"Yes! I win again!" Nole was absolutely creaming James at Combat Warrior Three: Revenge of the Aliens. Nole had just gotten this game two weeks ago on the release date. James remembers because they had waited outside the video game store all night long. They had brought a tent and everything. Even sleeping bags.
James's parents weren't exactly rich so it was nice going over Nole's house. He had a flatscreen in the basemen with surround sound and gaming chairs. Headsets, controllers. It was a nerd's dream come true.
The shooting sounds came from the speakers and James could hear the character crying out in pain.
"Man, can you believe that Mr. Barton would give me detention. I was literally two minutes late."
Nole shrugged his shoulders as he pressed the controllers button. James watched as his character died for the fourth time.
"I don't know man. You were late a bunch of times...and I won, again."
James tossed the controller he had in his hands and flopped back into the couch.
"You are really going to take Mr. Barton's side?"
Nole shook his head. "Not his side, dude. I'm just spitting facts."
James got up and stretched. He made his way to the back of the basement. The old refrigerator hummed as it held onto dear life.
James swung the door open and could smell the must. He grabbed another can of watermelon fuzz energy drink and opened it.
"You know, you've really gotta replace this."
Nole glanced over at James and nodded. "I know man. But my mom doesn't want to get rid of it. Says it has sentimental value or something. I'm not even sure. It belonged to my grandpa."
James looked perplexed. "Your grandpa?" He took another swig of his drink and sat back down on the couch.
It was cold and exactly what he needed. He chugged half of it and made his way back to the couch.
Nole was still focused on the game. Playing solo now.
"Yeah, did I ever tell you the story of what they think happened to my grandpa? Some fourty years ago?"
James placed the drink on the coaster on the coffee table and sat up now.
He shook his head.
Nole paused the game and carefully put the controller on the end table next to him.
"Apparently, according to my mom, he went out to get some more salsa and chips for the birthday party they were throwing for my mom. And I guess, well, he never came home."
He cleared his throat.
"They never found his body, or car. Nothing. Poof, like magic." He motioned with his hands as if presenting a magic trick.
My mom still to this day doesn't know what happened to her dad. For a long time she believed that they had abandoned them but my grandma doesn't think so. You know the crazy thing is, he disappeared before I was born. They still have hope that he's alive...but I have a different theory."
James raised an eyebrow and moved further back into the couch cushion.
"This outta be interesting."
Nole cleared his throat as if he were presenting a project before the class.
"Well, you know that old manor up on Cresent Hill? The one that's had that rumor going around for like close to one-hundred years now?
James considered this, "The one about the cult that kidnapped all those people and murdered them?"
Nole chuckled and shook his head, "Well, that's one theory. But not mine..."
Nole adjusted himself, "I think those people are still alive. And are trapped someone in some alternate dimension. They can't get out and have been stuck there ever since."
James looked at Nole as if he had lost his mind. "What are you talking about man?
Nole's eyes got hard and he gripped the side of the couch.
"Dude, I don't know. I'm not supposed to say anything but...please don't think I'm crazy..."
There was hesitation in his voice.
James sensed it.
"Spit it out. The anticipation is killing me."
Nole got up and went to the back of the basement. James could hear noise of clanking and him rummaging around for something.
He came back carrying some sort of object.
"I found this in the woods a couple months ago. Didn't think much of it until recently...when I started hearing voices."
James eyes got wide, "voices?"
"Yeah man, voices." The last word hung in the air like stale bread nobody wanted to taste.
James got up and started pacing back and forth. Confused yet oddly curious. And afraid.
"So, what do you mean you could hear voices?"
Nole glanced down at the old camera he had found. There was no rust or damage to it, almost as if someone had taken it out of time and placed it in the woods for him to find.
It was a solid black color with a long rim at the end. There was a turning tool on the side with a crank.
Nole had no idea how to use this thing.
"It looks brand new."
Nole passed it to James who carefully picked it up as to not break it.
This thing was old
Was this the real deal?
Could this be from back then?
Could those people still be alive and trapped?
So many thoughts were rushing through James's head. Too many questions and not nearly enough answers.
"Wait, so...where were you when you heard these voices? And who were they?"
Nole sighed and scratched the back of his head.
"Well, I was down in the basement looking for something I forget what but I started to hear muffling sounds, like talking."
"At first, I thought it was my mom or something but then I realized that the voices were closer to me."
James sat down on the couch again and started biting his nail. He was staring off into space now, thinking.
"And well, I thought I was hearing things until one of the voices said my name. That's what really got me freaked out."
James shot his head up.
"Your name? You heard your name?" His voice cracked, almost in disbelief.
Noel nodded.
"Clear as day. It was faint though but I heard it. It sounded like a female. She asked for help."
