Shadows Of Crestview High

Chapter 5:The Door Is Open

It was the next afternoon, and the group had returned to the theater, eager to continue cleaning up, but the unease from the previous day still lingered. They hadn't talked about the strange incident with the basement door, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand. The idea of reopening the theater was still exciting-at least, that's what Leo kept telling himself.

Leo was mopping the stage floor, trying to keep his mind occupied. He dragged the mop across the dusty floor, listening to the swish of the water and the faint creaks of the old building settling. The theater was starting to look better, less abandoned, but it was hard to shake the feeling that something was off.

As he worked, his eyes wandered across the room, eventually landing on the pile of furniture they had stacked in front of the basement door. The barricade was still there, blocking the hidden door just as they had left it. Leo's hand gripped the mop a little tighter. He hadn't told the others, but the slamming door and the strange feeling he got in that basement had been bothering him all night.

He was about to look away when something caught his eye-a tiny gap between the pieces of furniture, just big enough to see through. He paused, squinting at the hole, and that's when he saw it.

The door was open.

Leo's heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his throat as his brain tried to process what he was seeing. The door they had so carefully blocked off, the one that had slammed shut by itself the day before, was now standing slightly ajar behind he barricade.

"No way," Leo whispered to himself, taking a few steps closer to the pile of furniture, his eyes glued to the small opening. The door was definitely open-just enough for a sliver of darkness to creep out from the basement beyond.

His mind raced. They had blocked it off, piled heavy furniture in front of it. No one had touched it since. So how...?

Leo's pulse quickened, his chest tightening with the growing sense of dread. He turned to the others, who were scattered around the theater working on their own tasks. "Guys," he called, his voice shaking a little. "The door's open."

Will, who had been sweeping near the entrance, looked up with a confused expression. "What?"

"The door is open," Leo repeated, louder this time, his voice more urgent. "The door is open!"

Erin and Marcus, who had been organizing old props in the back of the room, stopped what they were doing and turned to face him. They both looked puzzled, not understanding what Leo was trying to say.

"What are you talking about?" Marcus asked, wiping the dust from his hands. "We blocked that thing off yesterday."

Leo, not waiting for them to come closer, dropped the mop and rushed toward the barricade. He pointed to the tiny hole between the furniture, his heart pounding in his chest. "Look! Just look!"

Will, Erin, and Marcus exchanged uneasy glances before slowly walking over to where Leo stood, peering through the small gap in the furniture.

"What the...?" Will muttered under his breath as his eyes widened.

Sure enough, the basement door, which had been firmly sealed and blocked off the day before, was now open. The thick, musty air seemed to seep out from the dark space beyond the door, sending a chill through the room. The hole wasn't big enough to see much, but it was clear-the door had been opened from the inside.

"That's impossible," Erin whispered, taking a step back. "There's no way it could've opened. We blocked it with half the room."

Marcus stood frozen, staring at the door in disbelief. "Who...who could've opened it?"

Leo shook his head, still in shock. "No one's been here since yesterday. It was locked when we left. There's no way anyone could've gotten inside."

Will, always the one to break the tension with humor, tried to crack a smile but failed. "Okay, now I'm officially creeped out."

Leo felt the panic rising in his chest. The door hadn't just opened-it felt like it had been waiting for them, like something from the other side had unlocked it. He could feel the same eerie presence he had felt the day before, only stronger now, as if the darkness beyond the door was watching them.

"We need to block it again," Leo said quickly, turning to his friends. "We need to close it and make sure it stays closed this time."

Erin, who had been nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot, nodded. "Yeah. Definitely. Let's just... let's just block it off."

Marcus was already moving, grabbing a heavy chair from the side of the room and dragging it toward the pile. Will followed suit, grabbing more furniture to add to the barricade.

But as they worked, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. The door had opened on its own once. What if it happened again? What if blocking it off wasn't enough?

As they finished reinforcing the barricade, the boys stood back, staring at the now heavily fortified door. No one said anything for a moment, the silence in the theater was thick and heavy.

Leo finally broke the silence. "We need to talk to someone. Maybe the principal, maybe someone who knows more about this place. Something's not right with this theater."

Will, still trying to keep calm but clearly rattled, nodded. "Yeah, I think you're right. There's something seriously messed up going on here."

Erin crossed his arms, his face pale. "I'm done with this place. I'm not coming back here until we figure out what's going on."

Marcus just stared at the blocked-off door, his expression grim. "I don't think we should've opened that door in the first place."

Leo agreed. Whatever was behind that door, whatever had opened it, wasn't something they could ignore anymore. They needed answers. But for now, all they could do was hope that the door stayed shut-and that whatever was on the other side stayed where it belonged.