CHAPTER NINETEEN.

[ xix. cowardly concepts ]

     INGRID, SCOUT, HARRIET, and Liam all heard the shrilling screams of both Calum and Melina. High-pitched screams sending their hairs up to the sky. Their eyes were glued onto the entrance to the basement. The door in which it was locked, unable for them to see what was happening to their fellow peers. Ingrid clutched onto Scout's arm from a reflex. Gulping down the thickening lump that was forming in her throat.

     Liam jumped back in reaction to the sudden noise. Covering his mouth with horror. He looked over at Harriet, who was startled as well. Her jaw clenched tightly and her body position was cautious. Standing tall and broad, her fists closed tightly. Even if the door was locked, she was still cautious. She was still filled with the worry that something may come get her and the friends she actually had left. That whatever was still present with them may come and get her before her own demons would.

     Scout grabbed onto Ingrid once he felt her tiny hands hold onto his arm. He wrapped his other arm and pulled her closer to him, hugging her tightly. He had always felt comfortable around the girl. So comfortable in fact that several people had the idea the two were a couple. Neither Ingrid nor Scout shared any romantic feelings towards each other. Scout did notice Ingrid become more attractive in his eyes as they both grew together, but never saw her in a romantic way.

     Ingrid would constantly wear his sweatshirts, walk with him to class, text him nonstop, even spend the nights at his house (where they would just talk gossip and watch Netflix). It made more people become convinced that they were dating. Briar would always tease the two about the constant rumors. Bringing up the fact that they were "perfect for each other". They both never could see it. Just merely friends.

     He hugged her closer and backed away from the door that was already a few feet away. "We need to get down there," Ingrid panted as she pointed to the door through Scout's arms. Liam shook his head repeatedly.

     "No, no. They're okay, they can handle it themselves," Liam reassured with soft deep breaths.

     "Just because you're a popular jock who thinks you're better than everyone doesn't mean you have the right to stand around and watch people get murdered," Harriett immediately fired back. She cringed after raising her voice. Never daring to raise her voice to anyone purposely. Liam straightened his posture uncomfortably, hitching his breath.

     "We can't start fighting now." Ingrid slowly pulled away from Scout and glared at both Harriet and Liam. "Melina or Calum didn't scream for nothing," she disappointingly remarked. Liam looked over at Harriet momentarily just to catch her reaction. She was emotionless. The minor thing she did was her bottom lip tremble. Liam didn't know from what though, so he brushed it off and turned back to face Ingrid.

     Harriet's throat closed up. Her heart beating faster than she could even recognize. She felt as if she was having a heart attack. Her thoughts becoming faint and her vision becoming blurry. She felt as if she was dying. As if her life was finally about to be given up and her soul would fly away. "Liam and I will go," Harriet responded instantly. She snapped back into reality once the five words came out of her mouth.

     Liam's stomach turned and he almost fainted. He mentally pleaded with the girl not to make him go. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to go down there. It was almost morning, meaning someone could notice him and the others from inside the house. "No, no," he stated sternly. He shook his head rapidly, "there's no way in Hell I'm fucking going down to that hellhole."

"I'll go then," Ingrid replied as she folded her arms tightly.

"Come on, Liam," Harriet scoffed, turning down Ingrid's offer. She forcefully grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him along with her as she walked.

"You're fucking hilarious if you fucking think I'm fucking going down in to that fu-."

Harriet turned towards him and dropped his arm. "I fucking get it." Liam's eyes widened from the sudden attitude. "All you've done was cowardly sit and watch everyone die. You haven't risked anything for anyone, so at least do this instead of being an inconsiderate asshole," Harriet scolded with clenched fists.

     Everyone went silent after Harriet's message. Liam broke eye contact from her and stared at his shoes that were covered in dirt and dried blood from killing Maura. He knew Harriet was slightly right, but he did manage to help in someway. Calling Jonah and killing Maura was just two important things he did to help contribute, but he knew it wasn't enough.

