The Naturals | O.S

Haunted

KATHLEEN

There's a resistance to my breaths. An undying weight on my chest that leaves me begging for air. My mind short circuits every time lightening flashes outside, and the feat has me rolling my eyes at my own stupidity. A shiver runs the course of my spine as the scene before me goes dark, and an eerie crackling noise fills the void. I rake a hand through my hair, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Cacophonous thunder pounds behind me, making me flinch. It's a constant reminder that there are greater things out there that can hurt me, and I find myself biting my tongue in an attempt to remind myself that this isn't real.

Without warning everyone and everything goes silent, nobody even taking the risk to breathe. I saw it coming— I know I did, but as the screen glows white and Sloane's scream rips through the air I find myself shooting to a stance faster than that time Maddox had a bowl of ice water over my head.

"That's it!" I shout. "I am done with horror movies."

The lights flicker on, curtesy of Lia, whose brown eyes are wild. The yellow of her eyelids a harsh contrast to her expression. "I'm not saying I agree with that stance," she begins, tone unsteady. "But if we were to shut off the TV? I wouldn't mind a single bit."

"I second that thought!" Sloane squeals. I glance in her direction. She's got a couch cushion crushed to her face, and I can only just see her pink blanket peaking over the mound of stuffies she's set up around her. Michael pauses the movie.

"Come on girls," he taunts. "It's not that bad."

"Ghosts. Spirits. Demons," Lia lists off on her fingers. She had her Halloween themed nails crafted yesterday morning; everything from pumpkins to skeletons and vampires adorn her nail beds. "Each of those are a check mark on my 'Never to watch' list. We did this for you, but I'm not finishing that shit." She crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.

"Fine," Michael rolls his eyes, a smirk settling onto his face as he shuts off the television. There's a bright flash that lights up the room, preceding a crack of thunder so strong that I can feel it shake the floor. The lights die out for a moment, presenting us with a pitch black room devoid of any luminescence.

"That storm is pretty bad," Maddox comments idly as they flicker back on. He stands from his seat on the couch to peak out the window. Not that it does much good, the glass is covered in a thick layer of rain. "I feel bad for any kids that are still trick or treating."

"I'd like to think there aren't any parents stupid enough to keep their kids outside in this weather," I mutter as I come to stand beside him.

"It's only nine thirty, the rain will probably stop soon," Dean mumbles. "Besides, people are ruthless at this time of year."

The creak of footsteps coming up the stairs has me sliding my feet back in Deans direction. I'm not going to admit that the movie got to me— but I'm also not about to risk being slaughtered by a serial killer with a bloody axe.

The steps are heavy, each thud making my heart race that much faster. They're calculated, meaning that the person knows we're in here. Perhaps they're just searching, but the long strides tell me that they know exactly what they're about to do.

A mere second later Judd appears in the doorway, and a sigh of relief fights it way out of my clenched jaw. Dean chuckles from where he sits in front of me and I swing a hand out to smack the back of his head. He winces in mock pain, and I bite my cheek to keep from smiling.

"You guys alright?" The army eagle asks.

"Excellent," Lia replies, floating down onto her seat with an elegance achievable by nobody. "We were just about to get our costumes on."