Reintegration program - Elmax

Chapter 34 : The haunted house

It was dark, cold, far from all forms of civilization. A group of young people wearing costumes were led, in the dirt path, by their flashlights and the light of the moon. No one dared to talk, too scared to attract monsters, ghosts or werewolves. Birds croaking and flying away, making crack the branches, made startle the group and scream some of them.

- Damn, that's scary, stated a boy with an amused tone.

His friends lightly chuckled before continuing their walk between the trees. They arrived at the end of the path, facing a wooden gate. The place was abandoned, the grass was at the level of their calves with some garbage on it, the house was old, cracked, with breaking windows, ready to collapse.

The house had one floor and something like a garage with certainly a basement. The dog was fastened at the principal wall, sleeping, next to it, at the angle was the entrance porch with four steps.

Derek took charge, and opened slowly the gate, trying to not wake up the dog.

- We should go, it's not your house, murmured Jane.

- What are you scared of, pussy!? replied Dan.

- Do not fucking call me like that, fucking coward!

- Ok, enough now! intervened Max.

- Are you going to shut up!? You're going to wake up the dog! cut Derek.

- We could just go back! It's a property! answered Jane.

- It's abandoned!

Jane didn't answer. She didn't like being there, and wondered what they were going to do to this house. Derek was the first one to enter, followed by the others, all on tip toes, like if the earth could crack. Max and her friends stayed at the entrance, not wanting to be involved into something stupid, except Dan who went with them. Max rolled her eyes, Dan could be so immature sometimes! Even Jane wasn't following them, whereas breaking things was more her thing!

The teens grabbed some bottles and garbage on the grass, with rocks, preparing some munitions. Derek walked slowly with Dan and more boys, surrounding the dog and keeping a safe distant. He made a count down. Three...two...one...All the boys threw the bottles to the dog, waking him up in loud barks. Other threw rocks to the house, breaking more the windows.

- STOP THAT! yelled Jane.

But no one listened. They kept attacking the dog who couldn't go to them.

- I found the Witch's cat! stated proudly Derek, raising a red kitty cat. Let's burn it!

Everyone agreed with a loud "YEEEAH". Max and her friends tried to stop them but they were too much and too excited by this.

- Dan! Stop this! ordered Max.

- No! It's the Witch's cat! answered the boy.

- It's an animal! He is terrified, stop your stupidity!

A glass bottle breaking on the wall made her lose her attention. They were now aiming at the dog, still barking. The quiet place was now a total mess.

- You're going to hurt him! Stop it! intervened Beverly.

- Who cares!? chuckled Alban.

- I care!

BANG!

Everyone stopped what they were doing, crouching and covering their ears. The small cat ran as fast and as far as possible from them, while the dog was whining because of the noise. They all turned to the sound and saw Jane standing, the light of the garage behind her, pointing a revolver at the sky with escaping of it. The teens all slowly straightened, watching Jane with confused faces. The ex-prisoner slowly lowered her arm, aiming the gun at all of them now.