CHAPTER EIGHT.

[ viii. not like this ]

CAROLINE, HARRIET, DELANCY, and Maura all huddled together as they walked through the dark hallway. Their only light source was Harriet's flashlight. They were all terrified, fearing what they may encounter. They didn't want to keep walking, they all wanted to turn back around. But their will to live was so high, they needed to know if there was a way out.

Caroline found her hand next to Harriet's and decided to hold it for comfort. Caroline didn't think anything of the friendly notion, but Harriet, however, reacted completely differently. Harriet's deep brown eyes widened with shock. Her heart beating out of her chest, but in a good way. Even though she could die at any moment, she wanted to scream with joy.

     Nobody knew that Harriet was a closeted lesbian and had a small crush on Caroline; who is straight. Harriet knew her friends would accept her for the way she was, but it didn't do anything to her fear of people rejecting her sexuality. Her father especially.

     Her father was a caring soul, just like her mother. She'd do anything to help her father in any way, just like she'd do for her younger brother. A part of her knew her father would most likely accept her for who she is, but another part of her feared that he'd be horrified of the idea. That he'd shun her or send her away to become "sanctified".

     Harriet intertwined her fingers with Caroline's, allowing it to be more comfortable. Caroline thought nothing of it, just a friendly gesture. The pale brunette squeezed the mixed girl's hand, which sent Harriet away to the heavens. It was like she was in paradise, even though she was walking through hell.

     "What exactly are we looking for?" Delancy questioned in a whisper, doing her best to keep quiet. Maria licked her lips, unsure how to answer.

     "A broken window that isn't boarded up, a hole to the outside world . . ." Harriet shivered, holding tightly onto Caroline's hand. In the other hand, she held her flashlight which guided a way.

     "What's all back here, Harriet?" Caroline whispered, looking over to her. The curly-headed girl gulped down the lump in her throat. The way Caroline said her name sounded like waves crashing into each other at the beach, a wonderful sound.

     "As far as I know, four bedrooms and three bathrooms," Harriet breathed out fearfully. Maura took a big sigh, looking at the mold growing on the wall beside of her.

"Okay, let's split up," she said in a soft voice. Caroline immediately started to shake her head, refusing.

"Are you that stupid?!" Caroline exclaimed in a quiet voice. She glanced around before proceeding. "Have you seen any horror movies?! The people who split up always die."

"We'll cover more ground," Maura fired back, raising her voice a bit. Caroline started to get irritated, so she let go of Harriet's hand. She was taken back by the sudden gesture, wishing she still had the brunette's hand in her's. Harriet frowned, but chose not to say anything.

"But we would also have a bigger chance of dying," Caroline added, her voice raising as well. Delancy's hairs on the back of her neck raised noticeably. She furrowed her eyebrows, sensing something unusual.

     "But we would also have a bigger chance of getting out of this hell!" Maura exclaimed with agitation. Delancy felt abnormally cold, which made her pull her jacket closer to her skin.

     "Guy's . . ." Delancy whispered, but nobody heard.

     "But we'd have a bigger chance of going to hell!" Caroline shouted with anger. Maura stepped closer to the smaller girl, but Caroline didn't care. Delancy started to become nervous, unable to stop moving. She felt something near, a presence. Not from Harriet, Maura, or Caroline; but someone or something else.

     She wanted to turn around immediately, but was too afraid to. She watched with wide eyes as Caroline and Maura continued to argue. Delancy closed her eyes, her breathing intensifying. The hairs on her arms started to weirdly raise even though she was wearing a jacket. "Guys' . . ." Delancy trembled softly.

"Do you want to get out of here or not?" Maura asked stubbornly. Caroline folded her arms, pursing her lips together. Harriet wanted to intervene, but chose to keep her distance in the crowded hallway. Delancy bit her bottom lip out of anxiety. She started to glance around, to her left and right. The only thing beside her was two walls covered in mold, peeling wallpaper, and dusty pictures of older people.

