September, 20, 2015

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DREW ANDERSON

I tiptoe as I walk down the street with Louise, I don't want to make any wrong moves and have some ghost haunt me. I'm still quite young, and I haven't even gotten married yet. I can't just throw my life away in my 20s.

"Would you stop before I trip you?" Louise snaps. I immediately trip over my feet and lose my balance. Before I collide with the floor Louise steadies me.

"Thanks." I nod towards her. In response, she rolls her eyes.

We had ditched the idea of stealing the keys to the police station. Instead we decided to explore the town until nightfall and visit all known places of the murders Anne committed. From all the research we've done, there are only three known scenes that are open to the public. The first is the woods, the second is Anne's house, and the last one was the place where Anne had committed her last murder.

I had forced Louise to skip the forest because of the rumors and she reluctantly agreed. Right now we are on the way to the Anne's house, we had to sneak in but it seems no one checks the area.

Louise stops in her tracks, she looks a bit confused. "Well this is the place."

"Something seems off." I point out and Louise nods. The car in the driveway looks as if it were on fire, and the lawn is an ugly shade of brown.

"We have to enter." Louise snaps her head towards me as if she knows I'm about to ask to skip the experience. I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Just know when we die, don't sit next to me on the ride to hell." I warn her and she scoffs, it obvious it isn't her intention to accompany me to the afterlife. She begins walking up the path leading up to the front door. I walk quickly behind her, as she looks around.

"The door is probably locked." She curses and I reach over to turn it. To our surprise, Louise is wrong in her prediction. Once we open the door, the house seems perfectly kept. The sofa looks like someone had sat in it earlier, a cup filled halfway with coffee sat on the table, and a plate of cookies were left at the dining table.

"Are you sure this place is abandoned?" I ask Louise. She seems to questioning it herself, she looks at the paper that she printed.

"Yes, no one has lived here for a year. Even if someone does live here let's just look around before they come back." Louise hurriedly scurries up the stairs. I feel that something about this place is weird.

I rush up the steps and see some photos on the wall. All the pictures are blurred except one. It's a baby with chocolate all over her face as she laughs. I try looking at the other pictures, I even try wiping them so the blur could go away but to no avail.

"Come here Drew." Louise calls to me. I follow her to the room she opened. "This is the only room that isn't locked."

"Louise I don't think we should be here. I have a really bad feeling th-" I try voicing my thoughts but she simply ignores me and opens the door. We enter and I look around the room, and suddenly more pictures in the wall grab my attention. I skim them and see only two weren't blurred out.

The first picture made me furrow my eyebrows. It was a girl holding a cake while she stood next to what I assume are her parents. It looks a bit like Anne. The picture immediately blurs out.

"There's a stack of letter here." Louise says, she grabs them, and reads who they are addressed to. "These are addressed to Anne."

"What?" I ask, I grab the stack and read them back of the envelope. The word "Anne" are scribbled down. I hand them back to Louise, she immediately open that and skims each letter.

"You think they left Anne's house untouched?" Louise questions.

"I don't know Lousie, something is wrong." I say with a sigh, I look back at the wall and study the next picture. I know this was Anne, some girl was kissing her cheek. The photo blurs and the next glows. I motion Louise over  and she stares at the picture. This one seems special somehow. Anne was holding an ice cream and it seems a bit got on her nose. I couldn't help but stare at it, and I feel like I have to take it. I reach over, my fingers try to grasp it, and for once Louise doesn't stop me. Before my fingers touch it it suddenly bursts into flames.

I watch in horror as the picture burns, the flames begins to spread quickly. I stay still in shock as the of the flames warm me up. Louise grabs my shoulder and yanks me away from the flames.

"We have to get out." Louise yells and I look towards the bed and shriek. I grab Louise and point to the bed. I blink trying to see if I'm just seeing things. I see Anne laying down in her bed with another person.

Winston.

He talks to her gently and they laugh. How is he here? This doesn't make any goddamn sense.

"Winston?" I call out to him but he doesn't respond. I walk over and try to shake him but he doesn't notice me. It seems Anne has and she looks at me.

"Go to the forest. Do it quickly, I'll make sure nothing happens to you." She tells me, I shake my head not believing anything. Winston hugs her close and smiles fondly at him.

"We can't. Winston-" I say pointing to him, the flames begin getting closer to the door.

"Dan will be okay, just go okay? Do you want to die here?" Anne scolds me and I can't believe I'm arguing with a dead serial killer.

"Who's Dan?" I ask but Louise rolls her eyes and pulls me away. I look towards the bed and only see them hugging, something makes me think that isn't really Winston. Why did she call him Dan? We rush down the stairs and I put my thoughts on hold as Louise tries opening the door but it seems like it's locked.

I look up to the stairs as the fire inches closer to us. "Louise hurry." I say frantically, she tries kicking the door down but it seems as if it were made of iron. The fire is basically behind us and I grab Louise and run somewhere else. I go to the dinner table, and see Anne sitting there with her parents. She's cuddling a jacket near her, she blushes madly and plays with her pasta as her parents laugh.

Anne cuts her laughing short, how did she get here so quick? Her parents heads fall into their plate imitating death and she giggles again. "I always keep my keys on top of the door, Dan." She speaks to me, and suddenly Winston rushes down the stairs. The flames don't bother him, he looks out the window and gasps.

"Let's leave through the back." He says to no one in particular. It seems when these hallucinations happen the fire moves slower.

"What is happening?" Louise screams. I look where she is and see a look of terror on her face. Anne sits on the table, a pool of blood around her as she sews her mouth shut. A few tears fall down her face. Louise seems to lose it, she falls to floor and screams. I look towards where Winston is and see a girl with blonde hair over him, she slices his arm with a small pocket knife.

Right next to the scene I see Anne crying, trying to touch Winston's face. I back up, this place is nuts.

I see the flames begin to come our way again."Louise we have to leave." I say and use all the strength to pull her up. I drag her towards the back door and ignore the sight of Winston's cold dead look as he lays on the ground in his own blood. The girl drawing patterns on his arms licks her lips in excitement. I feel sick.

I don't want to see him like that. Winston was the only person who genuinely cares about me, he came into Holistown and made me his partner. He helped me stand on my own two feet, I can't bear see the life leaving his eyes. I can't bear seeing my only friend die in front of me.

I try opening the door but it's locked. I see the flames and panic. This is the first time I'm supposed to save everyone. I try kicking the door and even punching at it. My hand felt sore and I realize the door isn't going to open. I drop the the floor in frustration. I'm nothing without Winston or Louise. I can't even think of a way out. I'm a fucking failure. I think back to the horrible events that happened in this house, are these going to be my last moments? I look on the table where Anne had made the last stitch on her mouth. She looks at me and suddenly something comes back to me.

"I always keep my keys on top of the door, Dan." The words replay in my mind. I gasp and stand up. I reach up to the door frame and run my hands along it until I feel a key. I grab it and shove it into the lock, I turn quickly and the door unlocks. I yank it open and the fresh air relieves me.

Louise screams. I look towards her and see Anne coming towards her with a needle and thread. I grab Louise and pull her out of the house and set her down in the backyard. I grab the door and slam it shut.

I look towards Louise again and pull her even further into the backyard. Once I'm sure we're far enough, the house engulfs in flames and I watch as it burns down.

Good riddance.

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UNEDITED

I hope you guys aren't confused and recognized the moments that took place in the house.