The House

Chapter Six:

Will's POV:

I expected Charlie to come get me maybe one year later after he got a job, a girlfriend maybe, and his own place, but sure enough sister Mary called me down two days later to say someone was here to adopt me. I was so excited I ran down the stairs without grabbing any of my things.

"Charlie!" I ran over to him where he was standing by the desk signing papers.

"Woah, hey Will," he was smiling as he hugged me too.

"Will where are your things?" Sister Mary was standing awkwardly around the desk as two of her quietest children couldn't stop laughing.

"Oh, yea." I ran back upstairs and quickly grabbed my clothes, my shoes, and my jacket.

I ran back downstairs and sister Mary handed me a backpack, which I just shoved my clothes in.

"Bye sister Mary, thank you!" I was in such a good mood which left her stunned because she could just wave at me with her mouth opened.

I trotted down the steps with Charlie following me. I can't stop grinning with the fact that it only took two days.

"Woah kid slow down, you don't even know where we're going yet," I turn around to see Charlie trying to catch up with me.

"Well where are we going? How did you get a place so soon? Where did you get the money? What job did you get already? Wait do you have a girlfriend or something? Is she rich?" I have no possible idea to how he could've got a house that soon.

"I'll tell you everything after we get to my place. First we need to get some food, water, maybe blankets."

"Don't you have that at your girlfriend's house?" The only logical explanation is that he has a girlfriend.

Instead of answering me he just laughs a little bit and keeps walking.

We go to the only grocery store in town, and as promised Charlie answers none of my questions. We buy some food, two cases of water, some pillowcases, lots of blankets, and some tools.

We're walking in silence when he turns down a weird looking alley.

"Um, Charlie is this a shortcut or something?"

"You could say that. Listen it gets pretty dark in here but when that happens just keep walking straight ok."

"Um ok," I see what he means when I start following him down the alley.

Soon I can't see my feet, or the end, and I'm worried I'll trip and fall, spilling everything we just bought.

"Charlie?" I'm hoping this is some joke and he'll turn on a light or something.

"Keep walking you're almost there." I can hear Charlie pretty far ahead of me.

Then I weird vines that are pushed back at the end of the alley letting in enough light for me to see I won't trip or fall.

As I burst out of the alley I see a huge house ahead of us.

"Is that yours. There's no way that's yours."

"Actually it is mine, and now I guess yours."

"How'd you get it? Do you have a job? In two days, I can't believe it. This place is bigger than the orphanage."

We start walking on a path leading to the house, on both sides there's a hell of a lot of wheat, as far as the eye can see.

We finally get to the porch and I set everything down as I sit in a little rocking chair.

"Ok well, I guess you wanna know what's going on don't you?" Charlie sits on the little bench setting his stuff on the table.

"Um, is that even a question?"

Charlie laughs and sits back, like he's ready to give a long explanation. Which is what I need.

"Well, after I left I was walking through town when this really old really weird guy asked if I wanted a house. Now listen this part gets kinda weird but don't interrupt me ok. So anyways he's like I have this place and it can be all yours, if you run a haunted house."

At that point I start to laugh out loud.

"Stop. So at first I was skeptical for obvious reasons, but yesterday I went around the house and I have a really good plan on how to do this and I'm sure it would work. The weird guy said we have two months, which is great because that means it would start right before October."

"Charlie that's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Tell me the truth on how you got this place." I'm trying not to laugh at his crazy story.

"Seriously you don't believe me? Listen this place used to be some crazy person asylum, but one day one of the guys got out, killed all of the nurses, and let all the crazy people go. They never tore it down or anything but they kept it shut down. They didn't even clean the place. Also there was a cannibal and a lot of the people he was eating are currently rotting in the kitchen. Anyways I think that they used to do tests on some of the crazies to see if they could fix them or something because there's a lot of needles, chains, and shackles around the place."

"Ok, I'm going to assume you're telling the truth, how do you expect to run a haunted house here," this is definitely the craziest story he has ever told me, but it's a pretty good one.

"I'm glad you asked that Willy. Again my plan's gonna sound crazy but I just need you to listen for a while ok."

"Yea sure ok Charlie."

"Ok, so I was thinking about it, and what does every haunted house have? Actors. Actors cost money, we don't have money. This is the crazy part, what about kidnapping a couple people, torturing them, stuff like that to make them look like really good actors. Eventually we'll let them go once we make enough money to have our own place."

I wait for a few minutes to see if Charlie is joking, or if his face will change, or anything like that but it doesn't. He just stares at me with a blank expression.

"Well, what do you think?" He looks at me hopefully.

"Would I have to torture anyone or anything like that." Just saying that makes my stomach turn into a big not.

Charlie smiles the creepiest smile I have ever seen, but I cant help but feel a sense of pride knowing I made him smile.

"I'd love to take care of all of the dirty work for you Will."

With that Charlie is up and walking inside carrying the bags of stuff we just bought.