Michael was standing in the doorway, watching me. It had been ten minutes since Ashton ripped himself apart right before my eyes.
I was in pain. I couldn't focus on anything but the sheer fact that I had brought him here. I got us lost.
This is all my fault.
"Luke," Calum spoke, "Let's go, buddy." He was standing beside me, trying to comfort me the best he could.
"I - I.." I couldn't speak.
"He was a good guy, Lukey. At least you were with him. He didn't have to go alone," Michael tried.
I shook my head, "I just.."
Suddenly, I heard a big thud outside. A banging on the door.
I looked up at the guys, "What the hell?"
Calum and Michael took off down the stairs. I started to follow, but before I was out of the room, I looked back to Ashton's lifeless body laying on the blood soaked bed.
"I love you."
As the last tear rolled down my cheek, I closed the door.
I skipped down the stairs and found my best friends standing in the front room with two girls.
The blonde look terrified, as blood was gushing from a gash in her leg.
She wore a black dress with matching high tops. Her hazel eyes were blurry with tears, "What the hell was she?!"
She was yelling at us, "Who are you?!"
I looked at Calum, then Michael, and then back at her, "I'm Luke. This is Calum and that's Michael."
She took a deep breath, "I'm Cheyann, this is my cousin Brianna."
The dark haired girl was quiet. She keep her eyes on the ground. She was clutching at her leather jacket, probably scared out of her mind.
"What did she look like?" I then asked, "The woman you're talking about." Cheyann frantically ran her hands through her hair, "Um..she was old and frail. She had really pretty eyes, but her mouth...it was sew together. Who does something like that?!"
I looked at the boys. And Michael spoke up, "I really wish you girls would have kept driving."
Cheyann just starred at us, shocked. "Why? What does that mean, exactly?"
Calum scratched at his head, "This place is being haunted by vengeful ghosts. Once you're in, you stay in. There is no getting out."
Brianna then looked up, she had been crying. Mascara was streaming down her cheeks, "What do you mean we can't get out?"
Calum shrugged, "We tried. The doors...the windows, all shut. Nothing we do can open them. We can't even break the glass on the windows."
The girls looked at each other for a minute before turning back to us, "Are we going to die in here?"
I thought back to Ashton.
No way in hell was I letting anyone else die.
"No," I replied.
Michael and Calum shot me a glare. They knew there wasn't a chance of getting out, but I wasn't going to tell that to these girls.
"So, what happened to your leg?" I asked the blonde. She looked down at the fresh wound and shrugged. "I was running from that thing on the road. I must have cut it on something."
Brianna looked up, "There has to be some way out."
Michael shrugged, "The phones get no signal. The doors won't open. Ghosts are on our asses."
She cocked her head, "How do you know they are after us, exactly?"
Calum sighed, "Our friend -"
"Calum...don't."
"They need to know, Luke."
"Need to know what?" Cheyann protested. Calum gave me a smile, "It'll be alright."
He looked at the girls, "Our friend Ashton...he...he died. The ghosts drove him to killing himself."
Then it hit me.
The paintings.
Ashton had said something was in the room, something was after him. But what? Who?
"Okay. Here's the deal. No one goes anywhere alone. Stay together at all times. Less chance of death, I say. I'll take the girls up to the paintings to see what we're working with. You guys look for somewhere safe for us to camp out tonight."
"Paintings?" Brianna asked.
I nodded, "Come with me."
I lead the girls up the steps to the hallway with the portraits. They grazed the walls looking at each frame.
"Have you seen all of them?" Brianna asked. I shook my head, "No. But I'm pretty sure Dallas Hugo here killed Ash."
"Dallas Hugo : The Butcher."
Dallas was a big man with a red beard. He held a butcher knife. His body was also torn to shreds.
"I think they are getting replacements..." I mumbled under my breath.
"Replacements... So they can move on?" Cheyanna said, coming up next to me.
I nodded, "That makes sense."
They nodded, "Okay. So, if I see three little girls with scars and bloody dresses, I better watch my back," Brianna groaned.
I smiled, "Welcome to the family."
----------------------------------
So meet the girls! I hope you guys liked this chapter. It was short and kind of bad but...I'm me. So...ehh.
Anyway.. I love you all.
Sorry I haven't updated all day. I slept till 1 pm, and my friends dad passed away this morning. So..yeah.
Thanks for reading x
Please ignore errors x
- Robin
