“No way man. I’m not going in there. You nuts?” Kyle asked, clearly not budging on the subject.
“Dude, come on. You’re not chicken are you?” Steve teased and gently pushed him to the side.
“Let’s draw straws. Easy.” Carrie decided. She wasn’t scared, but wasn’t going to make it easy on the tough guys.
Both men sat silent for a second.
Simultaneously they answered, “Sure” and “No way!”
“Come on Kyle, you won’t be going alone, you’ll just be going first.” Carrie prodded.
“I don’t know how else to say it guys, I am not going in there!”
“It’s ok Car, we can go by ourselves, let the baby stay behind so he doesn’t wet his diapers.” Sarcasm and something close to disgust tinged Steve’s tone.
Kyle stubbornly ignored the taunting. Inside though, he was seething. ‘Screw Steve.’ He thought. ‘I don’t have to prove myself to him!’ Carrie, however, was a different story. He’d been after her for months. He hoped she saw him as being smart, not afraid.
“Well, ok. I mean, it would be so much better if the three of us went.” Then to Kyle, “It’s no big deal. I just thought it would be fun if you came too. I was really looking forward to doing something really cool with you.” She smiled and reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Steve rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, let’s just do this. Time’s wasting.” Steve was perfectly fine having Carrie all to himself in a dark, scary abandoned loony bin. He’d had visions of her tightly holding on to him creeping through the halls. Yeah, he definitely didn’t mind if Kyle stayed behind.
Carrie could see Kyle’s wheels turning. She smiled to herself. Her brother would be so proud. It was his idea to prank the two boys. Him and his friends had it all set up; all she had to do was get Steve and Kyle there for the scare of a lifetime.
“Alright,” Kyle sighed. “I’m in. Against my better judgment.”
“Sweet!” Carrie clapped, excited. She jumped out of her seat and grabbed three straws, “Steve can I borrow your pocket knife please?” With knife in hand, she cut the plastic in different lengths. “Ok. Let’s see who goes first!”
Steve drew first, then Kyle- reluctantly. Laying the straws on the table, Kyle groaned and Steve slapped his back and said, “Whoa, bad luck, man!”
“Yeah, thanks, jackass.”
“Come on guys, let’s go!” Carrie sprang up from her seat, an excited bundle of spunk.
The two teenage boys slid out of the booth, both with different thoughts on their mind, one apprehensive, the other optimistic.
It was only a block to the deserted mental hospital. Carrie knew where to get in without being noticed from the street. The three walked silently absorbed in their own world. Carrie barely managing to keep her smile hidden and giggles quiet. Kyle wondering what he’d gotten himself into- hoping that tonight he’d at least score a couple of points with Carrie. Finally, Steve was hoping to do a little scoring of his own. He felt confident his cool attitude about the loony house compared to Kyle’s scared little girl routine will help him win the girl.
The crisp October air stung their faces and even their jacket pockets couldn’t keep the cold night wind out.
Carrie looked back at her friends and motioned them through a wire fence. She couldn’t wait to see the look on the guys’ faces when her brother and his friends let loose the ‘monsters’.
“Almost there. We have to take the tunnels. It’s the only way in.”
“Tunnels? What tunnels? Can this get anymore creepy?” Kyle asked.
“The Hospital had tunnels for transporting patients and supplies. It’s no big deal. Ready?” She held the door open for Kyle to go first.
He took a long moment, then heaved an exaggerated sigh. Finally he took a cautious step inside. “Geez it’s freezing in here!”
“Move it already, man!” Steve ordered, nervously looking around.
“Here, take this.” Kyle was handed a small flashlight. He took it and scanned the dark, hallow tunnel. He saw deserted patient beds and stacks of hospital grade furniture. Feeling confident that there was nothing out of the ordinary, Kyle started moving to the right, following the arrow that said ‘Main Hospital’.
“See, nothing to be afraid of”.
Suddenly the abrupt sound of a heavy door clanging shut.
“Holy Crap!” Steve shouted, startled just like the others. “Where was that?”
“Behind us, I think.” Carrie had grabbed onto his arm, playing along with the ruse.
Then, ahead of them, a clang of metal, something like keys. Behind them, chains.
“This isn’t funny.” Kyle whispered. His hand shook a little as he shone the light behind him.
“Come on, there’s probably just a rat or something.” Carrie whispered back.
“Hey, is that a light up ahead?”
“Where? I don’t see anything.”
“Never mind, it’s gone.”
“There are so many spider webs around here, it creeps me out.” Carrie moved up close to Kyle this time. She shuffled behind him, thankful he couldn’t see the hint of the smile on her face.
