It was a warm spring day. It was towards the end of the school year and my friends and I had big plans for the summer.
My friend Alex came up to me and my other friends and said, "Hey! You guys free after school?"
Lucas asked, "Why? Got any big plans?"
Alex shook his head and replied, "Nope, but I did find this cool place I think you guys would like... meet me after in school... in the courtyard." We all agreed of course, we all thought it was a great idea.
After school that day I found Alex in the school courtyard talking to Rob and Steve. Lucas came up behind me and said, "C'mon! Whatcha waiting for?"
I ran after him and we all met at our "rendezvous", as Steve called it. We all had a good laugh and started walking.
"Are we almost there?" Lucas asked.
"No, not yet... almost!" Alex said.
By around four o' clock in the afternoon we made it. Alex said this could be our hideout. The building was a grey house with a few broken windows and a little garden full of dead flowers and weeds.
Rob shook his head in disappointment and said, "Really? This place is crap."
Alex patted his shoulder and said soothingly, "Just look at this place, we could restore it, this place could be our hang out spot, we could make it better than before."
Alex was always good at persuading people. Once he persuaded me to sneak some cigarettes for his friend. Too bad I got caught, but I still had a good laugh about it with my friends. As soon as we got inside the place it looked abandoned for years. The carpet was a brown color and the walls were a light blue color.
"Hey look!" Lucas yelled.
Power surged the whole house as he turned on the generator to the house. We all smiled and continued examining the house. After we examined the house we went outside and started for our homes. We exchanged goodbyes and saw each other the next day.
Alex told us before we left that we had to go back. We all agreed as we were excited to go restore our hideout. We met in the courtyard, same time, same place.
"Where's Rob?" I asked.
"Hmm, guess he couldn't make it," Alex said.
All of us followed Alex again to the hideout. Along the way we found a shortcut through the forest. This time we made it there at three-thirty in the afternoon. When we got there a foul stench filled the house. Luckily Steve found some air freshener and sprayed down the whole house. We put towels and blankets over the broken windows and moved some furniture. Lucas called them "small improvements".
We left same time as yesterday. After a day at school we met yet again at the courtyard. This time it was only Alex and I. He had bags under his eyes and looked like he didn't get any sleep. I asked if he was okay and he just replied with, "Yeah" or "Let's get to work".
Something strange was going on. After we cleaned the counters and the floors we left. Alex said nothing. This was odd because Alex always had something to say after we left the hideout.
"You alright?" I asked nervously. Alex just nodded his head and I avoided talking to him for the remainder of the trip home.
I went to sleep that night, thoughts racing through my mind as I slept. The next day after school I went to the courtyard.
"Same time, same place?" I thought to myself.
I checked my watch and it was the correct time. I waited for fifteen more minutes and decided to go alone. When I got into the house the stench from two days ago was stronger. I plugged my nose and went down the hallway. Alex was always down here and cleaned the rooms. One room caught my eye. There was a wooden desk with newspaper articles and an envelope with my name on it.
I opened it. It was a letter from Alex, it read:
"Dear Jeremy, I don't know why I picked you guys... I guess you all were my first choice. The truth is I brought you all here so I wouldn't die. I know it's selfish, but I just couldn't think of dying. The bodies are in the living room closet, myself will probably be in there by the time you see this. Please do not come back to this house, this hell. Well goodbye. Sincerely, Alex"
My eyes widened and I went into the living room. I opened the closet and saw the bodies... the whole gang was there. Rob, Steve, Lucas, and Alex. I shut the door and sat on the floor, putting my face in my hands. I heard a loud dripping noise come from the bedroom I was just in. I got up, and walked slowly to the doorway to look inside the room. I couldn't believe my eyes... there was a message on the wall written in blood. It read:
"THIS IS OUR SPECIAL PLACE."
I had enough. I grabbed my bookbag and ran back to my house swearing I would never go back to that place. There was a feeling inside me that told me to go back, but I resisted. But I have to confess... I went back a few days later. There was a soft voice behind me as I went in.
It said, "Bring them to me, bring the flesh." I did as I was told.
I told a few of my friends to come hang out with me. We're going to go to the house and I'm going to do what I need to, to survive. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...