"Fine," he croaked out. He looked up at her with a frown. "I'll go." Liam didn't hesitate and walked past her. Making his way to the door that was ultimately locked.

"How are we supposed to get the door open?" Scout asked. Watching the two walk towards the closed door. Liam took out his phone without any questions. Taking out his debit card that was inside his phone case. Hoping to shove it in the side of the door to make it unlock.

He maneuvered the card around as he hit his bottom lip. Concentrating on unhitching the lock. Within seconds, he managed to unlock the door, hearing a clicking sound. Harriet looked at him slightly astounded. He got his phone back out from his pocket and shot a glare. "Looks like this popular jock can do more than you can," Liam snarked as he shoved the card back into the back of phone case.

The mixed girl didn't know how to respond. She stood there dumbfounded, turning towards the door. She reached her hand up and turned the doorknob. "Are you guys' sure you will be okay?" Scout questioned, purposing stalling. Harriet turned to Scout and shook her head.

"No, but we have nothing left," she added softly.

"Actually, I have my life left," Liam corrected with an eye roll. Harriet chose to keep quiet from his response. Knowing they're wasting time. She turned the doorknob and hesitantly pushed the door opened. The creaking sound made their body cringe. Exposing stairs that disappeared into the abyss below.

Liam and Harriet fearfully looked downward. The Orman girl knew of the gruesome information of the basement. Knowing most of the horrific details, but didn't know she would be face to face with it. "Fuck," Liam breathed out worriedly.

Harriet took a deep breath before exhaling roughly. "Calum?!" Harriet called out. There was no answer.

"Melina?!" Liam asked loudly. There was also no answer. He took out his phone and turned on the flashlight setting. Shining it down into the darkness showing rickety stairs that seemed unstable. Cobwebs slinging everywhere. Termites eating away at the wood that were once stairs.

"Come on," Harriet huffed before taking a step down. Liam's mind told him not to. His feet fighting with him to move. He knew he shouldn't go down and it was a sign from the universe that he shouldn't go down the steps. However, he did.

He followed Harriet down the steps trailing behind. Stepping cautiously as he heard the wood start to snap from their weight combined. The wall beside of them soon started to disappear as they got closer and closer to the basement. He shined his flashlight around him, seeing the concrete floors soaked with red colored water.

Harriet's breathing intensified heavily. She felt her hands start to shake. Imagining the events she knew about fall out all at once. It all happening around her as if she was here when it happened. "I can't do this, I can't do this," Harriet muttered, gasping for air.

"What?" Liam stepped off the last step and looked up at her (who was still standing on the last two steps). "You drug me down here and now you're scared?" He questioned with a tilt to his head.

"Y-You don't understand. You don't know the crazy shit that's happened here," Harriet whispered sternly as she kept her eyes at him. Afraid to look elsewhere. Liam rolled his eyes at her.

"It can't be any worse from what's happened up top," Liam recanted. Harriet shook her head, still gasping for air.

"You're wrong. It's way worse." Liam sucked in his bottom lip in anguish. He didn't want to believe the words coming from her mouth, but he knew how much time she invested in researching this house. Just as Liam went to open his mouth, loud sobbing from a boy was heard.

     "Who was that?" Liam whispered frantically as he kept his guard up. Harriet grabbed the phone from his hand and shined it on the area where they heard the crying. They both saw nothing, but kept hearing the noises of a boy crying.

"Calum?!" Harriet questioned loudly. What she didn't know what Calum's head perked up from sobbing over Melina's corpse. Blood covering his hands and shirt as he held onto her tightly.

"I-I'm over here!" Calum stammered with a small sniffle. Harriet let out a sigh of relief, shining the flashlight all around the two.

"Where?" Liam yelled, hearing his voice echo. Calum looked around him. He saw nothing but pitch black.

"I-I don't know. I-I don't know," Calum panicked, continuing to look around him and Melina.

