The Dark Side

Chapter 12 - What It Once Was

The ride has continued for hours and hours on end. Jake insists we keep moving, he believes we'll find somewhere better to stay than where we are. Like, another campsite, or even another sector that'll let us stay for a while. Little did I know how worth it this long ride would be.

"Hey, I think we found something." Jake says slowly from on his horse Twilight. He rides a couple metres ahead, and right now he's at the top of the hill we are making our way up.

"Finally." Drew says excitedly.

I sit up straight, as Drew quickens Snow Top to a trotting pace. I put my hands on Drew's shoulders from behind in the saddle and push myself up higher, "What are you doing, Jess?" He laughs.

"Trying to see over your giant head." I clarify. I hear Jake laugh, obviously hearing the nonsense I say.

We finally make it to the top of the hill and I can see it. A run down town, "Wow." I marvel. It's a complete ghost town.

"C'mon. Let's get a closer look." Jake waves us over, as he squeezes his horse's sides with his boots and the horse quickens to a slow and graceful canter. Drew does the same, as I settle myself back down in the saddle.

We catch up to Jake and canter beside him.

Once we make it into the entrance road to the town, the horses are slowed down to a walk. I look around. That's weird. I feel like I've been here before, "I... Think I recognise this place..." I say slowly and quietly.

The buildings are mostly made of red bricks. The street stretches all the way through to what must be the middle of the small town. In the middle is a circle of buildings and two more roads, one leads off to the left and one to the right. I have definitely been here before...

Halfway down the road that leads to the middle of the town, something catches my eye to my left. I quickly turn my head and stare at the building for a second. My eyes widen with realisation, "OH MY GOD!" I shout. The horses startle and come to an abrupt stop, shaking their heads and whinnying. Jake and Drew almost fall off of the horses.

Before anyone can object, I slip off of the dapple grey horse and run to the front door of the small house. I shake the door knob, but it doesn't open. It's locked, "What on earth was that all about Jessica?" Jake yells at me. Meanwhile, Drew gets off his horse and holds the reins, while making his way towards me. He quickly ties up Snow Top on a smashed up street light out the front of the small house, before quickly making his way back over to me.

By now, I've taking a bobby pin out of my hair, for emergencies only, and I kneel down in front of the door. I slip the bobby pin into the lock and fiddle with it for a bit, before it lets out a loud click, which echoes throughout the quiet ghost town streets. I pull it out and put it back in my messy hair to hold back the side bits.

I stand back up and grab the door knob once more, but something seems to stop me from turning it. Is this a good idea? I wonder. Should I allow myself to remember?

The house towers over me. It's like a locked box that holds all of my childhood memories, and I'm about to unlock it after years upon years of age.

"Jess," Drew's voice almost startles me, "Is this your old home?" He asks. It surprises me that he guessed that, until I realise. Why else would I be breaking into a random house on the street? I give a small nod without looking at him. I hear him take a step back and look over the small building.

"I'm surprised it's still standing." I hear Jake say, from right behind me.

Without anymore contemplating, I turn the door knob and push the front door open slowly. It squeals in a rusted manner. I inhale deeply and the smell of dust and mould enters my nose. I exhale, before stepping inside.

To my surprise, the place is exactly how I remember. Everything is still the same way we left it.

I walk into the kitchen and find everything is dusty of course. The place is dark, but the window above the sink allows a lot of morning sunlight to enter and brightens up the place. I smile a bit as memories flood back to me. Me and my mother baking muffins and cakes. The odd burning smell when we forgot about the cupcakes in the oven, us laughing once we saved the place from burning down, except for the cake. I hear the two boys wonder around the kitchen. Jake picks up a beautiful teapot and examines it with wonder, "Put it down." I say quietly. He gives a small apology, replacing it back on the counter, beside the fridge.

I want to keep everything as it is. Except, of course I'm going to take anything important to me.

I step out of the kitchen and make my way into the lounge room. But instead of a good memory, a bad one comes to my mind. My mother and father fighting. My father throwing a vase across the room. The yelling and my own crying as I hid behind a couch. A tear seeped out of my eye and fell down my cheek. I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders and enfold me in a comfortable hug. Drew hugs me for a while, before he lets go of me slowly and I quickly wipe the tear away. He reaches over to my hand and gives my hand a soft squeeze, comforting me. I sigh and we walk beside each other as I make my way to an open door to a large room. My parents bedroom. There's one large, king sized bed in the middle of the room. A bedside table sits on either side of the bed, and a dresser sits at the end of the bed, against the wooden foot of the bed.

I run my free hand on the beautiful cherry wood dresser and it comes off dusty as hell. I brush it off on my clothes and see that I've revealed the still-shiny wood.

"I remember coming into here whenever I had a bad dream," I mutter, as I sit on the side of the large bed. Drew sits down beside me, holding my hand in his lap. "My mum would quickly scoot over and I would lay in between them both. It would annoy my dad, but he would just turn away from me." I chuckled quietly.

Drew smiles, "I used to stay in my own bed when I had a bad dream, no matter how traumatic it was, because I thought that I was 'too old' to sleep in my parents bed." He says quietly, causing me to smile, "But," He begins, "I guess I should have while I had the chance." He looks down at our hands that are clasped over each other and he softly rubs my thumb with his own. His lips are turned down into a small frown.

"I'm sorry." I whisper. His gaze flickers up to my crystal blue eyes.

"It's fine. It's all in the past. Plus, that was like twelve years ago." He quickly speaks.

We sit in silence for a little longer, looking into each other's eyes for what seems like forever, before Jake's cough echoes in the doorway. We both snap our heads in his direction, "We gotta leave soon." He says.

"Right." I say, before standing up, letting go of Drew's hand. He quickly stands up from the bed as well, "I just want to see my old room." I say quickly and quietly, slipping past Jake through the door. He steps to the side to let me get past easier, but quickly moves back once I've past him. I remember where my old bedroom was and I walk down a short hallway that leads to one single door at the end and one other door sits to the right of that. I quickly peer through the door to the left, as it is slightly open. Inside is a disgusting smelling bathroom which fills my sense of smell with the strong smell of mould.

I quickly skip the bathroom and slowly grab the doorknob to my bedroom, but something seems off about it. It's too quiet. That's when I hear a strange creak of wood from inside. I freeze, quietening my loud breaths immediately. I lift a hand when I hear the one of the guys take a step closer to me, causing the floorboard to creak loudly. They both stop immediately and pull out their guns slowly. I take out my own silver pistol and hold it, ready to shoot anything that attacks.

I kick the door open and aim my gun at whatever may attack. But, nothing was there.

Something wet drips onto my shoulder from somewhere above. That's when I feel another's presence in the room and I freeze once more, before slowly looking up at whatever it is up there.

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