Ghost town

Chapter 1

Alyssa took a long drink out of her water bottle, then sat it down next to her gym bag. Stepping back onto the treadmill, she continued her daily workout, thinking about the conversation she had with her best friend, Tammy, yesterday.

They were sitting on Tammy's bed, which was littered  with tissues and potato chip crumbs, talking about  how just the day before, Alyssa walked in on her long-term  boyfriend Steve, in bed with another girl.
"Why don't you come with us, get your mind off things?" asked Tammy, as she pulled her long blond hair jnto a ponytail. "I don't know Tammy, maybe I should just go to mom's for the week" Alyssa said as she pulled the comforter up over he chest. "Or maybe I'll just stay here in bed and die!" She sobbed pitifully.

Throwing a pillow at Alyysa, Tammy exclaimed "Oh no you don't! You are not gonna let that... jerk ruin your well earned vacation . Its spring break for crying out loud!"

For the past week Tammy has been going on and on about the weird disappearances in and around the area of Claireview. She plans on spending  her spring break investigating the disappearances, and exploring the town itself.

Clairview was once a small but thriving community of about 2000 people that lay 50 miles north of the Miskakee River. It, like many other mining towns, flourished for the better part of the 20th century. Then, suddenly, about 20 years ago, the entire population of the town suddenly vanished. Their belongings abandoned, Cars still parked  in their driveways. their beds were made, and dinner  tables set with entire meals, abandoned untouched. It was as if everyone judt simply vanished. Even photo albums and other mementos were left behind. Prior to their  disappearance, residents reported pets and livestock going missing, only to be found days later, mutilated at the edge of the forest that bordered the eastern edge of the town. Urban Legends say that a red eyed beast toremented residents for several months prior to their disappearance. Altough popular belif is that people simply walked away from the town due to lack of employment sinfe thw mine shut down, but noone really knows the real story about what happened to that town, or its people. Tammy is determined to be the first to find out the truth.

" Who is all going?" Alyssa asked.
"Me, Tim and Jared."
Seeing Alyssa hesitate she added, "Come on Aly, please ? It'll  be fun, I promise." Tammy dramatically got on her knees and stuck her bottom lip out and pouted. "Pretty puh-lease?"
Alyssa knew that Tammys twin brother Tim would be going since he is the only one of the group who owns a car, and he has a ton of surveillance  equipment that Tammy can use for her investgation.

Pushing her dark lochs of hair from her tear stained face Alyssa  laughed and said "Ok ok, I'll go!" and threw the pillow back at Tammy, who caught it and smiled comically at her. "You won't  regret it, I promise!"

Alyssa broke from her reverie and glanced around, noting that someone had just entered the dimly lit room. Inwardly, she groaned. She chose to work out in the early morning so she could do it without an audience.  Glancing at her watch, she realized  that Tammy would  be picking her up in less then an hour, she sighed and headed towards the empty locker room.