Delancy then hesitantly looked up towards the ceiling. She noticed something hanging slightly off the ceiling. She squinted, unable to figure out what it was. As she stared longer at it, she realized what it was. Delancy immediately looked back at her friends, trying her best to keep calm. She wanted to scream and cry and run, but she stayed in place.

     "Guys' . . ." Delancy cried softly, which caught Harriet's attention. She turned and saw the girl's face, pale with fear. Maura and Caroline turned towards her, confused.

     "What?" Harriet questioned confoundedly. Delancy gulped, slowly and hesitantly pointing towards the ceiling.

     "What . . ?" Maura trailed off as she tilted her head back towards the ceiling, unable to see anything. Harriet raised her flashlight to the ceiling, exposing a horrifying sight.

     The attic door was propped open, an attic Harriet didn't know existed. What was propping the door open was a little boy poking his head out slightly. His face was bloody, the skin on his cheek tore off, revealing his teeth from his mouth. His eye bloodshot as if he was awake for centuries. His dark, black hair tangled, sticking up everywhere. His bottom lip busted so badly that it was cut in half.

     His pale face had splotches of dirt and muck all over. Caroline instantly felt sick to her stomach, bile threatening to escape from her mouth. Maura trembled, gasping for air. Harriet wanted to run for her life, but stayed frozen as she started to shake. As for Delancy, she let out the loudest scream after seeing the young boy in his full glory.

"Please help me," the boy pleaded in a quiet voice, but managed to echo through the hallway. From the sound of his voice, Harriet estimated he was at least seven.

     "W-W-We need to run," Maura stuttered, unable to take her eyes off the bleeding boy. She started to gently shove Caroline and Harriet aimlessly down the hallway. Delancy. noticed them retreating and followed after, choosing to look away from the gore above.

     "Do you think he's gonna hurt us?!" Caroline asked as tears started to form in her eyes. She looked at Maria for answers, desperate.

     "Why would I hurt you?" They heard the little boy's voice once again. But this time, they didn't hear it come from above him.

     They heard it come from behind them.

     The girls froze, too terrified to even move. They wanted to run, run for their lives, but they were scared. Harriet hesitantly turned around, seeing the boy standing several feet behind him. She shined her flashlight on him, seeing his clothes covered in crimson.

     She saw something she didn't notice before. His neck was slashed all the way across his front side. It was so deep, she knew nobody would be able to survive that. "Oh my God," Harriet whispered with a gag. She examined his clothes, the clothing looking like it came from the 1950's. His white shirt covered in stains of dirt, part of his suspenders hanging off by his side, his dress pains tampered with.

"We need to go," Maura ordered without turning around. She grabbed Harriet's arm and started to pull her along, making her turn back around.

"Where do we go?!" Delancy whispered, panicking. Maura didn't answer that, she continued to walk fast down the hallway with the three girls following her by her side.

"Do you think he's dead?" Caroline asked in a soft voice, breathing heavily.

"Of course he's dead," Harriet responded as she panicked as well. "His throat was slashed."

"Please don't leave." They heard the boy's voice beg. Harriet wanted to turn around, but Maria held her to where she couldn't. Delancy saw a door to her left, thinking there may be something in there. "I'm not gonna hurt you." Harriet took a deep breath, feeling sympathy for the poor boy; whether he was dead or alive. She yanked her arm out of Maura's grip and turned around quickly.

The boy was no longer behind them.

"Har-" Maura stopped herself as she turned around as well, seeing no boy. She stumbled back, accidentally shoving Caroline. The pale brunette backed away from the group, needing some space.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Caroline cried, pulling on her own hair. Delancy stared at where the boy once stood with confusion. Harriet approaches Caroline as she continued to panic. The mixed girl cautiously raised her hand up and placed it on her shoulder, hoping to comfort her.

"We need to go back," Delancy coughed out, catching her breath.

