The Fall of the House of Usher

It was a dreary day in autumn of the year 2015. My birthday had just recently past, and I wish I could travel back and make it last longer. One of my childhood friends had sent me a nice card with a small ring inside. He requested for me to visit him at his home of in the countryside of New York. The man mentioned how he had grown ill the past few years and the doctors did not know what was wrong. Knowing I was one of his only companions I complied saying I would arrive in a week. And here I am driving for hours to meet someone I haven’t seen in ages.

Humming along to some of my favorite songs I drive on lonely roads, double checking my gps on my phone. It starts to rain, more like spit rain. Soon it becomes a downpour. My windshield wipers are on full throttle as I squint through the streams of water. It seems to rain for a while. What a great way to spend my day, driving in pouring rain to a place I have never been.

Finally I make it to my destination, or at least the place that my gps was leading me to. The rain had let up, but the clouds still hung ominous in the sky. A heavy fog was setting in. I pulling into the driveway of a house. In the letter my friend had mentioned to leave my car in the garage, and that it would open when I approached it. I followed his directions and parked my car.

I walked up to the front door. The house was probably average size but gave off a feeling of being large. The paint was slightly peeling and the wood moldy. It must be all the fog, maybe it is normal around here. I twist the ring on my finger. The ring I received for my birthday. The house gives me the creeps. I double check that my phone is safe in my pocket. Not knowing how to dress I just wore an old pair of light blue jeans and a flowy blouse. My dark brown hair flowed only a little past my shoulders.

After a few moments I rang the doorbell. A doctor opened the door for me and bid me enter. I stepped into the house. You could see the remnants of a joyful and lovely house alight with love, but at this moment it seemed desolate and empty.

The doctor lead me up the stair and to a bedroom. I entered cautiously. Sitting at a desk was my old friend. He had grown up quite a bit. His shoulders were broad and his hair tidy. He seemed normal middle aged man, except for how skinny he was. Hearing the door open He turned his head. My hazel eyes met piercing blue.

His beauty knocked the breath out of me. He started to stand, but the doctor shook his head gestured for me to sit on the bed and left. We sat for a few moments, just drinking up the sight of each other. He spoke first.

"I have not seen you in forever. You are a sight for sore eyes. I have noticed you are wearing my ring, do you not have a family of your own?" His voice is coarse and dry, but I can hear his happiness and joy beneath. He seemed really glad I was here.

"Do you live alone?" I asked respectfully.

"No, I live with my sister." His voice took on a melancholy tone. His whole face seemed to deteriorate into a deep sadness.

"Is there something wrong?"

"She is so close to death. I am afraid she has an illness, a mysterious illness that travel in the family. Without her I will be the last Usher, without her I will be alone." A tear trailed down his cheek. I brushed it off gently with my fingertip. He flinched.

"Sorry."

"It's ok, I'm just not accustomed to anyone touching me, or have a conversation with me."

We spend the whole day and the next few. Catching up with each other. I noticed that he is prone to paranoia, but I have learned to cope with it and help him overcome his excessive nervousness. By the third day I started to feel something blooming in my chest. We had gotten a lot closer.

It was the next night that it happened.

I was sleeping in the guest bedroom when there was a harsh and loud pounding, pounding at my door. Being jerked awake I walked over to it and opened the door cautiously. I had known to be careful in this house. It was a house unlike any other.

As soon as my door opened my friend rushed in closing the door behind him. I had never seen him this scared. He looked like he had seen a ghost, and with this house that is probably possible. The terrified man enclosed me in his arms sobbing. He quickly explained to me what he saw in gasping breaths.

"I had been resting in my bed, not sleeping for I have not been able to recently. I hear a moan from my sister's room and rushed into her room to make sure she was ok, and did not need anything. When I arrived the room was dark and freezing. I walked over to her bed to check on her and she was dead. Dead and gone!" At this he began shaking trying to control his cries.

"Did you call the doctor?" I tried to ease him.

"No! If the doctor found her dead he would ruin her body trying to find out what killed her. I tell you that she is not going to be touched by any scientist after her death. The illness that killed her was a mysterious family illness. I have a similar one."

I squeezed him tighter to my chest and bade him to sit with me on my bed.

"Not wanting her to be harmed I placed her inside a temporary tomb and buried her in her favorite place in the garden." He started shaking again, and I clasped his hands. I rubbed my fingers along the back of his hands until he calmed again.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" I whispered.

"After returning from burying her in the night I started to hear sounds. Weird sounds from outside. A while later I could not sleep, I felt as if someone was watching me. I looked out my window and there she stood, bloody and bruised from her struggles. It was then that I realized what I had done. I buried her alive! Now she is going to come after me! When the terror overtook my mind I ran straight here, to you." His hands were turning white as he held mine as if he was holding on for dear life.

I do my best to comfort him. Most likely he was hallucinating and his paranoia was out of control. Turning towards him I hugged him close. There was a storm raging outside the house. Trying to distract him I started to sing.

He watched me like I was a angel. His face began to look more normal and no longer was he shaking. He stood up. I stopped singing and stood too. Before I knew what was happening his hands were pulling me towards him I barely had enough time to take a breath before our lips touched. The feeling of his soft lips against mine took my breath and strength away. My knees gave out and we tumbled onto the bed.

My heart was fluttering when I began to make out a noise above our kissing. It sounded like footsteps, footsteps approaching the bedroom door. I sprang away, interrupting the kissing. As soon as we separated he heard to noise to. Both of us turned as white as a ghost even though we were just flushed and warm.

The door sprang open and there stood his sister. She was bloody and bruised, looking a mess. It must have been grueling to escape a coffin and climb out the ground in a storm like this. We stood, frozen still.

Looking at me she shook her head slowly and tried to smile. I felt a chill creep down my spine. She turned her attention to her brother. Stumbling along she reached out trying to grasp him. He took a step back her face turned sad, and she seemed to crumble even more if that was possible. Finally he relented and offer her his hand.

There they stood. Hand in hand, an arms length away for what seemed like an hour. She did not speak once. He seemed solemn. It was almost as if they were communicating with each other silently. I watched. She still has not spoken. Starting to tremble she righted herself on the bedpost. He held onto her waist as if she was dying, and I believe she was.

He gentle lay her on the bed and cried softly. She smile weakly and nodded her head. At this he started to go crazy. It was if the last string holding in his sanity was being severed at that very moment. I tried to console him. I tried to help. I tried to show him how much I care. I tried to make him understand something I myself do not understand. Even his sister tried to get him to stop. She could barely talk or whisper. He ended up hitting me on my head with a chair.

Barely holding my consciousness I tried to save him one last time but I could not. He collapsed dead, dead even before his sister. I struggled to his side. He was dead. I turned towards the bed. His sister's smile faltered and her eyes closed as she joined him.

I felt a sob wrench out of my body. I had grown to love him and his sister though I did not really know them. But now what? I sat down next to his body and fought away the blackness. My head was throbbing. The pain was so intense I felt numb.

It did not take long until I gave way, gave way to the darkness as well.