Hide and Seek

Part Two

Unease radiated throughout my body as our steps slowed, faltering slightly as we neared the house. The once beautiful garden that had stood outside the old cottage was now dying, the leaves of the roses drying quickly in the heat. Without water, they stood no chance.

The words "here we are" slipped from my downturned lips as we came to a stop at it's front gate. Tangled within the small iron bars were broken strands of police tape, their brightness fading in their abandonment.

"I can't believe they had the audacity to murder such a nice old lady" Shayna breathed out as Robbi reached out the gate, giving it a gentle push. It moved with an unearthly ease, swinging open without so much as a sound.

We stepped timidly across the worn stones of the pathway and entered through the front door. It had been left ajar, the lock broken leaving it unable to close. I had no doubts that the cottage had been ransacked prior to our arrival.

"People like that have no remorse" I muttered in reply to Shayna as my eyes travelled across the front room in the house.

Dirt covered the once glossy wooden floorboards in heavy streaks, leaving filthy trails to and from each room in the one-storey cottage. A stale smell hung in the air and coldness radiated off of each and every wall.

"What are we looking for?" I turned towards my two friends, their faces tainted with horror as they gazed around the house.

"I don't know... It was you're idea to come here..." Shayna rolled her eyes as annoyance seeped through her voice.

I tossed a glare in her direction. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to die" I flinched as I bit my tongue, the salty and metallic taste of bloody instantly filling my mouth.

"Stop it you two" Robbi cut in, "I think I've found something".

"God, hopefully its something good" I breathed out as I stepped towards him, my eyes focused on the paper caught between his calloused hands. "What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piquing as I peeked over his shoulder.

Five words were sprawled across the centre of the page, sending a heart-stopping chill down my spine. You should not have run.

"What do you think it means" I managed to choke out as I stared at the smudged letters, barely distinguishable from one another.

"I don't know, but it can't be good" Robbi replied grimly, pushing the letter into his jeans pocket as he started to look again. "Maybe there's something else in here that could explain it" he continued, his hands rifling through a pile of fading and yellowed papers.

"God I hope so" I muttered, my face no doubt reflecting my sullen mood as I turned away from Robbi and made my way into what was once the bedroom.

Afternoon light streamed through what was left of the broken window that sat above the headboard, broken glass lying forgotten on the rumpled and musky sheets. Something about it called to me, beckoning me forwards with a long, skeletal finger.

I peered through the shattered window, carefully leaning against the window pane as my eyes scanned the surrounding trees slowly. I had a feeling that what I was looking for would be there, lurking and waiting patiently for it's next victim.

"Cypress!" Shayna's voice rang through the house, drawing my attention from the shadows that crept through the trees.

"I'm coming" I called back, her alarm slicing through me as I turned, racing towards the area of the house with which her voice resonated from. "What is it?" I asked as I reached out to touch her shaking back.

"Robbi..." a swollen sob caught in her throat as she pointed towards the boy laying limp at her feet, a dark, thick liquid pooling around his deformed body. "H-he's dead!" her cries fell upon deaf ears as I stared wide-eyed at the scene before me.

"How?" I choked out, shock streaming heavily throughout my system.

"I don't know" fat tears streamed down Shayna's face, leaving trails through her dust streaked cheeks as her body shook in terror; "I don't know.