Let's Make a Trade - Fill in the Fear Contest Entry

Let's make a trade

"I don't care about your rules, we're leaving," Marty said briskly and ushered both Veronica and Jillian back to the door. 

"You can't leave until my sister is back," Alyson said darkly, her voice laced with amusement.

Marty simply lifted up his middle finger and walked on. The voices of the three other teens that had already been in the room were muffled, but it was clear that they didn't plan on staying either.

Jillian's fingers wrapped themselves around the doorknob and turned it, but nothing happened. "Oh no, it's locked!"

Footsteps echoed through the room and they spun around. The three other teens stood behind them. "What's the hold-up?" Neil asked.

"She locked the door," Jillian grumbled as she violently shook it for emphasis. 

Neil stepped forward and pushed her aside. "Let me." He looked at the door, took a step back and kicked it. It didn't budge. With a grunt he tried again- and again. 

"Where did Alyson go?" Lisa stammered and Neil stopped kicking.

The six of them peered into the candle-lit room where Alyson had been not a minute before. "I don't like this," Jillian whispered.

"Are you scared?" Ray, a guy Jillian had dated not a year before, teased.

She huffed loudly, not wanting to admit she was. "I'm not scared, but I-"

"Hey guys, come here!" Veronica motioned for them to join her at the boarded up window.

They all peered outside and saw Alyson standing next to Marty's car. Several of the teens gasped as they saw her embed a knife into the tires.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Marty screamed angrily at her. Alyson stabbed the last tire and as she walked over to the other two cars Neil and Lisa joined Marty's furious ranting.

When all the tires were flat Alyson turned towards the house. The light of the moon illuminated just enough of her face to show her deranged grin. "There's no escaping from our game."

"You're crazy!" Veronica screamed.

Alyson ignored her. "Now how about I explain those rules?" She didn't wait for them to respond. "First off, one of you must trade their life for that of my sister. Sadly, it can't simply be taken… Now I understand this trade doesn't sound very interesting- I mean who would want to be dead?" She cackled loudly. "I picked you six because I know you're all friends in one way or another."

Ray glared at Jillian, but as soon as their eyes met Jillian looked away.

"Consider this a game of friendship. The person that trades their life for my sister's will save the lives of everyone else. Does that sound like a fair trade? One life for six… Though if no-one steps forward soon it will be one life for five… Or even less..." She grinned maliciously. "One of you will die until the trade is made or until you're all dead."

"I won't let you kill any of us," Neil huffed.

Alyson smirked. "I never said I was going to do the killing."

"Is she serious? She can't be serious!" Lisa hissed anxiously.

Alyson had heard her and laughed. "Oh, but I am very serious. You have no idea just how much I love my sister."

"None of us is crazy enough to commit suicide, so if you want to be with your dead sister so much I suggest you kill yourself instead!" Marty spat out in anger.

Alyson just smirked, turned around and walked away. The moment she was out of sight she screamed, "Time's running out!"

The six teens looked at each other. "Come on," Neil said, "Let's get back to the candlelit room before she sneaks up on us."

      

"So what do we do now?" Lisa asked.

"I suggest we stick together. It's six of us against her alone," Neil stated. "I'm not afraid of her and as soon as I get out of here I'm going to make her pay for-" He fell silent as his gaze was fixated on something in the hallway.

The others followed his gaze and their breath stocked. A silvery shimmer could be seen in the dim light of the candles. The wispy figure drifted closer and when it reached the middle of the room it slowly started to take the shape of a young girl.

"M-Marie?!" Lisa exclaimed and she pressed her hands to her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

The ghost looked at the six teens and eventually locked on Neil. The features of her face were vague, but clear enough to distinguish she wasn't smiling in a friendly way.

Neil stood up and walked towards the apparition. "This is just a trick," he stated, though his voice wavered slightly. He brushed his hand through Marie, sending wafts of silver mist flying. "See? Alyson must be-" He froze.

Everyone gasped and Veronica emitted a little shriek as the mist slowly lost its human shape and entered Neil's open mouth. When the last bit of silver had disappeared his eyes started to bulge out of their sockets. His mouth dropped until his jaw unhinged and a low wailing sound erupted from his throat. His limbs started to tremble, his knees buckled and he landed hard on the wooden floor. With pure terror he stared up at the ceiling as his body started to convulse violently.

No-one dared to stand up and help him; they just gawked in utter dread.

After several seconds Neil went still and the silver mist erupted from his mouth. The cloud took human shape again, but to everyone's dismay it wasn't Marie.

Neil stared at his body in disbelief, his lips moved but there was no sound. Slowly the mist thinned and disappeared.

The body that was once Neil's started to spasm and the girls shrieked. The moment it stopped it slowly faded until it too was gone.

"Wh-what just happened?" Veronica squeaked.

"I-I'm not sure," Jillian tugged Ray's shirt. "You're a good friend, right? Won't you trade for us?"