Escape The Basement (Complete)

IX.

I grab my phone from Haden and send Amanda a text.

He found it. Hurry.

"Wow. Look at this house. I've never seen it here before." The cabin is tiny. There is a light on in the window, like someone is home. I know someone is home.

"Well apparently someone is home." I point out the flickering light in the single window. My phone buzzes and I see a message from Amanda.

Now?

I make sure Haden isn't watching, then reply. Later. "We shouldn't bother this person. There has to be a reason they are out in the forest." I turn and start walking away. When Haden doesn't follow, I say, "Haden. I'm hungry. Lets go eat." I grab his hand and pull him along until he gives in. We continue holding hands until we get back to the camp.

 ***

"I think we should go check it out." We just got done eating and Haden has been pestering me to go back since he started cooking.

"Why? The person who lives there probably doesn't want to be bothered, otherwise they wouldn't be living in a cabin in the middle of the woods." 

"What if the person has others in his basement?" My body freezes. Haden, thankfully, doesn't notice. "Or what if he is really...?"

I cut in. "Or what if an asteroid came and killed you right now? What if a zombie apocalypse started? What if, what if, what if. What if I turned into Else and started singing 'Let It Go'? What if I grew five arms and turned into Slenderman?" I smile. Slenderman is cool.

Haden sighs. "Do I want to know Slenderman?" My grin widens.

"You don't know? He is a fictional character that originated as an internet meme created by Victor Surge in 2009. He is a thin, unnaturally tall man with a blank and featureless face, and wearing a black suit. Slenderman lives in the woods leaving notes. He stalks, abducts, and/or traumatizes people. Mainly children." I chuckle. Slenderman. Ha.

"So you just memorized what Wikipedia said about him?" I look at him, confused.

"How would you know that that is pretty much word for word from Wikipedia?" (It really is). He smiles.

"Who doesn't know who Slenderman is? I watched Pewdiepie's videos." We brofist. I laugh. He gets up and walks away.

"Where are you going?" I stand up.

"We are taking a walk--"

"That is going to--"

"May or may not--"

"Lead to Slendy's house." I finish. We start walking. Amanda should be here soon.

***

"We should just go knock." I whisper. We are standing in the trees outside the cabin. He frowns at me. "What else are we supposed to do? I'm not breaking into this guy's house. He probably has five guns all within arm's reach, ready to shoot two harmless kids in the face." It dawns on me how true this statement is.

"Whats wrong?" Now it is my turn to frown. "You just got this look of horror." I shake my head and my face goes blank. "I will be here to protect you. And if it makes you feel any better, we can go knock. You stay back though, okay?"

I stare at him. "Rule number three in all horror movies, don't be the hero. They always die." I glance at the house again, at where the basement is. This is a real horror movie.

"Fine. You knock. And what is rule one and two then?" I look back at Haden, all my fears washing away.

"Rule number one. Don't have sex. Rule number two, don't do drugs or drink. This stuff is basic knowledge. How do you not know this?"  AND IF YOU FALL, GET UP PEOPLE!! (Sorry!)

"I guess we are breaking the first three rules then. Shucks." My mouth drops open. I slap him. "Hey."

"You are not coming anywhere near me. I am pregnant with the next baby Jesus while on my period so go die." Everything I said is completely true.

He shakes his head. "I won't comment. Let us head out." We head toward the cabin, my hands shaking. There is no happy ending here.

We head up the stairs and Haden knocks on the door. You can hear someone walking around inside. Haden knocks again. 

"Coming, coming." A second later a man in pajama pants and a once-white shirt opens the door. What little hair he has left is greasy; you can tell he hasn't showered in a few days. A beer belly completes the look.

We make eye contact and a look of surprise crosses his face before changing to irritation. "What do you want?" His eyes flicker to Haden then back to mine, his gaze questioning. I, ever so slightly, shake my head no. "What do you want then?"

I look to Haden. "Well sir, for a school project we are supposed to go around and look at the architecture of different kinds of houses. We are camping over there somewhere," I gesture to the left, away from where we really were camping. "And we found this house while we were wandering the woods." The guy just continues to stare at me. 

I look at him, silently pleading. "You have two minutes, then I want you out of my house." I follow Haden into the tiny house. The layout is simple. A short hallway, with a kitchen to the left and living room to the right. The bedroom and bathroom are at the back of the small house. There is a basement, but it isn't more then a small dirt room.

The house is somewhat clean and I am mildly surprised. He must have cleaned. I laugh. "What's so funny?" The man grumbles at me. I shake my head.

Haden walks into the living room and I stand in the door way. "Why are you here? And with him?" The man is talking so softly that I can barely hear him. I turn away from the doorway and act like I am looking at the house.

"He found this place and wanted to check it out. He won't find-" My voice catches. "Will he? I actually like this guy. He isn't like Henry." (LOL shout out!!) (JK I hate you)

That was my old boyfriend that doesn't exist. Never has, never will. He is long gone, somewhere in the sewer system. And if they are right, saying all pipes lead to the ocean, then parts of him are in the ocean. Sorry Nemo.

He nods. We sit in silence for a second before a flash of something crosses his face. Before I have time to ask he is making a beeline for the basement.

“Where is he going?” I turn back and see Haden strolling towards me.

“Oh I think he just didn’t want to be in our way.” I move in front of him but he just pushes past me, heading into the kitchen.

“Come on, Eliza. You know this is one of those situations where he probably has dead people in his basement. Isn’t that why someone would live out in the middle of the woods by themselves?” I grab his arm, and try not to look at the basement door. I hope Amanda hurries up. He looks around. “Where did that guy go? He went in here right?”

I look around, trying to think fast. “Maybe he went down the hallway more. I think there is another room back there.” Haden doesn’t look convinced.

He spots the door, and his eyes light up. “What do you think is in there?” He reaches for the handle.

“Haden, wait.” I grab his arm. “What if there really is? He could kill us.” I lower my voice. “We are alone in the woods. Nobody is going to come looking for at least a day. We could be dead by then.” He opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off.

“Help me!”

My jaw drops. Haden opens the door and a girl with ratty brown hair, covered in dirt, looks at me, pleading. “Please, help me. He had me locked in his basement, we have to--” She looks at Haden. He just stares at her.

“H-Haden?” I look between the two, trying to figure out what is going on.

“Stephanie?” I take a step back. “Come on, we have to go!” Haden grabs her arm and I follow them toward the front door.