Random Writing

The Tree House

Prompt is first few sentences
*****
We found the abandoned tree house deep in the woods. We called a trapdoor in the floor out "emergency escape hatch." One day we actually had to use it. Though probably not for the reason you're thinking.
It wasn't our parents angry that we had stayed out past dark. It wasn't the old man whose backyard the tree house was in. It wasn't even Jack's younger brother who had one day followed us back here wanting to know where it was we always ran off to.
No.
It was something much more sinister than that.
~~~~~~
The sun is just beginning to sink below the horizon, streaks of orange and red painting the sky a golden color, when I first hear the noise. I lie on my back, my head propped on my best friend's legs, staring up at the sky.
"Did you hear that?" I ask sitting up on my elbows. I brush a strand of hair out of my face as I turn to look at him. He sits in a relaxed position, his arms out behind him propping him up. "Jack?"
He turns to me, confused. "What?"
"I said did you hear that?" Jack never listens. He's always off in his own world, his mind occupied by some far-off fantasy.
Jack shakes his head. "Hear what?"
I open my mouth to reply but am cut off by a rustling sound too distinct to be only the wind and too loud to be only a small woodland animal. I point out behind me, toward one of the windows in our roofless hideaway. "That."
He shakes his head again. "Liz, I think you're going crazy." He grins, his face transforming into one that only I get to see, into one that he hides around everyone else. "If you'd like," he says the smile staying put, "I can go make sure the boogey-man isn't going to pop up out of nowhere."
I frown. "I'm not kidding, jerk. Listen." I crawl toward the window and peer out. It isn't long before I feel Jack come up next to me.
The woods are silent as night should be and the sky is calm, like the waters of a still mountain lake. Nothing is out of place. Nothing is different than it always is. Everything is quiet.
"Liz, are you sur-"
I silence him with a slap on the shoulder. There it is again. The rustling in the bushes, though nothing moves. I hit Jack's shoulder again over and over to get his attention. I don't know where it's coming from, but I point out the window, toward... something.
"There," I whisper grabbing onto his jacket.
The noise sounds again, this time louder, closer, stronger. And again, there is no sign of a source.
I look over at Jack whose eyes have widened to the size of saucers. His gaze flits to me, the fear plain in his eyes, before jumping toward the window once more. It's obvious now. He can hear it too.
Shuffling back from the window, I move toward the lone rug, which has served as a bed more often than not during warm summer nights, and peel back the corner. A brass handle comes into view, the metal rusted almost beyond use though I know it still opens. There is a slight outline, a small square barely big enough for me to slip through without struggle.
"Jack!" I whisper-yell. He turns to me and, when he sees the handle, shuffles toward me as quietly as he can. Unfortunately it is not quiet enough because again, I hear the noise. Louder, closer, stronger.
I pull up the hatch, and usher him forward. If he goes first and gets stuck, I can help push him through. Following my thoughts, he scoots forward and dangles his legs through the hole slowly, slowly lowering himself down.
It is easy to tell when his leg hits the first rung on the ladder because the tension in his arms relaxes slightly. Step by step he climbs to the ground only getting stuck once before touching down. "Your turn."
At that moment, the worst moment, fear grabs hold of me. I can't move. My muscles seize up, my lungs clench and I can't breathe. Then I hear it- louder, closer, stronger- and am snapped back to reality. I move at lightning speed, slinging myself through the hole and toward the ground in the blink of an eye.
That is my first mistake.
I land on top of Jack, tackling him to the ground. He shouts out in surprise, only silenced when he smacks the ground and the air is knocked out of him. His eyes widen. My gaze snaps out around us to the bushes and trees and tall grass, all of which could be hiding whatever it is making the rustling noise.
My second mistake is not running as soon as my feet hit the floor. I instead wait to help Jack up, making sure he is calm enough not to make a sound when we do finally attempt to make our escape. That slight pause, the thirty seconds it takes for me to climb off of Jack and him to climb up from the floor, is all it takes for the noise to sound again. Louder, closer, stronger.
I turn toward the noise and finally, finally see it. A shadow stands out in the woods staring right at me and Jack. He is completely still, seemingly not even breathing. He just stands there, staring.
"Jack," I say my voice coming out in a whimper. "Jack!"
I turn toward my friend and he is frozen. His eyes are wide, his mouth is open in a small 'o' and he is not moving. I tug on his sleeve trying to snap him out of it. I don't know how long we have before the shadow decides he is done watching.
When Jack still doesn't move, I realize I have a choice. I can either leave him here and ensure my own safety, abandoning my best friend of seventeen years. Or I can wait with Jack and see what happens with the figure in the trees.
I close my eyes, the tears finally coming, and when I finally get up the nerve to open the again, I wish I hadn't.
The shadow is immensely closer, at least fifty feet, and now I can make out its eyes. Its red, glowing eyes. Just like that, my decision is made.
I grab Jacks arm and take off, dragging him with me. Thankfully he snaps out of whatever trance he was in and starts running with me.
Running.
Running.
Running.