strangers

chapter 1 Ashton

It was late at night, and my friends and I were playing violent video games and eating chips and other junk like that in my room.

Oh, and I think it's important to mention that my room is in the basement. It's not big, but its big enough to fit a pull-out couch, a bookshelf, a desk and a dresser holding up my T.V.

My room is the coziest place I know; since it was in the basement, it was usually dark, but my room also led outside. (it was a walk out basement) My walls were painted red and the floors were carpeted with really dark gray carpet tiles.

Anyway, while my friends Jake and Oliver were virtually killing each other on a two-player game, I was stuffing my face with barbecue chips and root beer. I also had some energy drinks to keep me awake. I was so hungry...for junk food that is... It was about 2:00 am. They were sleeping over. Sleepovers are fun. Especially when your parents are on a cruise.

Yes, my parents were out of the house for two weeks.They said they trusted me because they think 14-year-old me won't trow a party in their absence. Well I don't know what kind of parent you would have to be to think such a thing, but my parents are crazy....but I just take advantage because you can't have better parents than ones who let you do whatever.

I was staring up at my bookshelf full of a bunch of papers, books and other crap I never organize. I saw my old pizza coupons I never threw out. I also had this nice necklace -for guys, yes, of course- that I got from my old friend, Kurt before he moved to Alaska. It was a long, thin-chain necklace with a metal circular pendant with an upside down star in the middle. I've never seen anything like it. I wonder where he got it from.

"Ashton! Your turn. Go against Oliver." Jake handed me the controller and the game started.

I was in an abandoned neighborhood... I was holding my rifle, walking slowly behind trees and buildings, looking for Oliver so that I can kill him. Haha! I spotted him! I aimed my gun at his head and shot him! -in the game of course.

"Ah! Okay, okay I was not paying attention."

Then, I heard my doorbell ring. "Who can that be? At like, 2:00 in the morning. Who can be at my house at this time?" I said confused.

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I paused the game, but I didn't mute it. I thought that if I would mute it, the person at the door would know that someone's in the house, so if it's an intruder, they wouldn't come in. For some reason I'm always paranoid like that.

"Mute it!" Oliver said and turned off the volume.

He stood up, and walked slowly towards the staircase. He looked back at Jake and I, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, and gesturing us to come along. He seemed very scared but serious.

Jake and I, on the other hand, were calm, and maybe just a bit scared but curious.

I stayed seated on the couch, sneaking my hand towards the chips, slowly, still my eyes were fixed on Oliver while he wasn't watching.

The bag of chips made a noise and Oliver gave me a harsh "shh" gesture, but I had chips in my hand, and I wasn't going to put them back in the bag. So I ate them.

By this time, I don't think Oliver should worry about noise, because the person at my door probably waited long enough and didn't want to stick around.

But I was wrong.

The doorbell rang again, this time knocking was also heard. Okay, whoever was at my door wanted the door to be opened soon.

This time, I got on my feet, and marched up the stairs without hesitation, because we eventually had to know who was at the door. But I wasn't going to open it; I was going all the way upstairs, from where I am able to clearly see the front porch thought my mom's bedroom window.

When I got to my mom's room, I pressed my face against the window and looked down, trying to see who was there. But I couldn't tell from this angle because of the new window frames my mom installed. Dammit.

I heard hard knocking on the door and a man's voice saying "Open up!!!"

I was scared now.

"Jake, Oliver! Get the door!"

"I'm on it." I heard Jake say and marched up the stairs.

I heard Oliver whisper loudly "NOOO!!!"

I also proceeded to walk downstairs to meet Jake on the main floor.

We were one step away from the door. I reached toward the handle, but Jake slapped my hand away.

"Look through the eyehole first." he whispered.

So I did, and before I actually settled my eyes on anything, I jumped when the doorbell was rung really loudly this time.

"I know you're in there!" the voice chanted.

What do I do? I shouldn't open the door to creepy people, especially not at 3:00am. But if I don't, he might break the door open, or get in through my window.

Uh-oh. My windows. they're not locked...

"Jake, stay here, I gotta lock the windows." I whispered a bit too loudly.

I rushed towards the closest window, which was in the kitchen, but my heart was pounding even harder when I heard chuckles from outside, and rapid footsteps leaving the porch.

I got to the kitchen, and nearly fainted when I saw a pair of hands opening the buckles on the window.

I screamed,- not like a girl- and Jake came and helped me lock the window before it was fully open.

Oliver showed up and he helped lock every other window in the house.

But then, we heard the lock being picked.

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Since I was in the kitchen, my instinct made me go grab a knife. We all froze. How come people get paralyzed when terrified? It really sucked.

We stood still as we were listening to the sound of my door being pick-locked.

Then, the sound of my door being....opened?

No. Nonononono. He opened my door. Heopenedmydoorheopenedmydoorheopenedmydoor.

What now? We were all too afraid to even move a muscle.

Footsteps approached us.

"Ash! Are you with your friends? Why didn't you let me in?" I heard that familiar, drunken voice.

How did he know my name? Why did he expect me to open the door for him?

"D-do, do I know you?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"Haha! *hiccup* Of course, silly Ash-hole!"

I know that nickname. It wasn't a nickname I liked, so this must be the person I don't like; my idiotic brother, Lou.

Now it all made sense. Mom and dad probably told him to check on me once a week, but he was probably too busy partying at doing usual 18-year-old stuff. So like the big jerk he is, he decided that the best time for him to check on me was at 3:00am when he was drunk.

I led my brother upstairs in his "ex-bedroom"-which is now the guest room. He recently moved to this creepy town at the far end of lake Sagemont, the City of Ferhaven.

He collapsed on the neat bed, disturbing all the organized throw pillows and crumbling the straightened sheets my mom spent a million hours organizing.

He was smiling with his eyes closed as he released a violent burp followed by a hiccup.

I shut the lights, but right before I closed the door, Lou looked at me and said, " you better prepare yourself, Ashton Kastner. And be careful. Soon you will see things differently. " and then feel asleep. He was so drunk he didn't even know what he was talking about.

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