"This is just great! I've always wanted to be trapped in a Russian elevator for my summer with my co-workers, my sister's ex's sister, and a couple of kids including the ice cream twerp! It's just what I wanted to do all summer!"
"Well, look on the...
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Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Holloway House
(The Flayed, Pt. 5)
***
Just like when she'd seen it two days ago, the Holloway house appeared normal to Cami.
But Cami guessed that was the idea—to have everything appear normal so that no one realised that an inter-dimensional, shadowy monster was possessing an entire family, just like it would have people not be suspicious of the other people it managed to Flay until it completed whatever plans it had that involving those people.
Which probably involved killing all of the Party. Which was nice to think about. Totally not frightening at all.
It was in the forefront of Cami's mind as they got out of the car and headed up to the front door. Hugin remaining on Alistair's shoulder—the street was empty, and with the new revelation the Mind Flayer could possess animals along with how even ghosts were panicking, her best friend wasn't taking any chances. Not like Cami could blame him—if she could, Annie would be with her right now.
But that wasn't important right now. Cami couldn't focus on Annie, on her family—on her missing sister. Not when she needed to worry about the Holloways more.
As they crowded on the doorstep, Nancy rang the doorbell. When there was no response, she rang it again. When the door remained firmly closed, she and Jonathan turned to El. The telekinetic girl looked at the door, and with a jerk of her head, it opened.
It creaked inward, almost like something from a horror movie, and they crept inside as Nancy called out, "Tom? Heather?"
The minute Cami stepped foot, she shivered. Dios, it was cold inside.
"Jesus, it's freezing," Max muttered, registering the cold as well as they headed deeper, as fear pricked at Cami and left goosebumps on her skin that cold wasn't responsible for. Even in summer, for the house to be so cold...
It couldn't mean anything good.
As they headed further into the freezing and so-far empty house, Cami smelled it—a sharp, sterile smell, so powerful it made Cami's head spin. She coughed on it, almost gagging on the smell, as Nancy asked, "Do you guys smell that?"
No one gave a response, but it was still clear they all did as they followed after it.
What Cami saw was something she knew would never leave her mind for as long as she lived.
"Oh. Oh God," Nancy muttered, holding a hand to her mouth—as they all did, staring at the kitchen.
There were opened bottles of cleaning products and chemicals everywhere, contents spilled all over the place. On the kitchen counter, a part of it had been corroded so thoroughly it was peeling, the edges blackened and eaten away at. Toxic aqua dripped down the sides, and the smell of so many different chemicals combined into one overwhelming force, so powerful and so strong that Cami felt dizzy.
