Lawn

This is the newest in my one word titled horror flash fiction. I hopw you emjoy…

She was more than a little nervous as her bare feet moved onto her neighbor’s lawn. There was really no difference between her yard and his and even the neighbor past him and the house beyond that. This side if the street was really just one continuous lawn. No fences, stones, or trees marked the property lines here, just a uniform sea of grass.

She hugged her robe tighter around herself while the soft threads of green tickled her toes and threatened to obscure her recently painted pink nails. One of the reasons she was feeling so tense was because of what she had on under the robe, which really wasn’t much. Erin had spent the birthday check her grandmother had given her on a tiny powder blue bikini. The kind her mother would have said she was too young to wear.

It was the first time she had tried it on.

It was the first time she had dared to take Glenn up on his offer.

Her thoughts swirled around Glenn. So young and handsome. He must be well off to be able to afford a house out here by himself. For Erin, he was like a dream come true. When the Olsens moved away, she would have never imagined a single stud, like Glenn, would move right next to her.

She was almost to his door.

Looking around, she didn’t see any of her neighbors poking about and was glad. Her plan to fake being sick while most of the neighborhood was at church had been one of her better ideas.

“You better knock before you chicken out, dummy,” she whispered to herself.

A deep breath later, the pads of her bare feet were traveling silently across the wooden desk.

After biting her pink lip and pausing way too long, she finally knocked on Glenn’s front door.

There it was done. No turning back now.

Glenn was at the door flushed and wide eyed. He definitely didn’t seem his normally handsome self and Erin drew a step back. Maybe he had too much to drink last night.

“Erin? What do you want? Is there something I can help you with?”

It wasn’t really the reaction she was hoping for. It was as if he was treating her like a kid.

She felt a heat rising in her cheeks, but went through with her plan anyway. “Remember you told me you had a Jacuzzi and invited me over to check it out.” Then, before she could back out, she opened her robe, revealing how the small bikini graced her young figure.

She smiled when he saw him enjoying the eyeful, but his words didn’t match his stare. “You look very lovely, Erin, but now isn’t a good time. I, um, I’m in the middle of something.” He tried to smile, but didn’t pull it off. “I’m on the phone with my…mom. I’ll let you know when you can  try it out some other time.”

And then, just like that, he shut the door in her face.

She could have cried.

It was the first time she had tried to be a woman with a real man… and… and, her lower lip stuck out and she focused on keeping back her tears.

Then she heard a thumping from inside. What was going on in there? Had he lied to her? She was going to find out.

Moving, in what she imagined to be a stealthy manner, she circled around to the back of the house. There was a wide stained deck back there, which led up to sliding glass doors.

Should I dare? She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. What do I have to lose? He just thinks I’m a kid anyway. As long as he doesn’t tell mom, I’ll be okay, besides I won’t get caught. She could see his outline through the glass. He looked busy.

Moving along the side of the house and then up to the edge of the sliding doors, she peeked in. Her hands clenched into little fists. Ooooo, I should’ve known. He has a girl in there already.

She wasn’t sure if she should be angry or relieved. At least he had a good reason to have turned her away.

She peeked again. The girl didn’t look so good. Could they have started drinking this early on a Sunday? She did look drunk though, as he helped her back up onto the sofa.

Well, screw them, she thought. If they are so busy getting wasted or whatever, then maybe I’ll just go into the Jacuzzi by myself. It’s way far from here. All the way in the back. They will never see me if I’m careful.

So, set and determined, she snuck off the porch and headed towards the gazebo that held the Jacuzzi. As she drew close, she hurried faster. I hope he leaves it on. Hey that hurts. What’s happening?

Beneath her feet, the grass was becoming sharper, she cried out when the blades began to pierce her feet like long thorns. She tried to retreat, but they held her fast. Erin’s eyes grew wide with panic. No matter how hard she tired, she couldn’t move.

Looking on in horror, Erin saw the blades of grass growing into long terrible vines, which curled up her legs. Beyond them, the Jacuzzi was bubbling and leaking onto the lawn. But it wasn’t normal water, more like some foul smelling chemical.

She cried out and then screamed as the elongated blades dug into her calves, her thighs. Her screams grew in pitch when they pulled her down and she landed on her back. They were all over her now, stabbing and cutting. She tried to scream again, but they filled her mouth.

Soon she was covered and had become just an uneven bump on an otherwise perfect lawn.

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