"Okay stay where you are." Harriet stepped off the steps and her shoes touched the damp concrete floor. "We'll find you," she reassured loudly, handing Liam his phone back.

"Should we split up?" Liam asked softly, afraid of someone hearing them.

Harriet shook her head, "no that's dumb. You're not leaving my sight." Liam shined his flashlight to the right side of the basement, both of them hesitating peaking their eyes downward. "Some areas of the basement are extremely haunted and dangerous."

"Like we haven't experienced that yet?" Liam sarcastically informed.

"Trust me." She started to walk. She felt the air grow colder as she and Liam kept walking; abnormally cold. An evil presence was instantly sensed as a warning.

     Liam shined his flashlight on the walls. Seeing the wall was decorated with a couple old pictures. Pictures of old people. He noticed an upside down cross hanging in the middle of two pictures. He gulped down his nervousness and shuddered. "This is like every damn horror movie ever," he whispered.

     Harriet nodded slightly, "I know." The Orman girl noticed a separate wall sticking out. Also noticing the crying sounds began to become louder and nearer. "Liam, shine your phone over there." She pointed over at the wall. Liam obeyed and turned his phone towards the wall. They both saw blood spillage soaking the ground; fresh blood.

     "Calum?!" Liam asked loudly. Calum looked over and poked his head out from the dividing wall. He saw a bright light shining his way. "Calum!" The two teens ran over to the crying boy. When they got close enough, they both saw the dead body of Melina Lawson laying in his lap. His clothes, hands, arms, and legs all stained with blood. His cheeks covered with his tears.

     "Oh my God," Harriet gasped softly and covered her mouth. Liam instantly looked away, unable to see the frightening sight.

     "Something got her," Calum cried, shaking his head in disbelief. His eyes became red and puffy from becoming distraught. They pleaded for moisture from the amount of tears shed, but that was the least of his worries.

     "We gotta get you out of here," Harriet stated, "is the door unlocked?" Her eyes never left Calum's face, too disgusted to look anywhere else. He shakily shook his head. His hands running through Melina's tangled and bloody hair.

     "It shut on its own," he breathed out with a sniffle. Liam decided to shine his light down a hallway. A hallway that seemed to be clear and could lead to the door.

     "I'll go check," Liam responded before walking away.

     "Liam, no," Harriet demanded, causing him to stop. He didn't look back at her, he didn't dare to. "I am not losing someone else."

     "You're not the only one who lost someone during this." He turned around to her with a clenched jaw. His eyes stinging with tears as he faced her. "Let me try and not be a coward for once, okay?" Liam asked through his teeth. The mixed girl didn't respond, which gave him his answer. He turned back around and walked down the hallway.

     "You have to leave Melina here, Calum," Harriet informed as she turned back around. She couldn't see his facial expression from the darkness, but she could tell he didn't like her statement.

     "I-I can't leave her here." He stared down at her, noticing how her face was dotted with his bloodied thumbprints. How her neck was imbedded with the wounds that ended her life. Blood still gushing out from it. "She died by trying to find a way out." Calum looked back up at Harriet with worried eyes. "Liam is going to, too."

     Liam Conners made his way slowly down the dark hallway. His phone flashlight lighting up a way for his feet to travel upon the concrete floor. He turned the corner and found himself near the door leading to the outside. He shined his phone onto the door. He thought his eyes deceived him immediately, but they didn't.

The door was written with something in red. It was hard to see for him, since the door was rusted and it was dark. However, he still managed to read the crimson letters to himself. "Behind . . . you-" He read under his breath. He felt cold air behind him. The hairs attached to his pale skin raised towards the ceiling.

Liam wanted to turn around. His body almost made him. Instead, he chose to flee. He bolted to his left, running down another hallway that was closest to him. He didn't know what he was running from, but it couldn't have been good.

