Sapphire3619 340 Posted October 27, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted October 27, 2019 Happy almost Halloween! *** The mood in the car was jovial and teasing. Kyle felt a tap on his shoulder and reached his hand backwards to grab the bottle that was being passed. He took a sip – certainly not his first beer, but there was still something special about drinking on your 21st birthday – and rejoined the spirited conversation. “It’s totally safe,” Ethan was insisting. “They’re legally not allowed to touch you or anything, so you can’t get hurt.” “OK, first of all, that’s completely false logic,” Kayla replied. “Just because they can’t touch you doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt. Hell, Baby Barton back there can’t walk ten feet without knocking something over!” “Hey!” Cody, Kyle’s youngest brother, protested from the back seat. “You know it’s true, man,” Kyle grinned. Cody was the biggest out of all five brothers already, but hadn’t quite developed the coordination to keep up with his size. “I know-” Cody took a swig from his own beer. “- but y’all aren’t allowed to call me Baby Barton anymore. I’m officially in college now. I’m a grown man!” The car filled with laughter. Cody had been stuck with the nickname literally since birth, but now that he’d joined his brothers at university, Kyle supposed it was fair that he wanted to leave that particular nomenclature behind. “Besides,” Kayla continued once the laughter died down, “it’s not about being physically hurt. These places are literally designed to mess with your brain. It’s not like you can prevent yourself from being scared just because you know you’re not going to be hurt. The brain doesn’t work like that.” “And that’s the point,” Kyle drawled, turning to wink at Kayla. “A little excitement is good for you!” Kayla rolled her eyes. “Distraction from our meaningless, consumer-driven lives? It’s a haunted house, Tyler Durden, not an uprising.” “You agreed to come!” Cody called from the back seat. “Shut up, Cody,” Kayla tossed a napkin back at him. “It’s Kyle’s birthday. He gets to make the plans.” “It’s my birthdaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!” Kyle sang. He was only on his first beer, so he wasn’t even a little bit drunk (that would come later), but he was buzzing on the cool fall night, the presence of his friends and brothers, and the impending excitement of what was supposed to be one of the best haunted houses in the state. Despite being born in late October, Kyle had never been a devoted fan of Halloween. As the fourth of five brothers, he’d participated in his fair share of group costumes, but his parents had always made sure to make his birthday its own celebration. He hadn’t been forced onto hayrides or into pumpkin patches for his parties. Now, he was turning 21 at the beginning of his junior year of college. His two oldest brothers had already graduated, but Caleb, the middle child, was finishing a five-year architecture degree and had agreed to be one of the designated drivers for the night. Even though Cody was a freshman, it had never been a question of whether or not he would be invited to come along. The Barton Boys, as pretty much everyone in their hometown called them, were a close bunch. Growing up in a small town, Kyle had never really felt the stereotypical pull to escape or to distinguish himself from his brothers. He was easygoing and confident, secure in his role as neither the youngest nor the official middle child. When the time had come to choose a college, Kyle hadn’t even blinked before deciding on the same state university that two of his three older brothers attended. And when Cody had joined Kyle and Caleb this year, there wasn’t a hint of resentment. In all, there were about 15 people coming to the haunted house. Caleb was driving their old but reliable minivan, all seven seats filled. After the haunted house, the plan was to go back to Kyle’s apartment that he shared with Ethan, Greg, and Shawn for cheap drinks before heading out for the obligatory 21st-birthday trip to the college town bar. It had been Ethan’s idea to do the haunted house in the first place. Kyle wasn’t exactly a horror aficionado, but he liked the thought of doing something as a group other than just hanging out at his place. There weren’t a ton of options around their fairly rural university, but the timing of his birthday made the haunted house a perfect fit. Caleb pulled into the field that had been marked off for parking, and everyone climbed out of the van. Part of the draw of this particular attraction is that it was built into an actual abandoned Victorian mansion, surrounded by what probably would have been considered “moors” if it hadn’t been in the Midwestern United States. As it was, patrons