by Alyssa Lynn
“Pipe down, snot bag,” Kaycie said, grabbing one of the few remaining mini bottles of wine from the refrigerator. “Ethan brought us in his plane.”
Ava’s jaw hit the floor. “His… his plane?” Her eyes darted over to him.
“Yes. I have two,” he said, smiling and slipping his hands into his pockets.
Ava could tell he used this to pick up women a lot. “Well, Sparky. I’m glad you two finally found each other.”
She made her way back to the bedroom area and continued scanning over her research. Spreading out the map of the area, she began browsing through the list of websites that had been blocked when she thought she was on to something. Kaycie and Ethan made their way into the room and watched as Ava stood there with one hand on her hip, and the other gripping her second mini bottle of the hotel’s finest wine. They shuffled closer to the bed and skimmed over the work that Ava had poured her life into.
Ava took a big swig of her wine and swallowed, “Do you two happen to have any thoughts on what we’re dealing with here?”
“Listen, Ava. If you haven’t figured it out in the last ten years of thorough research, what makes you think we would figure it out in the two minutes we stood here looking over your shoulder?” Kaycie asked, shrugging her shoulders.
“What if it’s some secret government facility that was made to be kept from the public and that’s why they had all of those trespassing signs up all over the place?” Ethan offered.
“Trespassing signs are used in more areas than just government property.” Ava shifted her eyes toward Kaycie and through gritted teeth she added, “So, Kaycie. Any of your other one-night-stands know about the biggest secret of my life?”
Ethan walked out to the common room with Kaycie and Ava following him. He sat down on the couch and laced his fingers together on his lap. “I didn’t mean to cause an argument. I was just offering a suggestion.”
“You didn’t cause anything, Ethan,” Kaycie said, sitting down next to him. “Ava, this may be the biggest secret of your life, but you know you can’t do this alone. You need someone else to be there with you when you decide that you are going through those doors. What if something happens? Do you really expect me to allow you to have the same outcome as Jett did ten years ago?”
Ava’s eyes were becoming damp with tears. “All I want is answers. What if Jett is still alive? What if I left him there all those years ago and he has been waiting for me to return? I don’t want an army of people going in there and ending any chances he would have of survival. It has to be me. I’ve done as much research as possible and I know that I would be sacrificing everything to go in there, including my own life. But to me…” she trailed off and stared at the ceiling in an attempt to gain composure. “To me, he is more than worth it. I owe this to him.”
Kaycie stood up from the couch and walked across the room to hug her best friend. “I know.” She thought for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Ethan. “We won’t follow you. We will be here at the hotel on standby. If you need anything; ANYTHING. You send an S.O.S. text message right away. Got it?”
“Got it,” Ava agreed, pulling Kaycie back in for a tighter hug. “I know you hate this, and believe me, I hate this too. But know that I’m grateful for you and I love you.”
Kaycie hugged Ava even tighter, “I do hate it. Sometimes, I even hate you. But I will always love you and I’m always going to be here.”
Ava opened her mouth wide and began belting out one of her favorite songs by Dolly Parton, but Kaycie saw it coming and quickly clamped a hand over Ava’s mouth. “Not the time,” she said to a pouting Ava. Ava stuck her tongue out and licked Kaycie’s hand, causing Kaycie to squeal and wipe her wet palm on Ava’s shirt. The girls began to giggle and embraced each other for one last hug.
“Now, let’s get you a game plan!” Ethan said, standing up from the couch and clapping his hands. The girls looked at each other and Ava rolled her eyes, but did so with a grin on her face. Kaycie looked at Ethan with a humored expression and Ava could tell by the look in Kaycie’s eye that this one was more than just a one-night-stand.
~
They spent an hour reviewing all of the maps that Ava had found and downloaded from the internet right before the websites were blocked. Each time she visited a new sight, she attempted to zoom in on the web page from the computer screen, but the pictures just became blurry. She would always print them and clear her search history to ensure they wouldn’t be linked to her and confiscated. Not having solid facts about the area surrounding the questionable facility, she didn’t have a whole lot to go off of to form a solid plan of attack.
After they felt like they had looked at every line of ink on the printed documents, Ava placed her hands on her hips and said, “Well, folks, it looks like I’m going in blind.”
Kaycie and Ethan shared a look between the two of them before they gave in and helped her put the essentials in the car; cell phone charger and a backup phone in case something happened and Ava needed to call for backup. Blankets, in case she got there and needed to sleep at the hideout in the woods until she could get a clearer shot of the building. And finally, a package of Oreo cookies, because as Kaycie kept saying, “Everyone needs a lil sugar.”
The weather was cooperative and the sun felt nice on Ava’s shoulders that were peeking out from under her sleeveless blouse. Even though it was a beautiful day, Ava had a dreary dark hanging over her.
“I mean it when I say that you need to keep us posted. I don’t care what you see or what you hear. You hear someone screaming, you text us. You see someone pick their nose, you text us. We need to feel like we’re there with you,” Kaycie said, as she closed the trunk of the car.
