The sun was hanging low on the horizon, casting it's golden lights on a meek neighborhood. The street empty, to the sides houses with picket fences could be scene. A boy no older than twelve years old made his way from his home to the one next to his. His steps quick and agile up the porch before he rang the doorbell.
*Ding*
The sound of the buzzer echoed through the house in a low tremble before the door opened. "Oh hello Kevin. Andrew's just about done so be patient for a bit." A lady in his forties mused as she wore a gentle smile. Her name was Lucy, a face that Kevin had familiarized himself with. Shortly after a boy appeared at the door, his face brimming with joy and esctacy. "Kevin!" He shouted as the two exchanged a short handshake.
"Andrew, there's this place I wanted us to go have a look at." Kevin urged as Lucy behind the two figured kept on adorning her smile. "Be back by five, no later young gentleman!" Andrew turned to face her mother, a cheeky smile on his lips. "I promise mom." Without warning he shared a warm hug with her mother before he made his way down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.
Andrew was the same age as Kevin but that was where the similarities ended. Unlike Kevin who had short brown hair and hazel nut eyes, Andrew had jet black hair as well as obsidian eyes, traits he shared with his mother. The air between the two boys was different, with Kevin being more lively while Andrew seemed to tag along like his shadow.
"I can't believe that we finally closed school. I thought that we would never finish." Kevin groaned as the two kept on with their walk, casual and leisurely as they made their way to another comrade of theirs at the end of the street. "Yeah,I can't believe that teacher Rachael ave us so much homework!" Andrew added as the two arrived at their destination.
Kevin made his move, knocking on the door as the two went on with their banter. "Yeah, hopefully this time you won't forget it with how long the holiday is. If you have any problems I could give you some help." Kevin's face grimaced. "I can handle my homework just fine alone so don't bother yourself so much."
Before Andrew could give his reply, the door opened, this time a huge figure came into view. A man emerged, wearing a white t-shirt haphazardly coated with stains across his belly, his beard unshaven and in shorts. He reeked of alcohol and the evidence in his hand. "You two brats! Trevor! Your little shitstains of friends are here!" His voice filling the house before making his way back inside. Trevor quickly made his way to the door before closing it behind him.
"Why are you in such a rush?!" Andrew inquired as he absentmindedly shook Trevor's hand. "My dad doesn't like when I leave the door open for too long. So where are we going this time. With schools closed the park should be packed." Trevor was a year younger than the two, with a timid personality and meek looks, he was the kind of person who wanted to avoid any kind of attention on him.
His hair similar to Kevin's, a light brown and his eyes shielded by his round rimmed glasses that gave his already brown eyes have a nerdy look to them. "I know that, that's why were going to a place in the forest. Heard that there was an abandoned house in there we could explore. Both Trevor and Andrew shot Trevor apprehensive looks of uncertainty. "What?! Don't tell me that the two of you are scared. Besides it's not that deep in the forest so it won't take long."
Without waiting for their input, Kevin started to make his way to the park. "Wait Kevin, it's not that were scared but I'm sure we shouldn't be wondering on our own. Who knows what we'll find there. Not to mention the sun won't stay up for long either and I don't want to walk in the darkness coming back home."
Andrew added to Trevor's words. "Besides you know that I have curfew. I can't afford to miss it." Kevin gave an exasperated sigh as he stop and looked back at the two. "Excuses excuses is all I'm hearing. Just say that you're scared is all. Besides it's not like we have anything better to do…" He paused, taking a look at Trevor. "…And don't tell me homework. I'm not in the mood for that. We have three months so what's the rush?" Andrew and Trevor fell silent, Kevin wearing a prideful smile as he kept on marching before the three arrived at the park.
Just as they had predicted, the playground was packed with other children, waiting for their turn would take too long which further seemed to widen Kevin's smile. "So it's this or the house. I'm not forcing you to do this, feel free to turn around and go back home Trevor, I know that Andrew's with me on this." Trevor tensed up, up in arms at Kevin's words. "I didn't say that I'm going back, I just want to make sure that we're safe is all. Besides Andrew hasn't agreed on whether he'll-"
"It better not be too deep Kevin or I'm with Trevor on this one." Andrew cut off Trevor, balling his fists. "I didn't say that I wouldn't go through with it!!" Fed up with the teasing of the two, Trevor proclaimed eliciting a chuckle from Kevin. "That's the spirit. Don't worry it won't take long."
The three walked past the playground and went down a trail that seemed to feed into the edge of a forest, tall trees neatly lined as if serving as a wall, preventing anyone from going in. "You want to go back Trevor, this is your last chance." Trevor narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and with resolution in his voice, he spoke with certainty. "Let's just do this already, the sooner we go in, the sooner we're go back home."
