Trouble in Tiltown

The shed in the woods

We all glanced at each other with our eyes widen.
"What're we gonna do?" I whispered to them, feeling my heart beat faster as if it were trying to run out of my body. They kept their fearful expressions until suddenly they start cackling to themselves. My eyebrows scrunched together with confusion.
A red headed girl comes walking in, her hair flowing all the way down her back.
"What're you doing here, Kat?" I questioned her as she sat on Jerrick's lap.
She looked at Jerrick who was smiling widely at her, "You didn't tell him?" She asked Jerrick.
"I'm sorry, his reaction was just too hilarious."
I sighed heavily and tapped my foot, awaiting for an explanation.
She fixed her red coat and cleared her throat as she arose from Jerrick's lap, "This is Jerrick and I's hang out spot. He knew I was gonna come here. Let me guess, they scared you?"
My arms crossed, "I would hardly say I was scared."
James abruptly belted a laugh, "Yeah, okay."
My eyes rolled, "I'm going home. This is lame." As I made my way out of the building, I hear three pairs of footsteps running after me.
Jerrick held me back by the shoulder, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"An annoying best friend? Yes."
However, his eyes stayed on something just past me. I turned my head to see what he was looking at and there was an old shed. The tin roof caving in, allowing just enough light inside.
"Who cares?" I said with a shrug.
"That wasn't there before." Jerrick's girlfriend spoke up. She started leading us to it as Jerrick attempted to keep up with her.
Jerrick grabbed hold of her, "Kat, We shouldn't go in there. It could be dangerous." He warned.
"Oh please." She opened up the door and out came a raccoon, bolting for the woods nearby. We jumped back in sync and all glanced at each other.
"Stupid." James mumbled under his breath.

Kat laughed nervously and continued into the shed with the rest of us behind her. In the middle of the dim room with medical supplies scattered across the concrete floor was a Ouija board laying on top of a metal desk.
"Nope." I simply said as I went to turn out the door but was grabbed by Jerrick.
"We're here to explore." He assured me. He let go and turned to the broken bookshelves behind the desk. As he attempted to pick up a book, it broke apart between his fingers, finally dissolved from old age. He pouted sadly down at it. Kat kept her eyes focused on the board, her fiery hair nearly covering her chocolate brown eyes. She looked up at me with her eyes and grinned momentarily. My eyes travelled over to James who looked as if he wanted to run for the hills. His tall body stood by a window that had wooden planks over it every which way. His dark blond hair nearly covered his eyes from me, but I could still tell that in his eyes, he'd rather be hanging out with his friends.
I approached James, "This was not what I had in mind when we were gonna hang out."
"You and me both, kiddo." He patted my shoulder.
I groaned, "I'm a senior."
"And I'm in college. You're all kids to me." He gloated. Whatever, I thought to myself. Suddenly, Jerrick had gotten into the board on the desk along with Kat who started moving the planchette.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked as I walked over to them curiously with a following James close behind.
However, I was ignored for their concentration. I looked up at James who exchanged the same expression of, Is this really happening? Kind of look. We still watched them move the thing around the old board anyway, before the planchette flew off the desk and hit the corner. We all jumped back but before we could get a chance to react further more, the door to the shed swung open and there stood a gray haired man, or what little hair he had left.
He stood in the door frame, bushy gray brows furrowed together and hands on hips, "Kat, what have I said about you coming here?"
James stood up to the man, "I'm sorry Mr.Nicholson. It was my idea for her to come." The man relaxed his once angered expression, "Fine but Kat, you need to come home. I knew you'd be here like always." Kat nodded and followed her father out of the shed, but before she did, She looked back the three of us as we stood dumbfounded and mouthed a "I'm sorry." I hear their footsteps crunch through the snow before finally hearing her dad's truck pull out and drive off into the distance. Once I finally looked at James and Jerrick, Jerrick was glaring down James as if he had done something wrong.
"Soo, that happened." I broke the awkward silence but there was no hope. I could feel the awkwardness suffocating me.
"What were you guys thinking?" James scolded his younger brother.
His brother threw his head back as he traced the inside of his cheek with his tongue. Oh no, I know this look. I began going at my fingernails, picking and peeling. Picking and peeling.
"We were having fun! Is that alright with you?" Jerrick spat.
"Fun is watching television with friends or having snowball fights, not playing with ghosts." James responded. Glancing down at my fingernails again, there were spots of blood streaming from a nail, however, that never stopped me from continuing.
"Or in your case, drinking until you can't remember a single thing." Jerrick took a jab.
James looked down at his scuffed up boots from all the times he worked on the farm with their dad, but once he finally looked up, there was defeat in his eyes.
"We're leaving now. Or else I'm leaving you to walk home." James responded softly. He rushed out of the shed, his shoulder brushing my coat. Jerrick picked up the board and stuffed it into his backpack, then finally looked over at me.
He sighed heavily, "Don't tell him."
I gulped before nodding. He still stood there for a moment anyways before looking down at my nails.
"I'll get you a bandaid." He said before leaving the shed. I looked down and saw my nail still pouring blood as I felt my stomach turn.