His heart sped up, his legs kept carrying him faster and faster. His lungs burned from breathing in the cold air. He didn't know where he was running. He couldn't see anything. His phone was down by his side, moving up to his face from time to time. Fear was an understatement in his eyes. Liam was terrified.

"Harriet!" Liam coughed out loudly. Harriet heard his voice and jumped.

"Calum, stay here," she ushered before taking off in the direction where he ran in.

"H-Harriet!" Liam yelled once more. He turned another corner. His chest rising and falling quickly. Not even thinking, Liam accidentally dropped his phone to the ground as he ran. He turned around to grab his phone and saw nothing. Nothing except the darkness around him closing in on him. "Shit."

His body seemed to relax. He walked over to his phone and leaned down to get it. When he did, Liam felt that same chill from behind him. He slowly rose back up. Sweat trickling down the sides of his face. Liam remained still as a tree, afraid to even blink. Goosebumps were felt along his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

Liam heard the sound of someone running near him. Within seconds, he saw Harriet turn the corner. She jumped back after she saw what was behind him, backing away slowly. Tears filled her eyes with fear, her whole body starting to shake. "Liam-"

"I know," he whispered quietly, almost too quiet. He let out a shaky sigh, noticing how Harriet kept backing up. Liam knew he was going to be slaughtered right then and there, he had no chance of survival. "I tried."

Liam stood no chance. After saying those two words, a stinging and burning sensation was felt on the back of his head. The sharp tool piercing through his skin like butter. Harriet watched in horror as the metal shard pierced through the back of his head and out his eye socket.

Blood started to rush down his face and down his neck like a running stream. Whoever stabbed him maneuvered it to where he would feel everything. His whole face started to go numb and he couldn't cry. As Liam lost his balance and fell to the ground, he took his last and final breath.

The sound of his dead body hitting the ground made Harriet cringe. "No!" She screamed with a sob. She remembered about who was standing behind him and her eyes looked back up at the figure. When she looked up, he was gone.

"Harriet?!" Calum yelled worriedly. She didn't respond, too afraid to make a sudden noise. She shut her eyes tightly, praying for the man not to hurt her as well. To spare her life so she could live for her brother; for Caroline.

She thought about chasing her brother through the house. His giggling warming her heart. Harriet managed to smile as she thought about the memory. She thought about tucking him in a night since their father was still at work. Having to make her brother breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even though others thought it was a pain, it allowed for Harriet and her brother to grow closer together.

Harriet smiled. Her smile being the last emotion she showed as a sharp blade came around her neck. The man dug into her neck with the blade, slicing through her skin like air. She gagged as the burning pain sent tears to her eyes. She felt warm blood rush down her chest. She felt the blade go around her neck; the last feeling she would feel.

She died instantly, but the man still kept going. Digging deeper into her skin, cutting her spinal form. Slicing through muscle and tendons. He grabbed ahold of her hair and twisted the last connecting skin off. Dropping her decapitated head onto the blood soaked ground (as well as the knife).

Liam Conners was well known around school. Known for being a quarterback on the schools football team. A team where his father made him commit to. Hours of training everyday. The amount of tears he shred out of frustration and anger. How he physically and mentally ached for months.

His father always compared him to his brothers. Always pushing him harder and harder. He hated to displease his father, knowing the negative outcome that came to it. The harsh yelling and stern statements that were targeted just for him. How he was too "girly" for the sport. He wasn't "man enough".

If only his father knew what he went through that night. He would think differently.

Liam wanted to prove himself to someone for once. Without being yelled at for a change. Without the pressure, without the stress. He wanted to prove himself he wasn't just some jock who carried the teams winnings. But nobody would ever know that Liam Conners did in fact prove himself.

Harriet Orman was supposed to live her life like she promised Caroline. She was supposed to graduate high school and live her life. She was supposed to get married to a beautiful woman and adopt kids, raising them as their own. Instead, her life ended as her head hit the floor of a haunted basement.

She wanted to hug her brother one last time. She