Horror Town 2

The House

     Four of the six group members hunkered behind the three memorial statues in the Witch's Forest. Jesse and Charlie were running late, making the small group worry if they had been caught. Holding out hope, they huddled closer together— hiding from the cold breeze and light drizzle.
     The sound of bike wheels alerted them and they peeked out from there spot. Charlie came pedaling up to the park and located his friends crouching by the statues and fake poisoned berry bushes.
"Hey, guys", he huffed. "Where's your bikes. And Jesse for-that-matter"?
"He's bringing a truck". Tawny answered.
"...Sorry"?
      Jesse pulled up a minute later and poked his head out of the driver's side window.
"Well? Ya comin'"?
      The friends exchanged a glance and hastened to the large pickup truck. Charlie threw his bike into the bed and and joined Raven and Jesse in the front seat, while Gwen, Tawny, and Jake sat in the back. The drive to Pitney Street was quiet and tense. None of them knew what awaited them in that house, nor if it was truly empty. It didn't help that Jake updated them on the recent murders at the old Access Bridge in Miltown.
      When they finally turned onto Pitney, all six occupants looked out of their windows. They trudged up a couple of blocks when Raven pointed to the derelict building. Jesse larked the truck and everyone filed out. The house was worn and overrun with shrubs and weeds.
      Faded Greenish Yellow paint chipped and peeled off of the wood beneath it. The wood was rotting and was covered in holes and hanging off in chunks. Stains covered the remaining glass on the shattered windows.
     Jesse led the group to the damaged porch steps, taking a tentative step onto the first one. It creaked loudly and dipped under the weight. He managed to walk up the rest of the steps and onto the porch. The rest followed suit.
     They walked cautiously to the front door, peering over their shoulders every now-and-then. Their guarded shamble stalled when Jesse tried turning the knob. It wouldn't budge.
"Now what"? Tawny asked.
      Charlie walked back to the front window. It had been broken by someone not too long ago.
"Through here". He knocked out the rest of the glass with his covered elbow and pulled himself into the house. He was met with a musty, stagnant smell. He covered his face with his sleeve and held back a cough. Glass crunched under his shoes.
"Careful. There's glass".
     The rest of the gang ducked inside, gagging and coughing at the old smell. Jake kicked a sizable rock out of the way. "Well, there's our aid in breaking the window".
"This place looks like a zombie film", Gwen observed.
      The living room was drab and nearly empty, save for a tattered couch, a pealing leather reading chair, a stained coffee table, and a wooden fireplace. The room was coated in a thick layer of dust and debris. The furniture had rats and bugs crawling throughout them, making the teens recoil in disgust.
"If Asher doesn't do us in, the E-Coli wandering around will", Jesse joked.
"Disgusting", Gwen choked.
      They slowly explored the cold and littered room. Raven, Tawny, and Jake examined the fireplace. An ugly deep green runner layer along the top. Dirty picture frames adorned the length of it, along with some porcelain angels. From what they could see, the pictures in the frames showed a younger, happier Asher.
"Is that Asher"? Tawny questioned.
"Looks it. Before the psycho days".
      Jesse poked around the peeling and water stained floral wallpaper. Bugs and spiders crawled over every inch of the aged wood behind the paper. A particularly large cockroach flew out of a small hole in front of Jesse's face, making him exclaim in shock. Everyone whipped around and eyed him curiously. He just simply held up his hands and cleared his throat.
     Charlie and Gwen poked their heads out of the large doorway of the living room. In front of them was the staircase, to the left was the front door, and to the right was a busted door that led to another room. The group peered over their shoulders.
"Should we split up"? Tawny suggested.
     Everyone looked at her with an exaggerated expression of doubt. "In groups of three, guys".
"We could cover more of the house and report back to each other when we leave", Raven finished.
     They quietly agreed and parted ways. Tawny, Jake, and Jesse went for the stairs. Gwen, Raven, and Charlie went for the busted door.
      Jake tested to the rotted stairs, climbing slowly and gripping the rail. His foot went threw a middle stair, but he managed to keep himself from falling. After evened his breathing, they continued their trek and made it to the top without any further problems. In front of the stairs was a small resting area, fit with a small round table and cheap chairs.
      There were a total of four rooms upstairs. Next to the resting area, two across from each other around the corner, and one of the very end of the hallway. Tawny opened the first door, causing a plume of dust to fly in their faces. When the cloud settled, the trio peered inside and surveyed the space. It was filled to the brim with random pieces of furniture, mattresses, and even a couple of paintings. Cobwebs and spiders filled in the rest of the spaces.
"Yeah...nope", Jesse said as he backed out.
      They closed the door and moved on. Jake opened the door to the left and grimaced at the run down and filthy bathroom. He groaned and closed the door. Tawny opened the door to the right. Inside was an old bedroom. All it contained was a broken bed frame, an empty dresser, and a dusty nightstand.
     Jesse opened the final door and called to the duo. "Hey, guys. I think I found Asher's room".
     The three of them walked in and looked around. The bed was in the middle of the large room and was disheveled. The dresser had drawers missing and the walk in closet was in even more disarray. There was a lone door on the wall behind the closet.
"Think that's the attic"?
"Only one way to find out".
      They made their way over the large wooden door, avoiding trash and other debris in the way. The door opened with a loud groan. All three hit the dingy carpet when bats came squeaking out and flew over their heads; escaping threw an open window.
     The teens huffed and dusted the themselves off. Cautiously, they ascended the stairs, keeping their heads low. The further up they went the darker it was. They had managed to see everything else with the natural moonlight leaking in, but this time they needed their phone lights to aid them here. They turned them on and scanned the attic. Installation and cardboard hung in clumps from the old ceiling.
     Bits of brick and plaster piled on the wooden floor. It seemed like an ordinary attic, until something caught their eyes. They stepped toward it slowly and gasped. Pictures of  dead people decorated a small section of the brick wall. New and familiar faces lie lifeless in the still images. Including the pictures of the eight victims they already knew, almost twenty people were hung on the wall.
     No doubt earlier victims of this psychopath's wrath. The worst part was, is that they were staged like a morbid photo shoot. They were posed in normal and creepy ways before the last picture of them was taken. The teens felt sick.
"Let's get out of here"! Jake declared as the friends ushered out of the attic.

