The Crane (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5

***

I took a sharp breath of cold outside air, letting it sting my throat and watching the puff of mist come as I breathed out.

" And that," Brian finished off his story " Is why you always brush your teeth before you go to the dentist." A laugh erupted out of my throat before I had a chance to stop it. Everyone else followed suit until the sound of laughing stopped but we were all still clapping and gasping for air. The story really wasn't that funny and I'm 99% sure it was fake but being with all of your best friends do that to you. I don't think anything could ruin this night.

After running into the creepy man we all went for dinner at a seafood restaurant. After eating until we could barely breath we left and we were all on our way home. The sun was no longer out, but the lights from cars, buildings, streetlights, and signs flowed through the night. We were about to pass the stop that we were playing truth or dare at previously when I bumped into the back of someone, shocking me out of my gaze.

When I looked up, I noticed everyone had stopped abruptly. Luke was the first one to break the silence suffocating the moment.

" Hey Alex," he started, a devious smile spreading across his face " If I remember correctly, you were dared to go in there a couple of hours ago." The last time I heard this evil tone from him was when he pranked some poor innocent bystander. The only difference being this time, it was directed towards me. I clenched down on my jaw for two reasons. Only one of them being because of the cold. He was not going to make me-

" And we all know the magnificent Alex never backs down from a dare. I know you have a secret fear of that apartment. I don't know why, but I plan to use this against you." He stated. Looks like no distractions are going to present itself this time around.

Please please please let their be a distraction.

"Come on either you do it or not." Kat said sounding severely uninterested. She sighs, not hiding the fact that she would rather be anywhere than here.

"Yeah, come on Alex. Make a decision." Ethan agreed with her. Kat and Ethan have had a thing for each other for a while, and everyone knows it. The only thing is, neither of them have made a move or plain to any time soon.

Thanks for not peer pressuring me to do anything, I really appreciate it, I say mentally to myself. I strain my mind trying to come up with an excuse.

"Well," I start, but not a second passes before Luke cuts me off.

"Your not bailing Alex!" He says in a threatening voice. That's when an idea ignites in my head. He doesn't like that place either. He always said that since we've been kids he had a weird feeling about that place. An abrupt smirk slides across my face, and two seconds later a worried look replaces Luke's previous expression.

"I go," my negotiation starts "If you go with me. I know your not scared, so it shouldn't be a problem for you."

Check

"But-"

And mate

"But what?," I reject " like I recall you saying several times, nothing scares you." My debate pushes on. I'm satisfied as I watch his Adams apple bob up and down and a worried look crosses his eyebrows first, along with the rest of his face.

Before I can provoke him further, in a cluster of words he shouts, "ILL GO IF EVERYONE ELES GOES!" His chest expands as he takes a deep, quick breath. Then, his eyes dart to everyone franticly waiting for an answer.

"That," he begins "is the only way I will go. We all go together." His hair is left spiked up when he runs his fingers through it. I was really hoping I could go home and my curfew is ten. Involuntarily, my wrist bends to check the time. 9:45.

Well if that's the case then I'm already late. It takes my way longer than fifteen minutes to get home. My step dad's gonna be furious. Well who the hell cares that my step dads gonna be furious! He's not my real dad! My real dad left a year ago to join the army, and when he never comes back, mom just 'decides' that she needs someone new! SHE DOESNT EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO ME! That's the th-

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

CHHHHZZZZZED!

My feet stumble back and my eyes widen at the sight before me. Everything is is slow motion. The car makes a sharp turn providing the ear ringing sound of the tires screeching over the street. The drivers screaming as that car crashes into another, completely demolishing the other. Every car behind them stops, and you can see blood sprinkled inside one of the cars. I nearly get nauseous looking at the sight.

As I wonder how this terrible thing happened, one thought strikes me like lightning.

I caused this.

I caused this.

I caused this.

***

My eyes flash open trying to take in the the sight before me. There's a man with a lab coat in front of me. Im laying on a metal table in a dark room.

Why am I on a metal table in a dark room with a man sitting in front of me?!?

The events of the last two days replay in my mind, starting with the morning I ate breakfast and ending with now.

Oh.

"Alex? You seemed to be in distress. I thought that you would possibly be having a nightmare so I came down here to take notes." He states, but not in his normal sinister voice. Almost like a robot stating facts.

Like a scientist.

It's even worse then hearing his regular voice, because at least then he was talking to me like a human. Now, he's talking to me like an experiment.

My thoughts drift back to my last dream. No details were added this time which means that's the actual memory and nothing will me added to it. Sometimes the additions cause a different perspective to the whole dream, but most of the time it doesn't make much of a difference. It's just waning off information to me, one piece at a time. I think back to the last couple seconds of the dream. Of the memory.

How could such an amazing, light hearted night turn so dark in a matter of seconds?

And it's nothing compared to what's to come.

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Hey!
Okay so

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THIS BOOK HAS OVER A THOUSAND READS! BAHHHHHHHHB. Okay so I'm kinda hyperventilating right now and if I were to put that into words it wouldn't make much sense. HOW THE ACTUAL F_CK DID YOU GUYS DO THAT!?! In others news, I made something called "a warning and things involving copyright" and it was supposed to be before chapter one but my phone glitches and now every time I try to fix it it says something about it not being synced. Idk what that means but now it's after chapter one sooooo, yeah. I TRIED FOR HOURS TO FIX IT😔! DONT BLAME ME!

Okay so I'm back in school AND MY MIDTERMS HAVE BEEN CANCELED! This is like the best thing school related that's ever happened to me. Some teachers are counting it as a normal test but mine is not counting it as a grade AT ALL. We still take it but I don't really care.

OKAY, so what does it take to get you guys to comment and vote?!?!? COME ON YOU CAN DO BETTER THEN THE AMOUNT WE HAVE! GO COMMENT AND VOTE! I'll wait for you. Go ahead. Hit the star and go but your strong opinion about the book in the comments. I'm still waiting. Go ahead. YOU DIDNT DO IT DID YOU?!? GO DO IT! Okay now go do that to the other chapters. Are we good? Okay.

Lastly my friend just started a Wattpad and you should go check out her account and book. The account is katiebug8642. So go check that out and vote and comment and vote and comment and vote and comment and BYE.