Menagerie (standard:horror, 1595 words)
Author: Lev821	Added: Jan 04 2010	Views/Reads: 3150/1924	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A seemingly empty house contains many corpses of animals, and why should the drum not be banged?

The house was of no significance, and would barely warrant a second
glance, nestled as it was a mile from the nearest town on a country 
lane leading into cloudy valleys. As Daniel Carter drove past, he 
slowed down, then halted the Voltswagon passat and stared at the 
decrepit detached abode, with its flaking front door, grimy windows and 
missing roof tiles. 

He pulled the car onto the verge and left the vehicle. At 41, Dan was
owner of a small furniture shop in the town he was driving from, and 
was on his way to see a job-lot of art-nouveau furniture to include in 
his wares. He was in the last days of finalising a divorce, as for 
three years he had been having an affair with an employee of the town's 
jobcentre. His wife of six years was the type of woman who could not 
forgive any discrepancy that she could see as a blemish on her trust. 
Two text messages that she had found on his mobile were enough for her 
to demand an explanation. She could not tolerate him looking at other 
women, and had not once forgave him for anything. Reason and rationale 
could not be levied at her, and being a man of fragile will, he could 
not explain the texts, and that night was thrown out of the house, 
sleeping at his brother's two miles away. He was to a certain extent, 
glad to be rid of her, but she had her good points that outweighed the 
bad, so he would have chosen not to split, but the job-centre worker, 
who was two years older than him, and not as attractive as his wife, 
was showing signs of similar behaviour, and one of her exes had told 
him as such. ‘She'll fleece you for everything you've got, be careful'. 
Now, however, he was overcome with affection for her, for now his 
emotional state was in disarray with the divorce, and the fact that it 
was common knowledge he had been conducting the affair, but he didn't 
care. It was a kind of relief that it was out. No more secret meetings 
and phone calls, he was free to move in with her. Now all they needed 
to do was find a place to live. Somewhere nice and quiet, he had said, 
and here it was, a place in the country, or a place with one eye 
towards the town. 

He entered the garden, and found it was a little miniature jungle, a
haven for insects and weeds. He didn't want to bother with having to go 
through the proper channels in order to look at the place, finding out 
who the estate agent was, having them come down here with him and try 
and sell him the place. It was easier to do it now, with no pressure on 
him to commit, where he can browse at his leisure, and make his own 
decisions, and with the front door open, he found himself standing in 
the furnished hallway, a layer of dust on the threadbare red carpet, 
and the frosted glass topped side table, and the stairs leading up into 
darkness. At the base of the stairs, near the closed door leading into 
the front room, he saw the small corpse of what looked to be a dog. It 
was impossible to tell which type. Thin, leathery skin, torn in places 
was stretched over the skeleton, its empty eye sockets staring at 
nothing. He then noticed another corpse halfway up the stairs. Upon 
closer inspection, he guessed it to be that of a rabbit. He went into 
the front room. 

Again, a layer of dust covered everything, the leather couch, a
television set that looked to have been made in the seventies, a 
fire-place and sideboard, as well as the multitude of animal corpses 
scattered around. They all seemed to have the same level of decay. 
Daniel was no expert, but he guessed that these animals had been dead a 
long time, at least a year. Most of them seemed to be cats. Two on the 
mantle piece, seven on the floor, three on the couch. Two dogs on the 
sideboard, one in front of the fire. There were two more rabbits, three 
birds that he could not identify, but if he had to guess he would say 
they were cockatiels. A few rodents were also scattered around. Daniel 
left, wiping his brow, wondering just what on earth had happened here. 
He looked up the stairs, contemplating whether or not he should go up 
there, but on the top step, in the gloom, he saw a dog's face staring 
down at him, cold and dead. He walked into the kitchen, and saw more 
dead cats on the floor, pieces of shrivelled flesh in their rib cages, 
stretched skin over bones, and threadbare fur, all still decaying. 

Rodents and birds were strewn across the counter, a dead dog lay on the
draining board, and two rabbits inhabited the sink. The back door was 
open, and he walked out into a fairly large garden, a sole tree in the 
middle that looked to have been there long before the house was built. 
There were no animals here, but Daniel guessed that some had been 
buried, as there were a few makeshift crosses dotted around. 



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