"kiss me" • stenbrough

Ten

• Stanley •

   To my own disbelief, I found myself pedaling to Ashen Drive at two AM, like Bill asked me to. I was hoping Bill had just hallucinated and that Georgie wasn't kidnapped or whatever Bill had been implying. Not because I wanted Georgie dead- I just wanted Bill safe.

   Before I knew it, I was hopping off my bike and looking around, nervous. Where was Bill?

   I heard someone's sneakers stomping down the street toward me, so I set my bike up, looking ahead. It was Bill.

   "Hi Suh-Stanley," Bill greeted, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Duh-Did you bring s-something-"

   Nodding, I dug in my pocket and pulled out a taser. Last summer, I bought it (secretly) at a yard sale. The guy there told me he used to be a police officer, which I didn't believe. I thought you had to turn your weapons and badge in after you retired? It seemed shady, but I used it on a rat, and the rat died. So it worked.

   "Oh wow," Bill said, staring down at the taser in my hand. If I tried hard enough, I could probably imagine that Bill was staring down at my dick instead of my hand.

   "Yeah, so why do you think Georgie's alive?" I asked.

   Bill swallowed his spit. "Follow me-" he said, grabbing my hand. I walked down the street witb him quietly. "Oh, and- Ruh-Richie didn't see the tuh-t-text. So he's not h-here-"

   "Good," I muttered. Even though it sounded rude, my feelings were justified. Richie hared me for some unknown reason- and he was annoying. Naturally, I hated him back.

   Bill paused, looking up at the street lamps. He did a 180-degree turn, now facing the way we came in. He adjusted his stance, making sure he was standing in the right place, like we were doing a ritual. "This is wuh-where I was in my dream... and Georgie's voice," he informed me, pointing to his left, "cuh-came from that h-house." Bill looked at me, I guess to see what I'd say.

   "Um, a dream, Bill? I'm not mad, but it was just a dr-"

   He looked at me, squeezing my hand tighter. "I'm n-nuh-not insane, Stanley," Bill said firmly.

   "I- I know. You aren't, that's not what I meant. I was just saying-"

   "I'm not! Guh-Georgie's alive!"

   I tensed up, letting go of his hand. "Okay, jeez. I never said you were..."

   Bill licked his lips, looking back at the Left House. "Okay, luh-let's go. Also, sorry- I just- he's alive, S-Suh-Stan-" he mumbled quietly, starting to step onto the Left House lawn.

   Following Bill, I silently made a plan, even though thee was no chance on Earth that Bill was right about Georgie.

   "Wuh-what should we do-"

   I shrugged, taking his hand again. "Say that we heard some noises? Ask if he has kids? We should've brought masks... if there's a family inside... Bill, we are so unprepared."

   "Yeah, buh-but what about Georgie?"

   "I can tase them, then we search the house... what if they're innocent? What do we do?" I panicked, looking up at the house for any open windows we could possibly sneak into. None.

   Bill frowned. "S-Stan, I juh-st want you to know that... if I duh-die-" he started, but was interrupted by a faint scream coming from the left corner of the house. "That wuh-was G-Georgie," he whisper-screamed.

   "Okay," I whispered back, gripping the taser in my left hand, Bill's in my right. I led him to the side of the house, noticing a small window at the bottom of the house, signifiying there was a basement in this Left House. Whoever lived here was serial killer material.

   Light shone out from the bottom of the curtian from the window. Taking a deep breath, I crouched down, trying to see under it.

   "Stanley-"

   "What-?"

   "Never-muh-mind," he whispered, crouching next to me. We heard some talking, but it was quiet and hard to hear.

   I stood up suddenly, going to the front porch. "Stan!" Bill said, a bit too loud for my comfot.

   "Go along with what I say. And if anyone asks, you're mute and can't learn sign language."

   He stepped onto the porch with me, nodding. "I'm kuh-kinda scared though-"

   "Me too, but we have to do this. For Georgie, right? Trust me... and don't let them see that you're scared. They'll know we're trying to do something risky."

   Nodding once again, he shuffled a little closer to me. "Ready?" I whispered, hiding the taser with my sleeve.

   "Ready," Bill mouthed.

   I took a deep breath, reaching out to knock their front door.

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