Over the river and through the woods

The ivy managed to elude the typical distinguished appearance on the cabin in the woods. The fact that the green vines were interwoven in the logs like some rotting wicker basket gave Tim doubts as to his choice of a weekend getaway. If this house managed to stay standing after he finished knocking on the door, Tim would be amazed. The ad didn't call it a unique fixer upper or anything as cliche as all that. Rustic was the word used and adventurous was the type of person this place called for in the ad. Now he knew why.

Standing on the porch, he though he heard footsteps coming to answer the door, but they were too far apart and each striking thud made the house shake more and more. The porch shingles were beginning to slide off and hit the ground next to his Nissan. He loved that thing, but the appearance of the roof over his head falling apart did not send him running to save his car. However, it did leave him running.

Off the porch, Tim saw the sound was exaggerated by the woodwork and wasn't as severe as initially thought. Something was still pretty consistently striking the building and hadn't stopped. Around the side, Tim could see the far end of a clay basketball court. Expecting to find someone shooting at the near basket, he rounded the corner to find young boy tossing a basketball at the roof of the house. Near each strike but quickly fleeing was an orange cat.

"Do you realize this house could fall apart if you keep throwing that thing? It's barely standing in the light breeze already."

The boy appeared unsurprised and continued throwing the ball at the cat like some sick game of dodgeball. "I know. The roof collapsed last night killing Mr. Milson. They're talking about condemning it anyways which is why I'm trying to get Fantam off the roof. Last thing I need is my sister losing a cat that's too stupid to see this house is falling apart."

Another toss finally struck it's mark, but the cat didn't slide down the roof, but instead launched itself towards the other side and landing in the recently collapsed section judging by the sound.

"Oh crap. Missy going to kill me. I was supposed to look after her cat for the afternoon."

Tim sighed as he decided to make this his last action here before calling off his vacation in the woods and heading home. "Let's go see if the front door is unlocked."

The kid smiled and dropped the basketball next to the pole. They walked together around the front. Tim was a bit more hesitant than this kid, but he stepped up quickly when the kid tried to climb onto the porch across a railing as it gave way.

"Careful, kid! This wood looks like it's been rotted through for years. Can't you just walk around the front of the porch like a normal person?"

"It's Eddie. Don't call me kid." Unfazed, Eddie swung himself around the front post of the porch as a beam on the far end fell from the roof. Tim stopped cold outside of the frame of the house as Eddie barged through the screen door and kicked the front door in like a SWAT team on TV.

"Come out now, Fantam. We have the place surrounde..." His voice trailed off. He must have found the cat dead, Tim thought.

Through the door, Tim stepped cautiously over the threshold sure there would be unprotected nails ready to stab through his shoes. There in front of Eddie was the cat sitting on top of the collapsed roof boards licking the face of an old man crushed beneath the boards. Mr Milson, I presume, thought Tim. Nothing seemed to be surprising him anymore in this place after just a short time. This kid was odd as it was, but the body should have at least turned his stomach.

"I thought you said Mr. Milson was already found and taken out of here." Tim was a little confused if maybe the police had acknowledged his death, but was still investigating the cause. Maybe they ran out of police tape and took their chances that no one would touch the place. It appeared as if it had been untouched in the past 5 to 10 years as it was.

"That's not, Mr. Milson. That's Joe Thomas from next door. He's in the same place as Mr. Milson was last night, but he looks different. I found Mr. Milson when Fantam ran off yesterday in this area. He wasn't bleeding like that though."

Time looked more closely at the body and found there was a lot of blood coming from the chest of the body. He leaned down to move the boards a bit and dropped them quickly when he saw the five gunshot wound to the chest.

Damn it! There's no way I'm getting out of here now, Tim thought. The police will want a statement. "Let's go call the police, kid."

Tim hears a click as he turns for the door. "I told you not the call me kid." A flash of heat seems to beat the sound of the gunshot as Tim crumbles in a ball. Adventurous, my ass! These were Tim's last thoughts before he passed out.