Inside, sat a lone box upon a lone shelf within the lone stand in the otherwise empty room. He grabbed it and pulled it into the light. It had carvings all over it depicting a scene that he couldn’t make out because the images were long faded. His stomach sank at the sight of yet another lock, this one on the outside of the box. He quickly tried the key, but it did not fit. He thought back to the desk and didn’t recall seeing another key within the drawer.
He was screwed. No, he couldn’t be. He needed to succeed. Fuck the key. He set the small wooden box on the floor, lifted his leg, and crashed his foot down as hard as he could. The box exploded on impact, sending wooden shards scattering across the floor.
On the floor, glaring with bright intensity, rested a key that looked no older than the day. It was clean despite the dirt, shining despite the dust. If someone had told him it was some ancient key, he would have laughed, because it looked so perfectly clean and impossibly new. Eli knew nothing of magic, nothing about spells or incantations, but what he did know was that this key was the right key, the one they were looking for, the one that would open the spellbound door in Paisley’s basement.
36
Toby had been gone for a while, heading out to meet up with Eli and find the key to the basement door. Now Paisley was there alone, waiting for her parents to wake up so they could go see the doctor. She had peeked in on Trevor, who was out cold, as well as Uncle Robbie, who was asleep also. She was sitting at the top of the stairs, her phone out, afraid to be alone downstairs by herself. She scrolled through the internet, looking for more information on the town but was coming up with next to nothing.
Whatever was going on in this town was a well-kept secret. A long-kept one as well, she suspected. How many families had fallen victim to this place? She didn’t want to imagine.
The time to leave for the doctors was quickly approaching. She headed upstairs to wake everybody. She thought she may need help getting Trevor and Robbie up, so she went to her parents first. They both lay there, apparently asleep. She approached her mother’s side of the bed. Her eyes were closed, her skin pale. Paisley placed her hand on her mother’s shoulder and shook lightly. Her head bobbled lifelessly.
“Mom?” she said. “It’s time to wake up.”
Paisley shook her again, this time a little harder.
“Mom, please wake up.”
Her mother’s eyes opened but rolled back, glossing over. She was alive but barely, it seemed. She hurried around the bed to her dad’s side and shook him, much harder than she had her mother. His eyes opened, but they were blank, as if empty of something she couldn’t fully understand.
“Dad, wake up. There’s something wrong with Mom!”
His eyes continued to look but not see, staring into hers but somewhere else altogether. Terror was welling up inside her. She pulled out her phone and clicked on Toby’s name but then stopped, her finger hovering over the call button. What if she called him and interrupted something? What if her call somehow spoiled their plan to find the key? Or worse?
She noticed the time on her phone. It was already past when they were supposed to be at the doctors. But how? Had they really missed their chance for help? It seemed like she had just gone upstairs to wake everybody up. Her mind was hazy, the smell of the house seeming to get worse by the second now. Panic was setting in.
A phone rang, the jingle startling her. She hurried over to the stand where her mother’s phone vibrated loudly. Doctor’s Office read across the screen. She grabbed it quickly, tapped the answer button, and thrust it to her face.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hello, Mrs. Cunningham,” a woman’s voice said. “We wanted to check in because you’re late to your appointment.”
“I need help!” Paisley said. “My parents won’t get up.”
“All right, stay calm.”
The phone blinked and then at the upper corner of the screen, a little battery symbol flashed red. The phone was dying. Paisley glanced around for the charger but saw it wasn’t there. It must have been sitting this way all night at least, who knows how long before that.
“Are you there?”
Paisley put the phone back to her ear. “Yes, I’m here.” The battery symbol glowed again and then the entire screen went dim. “The phone’s going to die. I have to take them to the hospital.”
“No!” the woman shouted. “Don’t leave.”
Paisley wasn’t sure what the lady meant. Before she could ask, the phone flashed and said Powering Off before the screen went fully black. She stood there staring at the darkened screen for a long moment as if trying to will it back to life. She finally snapped out of it and set the phone back on the stand. She had no idea why the woman had told her to stay there, but she couldn’t. If she didn’t get them all help now, she didn’t want to even imagine what would happen.
