College Vamp

Routine [Part 2] (EDITED)

10:30 am

The storm hovered over the center of town, but the outreaches weren't spared its wrath. On the western end stood a farm - a building with years of wear and renovation. Slabs of siding stained with grass clippings and held together with patch work. The concrete foundation held it a foot off the ground, featuring cracks and fissures. An aged red barn sat atop a hill in the adjacent, massive pasture. However, the left side wall was made of fresh lumber while the rest had seen better days. Heavy rain pelted against it. Winds pushed and pulled at the large doors on old hinges as horses charged out two or three at a time.

"Damn, come on. Come on!"

Damon Meton rammed his shoulder into the wooden gate of one of his horse pens. The surprisingly durable deadlock held as a loud crack of lighting lit up the sky. The horse inside the pen cried out, reeling back on its hindlegs as a roll of thunder sounded above. Damon hit the gate again, hearing the wood crack and snap under the storm. He looked seeing the 2x4 the deadlock was mounted to splintering. Yet, the bolt was still jammed in lock. Damon kicked his boot against the gate, severing the deadbolt from its mount.

"Go on, get out of here!" He yelled as the gate flung open and wood chips flew into the air. He leaped back as the tank of an equine dashed out.

It barreled out the barn doors with Damon quickly behind, narrowly dodging one of them as a gust of wind pushed it closed. He raced down the hill as he was pelted with raindrop after raindrop. The mud gave under his boots, threatening to slip.

Despite limited visibility, Damon's gaze stayed locked onto the metal gate ahead of him. It swung back and forth, clanging against the fence as it pulled on its tether to the connecting fence. Damon thrust his hands out, grabbed the top rung, and hoisted himself up, swinging his legs over. He landed back in the mud and dashed for the house.

Damon busted through the front door and slammed it shut against the wind. Pressing his shoulder against the door, he fumbled with the locks. Once they were secured, he rolled over on his back, sighing.

The storm now muffled by layers of insulated walls, the man stepped from the door, crossing the small mudroom into an equally small kitchen. A counter took up the right wall, forming an 'L' across one of the room's corners. A wooden table sat against the opposite wall which had a calendar hanging from a nail. The fridge next to the mudroom door kicked on, whirring loudly as its insides slowly descended to the appropriate temperature.

The light green walls were crowned by a banner of wallpaper along with the ceiling trim. It featured fragments of farmland and old west iconography captured by an unknown painter. He slipped his boots off, placing them on the small rug at his feet. He stepped over to the fridge and opened it. A rush of cool air washed over him as he reached in and snagged a soda from the top rack. He turned around, kicking the door shut. Walking over to the counter, he grabbed a bottle opener from a bowl and looked out the small window above the sink.

He was met with what he expected: wet and dreary farmland. He could make out the tree line just a few yards from the side of the house, seeing murky colorless blobs rushing into the forest. With a pop of the cap, he proceeded to take a swig of his soda. He walked to the kitchen doorway, walked away, passing the table littered with papers and placemats. Flipping the kitchen lights off, he entered his carpeted living room and collapsed on the couch in front of the three paned window facing the front driveway. A shelf full of records and CD cases sat in the right corner adjacent to Damon. Above his head, a long shelf ran across the perimeter of the room, stopping at the window frame and picking up on the other side. It was stacked with numerous DVDs in two rows.

Next to the music shelf sat a TV that was steps away from the only other door in the room. The TV sat on a wooden table with two shelves home to a CD player and record player. Their connected speakers mounted up in the corners of the roof completing the room's media system. The walls were decorated much like the kitchen but one featured a set of mounted bull horns and horse saddles. A small rounded mirror hung above the kitchen doorway.