“Hey! What the he…” Steve danced around a little swatting at his head and shoulders. “Guys, I swear, something just ran it’s fingers through my hair!”
“Relax, there’s no one here! It was just a cob web!” Carrie hissed.
“I think that’s the door upstairs right there.” Kyle pointed with his light and let out a scream! He backpeddled and nearly fell ontop of Carrie. “Did you see that? It was a person! A HUGE person!!!” He yelled.
Carrie regained her balance. “I didn’t see anything. Your mind’s playing tricks on you.”
Just then a dragging noise caught her attention, she looked behind her, a little spooked in spite of her self. “Steve?” She couldn’t see anything and Steve didn’t respond. “Steve, knock it off!” Still no reply except for another door slamming shut.
“Kyle, Steve’s gone.” Carrie turned back to Kyle, who she imagined was still scared stiff by the person he saw. Her brother and friends were doing an awesome job! “Kyle? Hey, you ok?” Silence was her answer. Where did those two go? She wondered.
She jumped slightly as she heard something metal rolling toward her. “Guys? This isn’t funny! What’s going on?” In the distance, she thought she had heard a yell, or a scream. A woman’s. Wait, that couldn’t be right. She was the only girl here.
“Hello?” Carrie called? “Screw it,” she felt her way towards the door, kicking the object that had rolled her way. She bent to pick it up. The flashlight she’d let Kyle use. “That’s weird,” she said out loud. Opening the door to the main hospital, she knew she’d find a staircase. Feeling a little creeped out, she slowly made her way up the metal stairs. A noise stopped her in her tracks. It sounded like someone was on the stairs with her.
She tried to turn the flashlight on, but it was dead. The loud footsteps were coming closer… “Bryce?” She asked, hoping it was her brother. “It’s me, the guys took off.”
Suddenly a woman’s high pitched cackling filled the stairwell.
Carrie wasted no time in running back the way she’d come, her internal compass kicking into overdrive. The footsteps followed her. Carrie tripped over a piece of furniture halfway down the tunnel. During a slew of profanity, she became aware of voices. Whispers and giggles. Filled with terror and a sense of foreboding, she screamed when suddenly she was surrounded by lights.
Laughter surrounded her and she finally opened her eyes to see Kyle, Steve, Bryce, his friends and her brother’s girlfriend circling her.
“Gotcha!” Kyle said.
“No way man. I’m not going in there. You nuts?” Kyle asked, clearly not budging on the subject.
“Dude, come on. You’re not chicken are you?” Steve teased and gently pushed him to the side.
“Let’s draw straws. Easy.” Carrie decided. She wasn’t scared, but wasn’t going to make it easy on the tough guys.
Both men sat silent for a second.
Simultaneously they answered, “Sure” and “No way!”
“Come on Kyle, you won’t be going alone, you’ll just be going first.” Carrie prodded.
“I don’t know how else to say it guys, I am not going in there!”
“It’s ok Car, we can go by ourselves, let the baby stay behind so he doesn’t wet his diapers.” Sarcasm and something close to disgust tinged Steve’s tone.
Kyle stubbornly ignored the taunting. Inside though, he was seething. ‘Screw Steve.’ He thought. ‘I don’t have to prove myself to him!’ Carrie, however, was a different story. He’d been after her for months. He hoped she saw him as being smart, not afraid.
“Well, ok. I mean, it would be so much better if the three of us went.” Then to Kyle, “It’s no big deal. I just thought it would be fun if you came too. I was really looking forward to doing something really cool with you.” She smiled and reached across the table and squeezed his hand. Steve rolled his eyes.
“Whatever, let’s just do this. Time’s wasting.” Steve was perfectly fine having Carrie all to himself in a dark, scary abandoned loony bin. He’d had visions of her tightly holding on to him creeping through the halls. Yeah, he definitely didn’t mind if Kyle stayed behind.
Carrie could see Kyle’s wheels turning. She smiled to herself. Her brother would be so proud. It was his idea to prank the two boys. Him and his friends had it all set up; all she had to do was get Steve and Kyle there for the scare of a lifetime.
“Alright,” Kyle sighed. “I’m in. Against my better judgment.”
“Sweet!” Carrie clapped, excited. She jumped out of her seat and grabbed three straws, “Steve can I borrow your pocket knife please?” With knife in hand, she cut the plastic in different lengths. “Ok. Let’s see who goes first!”
Steve drew first, then Kyle- reluctantly. Laying the straws on the table, Kyle groaned and Steve slapped his back and said, “Whoa, bad luck, man!”
“Yeah, thanks, jackass.”
“Come on guys, let’s go!” Carrie sprang up from her seat, an excited bundle of spunk.