With adrenaline coursing through her veins, she pulled the blanket off her parents, sat her mom up, turned her to the side, wrapped her mother’s arm around her shoulder, and lifted her from the bed. Her mother groaned words, but they were unintelligible, muffled, jumbled things. She opened the door with her free hand and dragged her mother out into the hall.
Paisley’s warm breath became white clouds as it exited her into the suddenly cold air. The stench was so heavy now, even more so than it had seemed literally seconds earlier. Only, now, something seemed to be different about it. Something horribly different. The smell wasn’t only coming from the house but her mother as well. It was coming off her in waves of decay, as if everything inside her was already dead and her mind just wasn’t aware of it yet.
Tears flowed, washing over her eyes until everything before her was nothing but a watery blur. Paisley almost tripped as she carried her mother down the stairs, but they made it, reaching the front door in one piece. The vehicle was left unlocked, so all she had to do was pop the door open and lay her mother down on the back seat. She tried to sit her up, but she kept laying right back down.
Realizing she was wasting far too much time, she let her mom lay down and hurried back inside. Her dad was exactly how she had left him. Bringing him down to the car was even more difficult because he was heavier, but she managed it. Carrying him around to the other side of the vehicle, she put him in the back seat with her mom, letting him lean over onto her.
She was out of breath now, her body exhausted from the lifting. She wasn’t sure how she was going to fit the other two, Trevor and Robbie, into the vehicle. Back inside, she decided to go for Trevor first, her body yearning for a slight break from the heavier weight. A surge of sadness ran through her at how easily she lifted him from the bed, his body having lost so much weight in the last couple of days. As she carried him down, his eyes drifted open and closed, and he said something she couldn’t quite make out.
“I’m getting you out of here!” she said, hurrying them through the open front door.
At first, she was going to try and fit him in the back seat with her mom and dad, hoping his small size would allow it, but she quickly saw otherwise. There was no way that would work. Her only choice was to fit both her brother and uncle in the front seat or stick one of them in the trunk, but not only did sticking one in the trunk seem terrible, even inhumane, but she wasn’t sure how she would manage it with all the junk they kept back there.
So she stuck Trevor in the front passenger seat and headed right back inside. Only one person left. She realized as she was heading back up the stairs that she had no idea where the hospital even was. She had GPS, though, and that would have to do. Just as she reached Robbie’s bedroom, she heard a sound, like voices.
She froze, fear swarming her insides. She heard it again. Was it something evil, perhaps the thing that lived in the basement? Despite everything they had learned recently, everything they had experienced, the idea seemed wildly childish.
She followed the sound to the top of the stairs, where she saw an unfamiliar man standing inside the house’s front entrance, a woman alongside him, the
two of them talking for a few more seconds before noticing Paisley. When they did, they froze, like Paisley was a wild animal and they were afraid to startle her.
“Paisley,” the man said. “I’m Doctor Ricketson. I’m here to see your parents.”
Paisley almost walked straight for him, eager to get help, to not be alone in trying to save her family, but stopped herself one step down. Why would the doctor have come to their house? She couldn’t say she missed doctor appointments often, but she was fairly certain the doctor showing up at your house was abnormal. Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure how normal it was for the doctor’s office to even call and ask why you hadn’t shown up. They usually have multiple patients, many appointments per day, and couldn’t be expected to call them all if they didn’t show up.
Paisley stepped back up to the top of the stairs. The woman had yet to introduce herself, and she didn’t look like it was in her plans to do so.
The doctor stepped forward. “Where are they?” He looked around, from the living room toward the kitchen. “Are they upstairs?”
“Why are you here?” Paisley asked.
“I already told you, I’m here to—”
“No, you aren’t. Doctors don’t make random house calls.”
Through the front windows, Paisley noticed cars parked out front, more than one. Doctor Ricketson noticed her line of vision and followed it outside then returned it back to her with a smile.
“Listen,” he said, moving even closer until he was at the base of the stairs. “I just want to know where your parents are, and the others. Are they still in the house? I was told you were taking them somewhere.”