"We're this far, we can't go back now," Maria fired back, which shocked Delancy. "You're not gonna boss me around like you so with all your servants and your posses at school."

"I don't know who you think you are, but I'm trying to save our asses," Delancy sneered as she approached closer to the tan girl. Maura sucked in the air through her nose, holding back from saying anything.

     "I'm not about to sit here and become besties with a demon child," Maura retorted, folding her arms. Caroline took a deep breath and breathed out, becoming calmer.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them. They turned around, seeing nothing. The footsteps continued, increasing louder and louder. It didn't sound like heavy footsteps, but footsteps of children running up and down the halls. The air become unexplainably cold, hairs on their arms raised.

Before they had a chance to react, a blood curdling scream coming from a little girl rang in their ears. Caroline grabbed Harriet and pulled her closer, which made Harriet want to squeal even in a time of crisis. "What was that?!" Maura whined, staying alert.

"I had to do it." Their eyes led them to where the boy's voice was heard, which was the place where he last stood. This time, both of his arms were behind his back. It was silent, the sound of Caroline's heavy breathing filled the air. "I . . . didn't want to. He made me," the little boy whined, sniffling.

"Who?" Delancy gasped, stumbling back towards Maura. "Wh-Who made you do what?" The boy looked down, disappointed within himself.

"He said he wouldn't kill me if I did," the boy said emotionlessly. Harriet's heart dropped with terror. Harriet continued to shine her flashlight on the boy. Just then, the bloody boy brought his arms back towards the front. What they saw horrified them to an extent where they all screamed.

He held a little girl's head by her long, blonde hair. Her jaw was obviously broken, her eyelids seemed to be ripped. Her face covered in blood splatters. Her neck halfway gone, exposing part of her spinal cord. Blood was dripping from her neck that exposed tissues, loose skin, "guts". In the other hand, he held a small serrated saw cover's in blood.

They all screamed, holding onto each other in pairs. "I have to do it to you what I did to my sister now," the boy spoke with sorrow. He dropped the girl's head, who was presumed to be his younger sister.

"Run!" Maura screamed with fear. She opened the door nearest to her and ran in, Delancy following after. Harriet and Caroline, however, ran down the hallway as they both cried. Harriet pointed the flashlight as they ran trying to find a door.

"Please stop running!" They heard the boy shout nonchalantly. Harriet and Caroline approached a door,'sighing with relief.

"Open it, open it!" Caroline shouted as she started to sob. Harriet dropped her flashlight as she tried to fumble with the doorknob. The doorknob wouldn't budge. "Harriet!"

"I'm trying!" Harriet sobbed as she kept turning the doorknob. Caroline looked and saw the boy inching closer, holding the blade up towards the ceiling. Suddenly, Harriet opened the door and it swung open. "Come on." Caroline ushered in there and Harriet followed behind. The mixed girl rapidly slammed the door shut, locking it behind her.

Caroline slid down the door as she tried to catch her breath. Harriet stood there facing the door, not believing she just witnessed the gore that she saw. Tears streamed down both of their faces. "I fucking told th-" Before Caroline could finish her sentence, the same saw that was in the boy's hand came through the door and out of Caroline's stomach.

Extreme and sharp pain rushed to Caroline's stomach as she felt the sharp weapon pierce her flesh. "No!" Harriet cried out as she watched the saw come from her stomach. She ran and kneeled down beside her, taking her hand. Caroline lowered her head, staring at the saw. "You're gonna be okay, j-just stay with me."

Caroline squeezed Harriet's hand tighter, tears forming her eyes. Harriet stared into the girl's brown eyes. She wanted for the pale girl to hold her hand and squeeze it tight, but not like this.

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MY SISTER SCARED ME AS I WAS WRITING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE BOY'S APPEARANCE AND LEMME TELL YOU ,, I SHIT MYSELF. WE LOVE LESBIANS 💝💘💗💖 THIS IS UNEDITED AND POORLY WRITTEN OOF.