parked on the grass and walked up a tree-lined drive, surrounded by recorded yet realistic sounds of wind and hooting owls. The remainder of the group parked and joined the occupants of Kyle’s van, reactions split between excitement and nervous chatter upon seeing the sinister edifice. Kyle downed the remainder of his beer and tossed the bottle into the front seat of the van before joining the group to walk up to the check-in table. He sidled up next to Kayla, who was eyeing the house skeptically. “You don’t have to do this,” he said quietly. “There’s a waiting area in the back. You can just hang out there.” She bumped her shoulder against his affectionately. “I’ll be fine,” she promised. “Paying to be scared shitless might not be my idea of fun, but hanging out with you on your 21st birthday is.” Kyle felt the corner of his mouth tug upward. He and Kayla had met their freshman year when their respective roommates were dating. The relationship hadn’t lasted more than a few months, but Kyle and Kayla had remained close friends ever since. After growing up with four brothers, Kyle found Kayla’s comparatively gentle mannerisms (though she could certainly hold her own) were a refreshing source of support. He wrapped an arm around Kayla’s shoulders and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re here. And you know I’m totally on board for whatever ridiculous activity you pick for your birthday. “Mmmmm…” Kayla leaned into Kyle’s embrace. “I’m thinking manicures. Maybe makeovers at Ulta.” Kyle burst out laughing. “Perfect. My smoky eye needs updating.” He was still laughing as they approached the check-in table. Kyle pulled out his wallet, but Caleb waved him away, having already paid. A worker gave them all releases to sign (Kayla glared pointedly at Kyle, but cooperated) and explained the rules: no more than five people in each group, keep moving forward, no touching of the actors, and they could ask for an early exit at any point. “People actually don’t make it through?” Ethan was smirking, but Cody actually looked nervous. “A few,” the worker answered, face neutral. Ethan wiggled his eyebrows, but Kayla just snorted. “Ugh. Let’s just do it. Enough intimidation.” They split up into groups of five, agreeing that Kyle should go in the first group. His brothers joined him, along with Kayla and Ethan. “No judging me when I scream,” Kayla ordered as their group approached the entrance. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be too busy screaming myself to do any judging,” Cody grumbled. Ethan rubbed his hands together gleefully, and even Caleb looked excited. Kyle couldn’t help but grin; he loved having his family and friends together for this little adventure. The front door creaked open, and they stepped inside. The mood inside the house was instantly creepy – the sound was somehow totally different, as if they’d stepped through a portal to another world instead of just crossed a threshold from outside. The initial shock of silence felt almost tangible, like all the air had been sucked out of the room in addition to all the sound. Kyle’s eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he saw they were standing in a hallway. The light was dim and had a bluish tone – Kyle wasn’t quite sure where the light was even coming from. As they slowly moved forward, Kyle realized that the house wasn’t truly silent. There were soft, distant sounds…whooshes, creaks, and some panicked-sounding whispers. Despite himself, Kyle felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. There was a high-pitched giggle, and a pale girl in a torn nightdress skittered across the hall behind them. Cody yelped, and Kayla squeaked and grabbed onto Kyle’s arm. Kyle patted her hand reassuringly, but his own heart was racing. He knew it was all fake, but something about the sounds and the dark was really getting to him. They turned the corner at the end of the hall, entering a dimly-lit room with blood smears on the wall and trashed furniture littering the floor. “Go back!” Kyle jumped and turned to see a bloody girl, seemingly missing an arm, crawling across the floor. “Get out while you can!” she moaned. “He’s coming!” A creaking sound made it sound like someone was coming into the room behind them. Ethan laughed, but everyone else looked at least a little nervous as the hustled through the room. Moving through the maze of rooms, Kyle was practically shuffling rather than walking. There seemed to be an impossible number of rooms and corridors, like they were going through a maze rather than a house. The whispers and creaks grew louder with each room, heightening a sense of urgency. The overall story seemed to be that they’d wandered into a house that was being ravaged by a mad serial killer. Each room and hallway had victims in various stage of dismemberment, moaning and shrieking for them to get out. Kyle knew it wasn’t real, of course, but Kayla had been right – something about the dark, the sounds, and the unpredictability was convincing his brain that he truly was in danger. He had goosebumps all over, and his stomach was clenched. The rest of the group was reacting more, too. Ethan kept laughing, almost maniacally; Cody and Kayla were nearly indistinguishable in their shouts and squeaks. Even Caleb yelled occasionally. Kyle wasn’t making quite as much noise, but he felt almost sick. