𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 [𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙜]

Three

THALIA LOVES HAUNTED houses. One of the reasons she loves Halloween so much. But when Stella picks out the place it's not very fun. It sometimes gives off an unsettling feeling in your stomach, like when you get to the top of a roller coaster and you drop, your stomach drops too. That's the feeling Thalia got when she walked into the Bellow's estate for the first time.

The eerie setting just didn't sit right with her. Something is going to happen tonight. Something horrible.

Thalia lifts her head off Chuck's lap as The Corvair Monza parks on a secluded dirt road. The grass has grown long. Years of neglect, or perhaps avoidance. All the teens begin to exit the car and walk towards the entrance fence.

"You weren't kidding." Ramon said taking in the view of the house and its surroundings.

"Told you it wouldn't disappoint."

Thalia notices a worn-out sign hiding behind vines. It says, "Keep out of the area"

"Guys, are you sure were allowed to be here? The sign says keep out." Auggie agrees with her.

The others shrug them off. "I don't know, you'd think on Halloween, this place would be hoppin'." Ramon says while following Stella.

"Oh, it was for a while, then some kid went missing, so they boarded it up. I think it's being torn down for a mall or something." Chuck informs the boy, stating the knowledge he thinks that he knows.

"Hey, guys." Stella catches their attention; she motions towards an opening int eh fence.

"Clowns and angels first" Chuck chuckles. Auggie and Thalia look at each other unimpressed then they look at Chuck with the same look.

"Really?"
"Completely unnecessary."

Chuck enters after Stella and Ramon, Auggie and Thalia following hesitantly after. They walk up the hill getting a closer view of the house.

"Okay, there, we saw it. Can we go now?" Auggie asks nobody in particular. Just wanting to leave.

Chuck scoffs, "Who ordered the chicken?"

"Because I don't like to spend my nights in a house where a child murderer lived?" Chuck starts clucking like a chicken at Auggie.

"Leave em' alone. I don't want to go in there either." Thalia crosses her arms.

Chuck looks at her, "I thought you liked haunted houses?"

"I do. This one just isn't like the other ones. It feels alive, I don't know why." she responds taking in a deep breath.

"Someone was killed in that house?" Ramon interrupts. "That's pretty dark." Chuck slips his cold hand into Thalia's warm one. "Who lived here?"

"The Bellows." Stella responds to him. "One of the first families to settle here in the late 19th century."