My House is Overprotective

Hi there, my name is Honey, I am a writer and I have an overprotective house. Now you may be wondering, ‘how could a house be overprotective; are you sure you aren’t making this up, or do you need to go to a mental hospital?’ Well, though it is no simple matter there is a simple reason and I can promise you I am not crazy or making this up. The reason my house is overprotective is because it is alive. I am not making this up; you can come visit me if you want. I'm always desiring some human company. I mean don’t get me wrong I am never alone, cause I live in a house that is alive, but it is nice to hear a human voice every now and then. My house, which I named Alistair, Star for short, is very cool. He can change his insides and move the furniture around, flicking on the lights, and turning on appliances; he can even control small objects as well, moving them around awkwardly but efficiently. He can lock any of his doors and control anything surrounding the fence. You’ll learn more about Star’s abilities later. In this particular story though, I am glad of Alistar’s overprotective nature.

It all began a few days ago. I was in a meeting with my editor and we had finally finished discussing all the problems he had found with the script of a new book I was writing. What were they, you ask? Sorry, no spoilers. Anywho, I was leaving when Sarah, one of my fellow writers, came up and asked whether I had seen her manuscript. I told her no and she looked really worried. She told me I’d better be careful because a manuscript thief was going around. She mentioned how her's wasn’t the only one to have gone missing and a few writers had found their manuscripts were on pirating websites. I felt bad for her as I clutched my own manuscript to my chest. Losing a story is the worst thing that could happen to a writer.

Fearful, I hurry home and finally relax as I enter the front gate. Star bangs the front door and the tiles leading up to the front door leapt in place.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” As I step on the tiles they stop moving only to continue their antics once I’m safely passed. I reach the front door and it swings wide open. I smile.

“Thank you Star.” I stroke the door frame and the house shudders with joy. Even though I know it's stable when he does shake, I still get a nagging feeling that something is going to fall down one day. I wait till he’s finished before entering and taking off my shoes. Once I’m in the door shuts and locks itself. A satisfied happy hum rumbles throughout the house and the remote control flies towards me. Gently bumping my head.

I laugh. “I know Star, and we’ll watch the next episode but first I need to put my manuscript away. I heard a thief has been going around and I want to make sure it's safe.” Alistar moves the remote away and I go upstairs to my study. The study is the only door that doesn’t have a key. Why? Well, when I moved in initially it was the bedroom and my bedroom the study, however I didn’t like how the bedroom was smaller than the study so I swapped them.

Once I befriended Star and after the first time he locked me in my room I tried moving them back, however he would have none of it. I thought about getting a lock; however, I believed with Alistar's ability to keep doors closed was enough; so my study, where I keep all my important manuscripts, is left unlocked.

Opening the door I went over to the desk and placed my manuscript nice and safe in its rightful place on the desk. Satisfied I turn around and head back downstairs much to Alistar’s delight. I sit in my armchair and Star flies the remote to me. With a smile I turn on the TV to the right channel and settle down for another exciting episode of Little House on the Prairie.

The house is silent and still but for the TV and the lights were all out. I think that is why the thief thought it safe to enter. Well, she found that thought to be one of the biggest regrets of her life. I was halfway through the episode when I suddenly heard a crashing sound coming from upstairs. Instantly I leapt to my feet but Star was already shaking.

I slowly made my way to the stairs as banging sounds and screams came from above. What on earth was Star doing to make it sound like someone was getting murdered up there? When I finally reach the study I find the room in utter chaos. The window in front of the desk is smashed. Papers, books and paperweights, pens, rulers and highlighters were flying everywhere as a woman in black waving her hands around and screeching like a banshee.

“Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?” I cry out.

“Call off your magic first.” Hesitantly, I tap the wall and Star settles down but I can feel his anger towards the intruder.

“Alright now who are you?” I ask. Slowly she lowers her arms. Alistar has all the objects in the air pointed at her. Her face is hidden by a mask and clenched in her hand is my manuscript.

“My manuscript!”

“I’ll tear it to shreds if you don’t let me go.” Star rumbles and she flinches.

“What do you want with it?”

“You writers are hogging all your stories.” I shake my head.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re a writer correct.”

“Yes.”

“Then answer me this: if writers write to tell stories then why do you refuse to share all of them?”