      Meanwhile; Charlie, Raven, and Gwen pried the broken door open and walked into a dining room. Like the living room, it was caked in dust and grime, striped wallpaper peeling off in strips. The table was turned on its' side and some of the chairs were missing. Those in attendance were scattered and broken.
     Raven led the way in, with Gwen holding his hoodie for assurance. Charlie took up the rear. Gwen and Raven stuck closest to the wall, shining their lights on crooked paintings and a cheap old china cabinet. The glassware was stained and sat broken inside the large display case. Glass decorated the floor around it.
     Charlie went around the the table and stared at the dated walls. He drifted his gaze downward and stopped. A clean black trash bag sat in the teen's way. The fact that it was a trash bag sitting in the middle of the room didn't phase him, it was the cleanliness of the bag itself. Everything in here was either stained or dusty. The bag was practically spotless. Letting curiosity get the better of him, he found a discarded chair arm and poked the bag open.
      Inside sat bloodied clothes. Some pants, a long sleeved burgundy shirt, shoes, and a grey hoodie made up the contents of the bag. Charlie cursed and backed up until he hit the grimy wall behind him. Gwen and Raven rushed over and backed away as well.
"What the hell"!? Gwen's voice shook.
"That's the same hoodie I saw Chandler wearing at school. That confirms my fear: Asher's using him as a means of killing people. They must have dumped it here knowing no one would look". Charlie explained.
"We should go". Raven strained, striding over to the door with Gwen in tow.
"You guys go ahead. I'll just check the kitchen quickly and join you guys".
      Not wanting to argue, the pair jogged out and back to the living room. The rest of the gang joined them soon after.  Charlie just had to see the rest of the house. Even if was just a quick look, he had to know there was something here that would keep Asher bound to Earth. He walked into the kitchen and cringed at the unkempt dirty room. Cabinet doors hung off their hinges, glass and garbage covered the broken tiled floor and dirty dishes piled on the counters and in the sink.
     The back door was torn and rusty, but other wise intact. The one thing that drew his attention more than anything, was the deep brown door among the dirty Off-white walls.
     Charlie slowly grabbed the doorknob and opened it. It revealed a stone staircase, dripping brick walls, and a padlocked iron door. The teen ogled the sight and promptly slammed the door.
      He ran back to the living room where his friends were waiting for him. They straightened up and began to pile out of the window. Frazzled and exhausted they scampered back to the truck and jumped in.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow. Let's just go home".
      The group slumped in their seats and headed for home, unaware of Asher who had materialized onto the porch as the truck pulled away.
"Well, well, well. Looks like my little friends are planning something once again, hmmm. We can't have that now, can we"?

     Riley sauntered into Chandler's room. The boy was facing away from the door, tightly curled into the fetal position. The brunette walked over to the bed and sat down, lightly rubbing his friend's elbow.
"We'll get out of this. I don't know how, but we will".
     Chandler just stayed silent. The events of the recent days were beginning to take their tole on him. After what seemed like hours, Chandler stiffly turned his head in Riley's direction.
"What if we don't. What if he just kills us after he finishes what he came back to do"?
"He won't"!
"How do you know"?!
"Because he's a ghost and won't be this strong forever. He can't always have control over you! I'll get you out of this! Even if it means I burn down half the town! I promise"!
      Chandler shot up and wrapped his arms around Riley's shoulders. Riley retuned the hug and rubbed small circles on Chandler's back. Their moment was cut short by Asher's booming voice.
"Well, boys. Your in luck. No more killing randos. We're going straight for the big fish! Charlie and his little buddies seem to have found my house, and my basement".
     The two boys shared a look of worry. They knew what Asher had planned. It was just a matter of when they would be forced to do it.
"Knowing the twerps, they'll either go straight back tomorrow night, or they'll wait a few days. Either way, we'll be ready for them".
      Chandler started to tremble. He was beyond exhausted and traumatized to keep this up for much longer. Plus, he had no idea what Asher would do once he was done. The thought made him sick to his stomach. Riley circled an arm around his shoulders. He was just as tired and afraid, but he'd be damned if he gave the madman the satisfaction of seeing it. He promised Chandler he'd get him out of Asher's grasp and he meant it. Whatever Charlie had planned, he prayed to god that it would work. If not, god only knows what they were in for.