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Two friends were gathered to celebrate Halloween in the best way they knew of, watching horror movies and drinking before heading to a haunted house. They had been doing this for a few years now, each year watching horror movies with different themes. This year's theme was classic horror movies and since four PM, they had been going through several of them. The living room they were sitting in was dark except for the TV, and only the sounds of the movie were heard.
"This movie is sooo boring, can't we leave?" Maddie suddenly complained and Andrew threw her an annoyed glance. "Shh, you're ruining the mood. The Shining is like the best horror classic ever!" he told her before looking at the TV again. Maddie only rolled her eyes and continued to drink her beer. It wasn't her idea to watch classic horror movies, but she had decided last year's theme with found footage movies so it was only fair that Andrew now got to choose. Eventually, the movie ended, and so did their marathon. She downed the rest of her beer and jumped up, now beaming. "Finally! Let's go, I don't want to miss the bus and walk to the house" she told Andrew.
Around ten minutes later they were outside, walking to the bus stop. It was close to midnight, and if it weren't for all the Jack O'Lanterns in all the yards, it would be pitch black. Suddenly, something hurried from one of the yards to the other side of rode, crossing their path. "It's that a black cat?" Maddie asked, smiling a little bit. Andrew on the other hand gulped. "A black cat. Shit, don't they mean bad luck or something like that? I hope nothing happens tonight" he mumbled out and followed the cat with his gaze until it disappeared into another yard. "You can't seriously believe that, it's just a cat. Come on, we're going to miss the bus!" she told him before they hurried along.
The haunted house was one of many that were open that night, though neither of them had never been to this specific house before. It looked like any other haunted house used for Halloween, it was old, had several floors and was heavily decorated. Surprisingly, there wasn't a line to get inside. The two friends went up to the entrance, where a man dressed like the grim reaper stood. "I must warn you" the grim reaper said with a raspy voice. "Be aware that if you enter, the dead will feast on you" he told them. Maddie rolled her eyes for Andrew to see before they paid the entrance fee. The inside of the house was even more decorated then the outside. There were fake skeletons, spiderwebs and a whole lot of other props. So far though, there had been no people jumping out at them, only the props and sounds of groaning and distant screaming. "I'm not the biggest fan of getting jumped at, but where are all the actors? I mean, we paid money for this" Andrew complained as they walked down yet another hallway empty of living people. Maddie shrugged. "I don't know. I hear groaning though, maybe they are further ahead?" she suggested.
They headed up the stairs to the next floor, and the sound of groaning grew louder. "Maybe now you'll get your money's worth" she told him with a smirk before they rounded a corner. At first glance, the next hallway was empty as well. Though then, Maddie saw something on the floor, a body slumped against the wall. "I wonder if that's a prop or a actor?" she mumbled before they moved closer. It looked real enough to be an actor, but it couldn't be since the body was missing several body parts, a leg, fingers, and an eye. It was a gory mess but it was quite impressive. "Cool, that looks super realistic!" Maddie exclaimed and Andrew nodded in agreement.
They moved on and walked past the body. It seemed like the haunted house was putting all their good props and actors near each other, because at the end of the next hallway stood a man. He had his back turned to them, but was groaning lowly and had torn clothes. "A zombie, I guess?" Andrew mumbled and the actor seemed to hear him. He turned, and Maddie was taken by how good the makeup looked, it seemed as his face really was rotting and ready to fall apart. His eyes were a milky white and it was almost as if she was hit by a the smell of something dead. "Uh, that looks scary real" Andrew whispered and stared at the zombie. Maddie smirked up at him. "It's just a kid in a costume, he's probably going to scream at us when we walk past him". But they didn't even get to move further before the zombie started to move towards them, groaning louder. The closer he came, the more the stench of decay became overbearing. "Ugh, I'm going to be sick" she mumbled and despite just telling Andrew it was an actor, she felt a bit scared as well. The makeup was really good.
The zombie was a few meters away, and Andrew started walk, trying to move past him and get the scare over with. The zombie lounged at him and grabbed onto him. "Hey, what the fu-" Andrew shouted, surprised that the actor actually touched him. But then he looked at him and just screamed. The zombie had its mouth open and a swarm of maggots and flies came out. Maddie just stared, trying to tell herself that this was just really good special effects, but it was obvious to the two of them that this was not some kid in a costume. The zombie groaned and hissed before burying its face against Andrew's shoulder. The scream of pain he let out rang through Maddie's head, and he managed to push the creature away. Maddie screamed as well when she saw blood oozing out of his shoulder, a chunk of flesh gone.
"We must get out of here!" she screamed and took Andrew's hand, pulling him along down the same path they had come from. He said nothing and only followed, in shock from the pain. They ran as quickly as they could, almost tripping down the stairs. They didn't see anything besides props, but Maddie heard the sounds of steps behind them, and it didn't sound like just one pair. "Come on, I see the door!" she told Andrew. They reached the front door, but it was closed. "What the fuck?" she breathed and let go of Andrew, and pulled on the handle, but nothing. "Hello?! Let us out! Let us out!" she screamed and banged on the door. The door didn't open and no one answered. There seemed to be no sign of the grim reaper that had guarded the door, nor any other visitors. She turned around and saw several zombies now coming towards them. Maddie started to breathe quickly, close to hyperventilating as she turned back to the door and pulled more on the handle. "Please, let us out! Please!". Suddenly, she heard someone from the other side of the door. "I warned you that if you entered, the undead would feast on you" the raspy voice of the grim reaper said with a cackle.
