Leave This House

Day 5 - Take the Fall

Elvyne looked down into the grim basement and finally urged herself to go down. She knew she had to start doing something, anything, to help out their group because up until this point, she seemed like nothing more than a damsel in distress. She knew Granny was still upstairs. She ran down the concrete stairs, relieved that they wouldn't creak like the stairs leading to the second floor.

In the middle of the floor was a drain and dark blood had dried flowing down it. Elvyne's stomach rolled as she remembered Corbin mentioning that this was where Granny must have killed the people that made it past Day 5.

How many poor souls had ended up down here? Over the past 40 years, probably hundreds. How had she never heard about people going missing in this area? Surely after only a handful of disappearances, the FBI or someone would have gotten involved. Elvyne smiled to herself in spite of the horrid surroundings. Becca had told her in their brief Uber ride together that she wanted to join the FBI. This kind of thinking was her territory.

Elvyne took a step forward off the bottom stair and nearly lost her footing. She looked down at what had made her stumble and smiled. It was the old dusty teddy bear. Perfect. She picked it up and turned to walk up the stairs but something stopped her. The bear. Corbin never mentioned this. Maybe he didn't notice. The bear had a heartbeat.

Elvyne shifted hands, thinking it might have been her own rapid heartbeat in her hands against the ancient fabric. It wasn't.

Something thudded upstairs and there were rapid footsteps. Elvyne had been here long enough to know that this was Granny. She was coming.

Panicked, Elvyne had no idea where to go. Granny was coming for this bear. Somehow she knew that someone had it.

Granny appeared at the top of the stairs and Elvyne dove for the tunnel. Granny ran downstairs, screeching like a possessed woman. Elvyne backed into the tunnel, away from Granny's clawing hands.

"Mine!" the old lady screamed, bloody spittle flying at Elvyne's face.

Elvyne scurried away and into the little room. She sprinted up the stairs, and up the other ones. She jumped over the boxes and into the walk-in closet. She prayed that Corbin was in the attic by now. She dashed out of the bedroom and into the hall. She ran too fast and hit the spindly banister, causing it to crack and splinter. A piece snapped and fell onto the landing. Elvyne screamed as she began to fall. Granny appeared from the basement.

A hand grabbed her arm and she looked back. Corbin was there. He looked down and saw Granny running to the stairs.

Corbin hauled Elvyne to safe ground then grabbed the hand without the bear.

"Come on," he said. They ran up the stairs and into the attic. Corbin knocked the sewing mannequin over by accident as he stopped. "Great," he said. "Now she knows for sure where we are. What now?"

"She already knows where we are," Elvyne said breathlessly. She held up the bear. "She can hear the bear's heartbeat."

Corbin stared at Elvyne, wondering if she had finally cracked like Iris. Granny came into the room. "Never mind," he said. He grabbed the teddy bear and ran into the room with the cradle and threw it. It bounced off the far wall and landed square in the cradle.

Granny screamed from behind him then was suddenly silent. Elvyne ran to his side. "She's gone," she said.

"Gone?"

"She just... vanished." Elvyne was staring in disbelief at the cradle. Corbin followed her gaze. The bear was gone. Dust began to swirl from behind the cradle and Corbin took a step back. A weird light began to brighten in the middle of it.

Suddenly, Iris appeared, mouth gaping like she was screaming. She was pale and her hair was as dark as pitch.

Elvyne dug her nails into Corbin's arm and pulled him back. "How did she..."

Corbin didn't know what to do and just stared as Iris faded away.

"Is Iris... dead?" Elvyne asked. Corbin's heart was racing and almost didn't hear her. "She must be," he said, not really sure of what he was saying. "Only dead people can do that."

"I didn't even know dead people could do that," Elvyne breathed. She wrapped her arms around Corbin's chest. "What is Granny?"

He didn't know what to answer. "Did you see Becca and Solomon anywhere?" he asked. Elvyne shook her head.

"I guess this is as good a time as any to check the cell," he said. Elvyne shuddered and pulled away. "How we get across the hole?"

Corbin stepped out of the room, between the boards. He looked around the room. It was empty except for the mannequin and the fallen board... the board.

Corbin grinned and picked it up. He walked it to the hole and laid it across. It was perfect. He held a hand out to it. "After you," he said to Elvyne. She laughed. "Ladies first."

"Ha ha." Corbin held out his arms for balance and put one foot on the board. It was very sturdy and barely creaked and warped. He took another step. Then another. He was over. He turned around, quite proud of himself and saw Elvyne already coming over. When she was close enough, he took her slender hand and led her across. Once she was over, she looked at him shyly. This time, Corbin leaned down and kissed her pale cheek. Elvyne's face glowed pink and she looked away, trying to hide a smile.

"I guess we'll check out the cell," Corbin said. He backed away from Elvyne and turned around. She gasped. "Stop!" Too late. Corbin's shoulder knocked a precariously laid vase on a tiny shelf. It fell to the floor and shattered. Out of nowhere, Granny appeared at the other end of the board, staring at it in contempt. Elvyne gasped and backed into the bars of the cell. Granny grinned and walked into the cradle room. The door separating that room and the one Corbin and Elvyne were in began to rattle as Granny unlocked it.

"In," Corbin commanded. He ran into the cell, Elvyne right behind him. He took one step in and there was a slamming noise. He whirled around and saw Elvyne gripping the bars.

"Did you close it?" Corbin asked, almost angrily. She shook her head fervently. "It just shut!"

The door continued to rattle. They looked at it and then at each other. Corbin rattled the cell door. "It won't even budge!" He was beginning to become hysterical, knowing he was about to lose another friend.

Elvyne, however, stared into Corbin's eyes, her green ones steady and calm. She grabbed Corbin's shoulders through the bars and pulled him close to her. His face was against the bars and Elvyne went up on her toes. She kissed him through the bars. She pulled back as the Granny shoved the door open. Elvyne pushed the wire cutters into Corbin's hands. "Be good," she said, a sad smile on her lips. She stepped back then ran to the board. Granny turned and followed her. Elvyne closed her eyes and fell back. Corbin screamed as her white fingers were the last he saw of her.

Granny turned back through the door, but not before flashing Corbin an evil smile. She ran out of the attic and down the stairs to claim her new prize.

Author's Notes

I know it's not a whole lot but for me it is, this story has reached 1000 reads!!!! Thank you everyone for reading it! I honestly didn't even plan on finishing the story at first but then people started reading it and now we're what, 18 chapters in?

To show my appreciation, there will be a bonus chapter on Friday! So make sure you check back in!