A while back I read a wonderfully spooky tale set in Richland, Washington titled The Dead Boys. Teddy Matthews is very unhappy that his mother has taken a new job “in the middle of nowhere” and had to leave all his friends behind. The new house has a giant sycamore tree in the front yard that gives him the creeps.
“Teddy awoke to the rapping sound of tree branches clawing at the house. He blinked in the darkness and looked around, bleary-eyed. He almost reached out from under the covers for the bedside lamp, but then he noticed the open window. He could have sworn that he’d closed it.
Could the wind have somehow blown it open? he wondered. But even half asleep in the middle of the night he knew that didn’t make any sense.
He glanced at the clock – which read 2:30 A.M. – then back at the window. A small branch had twisted over the sill and disappeared down behind his bedside table. He peeked over the edge of the bed, and the rotten smell of wet, decaying leaves wafted over him.
It was then that he heard the scratching sound, like something with claws dragging itself across the new brown carpet. Teddy sucked in a breath – it was coming from under his bed…“
The Dead Boys was a fun read. It is well worth checking out if you have ever felt suspicious of the trees in your yard.
You can buy it here!
