Category : Stories

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

Chapter 3
We panicked and ran back to our room. At first I just mumbled it under my breath, not certain that I was ready to commit to what I was saying, or thinking.  Was he really there? Or was I hallucinating? Time in the house had gotten to me and I knew I was struggling to stay sane, but it was so real. I could hear his labored breaths as he lay on the couch, or was it all in my head? I wasn't sure. Did Holly see what I saw? I turned my head to my friend who was sitting on the edge of her bed rocking back and forth. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was moving, as if she was trying to say something but no sound at all. 


"I'm going to go take a closer look, I have to know," I explained to Holly. 

"No, no, no, please, please don't go, stay with me please, I'm scared," Holly pleaded with her big doe eyes now filled with tears. One simple blink sent them sliding down her soft pink cheeks. 

"It will be ok, what if he needs us? What if it's him, Holly? I can't just leave him there alone," I pleaded with her, hoping she would understand. 

She stopped rocking, looked up at me, then wiped her tears. 
"Ok, Ok, we will go together," Holly said taking a deep breath while mustering up the courage to put her feet on the floor.
Hand in hand we walked back down the hall to the couch in the living room, being cautious, we tiptoed quietly inching our way closer to the couch. We didn't know if this was a trick or some sick game but we had to see who it was.
We stopped at the end of the hall, glanced at each other, communicating with our eyes, then back at the couch. I took the first step, Holly stayed back a bit, nearly ready to run back to the room if the man on the couch somehow lunged at them. 
I peeked back at Holly who was now trembling and afraid to move, I motioned for my friend to stay where she was, then I took one more step before looking over the back of the couch. He was gone. 
“What the fuck? What the fuck?” I said in disbelief. 
“What, what's going on? Is he dead? Gretchen, answer me,” Holly is asking still trembling in fear.
I turned around looking in the kitchen and back down the hall where Holly was standing and saw something behind my friend that frightened me.
“What? Gretchen, what are you looking at? Is he behind me?” Holly said now crying. 
I lifted my hand and pointed behind my friend down the hall. “Look, was that there before?” I whispered. Holly slowly turned around to see what Gretchen had been looking at. When she saw it too, she jumped and ran to stand next to her friend. 
“Oh my god, how did we miss that?” Holly whispered. 
“I don't think we missed it, I think it just appeared.” I said.
“Doors don't just magically appear Gretchen,” Holly cried. She was on the verge of a full blown panic attack. She reached up to her chest as she grasped for air. I turned my attention to my friend. I had seen Holly this way before, and I knew it wasn't just a panic attack, Holly had asthma and she was having an asthma attack. 
“Honey, calm down, where's your inhaler?” I asked trying to stay calm for Holly knowing that if she panicked it would only exacerbate the situation. 
By now Holly couldn't talk, her breathing was short and labored, all she could do was shake her head  frantically in response to my question. 
“You don't have it?” I asked to be sure. I was now beginning to worry for her.
“Okay sweetie, it's going to be ok. I need you to close your eyes, imagine that you're laying in your bed. I need you to slow your breathing ok, can you do that for me Holly? 
I helped Holly to her bed, cautiously walking past the mystery door, and into our room. I sat next to her and caressed her head and spoke softly. “Take slow deep breaths, you can do it. You're at home in your bed. I want you to imagine your lungs opening up nice and big as you take in all that air.” I continued to talk her through it as it was starting to work. Holly was able to slow her breathing and get it back to normal. 
“I want you to relax, I'm going to get you some water okay?” I said as I stood up. Holly just nodded while continuing her breathing. Pausing in the doorway, I looked both ways and waited to make sure it was safe to proceed. I stepped out into the hall when suddenly the alarm started to sound. I heard Holly scream from down the hall, I spun back around, she was gone and the alarm shut off. It all happened so fast. I screamed for Holly, feeling helpless, I ran to the camera in the corner of our room and begged for them to bring Holly back and not hurt her. I eventually fell into her bed and curled up in a ball and just cried.
I must have fallen asleep, I awoke to the sound of moaning and groaning, it got louder. I sat up in bed to hear it better. There it was again, that's not Holly, I thought to myself. My feet hit the floor and I stood up. My door was open so I peeked out, the noise was coming from the other door. Cautiously, I stepped out into the hall, tiptoeing as to not alert the person on the other side. Putting my ear up to the door to hear better, I instantly fell to the floor when it suddenly opened. 
Looking up I cried, “It is you, oh my god Brad are you ok?” 
“Gretchen?” Brad said looking angry and confused. “What am I doing here? What's going on? Who did this to my hand?” He yelled. Then he looked at me, then reached his hand up to his neck to feel the collar he had one. “You have one too? What the hell is it?” he said trying to take it off.
 “I don't know why, or what's going on, but if we don't do what they ask, the collar shocks you, it's awful,” I cried. “Holly was just here and then they took her,” I added. 
“Who took her? I don't understand what's happening,” Brad said looking down at his bandage. “Who did this to me?” he yelled. 
“Brad, stop yelling at me, I don't fucking  who did that, or know why we are here or what happened. Last thing we remember was sitting by the fire waiting for you, then we woke up here,” I explained. 
Brad stared at her, then began looking around. There were practically cameras in every corner, along with speakers placed throughout the house. It was fully furnished with old dilapidated furniture. 
I got up and slowly followed him around the house and into the kitchen. 
“Brad, when did you get here, and how? Did you see anyone? Do you remember anything” I asked. He slowly turned to face me, “I'm not sure, I got to the ranch about 8:15 to get the fire started, then I felt something hit me in the head and I woke up in a dark room, there were no windows or doors. I was yelling and yelling for someone to help me, then the next thing I remember I woke up in that strange bed. My hand was throbbing, when I looked down, I realized it was gone and had been bandaged.” he began to cry. I took a step closer and wrapped my arms around him, at first he flinched, then we both held each other. 
The alarm sounded again. “What the hell is that?” Brad shouted, trying to cover his ears. 
“Come on,” I yelled and ran to my room. Brad followed me in, but the alarm continued to sound. “You need to go back into your room,” I shouted. Brad was hesitant, but eventually listened and went to his room. As soon as he passes his door,  the alarm that was blaring through the speakers finally stopped. I ran to the doorway and yelled over to see if Brad was ok when my door suddenly slammed shut.