"It was the weirdest experience of my life."
James paused.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Nole sat down on the couch too, taking a swig of his energy drink.
"Because man, everyone would have thought I was crazy."
James glanced over at the camera, which was now resting on the coffee table.
"Probably...it makes you wonder though."
"Dude, it's been haunting me since it happened. I need to find out what happened. I need to know."
James picked the camera up and examined it.
"You don't suppose this was placed out in the woods, on purpose...for you to find do you?"
Nole let out a snort.
"Everyday. I am without a doubt certain that whoever put it there, did so on purpose."
James started fiddling with the button on the side, trying to get it to work.
"Man, what are you doing? Don't do that. I don't want any bad energy coming here if you start messing around with that thing."
James shot him a look, "Relax, dude. It's just a camera. What could possibly go wrong?"
James peered through the little port to take a picture. He placed his finger over the button and pushed down.
A loud hissing sound escaped the side of the camera.
That was odd.
Cameras don't make noises like that.
That's when he saw it. A snake, serpent looking creature peering right back at him through the camera.
He dropped it and the camera fell to the floor.
James couldn't believe it. What the heck was that thing?
It had yellow eyes with a long tongue that ran out of its mouth.
Sharp jagged teeth and split eyes that were slanted.
The look on James's face prompted Nole to react.
"What did you see man?"
James shook his head.
"Something evil. It looked like a snake with yellow eyes and sharp teeth but it also looked like, human. Kind of."
Nole sunk further into the couch cushion.
"We have to tell Ethan. He'll be able to draw it."
James nodded in disagreement. "No way man. He'll think we're both nuts."
Nole stared at him directly, "James, it's the only way. I need to proof I'm right. I need to find out what happened to my great-great grandfather."
"Alright, I guess. But if we get caught or something gets messed up..." James trailed off. He didn't even want to think or finish the sentence.
What if something happens to him? What if, this creature finds them...
"James, you know what this means, right?"
James dreaded the next sentence.
"It means we'll have to break into the police station. We have to read those case files on all those missing people from the manor. I can take my dad's keys, we can sneak out in the middle of the night. Nobody will know."
James just stared at Nole with a blank expression.
"That's a bad idea, man. What if we get caught? What if something happens to us, with that thing I saw in the camera?"
Nole sighed, "Relax man. We'll be alright. We'll take Ethan with us. Maybe we could invite that chick you've been crushing on for half the year."
James face flushed.
He looked at the clock. 4:30 in the morning. The hand on the clock ticked away as they both sat in silence. The noise from it was deafening.
"We'll see. Hey man, it's almost five in the morning. Let's sleep on it and we can talk about it more in the morning, alright?"
Nole nodded and then his eyes got wide.
"Man, you know what this means. We'll have to break into the police station, steal the files on those missing people and go to the manor..." His words trailed off.
James looked at him, stunned.
"What did you say? Break into the police station, are you insane?"
Nole smirked.
"I may be just this once, but I know what we have to do. It's the only way. I know those people didn't just disappear. They are still alive."
Suddenly, the camera that had been silently resting on the coffee table suddenly started vibrating.
The noise became louder, almost shaking the coffee table itself.
They both looked at each other, not believing what they were seeing.
"What the--"
The words were cut off as two black shadows emerged from the lens of the camera.
They were the blackest of black. Their thin silhouettes starting to form into people. If you could even call them people.
Then it happened.
Their eyes began forming into white orbs in the darkness.
Then, their features became visible.
Eyes, ears nose and mouth.
Torso, arms and legs. Then feet.
James immediately recognized their clothing--it looked like it was from 1956.
Suit for the gentleman with a short rimmed hat and a feather on the side.
The woman had on a gold and white looking dress with long sequins lining the bottom of it.
Her mossy brown hair just visible under the black laced hat she bore. Her red lipstick was the only thing that actually stuck out to James.
They were perfect.
They both smiled at Nole and James, completely unaware that they weren't in their time period.
Completely unaware that they weren't actually alive, in the present...James didn't even know what they were. Stuck in limbo? He didn't know.
So many questions flooded his mind at this very moment.
Then there was a gargling sound. The man went down first. Blood oozing from his throat as a clear line brazed his pale skin.
James watched as the man clutched his throat in agony. Their screams silent as they were being murdered by some unknown entity they couldn't see.
Nole looked over at James in horror.
Their expressions matched each others.
What the heck was going on.
Then it was the woman's turn.
Her dress began to bleed red in five places, blood pouring out now. All over the carpet.
She went down, clutching her wounds. Her screams silent.
Then they were gone.
At the flash of a light, the camera stopped shaking.
Then there was nothing but silence.