Leave This House

Day 1 -Greenie

Tobias blinked sweat out of his eyes as he peddled down the forest path.

"Just a few more miles," he puffed.

He went for a couple more minutes, turning down a road that seemed a little less traveled. As he went, a small car appeared on the side of the road. A Volvo. Tobias glanced at it as he zoomed by.

Just a little way down the path, something came loose on his bike. The handlebars began to rattle and finally swung down towards the wheel.

"Whoa!" Tobias went forward off the bike. It still had enough momentum it went over him, crashing against his side. He laid there for several seconds, catching his breath before inspecting the injuries. Of his bike.

"Oh, no!" he said, examining the front tire. It had bent in the crash in a shape that most would consider a taco. The bolt that had held the bars up had disappeared into the leafy forest floor.

Tobias pulled his knees up to his chest and sighed. Absolutely perfect. He was miles from the main road. And several miles down that to the nearby town, where he lived. It would take him hours to get home. He was a biker. Not a runner.

The sun was going down now. Tobias would have to get going.

He stood up and looked around him. This path has to go somewhere. He looked down it and in the fading light, a large shape loomed. He limped towards it, the pain in his hip still throbbing. His heart leapt when he realized it was a house. Hobbling towards it faster, he laughed happily. Maybe he wouldn't be spending the night in the woods.

The door was thick and the windows looked boarded up. But, there was light coming from under the door. Tobias knocked on it.

"Hello?" he called. "I wrecked my bike a ways back and was wondering if I could use your phone?"

The door creaked open. "Hello?" He pushed it open and stepped in. "I was wondering-" Something smacked him in the back hard. He gasped and fell to his knees. He looked up and saw a vile looking woman raising a bat to hit him.

"Wait, no!" he cried. He rolled away just as the bat hit the floorboards.

Clambering to his feet, he grabbed the handle to the front door. It didn't budge. He dodged another swing. He pushed past the woman and ran to the first door he saw.

***

Yelling and thudding ensued above Becca. She dug out the key and crawled through the tunnel. What was going on?

She walked up the stairs cautiously. Had Granny taken another victim? Becca laughed in wonder as she realized she had been on Day 5 for so long.

She stood by the door to the stairs, listening. Suddenly, it swung open and another person collided with her.

"Whoa!" Becca cried. She slipped back down the stairs but the person grabbed her waist.

"Sorry!" he said. Becca looked at his face and involuntarily she gasped and her heart fluttered.

"Where am I?" he asked, panicked.

"Where are you?" Becca asked, a little confused. She had lost her train of thought completely.

"What is this place?" he said. Granny appeared at the stairs. "I see you," she croaked.

Becca finally got her head together. "Come here, I'll explain."

She dragged him down the stairs and to the garage. "Get in the car," Becca hissed. The boy obeyed. Becca ducked in after him.

Becca looked out the back window, at the stairs.

"What's going-"

"Shhh!"

"Why?"

"Just shhh."

Granny came into the garage and looked around. She walked around them three times and Becca feared she would pull them out. But she finally went back up the stairs without a sound.

"Okay, now what's going on?" the boy asked. Becca looked at him. Then looked away, a half smile appearing in her lips. She mentally smacked herself. Get it together, Becca! You're moments away from dying. Now is not the time to be thinking about hot guys.

"Because we're about to get out of here," Becca said, "I'm going to give you the watered down version. You were kidnapped by a psychopath named Granny. If she knocks you out five times, she kills and eats you. She's set up ways for us to escape. And I just got the last key." Becca held up the key triumphantly.

"Okay," the boy said. "What's your name?"

"Becca."

"I'm Tobias. Is there anyone else here?"

"Another girl named Madison."

"And we're close to getting out?"

"So close!"

Tobias smiled and Becca melted a little. "Then let's get out of here!"

***

Becca opened the bedroom door. "This is kind of our base," she whispered. "This where we all meet."

"'Kay," Tobias whispered. "Why are we whispering?"

"If Granny hears anything, she comes."

Becca went to the drawer of the dresser and searched for the master key.

"Is that Madison?"

Becca looked at the bed where an unconscious Madison lay. "Yes. She'll be fine. Should be awake in a little bit."

Tobias knelt down by Madison with a sad expression. He pulled back her that had dried with the blood on her face.

Becca looked away and sifted through the tools and other keys. Panic rose like bile.

"Something wrong?" Tobias asked. Becca frantically searched through the drawers. "It's gone!" she cried. "The master key's missing."

She collapsed to the floor. Tears threatened to spill over. She stood up quickly. "Corbin? Iris?"

"Who's C-" Tobias began to say then yelped as the two materialized. "How did they..."

"They're dead," Becca said. Then turned to them. "The master key's gone."

Corbin groaned. Iris dropped her head. "Mother takes the keys after a while. I'm sorry."

"Mother?" Tobias said. Becca shushed him. "Do you know where it is?"

Iris shook her head sadly. "You're on your own there." They both faded away. Becca covered her mouth to muffle a scream. "Thanks a lot," she hissed, sitting on the bed by Madison.

Tobias was still staring in wonder at the spot the two had been. "That was absolutely crazy," he said. Madison began to shift and they both looked at her. She opened her eyes and looked up. "Rise and shine," Becca mumbled.

Madison looked at Tobias. "Who are you?" she croaked.

"Tobias. Apparently the new victim."

Madison nodded and sat up. "Did you find anything new?" she asked Becca.

Becca held up the padlock key. "Jut this but it's useless now because Granny took the master key. Now we have to find that again."

They sat in silence. Tobias spoke up. "That car down there, will it start?"

Madison snorted. "That thing is so rusted and decrepit. Not to mention the ancient gas that..." She gasped.

"What?" Becca asked.

"Where's the gas can?"

They all looked around the room. Tobias picked it up from under the table. Madison grabbed it eagerly. "We need to get to the car," she said.

Becca understood and got to her feet. "You think it'll work?"

"It's got to."