Shake Your Skeleton (Camren)

Chapter 1

Lauren ran as fast as her legs would carry her, converse swishing through the grass as she panted with exertion. From behind her she could hear the leering calls of her persuers, throwing insults and threats as they chased her across the school's football field. She knew she could never outrun them; they were the star football players of Carrollton High. However, while they excelled in physical strength, she knew she could outsmart them, and she darted into the mass of trees at the end of the field in hopes of losing them.

She weaved around the trunks purposefully, taking quick turns and veering her path randomly. Her legs began to burn, and shebcautiously slowed to a stop, taking in deep greedy breaths as she glanced warily over her shoulder. They seemed to have lost her trail, as they were now walking along aimlessly. However, they were getting dangerously close to where Lauren was, and she desperately surveyed the area for a hiding spot. Seeing the school's old unused tool shed, Lauren made a beeline for it, carefully trying to cushion her footsteps so not to alert her tormentors of her position.

The door was bolted shut, and Lauren tugged at it desperately, muttering profanities under her breath as she glanced up to see where her persuers were.

"Dammit," she growled, yanking at the lock again. The group of boys was getting closer by the second, and in a panic Lauren darted around the side of the shed, looking around frantically. Her eyes spotted the old rotted window on the side of the building, too dusty to see through, and the brunette hastily forced it open, clambering through the old frame.

She landed rather ungracefully on the dusty wooden floor inside the shed, but she held her breath, tensing as she heard her persuers' thundering footfalls from outside. Her whole body went rigid in anticipation, and she could hear them talking amongst themselves as they walked straight past her hiding spot. After what felt like an eternity their voices died off in the distance, and Lauren breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing her tensed body. Waiting a few cautious minutes, Lauren eventually deemed the coast to be clear as she stood shakily. Her legs feeling like jelly after all the running, and she absentmindedly scoffed at how out of shape she was as she surveyed her surroundings.

The shed was bigger than it appeared from the outside, and junk was clustered in piles against the weak walls. The floor was worn and dirty, a few floorboards missing or broken. The shed's air was musty and old, the newly opened window being the only air circulation it received in ages. Lauren absentmindedly wondered when the last time was that someone had been in the abandoned shed; she had heard rumors of it being haunted, but the stories came from show off peers who probably hadn't even been anywhere near the segregated building.

A sudden noise from the rafters startled the teenager, and her mind reeled as she involuntarily recollected all the ghost stories she'd heard other students speak of. Glancing up nervously, her eyes caught only a quick flicker of brown before it vanished. She blinked in surprise; this place couldn't actually be haunted, could it?

"...Hello?" she called out warily.

"Hi!"

Lauren jolted in surprise, and ghostly glowing image suddenly popped out of nowhere, drifting rapidly towards her. She tried to run, but her tired legs gave out beneath her as she turned, sending her stumbling to the ground amongst a mass of garbage bags.

"Get away from me!" Lauren screeched in panic, voice cracking. The spirit only floated closer, smiling innocently, and Lauren gritted her teeth, eyes widening in terror as she pressed her back into the garbage bags behind her in an attempt to distance herself as much as possible. Her feet scuffled on the floor in her efforts, and she realized with horror that she couldn't move back any further.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the ghost tried to reassure the terrified girl as she reached an arm out, but Lauren, in her frightened state, didn't seem to hear her. She recoiled away from the phantom's outstretched hand, hiding her face in her knees and whimpering in fear.