---
Thanks to all of you who takes the time to read my story! I haven't written a short story in years, but I really liked the theme for the writing challenge and decided to go for it. It was a lot of fun to write!
"This movie is sooo boring, can't we leave?" Maddie suddenly complained and Andrew threw her an annoyed glance. "Shh, you're ruining the mood. The Shining is like the best horror classic ever!" he told her before looking at the TV again. Maddie only rolled her eyes and continued to drink her beer. It wasn't her idea to watch classic horror movies, but she had decided last year's theme with found footage movies so it was only fair that Andrew now got to choose. Eventually, the movie ended, and so did their marathon. She downed the rest of her beer and jumped up, now beaming. "Finally! Let's go, I don't want to miss the bus and walk to the house" she told Andrew.
Around ten minutes later they were outside, walking to the bus stop. It was close to midnight, and if it weren't for all the Jack O'Lanterns in all the yards, it would be pitch black. Suddenly, something hurried from one of the yards to the other side of rode, crossing their path. "It's that a black cat?" Maddie asked, smiling a little bit. Andrew on the other hand gulped. "A black cat. Shit, don't they mean bad luck or something like that? I hope nothing happens tonight" he mumbled out and followed the cat with his gaze until it disappeared into another yard. "You can't seriously believe that, it's just a cat. Come on, we're going to miss the bus!" she told him before they hurried along.
The haunted house was one of many that were open that night, though neither of them had never been to this specific house before. It looked like any other haunted house used for Halloween, it was old, had several floors and was heavily decorated. Surprisingly, there wasn't a line to get inside. The two friends went up to the entrance, where a man dressed like the grim reaper stood. "I must warn you" the grim reaper said with a raspy voice. "Be aware that if you enter, the dead will feast on you" he told them. Maddie rolled her eyes for Andrew to see before they paid the entrance fee. The inside of the house was even more decorated then the outside. There were fake skeletons, spiderwebs and a whole lot of other props. So far though, there had been no people jumping out at them, only the props and sounds of groaning and distant screaming. "I'm not the biggest fan of getting jumped at, but where are all the actors? I mean, we paid money for this" Andrew complained as they walked down yet another hallway empty of living people. Maddie shrugged. "I don't know. I hear groaning though, maybe they are further ahead?" she suggested.
They headed up the stairs to the next floor, and the sound of groaning grew louder. "Maybe now you'll get your money's worth" she told him with a smirk before they rounded a corner. At first glance, the next hallway was empty as well. Though then, Maddie saw something on the floor, a body slumped against the wall. "I wonder if that's a prop or a actor?" she mumbled before they moved closer. It looked real enough to be an actor, but it couldn't be since the body was missing several body parts, a leg, fingers, and an eye. It was a gory mess but it was quite impressive. "Cool, that looks super realistic!" Maddie exclaimed and Andrew nodded in agreement.
They moved on and walked past the body. It seemed like the haunted house was putting all their good props and actors near each other, because at the end of the next hallway stood a man. He had his back turned to them, but was groaning lowly and had torn clothes. "A zombie, I guess?" Andrew mumbled and the actor seemed to hear him. He turned, and Maddie was taken by how good the makeup looked, it seemed as his face really was rotting and ready to fall apart. His eyes were a milky white and it was almost as if she was hit by a the smell of something dead. "Uh, that looks scary real" Andrew whispered and stared at the zombie. Maddie smirked up at him. "It's just a kid in a costume, he's probably going to scream at us when we walk past him". But they didn't even get to move further before the zombie started to move towards them, groaning louder. The closer he came, the more the stench of decay became overbearing. "Ugh, I'm going to be sick" she mumbled and despite just telling Andrew it was an actor, she felt a bit scared as well. The makeup was really good.
The zombie was a few meters away, and Andrew started walk, trying to move past him and get the scare over with. The zombie lounged at him and grabbed onto him. "Hey, what the fu-" Andrew shouted, surprised that the actor actually touched him. But then he looked at him and just screamed. The zombie had its mouth open and a swarm of maggots and flies came out. Maddie just stared, trying to tell herself that this was just really good special effects, but it was obvious to the two of them that this was not some kid in a costume. The zombie groaned and hissed before burying its face against Andrew's shoulder. The scream of pain he let out rang through Maddie's head, and he managed to push the creature away. Maddie screamed as well when she saw blood oozing out of his shoulder, a chunk of flesh gone.
"We must get out of here!" she screamed and took Andrew's hand, pulling him along down the same path they had come from. He said nothing and only followed, in shock from the pain. They ran as quickly as they could, almost tripping down the stairs. They didn't see anything besides props, but Maddie heard the sounds of steps behind them, and it didn't sound like just one pair. "Come on, I see the door!" she told Andrew. They reached the front door, but it was closed. "What the fuck?" she breathed and let go of Andrew, and pulled on the handle, but nothing. "Hello?! Let us out! Let us out!" she screamed and banged on the door. The door didn't open and no one answered. There seemed to be no sign of the grim reaper that had guarded the door, nor any other visitors. She turned around and saw several zombies now coming towards them. Maddie started to breathe quickly, close to hyperventilating as she turned back to the door and pulled more on the handle. "Please, let us out! Please!". Suddenly, she heard someone from the other side of the door. "I warned you that if you entered, the undead would feast on you" the raspy voice of the grim reaper said with a cackle.
---
Thanks to all of you who takes the time to read my story! I haven't written a short story in years, but I really liked the theme for the writing challenge and decided to go for it. It was a lot of fun to write!