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he kept getting more and more terrified. The rational part of his brain knew that he was in no danger, that he certainly wasn’t going to be maimed by an axe murderer. The increasingly powerful part of his brain was saying RUN! They were now on the second floor, having climbed a narrow, creaking set up stairs. The tone of the sounds became even more desperate, and Kyle could feel his heart beating in his throat. He fought against shutting his eyes, instead opting to focus on how, surely, it was almost over. He could feel Kayla behind him, not quite hanging onto his arm, but definitely (subconsciously) using him as a shield. They rounded a final corner into a room that was pitch-dark. Kyle stopped short, unable to see at all. Suddenly, bright lights flashed, simulating lightning. Flashes illuminated the outline of a huge, hulking figure wielding a very large chainsaw. The figure roared, visible only in half-seconds as the lights strobed irregularly. Every cell in Kyle’s body froze. He heard Kayla scream, but the noise came as if through a pillow, muffled and distant. He could feel the boys moving around him, punching and grabbing at each other, trying to find a way out. In the midst of it all, the feeling that most completely broke through Kyle’s terrified paralysis was that of liquid soaking into his jeans. He was wetting his pants. Kyle gasped, drawing in possibly the first breath since he’d entered the room. He pressed his knees together and manages to stop peeing, but not before the wetness reached all the way down his thighs. It was as if Kyle’s brain couldn’t process more than one thought at once. First, he’d been petrified by the man with the chainsaw. Then, he’d been horrified to figure out that he’d lost control of his bladder. While that was happening, he was being shoved toward the newly-illuminated way out by Ethan and his brothers, all frantically trying to escape, a fact he just started to notice now. Carried along by the momentum of his brothers and friends, Kyle burst out of the house onto a landing. Kayla’s screams and Cody’s shouts had turned into relieved giggles, while Ethan and Caleb raved about the experience. The outside of the house was slightly more illuminated, but it was dark enough outside that nobody seemed to notice the stain down the front of Kyle’s pants. They clattered down the wooden stairs, stumbling giddily toward the designated area to wait for their friends. Kyle took one look at the well-lit tent and veered away from the group, rounding the side of the house. He heard the sounds of his friends fade as they continued toward the tent, seemingly unaware that he’d disappeared. Leaning against the siding, Kyle tried to slow his ragged, panting breaths. He stood in the shadows, which felt fairly safe at the moment, but he knew that he wasn’t safe for long. His soaked jeans pressed heavily against his thighs. Kyle looked down to confirm that, yes, evidence of his accident was very much visible. There was no way he’d be able to face his friends without them knowing what he’d done. He felt fuzzy, like his brain had been replaced by cotton fluff. Just 20 minutes ago, he’d been so content, so pleased to be hanging out with his friends and brothers for his birthday. Now, he just felt stupid and childish – the baby who was unable to handle his own birthday party activity. “There you are!” Kyle cringed. Kayla sounded so happy, on an adrenaline high from surviving the haunted house. “What are you doing back here?” Kayla sounded so unsuspicious. “Come and join us! Brady’s group should be out soon!” Kyle blinked. Kayla wasn’t standing right in front of him, and she apparently hadn’t noticed his wet pants yet. Kayla took a step closer when Kyle didn’t respond. “Kyle?” Another few seconds passed before Kyle opened his mouth. “I can’t.” Kayla took another step forward, reaching out a hand. “You can’t? Kyle, what happened? Are you hurt? Are-“ She cut herself off as she got close enough to see the darkness on Kyle’s jeans. Kyle raised his head to look at her, but his eyes had no tears – only shame. “Oh, Kyle…” Kayla moved to comfort him, but she was cut off by an even more unwelcome