What Happened After Sundown

V

There stood the wood cabin, big and now gloomier looking. Much creepier than Elizabeth remembers it being around an hour ago.
"This is the cabin, right?" Michelle asks, her flashlight in her hand, pointing at the tall building. Elizabeth nodded, starting to walk forward, that quickly turned into a run as she desperately wanted to see her friends.

Michelle followed close behind, running up the stairs to the door. Elizabeth flung the door open, stepping inside the frame. It was quiet, the lights still on and fireplace alit, the soft crackling mixed with the grandfather clock made it a confusing mix of cozy and possibly the setting of a horror movie. Steps quickly came rushing towards the living room, Alianna suddenly appears from around a corner, rushing up and engulfing Elizabeth in a hug.
"LIZZIE!" She yelled, more footsteps followed at the shout.

The rest of them turned the corner and joined Alianna and Elizabeth. "Where the heck did you go?!" Collie asked worriedly, holding her hands comfortingly in his own. Michelle cleared her throat audibly, finally turning their attention to the added person in the room. Her navy blue uniform made her dyed red hair stand out more than it normally would, her hazel eyes staring holes into the group.

"I'm Officer Michelle Gorge, mind telling me what's happened so far on this little camping trip of yours?"

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They told Michelle everything that happened, except Elizabeth, she didn't speak up at all. They gave up hiding the fact they were drinking since the empty bottles of alcohol were still sitting on the coffee table, along with some on the floor and the lingering smell of it on all 5 teens. Elizabeth's silence wasn't missed by the officer
"Elizabeth, I would like to hear your side of the story. What exactly happened outside that window?"

Elizabeth squeezed her hands together in her lap, "It was something, it looked human-ish and it was lanky, and so very skinny and wet. Tired looking too, it was onee-sama" she spoke meekly. Instantly the other teenagers grimaced, leaving Michelle confused.
Jason noticed and explained "Onee-sama is what Elizabeth called Iris, it means big sister in Japanese, they were learning it because their aunt could speak it"

Michelle nodded in realization, Elizabeth stood abruptly and hastily left down the hall and to her room without saying anything. "She's sensitive when it comes to her sister, she's been stuck in her head ever since. We don't ever know what she's feeling or thinking anymore, she doesn't even genuinely smile anymore" Collie explains glumly, looking at the floor with a sad smile.

"That's understandable," she was about to speak of how she thought Elizabeth was seeing things when she remembered what she was out tonight for in the first place—Iris's body is missing— how did Elizabeth describe that creature again? Lanky; Iris was pretty tall for her age. Very skinny; Iris was anorexic. Wet; one of Iris's causes of death was hypothermia. Tired looking; Iris had insomnia. It all fit perfectly, suddenly Michelle was doubtful if reality was working properly right now.

The young woman was brought out of her thoughts by a loud smash that came from the second floor. Everyone jumped, it even caused Morgan to let out a short-lived screech. Foot steps quickly pattered down the hall and Elizabeth emerged, eyes wide in fear. "What...was that?"
The rest of them looked at each other, nobody spoke, nobody had an answer. "Should we go check it out?" Jason questioned wearily, even he looked spooked despite normally being tough and not scared of anything except spiders. Alianna elbowed her brother in the side harshly "dude, This is a literal horror movie setting! You never go check out the noises because someone ends up getting killed, it's common sense!"

"Well, if you pay attention so much, then you'll also know that by checking out the noises, they also gain information about what's going on!" Jason scoffed back into her face. Before the argument could continue, Elizabeth had already made her way to the bottom of the staircase and started up to the second floor. "Lizzy wait!" Morgan called as she stood up, jogging over to the stairs and following her friend. She looked at the rest of them, still seated in the living room and used a hand gesture to beckon them to follow as well. It sent the rest of them to their feet and up the staircase as well.

It was pitch black up there, the second floor wasn't in use since Collie's parents said they weren't allowed up there. Something about it being their relaxing place where they didn't want to teens making a mess. Collie reaches out for the hallway light switch, clicking it, they're met with the lights flickering momentarily before shutting off completely once again. Collie clicked it again, multiple times with no avail.
"The lights aren't working" he said sheepishly as he turned to the rest of the group. "We'll use my flashlight" Michelle said, turning her flashlight on and shining it down the dark hallway.

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat at the sight, the window at the end of the hallway was smashed, glass shards and wood from the window frame scattered on the floor beneath. The once velvety, red curtains ripped up and blowing in the slight breeze that accompanied the now open hole in the wall. "Holy-" Alianna started when Collie rushed forward, leaning out the window and looking to the grassy floor below.
"Collie, be carful" Morgan warned as she neared the window as well, careful not to step on any dangerous pieces on the floor with her bare feet.

Elizabeth approached behind them as well, stopping when she realized the door to her left, the one nearest the window, was swinging on its hinges. Leafs scattered about on the hardwood floors inside, she stepped carefully to the door and leaned with one hand on the doorframe, peering into the room.

She froze, jaw going slack and eyes wide. In the furthest corner of the room, a dark silhouette was crouched over, facing away from Elizabeth and fidgeting with something. The only light was a small lamp beside the creature that was knocked down, and now laying on the floor. Elizabeth took a step forward, thanking god that the floorboards weren't creaking under her weight. She took another, another and another until she was standing in the middle of the room.

Abruptly, the door to the room slammed shut and Elizabeth spun around the see it closed firmly. Silence filled her ears again, when the sound of a small tune was playing from the corner. A music box, playing a little childish lullaby was resting in the creatures long, boney and pale fingers. Elizabeth turned back around to the the creature now facing her, still gripping the music box.

The tune was familiar, and when she looked at the source she knew exactly why. It was the music box that she had found in that old, creepy house in the woods over six months ago. The song was an old Japanese lullaby that her and Iris had learned, so they kept it in their room. Iris even went through a short phase where she couldn't sleep without it playing.

Elizabeth gulped, and without looking up, the creature started singing.
"Mori mo iyagaru, Bon kara saki-nya...Yuki mo chiratsuku-shi, Ko mo naku-shi~"
it's voice was beautiful, and so, so very familiar. The singing stopped, but the tune continued and Elizabeth felt compelled—just like she was while running into the woods—to sing.
"Bon ga kita-tote, Nani ureshi-karo
Katabira wa nashi, Obi wa nashi"
Elizabeth sang the second verse, she knew all the words from weeks and weeks of her and Iris practicing.

The creature looked up into Elizabeth's eyes and joined in singing, the music box ran out but they both kept singing in perfect sync. The blue eyes clashed with her green eyes, but she seemed to get lost in those lovingly comforting and nostalgic blue orbs. It was Iris. Despite her horrific, monster-like appearance, it was still Iris. She didn't have any doubts, her voice, her eyes, her hair, her skin, her memories where all the same as Iris.

When they finally finished the song after what felt like an eternity, Elizabeth mumbled softly, the one word she hadn't used in what seemed like forever

"Iris?"

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Sorry for the shorter chapter and very long time between updates, Even though not many people are reading this book I'm still going to continue because I'm really excited about this concept ^^