The Other Ones

Chapter 1 -

My mother used to tell me stories of them. I never believed her when she said that they were always there, watching. But those had to be just stories, right?

It all happened the night I turned sixteen.

There was a heavy downpour, and I was home alone after my party. My parents had decided to visit a friend that night, as well. Was I upset? Maybe a bit, but I got the whole house to myself so that made things a little better.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching an old, black and white horror movie. Just as the monster was about to eat a girl, the power went out.

"Seriously...? And just when it was getting good..." I muttered, getting up to get a flashlight and set out some candles.

I stumble around in the dark, bumping into things. I hit my foot against something and hopped around until I hit my back against the wall. "Ah, shit!!!" I yelped, rubbing my foot with a hand.

I lift my head as the power suddenly turns back on. I put my foot down and straighten up as the tv blared on as before. I turn my head as I hear a knock on the door. Normally I would've let the person wait there for a little bit, but the knocking was now starting to sound urgent...

I glance at my new watch. It was midnight. "Who'd be crazy enough to come out here at midnight...?" I ask out loud as I walked to the door. I look out the peephole and see a boy who was drenched from the pouring rain. He kept glancing over his shoulder as if someone, or something, was coming after him.

I checked him out as best as I could to see if he had anything dangerous on him. He looked completely harmless, unless a chain necklace with some strange pendant on it was considered dangerous.

I opened the door and he jumps slightly in surprise. We have a quick stare down, the rain still coming down and an occasional rumble of thunder sounding here and there.

The boy suddenly speaks, panic in his voice slightly. "Let me in, they're coming after me! I can't afford to let them catch me!" He said starting to push past me. I put my hand on his chest a push him back to where he was. "Hey, I'm not going to get involved with your problems! Now go bug someone else or I'm calling the cops!" I say, frowning. He shakes his head quickly. "Don't, please... This is urgent... I... I'll leave as soon as it is safe for me to go, I promise!" He said, glancing over his shoulder once more.

I look at him for a few moments, thinking about this. I could always call the cops if needed.... I throw my hands up with a huff. "Fine, fine! Whatever, get in..." I say, moving out of the way. He quickly went in and I shut the door. I glanced down at the water on the floor and then back up at him. "...... You're cleaning this up." I state before skirting around the water and him, heading to the bathroom to get some towels.

I notice him following me, like a lost puppy. I start thinking about those killers in the horror movies. Always acting innocent and then following some stupid girl somewhere he could kill her.

I stop right before the bathroom and whirl around to face him. He took a step back in surprise. "Don't you dare think I'll be easy to kill, you hear me?" I say, crossing my arms with a frown. He puts his hands up a little in surrender. "Hey, I wasn't going to kill you... I was just coming to help... And get dried." He replied, looking at me with a blank expression.

I blink, getting a bit embarrassed at what I said. I glance away. "Just making sure...." I muttered, turning around and going into the bathroom. I grab an armful of towels and walked out, bumping into him. "Ah, watch it..." I grumble, though I looked at his face since it was probably a good opportunity to do so.

He was actually quite good looking... Had the look of a fighter, but mysterious at the same time. I move away slightly and hand him two towels. "Here, now come on and help me clean up this mess you made. After drying off first...." I say, walking off to clean up the water.

"Ah, mind if I use the bathroom...?" He asked me, already drying his hair with the towel. I looked at him from over my shoulder and then looked away, waving my hand in the air showing that he could.

After about thirty minutes I was back on the couch watching my horror movie again. I heard the bathroom door open and close, followed by footsteps coming down the hall. I keep my eyes glued on the screen as the boy walks over, his clothes seeming somewhat dry. I notice him walk over to the couch and stand near me, watching the screen for a few moments before speaking. "What's this?" He asked, looking at me now.

I don't respond for a moment before glancing at him and responding. "It's a horror movie... Never seen one before?" I say, picking up the remote and pausing the movie. Thunder rumbles and a flash of lightning shows in through the window. It looked a bit eerie, since I had the lights off in the living room.

The boy shook his head and looked back at the frozen screen. ".... Why do you watch them?" He asked, still standing. "You can sit down you know.... And I only like to watch them because they're scary." I say, getting up to make some popcorn for myself. The boy remained standing for a few moments before sitting down slowly.

I don't say anything else as I walk to the kitchen to make some popcorn. Everything was silent except for the pattering of the rain and the rumble of thunder. It felt eerie, and a bit awkward. I never had a boy in my house without my parents before. Especially with a boy I just met. I put the bag of popcorn into the microwave and hit the popcorn button, making the microwave come to life.

Thunder rumbles again, I lean against the counter watching the popcorn start to pop. As the popping of the popcorn continues, along with the noise of the rain and the silence between us, things began to feel weird.

I glance over to the direction of the living room just as the lights start to flicker. Was the power starting to go out again? The microwave beeps, causing me to jump. I face the microwave and go over to it, turning it off and opening it. I grab my popcorn and hold the bag by the corner, shaking it slightly. "Ah, hot... Hot..." I mutter, dropping the bag on the counter.

Just as I was getting a bowl for the popcorn, the power goes out. "Great, now this again...." I mutter, I hear footsteps and see a small light like a flashlight coming over. I turn around to see the boy, his strange pendant glowing.

"Why is that thing glowing?" I ask, soon feeling stupid as I stared at it, obnoxiously. He glanced down at the blue crystal set in silver, and then back at me. "Why shouldn't it glow...?" He replied slowly, as if mocking me. I look at him with a frown. "Stop being such a smart aleck." I huffed, growing to like him less.

I crossed my arms and then thought of something my mother had told me when I was young. "Other ones.." I mutter, looking at his strange pendant again.

He looks at me with surprise on his face. "Wait, you know?" He asked. I blinked and looked at him. "Us? What do you mean by that? There is no such thing as the Other Ones." I say, deciding to think he was possibly nuts. He frowned then, as if taking that as an insult. "We are real, and I am real. I am standing before you right now, am I not?" He said, spreading his arms out. I shake my head, refusing to believe this. "You ARE nuts." I decide, shaking my head again. He puts his arms to his side. "What? I am not nuts, you are too ignorant to believe the truth. Especially if it is right in front of you!" He argued, sticking by what he thought.

As we argued some more, thunder claps and our shouting became silent through it. The boy suddenly stops arguing with me and I grow quiet as well. Lightning flashes outside and I can smell the sulfur from it, as if it really were right out the window. My hair becomes all staticky as if I rubbed it with a balloon. I notice the boy's hair becoming staticky slightly as well. I stare at the boy as he stares at me, even though it was dark his pendant gave us enough light to see each other.

"He's here... Damn, he found me." He said, grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the kitchen. "I've got to hide you... He'll kill both of us most likely." I pull away, confused slightly yet alarmed. "What?! You brought a murderer here?! There is no way I am going with you!" I said, putting my foot down.

Lightning flashes again and an explosion sounds. I was thrown across the room and I hit the wall, my vision getting blurry as rain poured in and a fire started. I see some person walking over the debris, lightning seeming to spark off the person. I turn my head a little and feel a warm, sticky liquid trickle down the side of my head. The boy was nowhere to be seen. The person comes closer and then kneels before me. "Where is he?" The person demands, grabbing me by my hair and turning my head to look at him. Lightning crackles in the air, coming from the man.