Sweet Sixteen

Chapter 2

10 p.m.

Within five minutes the lights were back on, Ella's face was visibly flushed, and the rest of us were sitting in shock, just staring at one another. A shrill tapping came from outside the window. Instantaneously, we all turned to see a tree branch scraping against the window. "This is fucking creepy you guys," Ella's voice was shrill and shaking.

"Relax, we're fine," Hardin said softly, his arm protectively wrapping around me.

"Yeah, let's just watch a movie," Russel said, already moving to turn on the T.V. Russel wrapped his arm around Ella in an attempt to comfort her, and put on American Pie. I slowly drifted off into Hardin's arms.

11 p.m.

I was awoken abruptly by a terrified scream. I awoke to see all the electricity in the house had turned off, once again. I could hear shuffling around the room. The lights didn't return for 15 minutes, and when they did I was horrified. Russel's lifeless body was hanging from the ceiling fan. Where his eyes were meant to be, there was only empty bloody holes. His throat had been slit as well. Blood was slowly trickling down his face and clothes, a pool of it had already gathered on the rug below. 

"Oh..my... fuck," I mumbled under my breath.  I looked over to see Hardin already lowering the body, and Julia trying to convince Ella to uncurl from the ball she had formed. 

"Turn around," Hardin demanded us in an icy voice. All of us immediately complied, each of us slightly afraid of the sight that behold us if we didn't. A series of soft grunts and thuds echoed as Hardin did God knows what. A chilling breeze came through the room, followed by a loud thud.

"What the-!" Julia began to turn around.

I gripped her wrist tightly, stopping her from completing the action. "Don't," I whispered, "Wait until he says it's okay." The soft nod she replied with was barely noticeable.

A few moments later, Hardin's voice cut through the air, "You can turn  back around now."

 A scream escaped my lips when I turned to see Hardin's hands and clothes covered in blood. A red trail lead to the window. Russell and the carpet were no where in sight. "What did you do Hardin!" I ran at him with tears streaming down my cheeks. I pounded at his chest, my audible sobs rang through the otherwise silent room.  

He grabbed my wrists to stop my relentless assault, "Stop. I just took care of it, that's all," he spoke softly.

Tears still fell like waterfalls down my cheeks, "You threw him out of the window!"

His voice was sharp, but barely above a whisper, "I said stop. I did what I had too."

"He's right Alisha," Julia said quietly.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" I yelled, looking between them.

"It's just better this way," Hardin said as his tears filled with tears.

"Come sit with us," Julia motioned at herself, and a sleeping Ella.

"How the heck is she sleeping right now?" Hardin questioned with a hint of laughter.

"Must've tired herself out from all the crying," I suggested. Julia and Harden just nodded their agreement.