Monroe House

Ending It

The teens stumbled through the glass and debris, taking in the disheveled state of the old building. Julia leened out of the window, watching their friends stave off the remaining brothers.
"We have to hurry. I don't know how much longer they can hold them off".
"Ok". Chris nodded and flipped open the match book, handing a couple of them to Julia. Chris slowly crept towards the kitchen and took out his phone, activating the flashlight- the proper flashlight long since abandoned in the woods.
Julia looked around for something to burn when a loud creeking noise caught her attention. She looked up and watched as the basement door creeped open. The teen girl froze, shakily pulling out her own phone and used it to light her way. She wasn't sure if she should investigate it solo. She was about to call Chris over, but was interrupted when a chorus of familiar whispers called to her once more.
"Down here".
"Quickly".
"She won't stay away forever".
"You have to tell our story".
Julia shakily walked over and stood in the open doorway. Chris rounded the corner and stared at her, pale as a sheet. "What was that", he asked. Julia just pointed down the staircase.
"I think we have to go down".
Chris joined her by the door and gave her a weary look. They huffed and began their desent down the rotting staircase. Their phones' flashlights scarcely lit up their surroundings. However, it was enough to allow them to get a fair look at the damp room. The walls and ceiling were lined with mold and mildew. The small windows were caked in dirt and cobwebs. The concrete floor was cracked; weeds poked themselves through the jagged crevasses. Sitting in the middle of the broken floor, was a lone video camera.
Its' gray shine had dimmed and cobwebs invaded its' entiredy, coating the lens and handle. The screen of the device was open and slightly cracked. The teens slowly approached it. Julia bent down to pick it up.
"Do you think it's one of theirs"? Chris questioned.
"Maybe".
As if on cue, the camera powered on by itself. The duo jumped in surprise, nearly dropping it. It crackled to life and showed them footage of someone entering the house.

'No-one has ever made it this far before. And we'll be the first to show the world what this place really looks like. I, Kendall Phillips, am about to make the first daring steps'!

"So, this is Kendall's camera". Chris confirmed. The pair watched Kendall dramatically enter the building and listened as he boisterously commented on the state of the house. Wonder aloud at the possiblity of bodies in the walls and joke that the house was its' own black hole. He was cut short when they heard the same creeking of the door Julia had noticed earlier.
Kendall poked his head out from the kitchen and zoomed in on the open door. Kendall's cocky demeanor melted away and nervousness took its' place. He inched his way toward the entrance and called for his friends.

'Wayne? Carmen? Guys? You down there'?

Silence answered him back. Kendall sucked in a deep breath and walked down the stairs. His trembling breaths were the only thing they could hear as he studied the empty and overgrown basement. Julia and Chris watched as the camer panned around the room slowly. A crash erupted behind Kendall, who whipped around to find nothing. A low chuckled followed it as it bounced around the small space. Kendall's movements quickened as he spun in frantic circles as more crashes and laughter danced around him.
Suddenly, the camera fell to the ground as Kendall yelped in surprise. The room was sikent for a several minutes before they heard Wayne call for Kendall. Rapid footfalls cascaded halfway down the steps before Wayne gasped loudly, before the room fell silent again. Carmen's voice came next, calling for her friends where they eventually ended in a scream from upstairs. Finally, Justin could be heard calling for his sister, his voice growing more and more frantic. Faint crying could be heard upstairs before they ended in a scream. The video was silent for a final time before the video ended. Julia and Chris stared in horror at the now blue screen. Julia slowly closed the camera while Chris began to pace, his hands shook as he attempted to wrap his brain around what he just witnesses.
"Where'd they go. They couldn't have just vanished into thin air, Jules. So, where'd they put them"?!
"I don't know. I don't know what Charlotte did with them".
"Maybe they...", Chris's panicked rant was interrupted when the sound of grinding concrete startled the pair.
They whipped around and took note of a broken off section of the floor was moved tp reveal the damp dirt floor under it. Poking out from the soil was the one thing they had both dreaded and hoped for; a withered, mummified hand hand. Julia swallowed a large lump in her throat and reached for Chris, he in-turn reached for her hand and gripped it tightly. A few more slabs slid out of place; revealing a boney leg. The hood of a hoodie with blonde hair nestled in it. And the most gruesome one of all, the face of who they presumed was Justin. The sunken face was frozen in terror and auburn hair peeked through the dirt. Julia felt nausious. She covered her mouth and hid her face behind his shoulder. Chris himself trembled and he struggled to stand still as his legs wobbled. The faint whispers kicked up again before the teens could form a proper thought.
"Burn it".
"Hurry".
"She knows you know".
"Go"!
Without wasting another second, they turned and flew up the steps. Chris stopped halfway and pulled out a few matches and tossed them on the dried out steps. The house rumbled with an otherworldy scream. Julia found some large fragments of wood and furniture, setting them alight and tossing them up the stairs and into the back of the house.
"Ok, that should be good! Let's go"! Chris hollered above the crackling flames, leading Julia towards the shattered window. Before they could leap through it, an unseen force threw them into the middle of the main living room. Julia landed hard on her back and halted; hugging the video camera tightly to her chest. Chris soared over her and slammed into the neighboring wall and slumped over unconcious.
Julia sat up, ready to aid her fallen friend, when a plume of black smoke abruptly landed infront of her. It cleared instantly, revealing the enraged face of Charlotte Monroe.
"YOU INSOLENT BRATS! YOU COME ONTO MY LAND AND BURN DOWN OUR HOME?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE"?!
The ghostly witch ferociously extended her palm at Julia, pinning her to the floor without even having to touch her. "IF WE'RE CONDEMNED TO HELL, YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE JOINING US"!
The witch cackled loudly as Julia stiffled a sob. The ear-splitting laughter was abruptly cut-off when a loud squelch and gargle came out of the spector's mouth instead. The force holding Julia down was lifted and she was able to scuttle backwards, cluthing the camera tightly. Charlotte's entire physique started to glow an orange hue and small flames started to encase her body. She staggered away, revealing a flaming piece of wood impaled into her back.
Chris stood behind her, panting and holding his bleeding head. He shook his dizziness away and seized Julia, yanking her to her feet and toward the window.

