in here,

like an intruder,

I don't belong.

being inside here feels almost wrong.

but we clean the mess and sweep the floors,

finding bits and pieces of memories

behind every hidden door.

we find a box of keys,

hidden in a room.

they open all the doors except for one,

it just stands there mysteriously,

mocking me.

so I try to pick the lock,

but it won't come undone.

we give it up for now and move into a different room.

this one confuses me,

so odd in it's decrepity.

a corner in it is burned,

the rest perfect and untouched.

almost as if someone yearned,

to burn it down, and was stopped.

sighing, I step back and head into the last room,

the one that scares me most.

and I stare into the attic,

so dark and despairing,

surely inhabited by ghosts.

I shiver and shake as I walk up to the stairs,

almost expecting to see something staring back.

I'm so absorbed in my fear,

you slip behind me and I don't hear.

I jump and scream when you call my name,

and laugh a little when you stare as if I'm strange.

I'm sorry, I say,

but it's alright and you tell me to leave the attic for another day.

I breathe deep in relief and walk with you inside,

I say I'm not afraid, but we both know I lied.

we're jittery and jumpy as we sit in the kitchen,

on the floor against the cabinets.

you pull out a pipe, light it up, and take a hit,

you pass it to me, but I shake me head and say I'm not into it today.

you shrug and say alright, but it will be here all night.

just in case you change your mind.

later on, picking up the pace,

we move sheetrock away from the wall,

and uncover a fireplace.

I reach in, safe behind my plastic gloves,

and remove a piece of paper.

it says "Dominic loves"...

but the rest is burned away.

it makes me sad, seeing this.

reminding me of better days,

when love was not so easily thrown away.

when I set it aside,

something half-buried catches my eye.

it's the other half of the letter,

and I'm too curious not to pry.

I pick it up, reading it,

and I start to cry.

"My mother and my sister who passed away last night. murdered by my daddy just because of some little fight."

I don't realize I read it aloud,

'till I feel your arms around me,

as I cry without making a sound.

because now we know why,

these people left in such a hurry.

it was because they had two loved one's to bury.