The two teenage boys slid out of the booth, both with different thoughts on their mind, one apprehensive, the other optimistic.
It was only a block to the deserted mental hospital. Carrie knew where to get in without being noticed from the street. The three walked silently absorbed in their own world. Carrie barely managing to keep her smile hidden and giggles quiet. Kyle wondering what he’d gotten himself into- hoping that tonight he’d at least score a couple of points with Carrie. Finally, Steve was hoping to do a little scoring of his own. He felt confident his cool attitude about the loony house compared to Kyle’s scared little girl routine will help him win the girl.
The crisp October air stung their faces and even their jacket pockets couldn’t keep the cold night wind out.
Carrie looked back at her friends and motioned them through a wire fence. She couldn’t wait to see the look on the guys’ faces when her brother and his friends let loose the ‘monsters’.
“Almost there. We have to take the tunnels. It’s the only way in.”
“Tunnels? What tunnels? Can this get anymore creepy?” Kyle asked.
“The Hospital had tunnels for transporting patients and supplies. It’s no big deal. Ready?” She held the door open for Kyle to go first.
He took a long moment, then heaved an exaggerated sigh. Finally he took a cautious step inside. “Geez it’s freezing in here!”
“Move it already, man!” Steve ordered, nervously looking around.
“Here, take this.” Kyle was handed a small flashlight. He took it and scanned the dark, hallow tunnel. He saw deserted patient beds and stacks of hospital grade furniture. Feeling confident that there was nothing out of the ordinary, Kyle started moving to the right, following the arrow that said ‘Main Hospital’.
“See, nothing to be afraid of”.
Suddenly the abrupt sound of a heavy door clanging shut.
“Holy Crap!” Steve shouted, startled just like the others. “Where was that?”
“Behind us, I think.” Carrie had grabbed onto his arm, playing along with the ruse.
Then, ahead of them, a clang of metal, something like keys. Behind them, chains.
“This isn’t funny.” Kyle whispered. His hand shook a little as he shone the light behind him.
“Come on, there’s probably just a rat or something.” Carrie whispered back.
“Hey, is that a light up ahead?”
“Where? I don’t see anything.”
“Never mind, it’s gone.”
“There are so many spider webs around here, it creeps me out.” Carrie moved up close to Kyle this time. She shuffled behind him, thankful he couldn’t see the hint of the smile on her face.
“Hey! What the he…” Steve danced around a little swatting at his head and shoulders. “Guys, I swear, something just ran it’s fingers through my hair!”
“Relax, there’s no one here! It was just a cob web!” Carrie hissed.
“I think that’s the door upstairs right there.” Kyle pointed with his light and let out a scream! He backpeddled and nearly fell ontop of Carrie. “Did you see that? It was a person! A HUGE person!!!” He yelled.
Carrie regained her balance. “I didn’t see anything. Your mind’s playing tricks on you.”
Just then a dragging noise caught her attention, she looked behind her, a little spooked in spite of her self. “Steve?” She couldn’t see anything and Steve didn’t respond. “Steve, knock it off!” Still no reply except for another door slamming shut.
“Kyle, Steve’s gone.” Carrie turned back to Kyle, who she imagined was still scared stiff by the person he saw. Her brother and friends were doing an awesome job! “Kyle? Hey, you ok?” Silence was her answer. Where did those two go? She wondered.
She jumped slightly as she heard something metal rolling toward her. “Guys? This isn’t funny! What’s going on?” In the distance, she thought she had heard a yell, or a scream. A woman’s. Wait, that couldn’t be right. She was the only girl here.
“Hello?” Carrie called? “Screw it,” she felt her way towards the door, kicking the object that had rolled her way. She bent to pick it up. The flashlight she’d let Kyle use. “That’s weird,” she said out loud. Opening the door to the main hospital, she knew she’d find a staircase. Feeling a little creeped out, she slowly made her way up the metal stairs. A noise stopped her in her tracks. It sounded like someone was on the stairs with her.
She tried to turn the flashlight on, but it was dead. The loud footsteps were coming closer… “Bryce?” She asked, hoping it was her brother. “It’s me, the guys took off.”
Suddenly a woman’s high pitched cackling filled the stairwell.
Carrie wasted no time in running back the way she’d come, her internal compass kicking into overdrive. The footsteps followed her. Carrie tripped over a piece of furniture halfway down the tunnel. During a slew of profanity, she became aware of voices. Whispers and giggles. Filled with terror and a sense of foreboding, she screamed when suddenly she was surrounded by lights.
Laughter surrounded her and she finally opened her eyes to see Kyle, Steve, Bryce, his friends and her brother’s girlfriend circling her.
“Gotcha!” Kyle said.