The House That Was Never There

(This pasta is based off a real place in a real town)

I'm not telling you the name of the town. If you live there, then you might have an idea about what I am talking about.

At the corner of Central and Happy Trails, there is an empty lot. Well, not completely empty. There is a red brick fireplace. No foundation. No rubble of any kind. All that's left of the house, if there was a house, is that damn fireplace.

The sad part is that we weren't drunk or high or anything like that. Just stupid. Jenny, Darren, Carl, Samantha, and Rick decided to go check it out after dark. Darren kept going on and on about demons and the devil or some shit. Sam bopped him on the head and told him to cut it out. They're brother and sister, if you can't tell. Jenny was nervous, and she kinda believed Darren, if you ask me. But she goes where Samantha goes. I hate her, she's such a bitch. As for Carl, he's really quiet. I don't think I've heard him say a hundred words. I went because Rick, my boyfriend, asked me.

So we went around 11:30 pm. Now, that corner was by no means deserted. There's a bunch of houses next to the lot and a gas station right across from it. It's not like we could do anything extremely stupid. We put a lit flashlight in the fireplace and we cracked open a few sodas. Not even beer, effing soda. There's no way I imagined this.

We sat in the dirt awhile. Eventually Darren piped up.

"This is boring." he whined, "It isn't even creepy anymore."

"Yeah, whos idea was this?" Samantha agreed.

"Don't look at me. I came for the Pepsi." Rick chimed in.

That's when shit got fucked up.

"It is boring here. I wonder why anyone would want to hang out here, of all places." a strange, deep voice said.

Everyone looked up. There was a guy leaning on the fireplace. He was 16-17 at the most, with dark hair, pale skin and black clothes. He was hot too, and not in an emo way. His shirt showed off muscular arms and flat abs. His dusty jeans were so tight that if he were a person, he would have to peel them off at night. I caught my breath, and blushed. I prayed Rick didn't notice.

It seemed he didn't.

"I haven't seen you before." Rick said to the newcomer. "You go to Gran-"

"No," the stranger cut him off, "you haven't seen me. I do not go to your school. But I've been around, Rick."

"Uh, cool. Wait, how did you..." Rick started, then grabbed his throat, gasping.

"Shut up, human. I tire of your attempt at small talk." the stranger said.

I kneeled by Rick as he slumped over and checked his pulse. He seemed fine, apart from the fact he was unconscious. Jenny shrieked, and the stranger turned towards her, smiling a inhuman grin.

"Ah, you're one of those girls, hmm? Such fun." The stranger walked towards Jenny, but Samantha got in his way, taking on a crane stance from her martial arts class. Darren took his place next to her and slightly behind her. "You have fire." The stranger told them, "Oh, how I've missed that!"

With one sweep of his arm, both siblings were down. I looked around, but there were no cars on the road, and the gas station didn't even have it's lights on. When the fuck is a gas station closed? I tried to yell, hoping someone in the houses would hear me, but I couldn't. The stranger turned towards me.

"You... remind me of someone. It's your eyes. In fact, you remind me of the very bitch who trapped me here!" He laughed, his voice deep and cruel. "Oh... I miss her, you know? I miss the smell of her blood running through my fingers, I miss the sight of her beautiful, beautiful tears... like priceless diamonds."

He smiled at my horrified expression.

"Ah, I don't expect a human like you to understand. You know the best part about her? Her memories. So much pain and death and betrayal, nothing gave me more pleasure than to sift through them and have her relive every. Single. One."

Carl and Jenny seemed petrified, frozen with looks of terror on their faces. The stranger looked at them, then back at me.

"I have an exquisite idea. I think I'll let you escape. I can have plenty of fun with your friends in the meantime. Just know, my princess, I have a special fate planned for you."

I did something cowardly, something I will regret for the rest of my short life.

I ran.

It's not over. All of them have gone missing. Everyone's family is going crazy looking for them. Except Carl's family. He doesn't have a family to look for him. I don't know why that seems so fucking important to me, but it does.

I don't know what he's planning for me, but I know he won't let me go forever. I found this written in red ink and fucking Spiderwick calligraphy today.

Janet,

''I know you're afraid, and maybe confused. You should be. You, my dear, were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and you will pay for it, my, will you pay for it, and I guarantee, it will be fun. For me, at least. There is one way, if, like most humans, you wish to prolong your life. I've been bored for quite a while now, and though your friends are wonderful playthings, they won't last long. Perhaps we can discuss it soon. Don't worry, I'll find you.''

I'm sorry to have done this to you. I pray he kills you quickly.

Not likely, my princess.