Andrew gave a nod on his end. Pleased with the sentiment from the two,the three marched into the thick trees. The sounds of cheerful kids started to fade in the background, the air growing dense with each step they took as the beaten path began to get narrower and narrower. "Eekk!" Trevor flinched from the caw of a crow that echoed through the woods.
"Hahahahaha!! I'm starting to think that you aren't suited for this Trevor." Kevin said with a playful edge in his voice. "I'm fine however I've been wondering, how did you even know about this house?!" Kevin paused for a moment before giving a sigh. "Because…there is no house, I've been messing with you two. Hahaha!" The two shot displeased looks at Kevin. "Are you serious!?" Kevin still reveling in his laughter came to a halt. "Nah! I just overheard Adrian talk about it before the bus came. He said that he would check it out and I wanted to beat him to it."
Reaching for his pocket, he revealed a smart phone. "How did you get your hands on that?!" Andrew asked, his brows flat with suspicion. "It's not my mother's if that is what you are worried about. It's my sister's and she doesn't come back home till six so don't fret." The two gave long looks at Kevin, wondering how they came to be acquainted with such a person. The three kept on walking for twenty minutes they saw it.
The journey wit Kevin bombarded with questions from Trevor if the house was real or not. "See, it's real!" Kevin chuckled as he rushed to the house, the two taking their time. The supposed house was a huge mansion however now abandoned, windows cracked and crows all over the roof watching the trio. A faint mist seemed to cover the lands, one that bothered all three of them. The more they looked at it, the more unreal it seemed to them.
It made no sense for a structure like this to be in the middle of nowhere. "Great, we're here so can we leave now?!" Andrew stated, his body on edge. "It would be a shame for us to come all the way out here and not check it out, right? Just the first floor will do and then we can leave. Besides we have plenty of time." Without waiting for their confirmation, Kevin pushed the rusty gate open, the creaking causing the crows that watched above caw in unbearable pitches.
Kevin ever curious made his way into the abandoned house, the two choosing to wait outside. "This was a bad idea. I can't believe we actually agreed to this." Trevor murmured to himself before looking at Andrew. "Why didn't you stop him?! Or was the offer of teasing me too tempting for you." Andrew parted his lips to defend himself but a scream beat him to it, no doubt it was from Kevin inside the mansion.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!" The blood curling scream filling the air before complete silence took over. The two glanced at each other before rushing in, the first thing that greeted them was dust and mold coating the place. "Achoo!!" Trevor broke into a frenzy of sneezes, his eyes already starting to tear up. "Kevin! Where are you?!" Andrew shouted only to be met with a scared response from Kevin.
"I'm up stairs! Quickly hurr-" Kevin cut off further sending chills across the two before Trevor went on with his spree of sneezes. "I can't with the dust, you'll have to get him alone Andrew." Trevor didn't wait for Andrew's response as he charged back outside covering his nose, tears already streaming down his cheeks.
Andrew hesitated for a bit before he started to take unsure steps up the flight of stairs.
*Whoosh*
Ragged curtains began to bellow making the twelve year old shake, each step he took up the wooden stairs filled the air with creaks, threatening to break and let him fall. The chandelier now showered in dust groaned from time to time depending on the draft. The smell was something he hadn't considered about but now it hit him raw. It reeked of something decaying and the smell seemed to be all over the place.
Eventually making his way upstairs, he began to shuffle through doors checking for Kevin however he seemed to have disappeared. 'I knew that we shouldn't have done this.This was a bad idea and yet rather than supporting Trevor I went along with Kevin's games!' He mused inwardly as he opened the door and met with a bathroom, the walls dilapidated and the floor flourishing with moss.
Just as he was about to leave, he heard a clutter from the bath tub which was covered by a shower curtain. The sheets black from the moss, the smell now bearable but still rancid. "BOO!!" Kevin jumped out of the tub which sent the oblivious Andrew sprawling to the ground, heart in his mouth as he clutched his heart. "Got you!! You should see the look on your face!!" Kevin laughed away as he made his way to the sink drawer and revealed his phone.
"I can't believe you would jump like that, Good thing I got it!" Andrew furrowed his brows as he rose to his feet. "Kevin! That's it! I'm leaving!" Kevin who was reviewing the footage stretched his arm out to stop Andrew from leaving however a cry filled the mansion.
"AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!" Unlike Kevin's, this one was raw and filled with fear. "Trevor?!" Andrew called instinctively as he rushed out the door, Kevin following with a lazy smile. "There's no need to worry, he's probably just playing a pran-" Kevin's words didn't leave his throat as he saw the image presented to him. It was Trevor however no longer alive, now mounted on the wall right above the exit in a crucifixion manner.
Nails bore into Trevor's palms and feet pinning him but what seemed to be the cherry on top for the person who did it was two nails were driven into his eye and the other on Trevor's throat that elicited a faint groan that eventually subsided.