While this was happening, the rest of the group were on their last legs. Hunter had recieved a blow to the eye, Caleb had a gash on his shoulder, soaking his sleeve in crimson, and Candy twisted her ankle while trying to dodge the sharp end of a knife from Johnny and now had to be aided by Layla so she could simply stand up straight.
Their movements slowed and their injuries made them stall. The possessed duo took noticed and prepared to put an end to the frantic squable. The commanding glow and heat of the fire engulfing the house distracted both parties. The teens stared in awe, while the brothers grimaced in dispair and anger. A final screech rocked the Earth. The quaking continued even after the screams had died down, sending the exhausted and injured group sprawling to the floor. The drumming sounds were replaced by the unmistakeable hissing of the ground beginning to split apart.
The cracks split open wider; screams and enraged yowling burst out of the jagged openings. What happened next absolutely floored the teens with shock. Mummified and rotted figures began to crawl out from the newly created craters. They wore torn and faded period clothing and had the appearence of tattered skeletons. They gurgled and growled as they made their way to the possessed duo, avoiding the quivering high schoolers all-together. They exclaimed in alarm as their undead victims wrapped themselves around them and dragged both the vessels and possessors below the soil, screaming the entire way. A black cloud zipped out of the blazing house, two more flew out of the trees. They soared around frantically before they too were sucked into the vast line of crevasses; screaming as they struggled to escape. Soon, they were dragged out of site along with Gavin's lifeless corpse.
The teens couldn't even blink properlly before a symphony of pained and fearfull howls echoed from all around them. One of the owners of the mournful sounds came galloping out of the treeline and made a beline for the group. It managed to get a few feet away when a new cluster of withered arms flung themselves onto the bipedal canine and pulled it beneathe ground as the craters slid closed; jostling the stunned gang in their spot.
The air fell silent and only their panting and the crackling of the fire could be heard. That was soon taken over by the confused shouts and curses as the teens looked at one-another. Layla quieted the chaos when she shot up-right and pointed toward the house.
"Look! Guy, look"!
Everyone followed her gaze just in time to watch Chris push Julia out of the window and followed her soon after. The second they cleared the steps the quakes picked back up and was, this time, paired with a strong wind. The group shakily got to their feet.
"RUN"! Julia yelled, sprinting to her friends.
Hunter grabbed Candy and lifted her onto his back. The teens charged out of the vast clearing and into the treeline, trampling the foliage. They surged passed the cryptic boulder, through the long pathway and eventually made it to the bonfire site. Julia skidded to a stop when her sights landed on the scattered bodies of the partiers from earlier.
She continued to gawk at the grissly sight until Layla snathched her wrist and dragged her to the forest's exit. A deafening boom echoed from deep within the forest, the shockwave traveling at an alarming speed toward the fleeing high schoolers. It stampeded its' way forword, knocking the group to the floor for the final time.
They gasped and panted; trembling and tearing up as they slowly realized that the night's frightening ordeal had come to an official end. They laughed and hugged eachother; crying into one-another's clothing. They stayed like that for several minutes until Chris suddenly grabbed Julia's arm.
"Do you still have it"? Julia held up the camera proudly.
"I got it".