The Trap Door

At arm's length is where I keep you, but arm's length is still close enough to feel your warmth; too close to ignore; too close to use cruelty to finish the job. I don't want to see the hurt I cause. Only slightly better to imagine you like a pierced fawn that seeks out a running stream and lies hidden from view.

-brando

On 63 Forest Street lives the Rockys. The youngest Rocky is a short, red haired boy named Gleed. His two older brothers are Andrew and Eric. They both are tall boys with jet-black hair. His parents also are tall with black hair. No one in his family can explain why Gleed is freckled, has red hair, and is only five feet tall. He was an accident and his family certainly treats him much like one. This meant most of the time Gleed was ignored. He didn't mind this, for whenever his brothers didn't ignore him he always ended up bruised or up a tree.

It was Friday but Gleed couldn't sleep. All he could think about was his birthday. Tomorrow at this time, he would be turning fourteen. His parents did not do much for his birthday but that didn't stop Gleed from liking them.

By the time Gleed fell asleep it was four in the morning. He only got a few seconds of sleep before… BAM, BAM. Someone was whacking his door. "Get up, Get up! Time for chores!" Every morning his mom would wake him up at four in the morning fto do his farm duties. Gleed thought living on a farm was the worst. However, it did keep him in great shape.

Gleed slowly got dressed and made his way down the old wooden stairs to get some toast. His mom had gone back to bed but he was far to use to this to care. After a short breakfast, he headed out to start with the cows. He cleaned their poop, gave them some hay and headed to the barn to start milking. As he did so, he saw a trap door in one of the stalls. He had never seen this before, but he couldn't stop now for he still had to make breakfast for his family and finish the rest of his chores.

When his chores were finished, Gleed headed inside to cook omelets for his hungry and far too impatient family.

"Hurry up birthday boy!" groaned his father, "Just don't burn anything like last time or you wont get your birthday surprise!" This really was no surprise at all because every year it was a small cake and a present from the family. They couldn't afford great gifts but Gleed liked them all the same.

When breakfast was finished, Gleed cleaned the dishes and headed to his room. He thought about the trap door as questions sprang through his mind.

Why didn't I notice it before? What is it hiding? Does my family know about it?

OoOoOoO

Gleed sat up for hours waiting for everyone to fall asleep. Tonight he was going to sneak into the barn and explore what that trap door hid.

At last, silence ran through the house only to be broken by sets of snores coming from different rooms. This is it, he thought. Gleed grabbed a flashlight, pulled on his new boots, and set off. As he made his way down the steep hill to the barn, he heard a deep humming come to an abrupt stop as if someone was watching him. Gleed shook his head and sivered.

That was probably a bird or something.

He continued along his way, feeling the frost dampen his shoes making him shiver. Gleed finally reached the barn to find that the trap door was gone! He knew the trap door was two stables down and on the left. After he thought about it for a while, he realized when he was doing his chores this morning, he came in from the other side of the barn. Feeling foolish, he made his way to the correct stable where the trap door had never moved. Gleed took a second to gather his wits then pulled up the door revealing a dark ladder into blackness. Pulling out his flashlight he headed down the ladder.It was old and rotted. It almost felt slimy.

Whoever was in here last certainly wasn't a house maid.

Before he could stop it, a step to the ladder snapped under his weight forcing him to loose his balance. He fell back and smacked his head on the cement flooring. The last thing Gleed saw in the corner of the room, before he blacked out, was what looked to him like a pair of blood red eyes.

OoOoOoO

Images of bright blue eyes filled Gleed's dream. They were soft and loving but yet fierce and ready for any fight. He woke with a start finding himself lying on a cold cement floor. It took him a minute to remember where he was. His head hurt badly from the fall and there was dry blood from where it hit.

It must be afternoon because there is light shining down from above the trap door.

Gleed glanced back at where the red eyes were the night before. There was nothing. When he stood up he became very dizzy and to only to find himself back on the floor. He curled up and waited for the dizziness to pass. When it did, he stood and glanced around. He was in an old room filled with dust and cobwebs. There was a table and a couple chairs but that was all. As he was about to leave, he noticed something on the floor. He took a closer look. To his astonishment, it was a gold ring. He picked it up to examine the pattern. In the center, there was a horse. As he looked closer, he realized there were wings on this horse. Gleed liked this ring so he dropped it into the safety of his pocket.

He made his way back up the ladder more careful this time making sure he knew where the broken step was. When Gleed was all the way out, he shut the trap door behind him. He turned and headed back up to the house.

"Where have you been?" asked an irritated voice. Gleed turned and saw his mother waiting for him in the kitchen.

Gleed didn't know what to answer "Well...I...uh…you see—"

Before Gleed had time to finish his mother insisted, "Is that blood on your head? Were you in a fight? I called you at four this mourning and when you weren't there, it made me very worried. Follow me up to the bathroom so I can clean you up!"

His mother was very persistent so Gleed didn't try to argue. She led him up to the bathroom and scrubbed his head so the dry blood would come off.

"Ouch! You could go a little softer on the scrubbing Mum."

"You deserve it for getting in a fight."

"I wasn't in a—" Gleed cut himself off because he didn't want his mom to know about the trap door. He figured it could be his own little get-away when he wanted some alone time.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Mum."

"Well in that case I think you should talk to your father. He will give you a proper punishment for being out all night and skipping your chores.

As Gleed headed downstairs, Gleed felt oddly peculiar. It was as if someone was watching him. He looked around him but no one was there. Shaking off the feeling, he continued on his way.

"Dad? Can I come in?" Gleed questioned as he knocked on the door of his dad's study. A grunt from inside answered his question. Gleed pushed open the door, "Mum sent me."

"And what did you do this time?"

"Well..." Gleed thought for a second on how to answer and at last, he made it sound the best he could, "I was out a little later than I should have been."

"How late?"

"You see, when I was exploring the woods yesterday I got lost. When I was trying to find my way home I got real tired and fell asleep. I only found my way back this afternoon." Gleed was trying to make it as convincing a possible. However, seeing the look on his father's face he added, "I'm really sorry, I won't make that mistake again Promise."

"Fell asleep while exploring the woods huh? Well, since you were trying out your new shoes I'll let off the hook."

"Oh, Thank—"

"But, if I catch you out of bed like you were tonight you will regret it very, very much." He dragged out his last few words.

"Thanks Dad!" Gleed almost sang his words. It is not often he is let off the hook.

Gleed had to stop himself from skipping all the way down to the barn. He was so exited at the fact he didn't need to spend the next week in a closet. As he was walking he remembered the ring in his pocket. He decided to try it on to see how it fit. To his amazement, it fit him perfectly. It was almost as if it was made for him.