We entered the building right at sundown. Colby was behind me, recording, while I was scouting out what was in front of us. I shine my flashlight over the graffitied walls. The air was stall and moldy and I paused to let Colby catch up to me.
"What? Something wrong already?"
I couldn't see his face behind the massive light on our camera but his voice sounded worried. I smile softly to let him know nothing was wrong yet.
"We need our masks," I say.
"Oh, oh right," Colby laughs. He hands me the camera and while Colby struggles to get our masks out I pan the camera around the foyer of the building. To the left was a spiral staircase, leading to upstairs. Some of the steps were missing and the railing was gone. To the right was another doorway, leading to somewhere unknown. Colby pats my shoulder and I grab the black mask from him. I place the straps around my ears as the fabric covers my nose and mouth.
I continue walking forward, down the hallway. I hear Colby's footsteps behind me and it relaxes me. It's not that I don't like exploring, I do. I just don't like the idea of finding something that doesn't want to be found. Or getting caught trespassing. But we had no problem parking the car and walking the two miles to the building. In fact we never saw anyone.
The room opens up to a kitchen. I point the camera around the room, at the cracked counters, broken cabinets, graffitied walls. Broken glass was also spread around the ground.
"Careful Sam," Colby says. He's close to me because I can feel his body heat. He's always protective when we go exploring but I wasn't complaining.
I guide myself around the broken glass and other random objects and into the living room area. The sofa was torn up and the wooden coffee table was split right down the middle. There was also a smashed tv leaning against the wall.
"Woah look at that Colby," I say. I point to the table and turn the camera to get his reaction. The light brightens his face and it takes a minute for him to adjust to the light. Then he looks to where I'm pointing and gasps, getting closer.
"I wonder how that happened," he says. He examines the smooth cut of the table. Red spray paint covered the surface. Upon further inspection, we realized it spelled out a word. On the one side the letters 'G E T' were spelled out and the other side had the letters "O U T".
"Get out," I whisper looking up at him. He doesn't seem affected by the words, probably thinking it was a joke as the whole house had words like that written across the walls. I continue to record him and the room. There was a really cool antique looking clock on the mantel of the fireplace. It was dusty but was still very pretty.
While I was recording the clock, goosebumps rose on my skin. It was weird because there was no wind in the house, just stagnant air. I turn my head around to see if it was Colby. But he was on the other side of the room looking at something else.
I turn the camera to another random object on the floor. I wanted to show how trashed the place was. There were multiple papers on the ground. I crouch down to look at them. They were old and worn, most of the words unreadable. But I managed to find a date on one of them.
"1998," I whisper. I zoom in on the date with the camera. It's blurry and I try to focus it but it doesn't. I felt something on my neck suddenly like wind or breathing. Maybe Colby was standing over me.
"Colby?" I ask, looking up. But Colby is nowhere in the room. I drop the papers, forgotten, and stand up. I shine my flashlight through the living room. I walk back towards the kitchen, once again shining my light into the room. But he's not there either.
