𝑂𝑅𝑃𝐻𝐴𝑁𝐸𝐷

-two-

"She's pretty good too. I've seen some of the things she's done," said Sam.

"Whatever. Now shoo. I need to go finish what I started yesterday."

I walked over to the area where the columns that held up the second floor were. The stairs had been destroyed, so the only way up there was climbing.

After I got to the top and had pulled myself over the old metal railing, I walked to the back of the second floor and put my bag on the ground.

My goal was to paint a pair of outstretched wings with feathers that faded from white to black, with the occasional colored one here and there.

I had gotten the outline and basics done yesterday, so today job was the harder part: details.

I opened my backpack, took out a paint can, put on my mask, and got to work.

Every now and then I heard some weird sounds coming from the place, but I figured  it was Sam and Colby making them.

Until I heard one on the second floor near me.

I was certain that Sam couldn't get up here quietly, but I didn't know about Colby.

"Just so you know Colby, you can't scare me if I hear you before you get to me," I said while still painting.

I waited for a response but never got one.

I put the cap on the can and took my mask off before I turned around, and I didn't see anyone.

"The hell????" I asked myself

I quickly shrugged it off and went back to painting.

It hadn't even been 20 minutes from when I heard the strange noise to when I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye.

I turned my head and briefly saw the outline of a person, but when I blinked, it was gone.

"Alright, that's it."

I walked back to the metal railing a looked around. I couldn't see Sam or Colby, and I had started to get a little freaked out.

"Hey, y'all better stop making those noises before you scare the shit out of me and give me a heart attack," I shouted.

"What?" Yelled Sam.

"Just come here so it's easier to talk," I said.

The two of them appeared from around one of the corners on the first level, and Colby appeared to have some small sign in his hand.

I quickly climbed down the column, jumping the last 4 feet.

"For the love of God, would you too please stop making those creepy ass noises before you give me a heart attack?!" I said.

They looked at each other.

"We haven't been making any noises, " said Colby.

"Sure you haven't. I'm also not a foster kid," I said as I rolled my eyes. I didn't believe them for a second.

"Kate, he's not lying. We haven't," said Sam, and the look on his face told me he was telling the truth.

"Fine. But atleast come up here to hear what I'm talking about."

I climbed up first, showing them where to grab onto.

Colby had put his sign on the ground and climbed up after, doing it surprisingly fast without falling.

By the time Sam had gotten over the metal railing I had already started to walk back to where my stuff was.

I put my mask back up and grabbed a can, getting back to work.

"Damn, that's actually pretty good," said Colby.

I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks for believing in me, Brock."

One thing he still hadn't quite noticed about me was that I was extremely sarcastic and that I was a complete smart ass. That or he just didn't say anything, which was different. People normally did.

"Pull your masks back up. Now just watch and listen."

Before long, the noises started happening again.

The first one was the sound of a door slamming shut, which was impossible because when I had explored the place yesterday, there were none.

I looked back at Sam and Colby and gestured for them to be quiet. I continued to paint.

I got done quickly, and threw my stuff in the bag. As I zipped it up, I heard something like footsteps, and when I looked at the boys, I could tell they had too.

"What the shit?" Said Colby.

I shrugged.

But the noise that really scared us happened as I was putting my backpack on.

It sounded like someone was close to us and they had sighed.

I looked at Sam and Colby to see if they had done it, and their eyes were wide as they shook their heads.

"Screw this shit, I'm out," I said as I ran back over to the railing and climbed down. Sam had started to run when I noticed Colby was getting his sign, but by the time I had turned to tell Sam to wait, he was gone.

"Shit. Well, Brock, don't just stand there, let's go before we get chased out by some crazy person with a bat," I said.

"Can you calm down? I'm over here trying not to get sliced up by this sign, and you yelling at me isn't gonna help," he said.

I sighed.

"Sorry, just throw it in your bag. We don't wanna lose Sam."

The two of us quickly ran back out into the surrounding field where, thank God, Sam was waiting for us.

"You two got everything?" I asked.

Sam laughed. "Even if I don't, I'm not going back in there to get it."

"Amen to that," said Colby.

"Alright," I said as I looked over from Colby to Sam. "Let's get back before Mom and Dad start to worry."