“Well, some stories we don’t want others to read, some stories are just really bad and others are for us personally to enjoy. We do share the stories we create but a lot of those are made out of stories and ideas we have kept for personal use.”

“We readers should be the ones to determine that!” She sighs. “So I will be taking this and selling it off to a place where it will be appreciated.”

I take a step forward and reach out my hand. “I won’t be because it's not finished.”

“Well too bad. You should have finished it before I came.”

I continue walking forward in desperation. “Well, that’s stupid. How was I to know you were coming?”

“Why you…”

“Anyway you can’t have my book, there's still so much to do. It’s not ready yet.”

“No matter, I’ll finish it for you.” She smirks and steps back holding the pages between both hands. “You should be grateful, I’m taking a load off your shoulders after all. Now you can focus on your next book.” I stop walking forward but my hands continue to gesture.

“But I want to finish Lucas’ story, I want to be with him as he triumphs in the end. Plus you don’t have any of my notes you’ll ruin it.” Despite my calm demenour my eyes burn at the thought of losing my book and Star hums quietly. A comforting hum for me but the woman doesn’t notice.

“Fortune only favours the bold, sweetheart.”

“Ooh, do you mind if I use that for my story? It’s exactly something my villain would say.”

“Go ahead but I’ll be going now.” She turns around to the window however a wall of books blocks her way. Turning back around with a nervous look in her eyes she says.

“Do you mind showing me to the front door? I have a business engagement I need to get to tonight.” I lower my hand, turning off my phone.

“Not unless you return my manuscript.” She takes a step forward and another. Alistar hums louder and louder with each step.

“I don’t think you understand the position you're in, my dear. Either you show me to the front door or I tear up this manuscript you cherish so dearly. Then we both lose.” She pauses. “Turn off that blasted humming would you; it's killing my eardrums.”

“No,” I step move forward into her personal space “you are stealing something precious to me and that’s against the law so I would advise you to put my manuscript down and leave while you still have the chance; because I have an overprotective house and he is not very happy at the moment. So it's in your best interest to do as I say.”

She pokes a finger at me, making me step back as she moves forward. “You’re lying, houses can’t come alive.”

“Mine can, you’ve already seen what he can do.”

“Stop making up stories!”

“If I did that I’d be out of a job.”

With a scream of rage she pushes me down and I fall to the ground out of the room. Alistar had waited long enough; enraged he shakes the house with enough vigor it feels like an earthquake and the study door slams shut. Separating me and the thief. Muffled sounds of smacking, screaming, papers flying fill the air and loud footsteps barely reach my ears.

My heart pounds, I’ve never seen Alistar so angry before. Finally the room quiets. Worried for my manuscript, I go to open the door but Alistar won’t let me. Instead he picks up my phone from where I dropped it and gently puts it in my hand. A fridge magnet flies over to me. It reads “In an emergency call 000”.

“Alright Star, I’ll call the police.” The floorboards hum and soothe my fears. Moving away from the room I head downstairs and call the police. A few minutes later they show up. I lead them to the study and opening the door we find a slightly messed up room. The window is still broken and a few papers and books were lying on the floor but it looks completely different to how I thought it would, considering the ruckus coming from it earlier. The thief lay on the floor, a piece of the roof next to her head; my manuscript still clenched in her hands.

The police took her away and as I thank them on their way out they ask what happened. “I don’t know, maybe a friendly ghost made a part of the roof hit her head or something?” They exchange a look of disbelief but the evidence is there, a piece is laying on the floor of my study and there is a hole in the roof.

“In any case you're a very lucky lady. Oh we discovered this stone tablet on the floor.”

“Oh, thank you.” I take the tablet.

“Well, have a good night.”

“You too.” I wave at them then close the door and walk up the stairs. Ready to start cleaning, but when I arrive the room is spotless. The window fixed and the hole in the roof vanished along with the piece of plaster on the floor.

“Huh. So you can heal yourself. Good to know.” I look at the tablet in my hand. It has an imprint of a cut stone in the center; I place it on the desk. “I wonder what this is. No matter, we’ll figure it out, won’t we Star?” The house rumbles. “Thanks for protecting me. Now let's finish our movie night.”

As the sun falls and the stars begin to shine a panicked voice rises into the night. “Star, she still has my manuscript!”