“You will be notified of every booger that is picked while I’m in that building. I promise. But what do you propose I do if I get there and I don’t have cell phone service?”
Kaycie stared at Ethan in a look of utter horror. “We… we didn’t think that far ahead. Oh my God, what happens if there’s an emergency inside and they don’t have cell phone reception? How will we know that we need to get to her? How will we know that she’s in trouble?” At this point, Kaycie’s voice had reached ultra-sonic, causing Ava and Ethan to cover their ears.
He finally reached out and put his hands on Kaycie’s shoulders. “Babe, if she says she’s got it, then I believe she’s got it. You have to believe that too or you’re going to drive us both completely insane.” He kissed her gently on the lips and she let her shoulders go limp.
“You’re right,” she said, spinning around to look at Ava. “Now, let’s get you on the road.”
Ava climbed into the driver’s seat of the rental car and buckled her seatbelt. Kaycie and Ava swapped a blown kiss off their hands and as she put the car in drive. Rolling her window down, she stuck her arm out and waved to them as she pulled out of the fancy hotel parking lot and made her way toward the place she called home seven years ago.
She couldn’t help thinking that the drive was going by too quickly as she closed in on her destination. Normally when she’s driving somewhere, she’s eager to get there. But in this case, she would prefer there be a longer stretch of highway between her and her supposed ‘vacation’ spot.
Instantly recognizing the building, she turned off the main road and pulled into the parking area of the old orphanage. Boards were now bolted across the windows and signs were posted on the doors that said, “CONDEMNED. DO NOT ENTER”.
When Ava did her research, she knew that the orphanage was closed, but she never realized it looked like this. The internet didn’t contain any photos showing the current state of what used to be Nora’s Homestead. She got out of the car and stared at the building that could be considered for a horror movie set.
What once was a gray building, now appeared almost black from the dark residue that was running down the old slabs of siding. Windows were broken and shards of glass were laying on the top of the porch roof. Old newspapers that had never even been opene
d from their plastic wrap had been left to rot on the front porch by the door, and the grass looked like it hadn’t been mowed in ages.
Walking up to the front porch steps, Ava made her way to the door and cupped her hands around her face. She peeked in through the glass to see if anything was inside, hoping that the building was vacant. When she saw nothing but dust and cobwebs, it sent chills up her spine. It broke her heart to see the inside of this building so run down. After staring into the abandoned orphanage, Ava began to wonder about ghosts and souls walking around inside and was afraid one was going to jump up in front of her. Quickly, she retracted herself from the door and turned to look out toward the woods. Remembering all of the times she and Jett would run off and spend their days hunting monsters and playing superheroes had her feeling a warm sensation in her heart. As much as she hated this place when she was a kid; right now, she felt like she was home.
“Here goes everything,” she said, as she stepped down off of the porch and headed for the secret hideout.
The back yard caused memories to come rushing into her mind. Seeing strange people wandering around and watching the kids play. Nora’s attempt at getting her guests to see the orphanage as a loving home. The tables that held the old umbrellas were now gone. Along the side of the yard where the shed stood was now consumed with weeds, and more than likely, the home to some sort of small animal.
Passing through the trees, the walk felt a lot farther than she remembered. Then again, she recalled how she and Jett would always run when they went anywhere in those woods. She was not going to do that today, she kept telling herself. “I am not fifteen anymore. These lab-worker legs weren’t made for running.” When that thought made its way into her mind, she began humming the remake that Jessica Simpson did of “These Boots Were Made for Walking” and chuckled when she realized she always broke out into random music.
While she walked through the woods singing to herself, she was still in shock at the conditions of her old home. Reaching into her backpack for the cell phone, she sent Kaycie a text that said she had made it to the orphanage, along with a house emoji and little ghost emoji that she would have to explain later.
As she came up to the area, she realized that the stones they used to make their entry circle many years ago, had been tossed off to the side into a messy pile. Ava hardly recognized the entrance, and probably wouldn’t have if she and Jett hadn’t spent so much time there when they were young.
Doing a lap around the hideout, she made sure to check all of the rocks and trees for any signs of visitors; hoping that if Jett had made it out of that building, he would have left a hint or a note. On the other hand, she knew that if he would have made it out and didn’t find a way to contact her, she would have killed him herself.
“Now,” she muttered, “now I just have to remember which path took us toward that building.”
Deciding to reenact the worst night of her life, she sat down on her rock and scanned the area. Scooching down to her knees, she rolled over and lay down on the ground like they did when they were sprawled out on the blanket. It took her breath away when she came to the realization that the last time she was lying here, Jett was right there beside her. Gathering her thoughts, she pulled herself back into the moment. She looked over her shoulder and saw the trees that they followed when Jett ran off to chase the noise.
“You just had to be the dumb blonde in your underwear, didn’t you, Jett?” she asked, as she allowed herself to release a hint of nervous laughter. Ava rose from the ground and grabbed her things as she headed off toward the woods.
