Cotter Woods

Part 6

 "Okay, Summer, what should I wear?" Emma asked me, holding up a hot pink dress in her left hand and a black dress in her right. She was standing at the edge of my bed, looking in the mirror on my closet door.

"Emma, we're in eighth grade... the black one. Throw that other one away!" I laughed and layed down on my fluffy sheets. I loved this room, especially the view. New York is crowded but I am in love with the apartments. My room was all purple and blue and covered in things that I love. I had a huge portrait above my bed of all my friends too. Emma and I were in the middle, all the other girls standing around us. I remember the day we took that photo, like it was yesterday.

"Listen, I don't care how grown up we get, pink will always be my favorite color! But you're right. I need to look mature." She giggled and slipped on the black dress. It flowed past her knees and ended in a ruffle. "I'm going to wear these heels to the party, does it look good?" She put on a pair of black pumps and stared at  herself in the mirror. 

"Well, turn around!" She faced me, pretending to pose. "Hmm... all black?" She faced the mirror again, which I could only see her face in, from where I was sitting. "What are you going to a funeral?" I laughed.

Her eyes met mine in the reflection. "Well, aren't you?" she said smiling.

"What?" I sat up, I could now see her whole torso in the mirror. Her hands were by her chest, bright red and dripping.

"Because you killed them!" Her voice suddenly became louder.

"Emma! What's on your hands? What? Killed who?" I yelled at her. 

"You didn't warn them, Summer! And now they're all going to die!" She turned around and launched herself at me! I screamed, lashing at her, trying to get her off. "She's going to get them, Summer! Why didn't you warn them? Why didn't you?" She screamed at me.

Then, I woke up. I could feel beads of sweat dripping down my body, but I was so cold. My eyes still weren't focusing but I knew I was in a white room. Thank God! I'm back in my new house! We made it out!

"How are you feeling, Summer?" Diego's head popped up out of nowhere and I jumped. Quickly, reality crept into my vision. We were still in the asylum, in a room with a closed door. The window on the right side of the room provided barely any light, it was now dark outside. "I didn't mean to scare you, sorry!" He laughed and helped me stand up. "You knocked out, man. I guess you slipped on um... that puddle, and hit your head really hard." Diego scratched his neck and looked down, at the dark red shoes that were once white. I didn't remember what had happened to them until Diego said that, it made me want to throw up. That's when the face crossed my mind, the old woman! I have to tell them!

"Guys! Before I passed out... I saw someone else in here," I began.

"Someone else? What do you mean?" Avery asked anxiously.

"I-I think I saw a woman. She had a gown on. She was looking at me, us I suppose." 

"Summer, it was probably just one of us standing further back, in the dark." Camila tried to convince me. 

"No, no. You were all in right in front of me, trying to help me stand up. She was a good ten feet back." I got chills as I told them.

"I think you were just seeing things, Sum. Think about it, you were seconds away from knocking out. Hallucinations are bound to happen." Dallas said, I nodded slowly.

"What did she look like?" Aiden asked.

"Um, well it was dark but, she was tall. She had white... or grey hair. Like I said, wearing a gown,"

"Hospital gown?" Diego asked me.

"Yes. And, her fists were clenched... that's all I remember." I finished.

"Well, I think Dallas is right. Your mind probably created a being from all the fear built up in your body. We don't have to think about it, we need to focus on getting out of this damn place. I think we're on the second level but, those spirals back there make me think we're still on the third. We could try to open up the bars on this window to see how high up we are." Camila said.

"No use, the bars can't be opened from inside... that would defeat the point, don't you think?" Asher scoffed. 

"Alright, you know what, Summer's story freaked me out. Let's just start walking. Who cares what level, we can find doors, maybe even that single open window again." Aiden said, dusting off her pants and reaching for the door handle.

Fear shot through me, "Wait!" Aiden's hand stopped. "Guys, I don't think it was a hallucination. I just have this feeling." Just then, outside of the door, a huge crash filled the asylum. 

We all froze in our places, silence followed the echoes. "What was that?" Asher finally said.

"Something probably just slipped guys, we have to stay calm." Camila tried to calm us down.

"Yeah the place is abandoned for nine years and something decided to slip now?" Aiden raised her voice.

"Be quiet! What if she's here!" I yelled at her.

"Guys! Listen! No one is here! We all need to stay calm!" Avery said grabbing my shoulder.

"We just need to get out of here, I can't take this much longer. My phone died and my parents are going to shit themselves if I'm not home soon!" Diego said. 

"Okay, okay. Even if there is someone else here. Seven to one, right? We can do this , even if we see something. Come on." Camila said. I was grateful for Camila's bravery, it was the only thing keeping me calm. "Let's go." She opened the door and we all stepped out, into the darkness.