A Gothic Horror

5

"This isn't happening! This isn't happening! This isn't happening!"

Ashley kept panting those words over and over again. Sarah lay her hand on her friend's shoulder in an attempt to calm her but Ashley just pushed it away and darted off into the darkness. 

The British girl could hear her stumble somewhere in the hall and then stand up again and run on.

"Wait!" Sarah yelled in her direction, "Ashley, stay here!" She came after her but Ashley didn't stop. Now, she seemed to be running down the stairs.

Ouch! Sarah had tumbled herself, slipping on some of the spilt wax. She stood up again and carried on. Right into the doorframe.

"Ahhh! Bloody..." She rubbed her nose. "Ashley! Please! Don't do this to me! Just come back here, will you?"

Had she heard her? At least Sarah couldn't hear her anymore.

"I'm coming down!" Sarah announced. Then, she turned on her phone to light her way and ran towards the stairs. She tripped. Finding nothing to grab onto she slid down all the way to the fourth floor and her phone smacked against the wall, turned black and then landed somewhere way way below her, giving a cracking sound.

Sarah cursed but she herself had been lucky. While she had scratches all over her body she had somehow managed not to break any bones.

Slowly, she got up. Huh. The apartment door was standing wide open right in front of her. Hadn't it been locked when they passed by it less than ten minutes ago? Was that psycho in there? Had he taken Ashley too? She trembled.

What could she do?

#

Sarah was knocking frantically at his door but Mr Schwartz seemed to be doing his best to ignore her.

"Mr Schwartz!" she yelled, "This is important!"

No answer.

"Hey! Could you please keep it quiet down there? There's people here who wanna sleep!"

Sarah jumped. That had been Ashley's voice! So she was still alive? Was she somewhere up there?

Whatever was going on here if Ashley was still not in the hands of the psycho they had to get back together! They didn't stand a chance if they tried to face him on their own!

Sarah decided to run upstairs and check on her friend. Where was she, though? Back in the apartment? She stopped. She was on the third floor now.

"Ashley!" she shouted, "Where are you?"

"Please! I'm trying to sleep!" — "Ashley, it's me!"

For a while, everything remained silent. Then, when she had almost given up, there came the answer.

"Sarah? Is that you? Come back up! That psycho—"

"Ashley!"

As fast as she could Sarah ran up the stairs — and stopped again on the fourth floor. The door was still wide open and she could see Ashley's silhouette standing in the bright red light that now was coming from somewhere behind her.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" — "Come back inside!" — "What?" — "Follow me!"

Ashley disappeared into the apartment. Sarah cleared her throat. Something weird was going on here! Why had Ashley gone back to this apartment? And why did the apartment suddenly feel... warmer? It wasn't as cold as it had been before and suddenly Sarah felt the strong urge to go inside.

She moved softly through the door as if she were in some kind of trance. The entire apartment was filled with a bright, red light and all the doors were wide open.

Where did that light come from?

"Go on! I'm right here!"

Ashley's voice was coming from the door on her left. The one that led to the room where they had discovered that the pentagrams had suddenly disappeared, less than an hour ago. Weird.

"On my way!" Sarah answered in a soft voice. All of her fears had suddenly faded and made way for a gentle wave of calm and confidence that was now flowing through her body.

As she reached the doorframe she could hear a woman's voice humming a peaceful melody. How lovely!

Mesmerised, she entered the room but there was no one inside. She tilted her head. "Ashley?"

A hand was grabbing her from behind.

"There you are!" Sarah said in relief as she turned around — and gave a start. There was something off about Ashley though she couldn't quite point to it.

"The others are waiting for you," Ashley explained, "you're late!"

Sarah nodded, "I guess you're right." — "Splendid!" — "What was that?" — "Awesome! ... Please, follow me!"

Ashley led Sarah into the neighbouring room. They had found a pentagram here too when they had first checked. Now the walls were... How to describe the walls? Illuminated maybe. No... no, that wasn't quite it... Glowing? Yes... Yes, that seemed adequate.

There were pentagrams there, right now! But they weren't painted there. So... technically they weren't there, right?

"Where have you been?" Josh asked. Had he been standing in front of her the entire time? And wasn't there something... off about him too?

"I've... been looking for you! And the others..."

"We're all right here, now!" Chris said, scratching his neck, "That's all that counts, right?"

Sarah nodded, "I guess so."

"Oh," Ashley exclaimed in excitement, "our host has arrived?"

Sarah gave her a puzzled look, "Host?" — "Right behind you!"

A long, dark shadow had started building up across the floor. Sarah shuddered. All of a sudden all that bliss and happiness disappeared and her doubts and fears returned with new strength. What was going on here? This was so weird! Why had she suddenly... She didn't dare... She... She would have to. To turn around.

Reluctantly, she turned her head. In that moment she realised what had bothered her about her friends in the last few moments.

"The eyes!" she exclaimed, "They aren't right!"

Then, she fainted.