He was my opposite – different in every way- but for some reason, we were inseparable. We never argued. We never fought. We just were. It had been a year. A long year filled with late nights and hugs that seemed to last forever. Our Friday nights huddled in the back of the van watching a movie neither of us had heard of. His Monday morning smiles telling me that it was going to be alright. His laugh, that I heard every day of the week. We were made of moments.
We were bridging the gap between Saturday and Sunday. Friday's kisses were still left on our lips and the previous night's warmth was stored in the sheets. Just lying there, watching re-runs of old television shows and smiling aimlessly. We were aimless. We had no direction. No plans for the future. We were made of moments. The in-betweens. The present.
We lived for each other.
That night, time had sped past us and nothing seemed to matter. Hungover from our love drunk night – we woke up, outside some sort of mansion. Vivi must have drove us there. I checked my planner – and this address showed up first on my list.
"Paranormal experiences" It read underneath the address.
It was our job to investigate the paranormal. Usually – I was used to creepy houses. But this place was more...intimidating than previous places I had visited. The sheer size of it had me shaking. Lewis's hand met mine – and I nodded. Nothing bad could happen when he had me. He protected me, and I protected him.
I was reluctant to go inside at first, but I let Lewis lead the way. It was dark. I held tighter to his hand, until we were basically one. Nothing would make me let go. We kept walking, passing corridors leading to rooms I didn't want to discover. Lewis didn't let go. I looked up at him, and we shared a look of encouragement. We would get through this.
The four of us encountered some form of crossroads. Lewis took me down the left path, assuring me that everything was going to be okay. I believed him. I always believed him.
The path was long. It grew darker. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. I was so small in this. I was so insignificant.
The path had opened up now, but at the end of the path the was a pit. Spikes pushed up from the ground, pointing at me. "Lewis! Let's go back!" I yelled, desperation flooding my voice. He couldn't hear me, he was leaning over the edge. He had seen something at the bottom of the pit. His eyes glinted with some sort of excitement. I didn't ask about what he had seen.
That's when I felt it.
It was painful. My arm pulsing for no real reason. I looked at Lewis – still calling for him to back away. Lewis shook his head. Just one moment.
I begged for him to come away before my anxiety acted up – but he wasn't having none of it. He told me to be quiet, to take deep breaths, that he's be with me in a second. I trusted him.
My arm was in even more pain than it was before now – and I couldn't resist the temptation to look any longer. What I saw was not my arm. It was a monster. I wanted to scream but my mouth was shut in fear.
Everything went blank for a moment. I can recall the small things. My scream, telling whatever it was that was in my arm to get out. The feeling of my hand against Lewis's back.
And then everything came back. I was watching him fall. I screamed louder than he did. The spikes killed him instantly – and I stood silently, staring blankly at his corpse. I shook my head.
No...he can't be dead.
Vivi came in soon after, Mystery following close behind her. The dog ran up to me, and I smiled weakly. This dog was what brought the three of us together. Mystery stopped, mid run, and stared at my arm.
They say dogs can smell fear. I must have reeked of it. Mystery opened his mouth and bit off my pulsing arm – gritting his teeth against my screams. They seemed to echo over every wall of this mansion. It hurt so badly. Like razors, or knives.
My arm was gone. Just like that. And...Lewis was dead. I tried to explain what happened but my mouth always dried up when Vivi asked how he fell. I didn't remember.
It took me a while – but then I realised.
I killed Lewis.