sound. “What’s goin’ on, dude? That was awesome!” Kyle closed his eyes, delaying the sight of Ethan and his brothers approaching. “Hey, what’s…whoa!” Kyle heard a snort of laughter from Cody, followed by an “Ow!” which definitely meant that Caleb had punched him to shut him up. There was nearly a minute of horrible, shameful silence as Kyle’s roommate and brothers took in the situation but couldn’t figure out how to handle it. Kyle opened his eyes, but kept his head down, completely unable to make eye contact. “Ethan, go back and wait for the other groups,” Kayla finally said, quietly but firmly. Kyle raised his eyes just enough to see Ethan nod. “What do I tell them?” Kayla drew in a breath, thinking. “Tell them that Kyle decided we didn’t have enough booze back at the apartment, so Caleb took us to buy more. I went with them to make sure they bought something drinkable, not just cheap, shitty beer.” Ethan nodded again, agreeing with the plan as if it was totally normal, not a cover for a grown man pissing himself. “I can probably talk them into stopping and buying our own contributions, since it’s Kyle’s birthday and all. Give y’all a few more minutes.” Ethan clasped hands with Caleb, glanced in Kyle’s direction (Kyle was still avoiding eye contact), and turned to jog back to the tent. “That should give us at least a half hour.” Kayla put a hand gently on Kyle’s arm. “But we should probably get going.” Kyle started walking, letting Kayla guide him toward the car. He couldn’t put together a coherent thought. He hated the awkward silence, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak or assure his brothers that everything was OK. Everything wasn’t OK. He’d just been so scared by a fake scenario that he’d peed his pants. In public, no less. The 15-minute drive back to Kyle’s apartment was suffocating. Caleb turned on the radio, but no one seemed to be willing to start a conversation. Kyle had unconsciously avoided the front seat, so he sat in the middle with Kayla. Caleb pulled up in front of Kyle’s apartment, but didn’t even turn off the car. “Any requests?” he asked, knowing full well that only Kayla would answer. “White Claw, please,” Kayla requested. “Raspberry or mango.” Caleb flashed a thumbs-up. “We’ll grab some snacks, too. Back in 20 minutes.” Kyle had just enough presence of mind to pull his keys out of his pocket at the door. Kayla followed him in and flipped on the lights, but Kyle just stood in the middle of the living room, trapped between wanting to say something and just wanting to hide in his room for the rest of the night. Kayla sighed, but it wasn’t exasperated. “Kyle, it’s fine,” she murmured. “The house was wild. We were all scared.” Kyle just stared at her, clearly not accepting her argument. She tried another tactic. “No one else has to know. Just go get changed real quick. The night is still young.” Kyle’s shoulder’s slumped, but he knew he didn’t have another good option. Short of lying to everyone more and claiming sickness, he wasn’t going to get out of his own birthday party. He turned toward his room, but stopped when he heard a brief sniff of laughter from Kayla. Apprehensive, he turned back around. She was looking at her phone and smiling. She glanced up at Kyle, eyes sparkling. “Ethan just texted,” she explained. “The last group just came out, and both Tyler and Egan pissed themselves.” She smiled encouragingly. “Ethan didn’t say anything about you, of course. He just said that those two are going home to change, so we’ve got a bit more time before everyone gets here.” Kyle exhaled slowly, feeling like his brain was finally solidifying after being turned to fuzz. “Thanks, Kay,” he whispered, managing the ghost of a smile. Maybe his birthday was still salvageable after all. pp123, BlueRaven, AliasnameTO and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment
Melificentfan 1,215 Posted October 28, 2019 ✨ Legendary Member Share Posted October 28, 2019 What a fabulous Halloween story Quote Link to comment
Bravestone 375 Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Great story! I really enjoy your writing. I wish I had a girlfriend like Kayla 🙂 Any chance you'll continue this story? Quote Link to comment
Sapphire3619 340 Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 On 10/27/2019 at 10:10 PM, Melificentfan said: What a fabulous Halloween story Thank you! I was glad I had time this past weekend to write it :) On 10/28/2019 at 7:50 AM, nc_dude said: Great story! I really enjoy your writing. I wish I had a girlfriend like Kayla 🙂 Any chance you'll continue this story? Thank you! I'm glad you like it. I'm not gonna continue this one, but I'm going to try to keep writing as long as I have time! Quote Link to comment
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