Eldritch

 eldritch

1. eerie; weird; spooky

All the lights in the ranch style house were off on the quiet culdesac. It seemed as if the entire neighborhood was sound asleep.

Krista quickly exited her car and made her way toward the front door, checking the windows for any sign of movement from within. She quietly opened the door and crept into the  house, not wanting to wake up her sister.

She had almost reached the landing when a light from the dining room popped on.

“Sneaking in, are we,” her younger sister, Kat said, leaning against the wall.

Startled, Krista straightened her posture, trying not to look guilty.

“I didn’t want to wake you up,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant instead of defensive.

Kat nodded, unconvinced. Suddenly her demeanor shifted as she perched herself on the stairs and excitedly stomped her feet on the floor.

“Sooo… how’d it go? What’d you think,” she asked Krista, in her excited singsong voice.

“He was better than the last guy you set me up with!”

Her sister balked, feigning offense.

The last guy Kat had suggested took Krista for a long walk on a secluded beach.

He had kept his eyes fixed on the sand. Initially Krista thought her date was shy or afraid of stepping on jelly fish. But she was wrong.

“Henry is a smart guy!”

“He stared at my feet all night long,” Krista stated flatly.

“You have nice feet,” she defended.

Krista waved off her sister and any notion of successful blind dates and headed to the kitchen.

“I’m just trying to help you,” Kat said following closely behind, just as she always had since she had been able to walk.

“Your trying isn’t doing me any good, so let’s just stop, okay?”

“Krista, you’re smart and beautiful and funny–a little uptight, but whoever loves you will probably even love that about you.”

Krista ignored her sister and rummaged around the pantry for a rice cake to munch on while she contemplated why her sister insisted on recruiting eldritch options for every single blind date.

“I’m getting married in less than two months and I want to make sure you have someone too,” Kat said quietly, attempting to appeal to her sister’s sentimental nature.

The wedding was coming up fast. Most of Kat’s stuff was in boxes ready to be moved to her new house with her husband.

“Come on,” Kat pressed. “What was wrong with this guy–and it better be something good this time, you’d better not’ve discarded him just because he appreciated your well-made limbs, like Henry.”

Krista stopped mid-munch.

“He just got out of prison on bail,” Krista screamed, sending bits of rice cakes flying across the kitchen.

Kat was silent for a moment.

“Well… that would explain why I haven’t seen him at work recently… ”

Krista rolled her eyes, feeling exasperated.

“I know you want good things for me, but I’m content just to be happy with you getting married right now,” Krista said finishing her rice cake. She dusted the crumbs off her hands and into the sink. “I’m happy for you and Jeremy and I’m content to dance with all of our uncles and little cousins, okay? I don’t have to have a date!”

Krista rubbed her temples. Sometimes she wished her sister didn’t try to be so helpful. Even with her back to Kat, she could hear the matchmaking gears of her mind shifting, trying to come up with alternatives.

“What about a dating service,” Kat asked, as if she’d stumbled upon the answer.

Krista grabbed her purse from the counter and headed upstairs, flipping off the lights.

“Good night, Kat,” she said, using her warning tone.

Kat stood in the dark, thinking more about online dating as an option.

“I think this could work,” she called after Krista.

She thought about it for another moment. It might be the best option for her sister to secure a decent date for the wedding that could actually turn into a spouse.

Kat quickly pivoted on the balls of her feet and began to follow Krista upstairs, feeling convinced that this could work.