Pushing the brush out of her way as she walked, she moved through the trees and in the direction of the unknown building; or at least she had hoped that’s where the path led. As she walked, she kept wishing that she and Jett would have marked the way there.
Having to constantly remind herself of why she was doing this, she picked up her pace to shave off some time getting there.
“I don’t remember it being this far out,” she whispered to herself.
“Shit.” She said, as the fence came into her line of sight. Chills ran down her arms as she slowed her pace and crouched down when she got next to it. She got to her feet and linked her fingers through the fence like she did the night she watched them fight to take him through the doors.
Squatting back down, she scanned the area in hopes that nobody was around. The building looked a lot bigger now. More equipment sat outside, but it wasn’t all bulldozers, backhoes, and cranes this time. Now there were pieces of equipment that she had never seen before.
“At least it’s not surrounded by guys in blue blazers this time,” she whispered to herself, right before letting out a deep breath. Reaching into her backpack she pulled out the cell phone and texted Kaycie:
Made it to the creepy building. Looks bigger than I remember. If you don’t hear from me in thirty minutes, something is wrong.
Sitting there staring at the screen she went over everything in her head. Realizing that they could have her skinned like a deer and hung by her toenails in less than thirty minutes, she sent a follow up text message to Kaycie.
Make that twenty minutes.
Sliding the phone back into her bag, she stood and made her way around the fence. Actively scanning every inch of the place, she made sure there was nobody around. Looking up around the tips of the fence for cameras, she was surprised when she didn’t notice any, but then understood that just because she didn’t notice them, didn’t mean they weren’t there.
Squinting her eyes, she looked across to the other side of the fence and noticed a hinged gate. Recognizing it was the entrance; she backed away from the fence a bit and ran over to it, trying to make as little noise as possible.
When she got to the gate, she looked through it and saw the parked equipment roughly twenty feet away. Grabbing the top of the gate, she slowly pushed it forward, hoping that it wouldn’t start creaking.
She slipped through the opening and pressed herself back against the fence so she wasn’t out in the open. Scanning the perimeter, she checked to make sure nobody was around. Scurrying across the grounds over to the big, fancy equipment, she hid herself and gave the building a once-over.
“Now I just gotta find a way inside,” she said to herself.
Trying to think back on the night of Jett’s death, a time she constantly fought to forget for the last ten years, she remembered the large garage doors and tried to find them.
“Found them,” she said to herself, as she realized the entire first floor was lined with powered garage doors.
She looked at all the doors and noticed that only two of them had keypads attached. She remembered that the guy carrying Jett had pressed the middle of a keypad before the door opened. She went running over to the door when she saw that nobody was around and pressed her back up against the building, once again scanning the area to make sure nobody was around. When she saw that the coast was clear, she reached over and pushed the button.
“I really hope this is the right one,” she muttered, as she watched the door lift and roll toward the ceiling.
“What exactly is your game plan, Ava?” she whispered to herself. Reaching into the side pocket of her backpack, she pulled out the only weapon that Kaycie had armed her with, pepper spray.
Clenching her weapon tightly in her hand, she knew she was as ready as she’d ever be. Slowly slipping inside the building, she immediately noticed all of the computer equipment and gawked at it in shock. Blue and green buttons lit up the walls that were covered in small computer monitors. She leaned in to get a closer look at them and saw a variety of people. One computer screen showed them injecting hoses with needles; another screen showed a group of people that resembled doctors handing out small plastic cups full of pills; and a third screen showed people standing at the front of a classroom, pointing at a chalk board that appeared to have simple math equations written on it.
“What is this place?” she whispered.
Making
her way around the large room, her eyes bounced from screen to screen. Circling the area, she came to the door on the opposite side from where she entered the building. Pulling on the latch, the door opened easily and she was grateful there wasn’t another security keypad. People were standing at the other end of the hall, but they were dressed in regular clothes and not the blue blazers that she remembered. Did they change? Is this not the same place that she remembered from ten years ago? What if this was a lost cause?
Almost talking herself out of going forward, she straightened her back and prepared a mental pep-talk. She made it this far and wasn’t leaving until she got some answers that would tell her if Jett was still alive. There was no way she was letting herself leave without first looking around this place.
Peeking through the cracked door, she waited to walk through until the window-lined hallway was completely empty. When the people cleared out, she walked through slowly, peering into windows to see everything that was happening. She couldn’t help but hope that Jett was in one of these rooms. She recognized the people in the one window from the computer screen she was watching just a few minutes ago. They were poking, what looked like giant eggs of goop with medical syringes.
“How many needle totin’ people do they have in this joint?” she whispered to herself, as she continued on.
In the room behind her, it looked like a class was in session. What threw her off was the fact that the things up on the board were problems that would be taught to children in the second and third grade. Looking around at the people sitting at the desks frantically taking notes, the youngest one appeared to be in his twenties. Ava started wondering why they would be so intrigued by a simple math equation at this age and told herself she had seen weirder things in the research projects she’d conducted in the past.