She forced herself not to look out the window, toward where their vehicle was, full to the brim with her unconscious family members. A third person suddenly walked through the door, joining the others inside the house. This one was a man, but he was dressed funny, in some sort of religious or ceremonial garb. The doctor stepped aside, bowing slightly as the new man came forward.
He spoke, his voice ragged and aged. “Young lady, I know you must be confused—even scared, but I can assure you we are just here to help. You and your family are more important to us than you can imagine.”
She knew exactly what he meant, but based on how slow they were moving, they didn’t know she knew yet. Otherwise, she thought, they would have rushed her by now. She had to think. She had to get Robbie out to the car and then get them all away from here, to the hospital. But these people were blocking the exit, the front one, at least. There was one in the back, but that still meant she would have to get them past the intruders. It didn’t seem possible.
As soon as the old man took another step forward, she bolted for Robbie’s bedroom. She swung the door shut behind her then stopped to find something to block the door with. There was nothing other than the bed itself, the room still being mostly empty. She went around the bed and pushed it up against the door. Her strength, plus Robbie’s weight, might hold the door closed but probably not for very long. She was still exhausted from carrying the others to the vehicle.
She was trapped.
A tear trickled down her cheek. She didn’t know what to do. Trevor, her mom, and her dad were outside, in the car, but out there with those people. Robbie was in there with her, but she had no way of getting him out. She heard them arrive outside the door. She wasn’t sure how they knew she was in that room specifically, but that didn’t matter.
There was a knock at the door. “There is no reason to hide,” the doctor said. “We aren’t here to hurt you.”
“Cut the bullshit,” Paisley yelled between tears. “We already know the truth!”
She wasn’t sure if telling them that was a good idea, but she didn’t care anymore. Everything was falling apart, and it was all because of these sick psychos, and she was so incredibly pissed off.
“You people are fucking insane!”
Silence took for a few seconds before she heard other doors closing down the hall and more footsteps approaching her door.
“Let us in now!” the doctor yelled, all signs of calm obliterated from his voice. “Or we will come in ourselves!”
They didn’t wait. A heavy weight slammed up against the door, shoving the bed back slightly, the bed’s legs scraping against the floor. Then another slam came. She pushed the bed harder against the door, fighting the push. Each time the door inched open a little, she was able to force it back closed. But she knew this couldn’t last.
After a couple minutes, the slams finally stopped. She heard them talking amongst themselves on the other side but couldn’t make out what they were saying. This was her chance. She had come up with an idea during the chaos but didn’t think she would get a chance to try it, but given this brief moment of calm, she had to try.
She hurried for the bedroom window and opened it. Looking out, it was a straight drop. Her stomach sank. But she didn’t have the time to second guess this. She climbed out and dangled herself from the ledge. The windowsill’s ledge bit at the palms of her hands, and she tried to lower herself as far as possible, hoping to soften the fall even a little.
All almost simultaneously, she heard a thud from inside the room, the sound of the door pushing open, and the bed legs scraping against the floor. She released her grip, letting herself fall. She landed with a thud. A surge of pain rushed up her legs. She rolled and came to stop, looking straight up into the passing clouds. The pain had come quickly but, to her surprise, had subsided just as fast.
She sprung to her feet and hurried dazedly toward the vehicle, only to realize the keys were still inside. She had been able to access the car because they left the doors unlocked. But she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere without the keys.
She was about to crumble to her knees in defeat when she spotted Addy crossing the street toward her. A burst of life came, and she hurried toward the girl, the tears back in her eyes, but for a different reason this time.
This time, she had hope.
“Please, Addy, help. They’re inside. I need help to get Robbie.”
But Addison was only smiling as she approached the crying Paisley. And before Paisley could get out another word, there was a thump, and Paisley dropped to the ground, pain scorching her head.
37
Toby walked as fast as he could, breaking into a jog every so often, a strange feeling running through him, one so strong it had him feeling nearly dizzy. He knew something was terribly wrong. No longer did he care if people were giving him strange looks or recognizing him. He knew he needed to get back to the house.
Eli had met up with him a couple blocks over and handed him the key quickly and discretely before heading off his own way. Eli had been in just as much of a hurry to get away from there as he was. He didn’t blame the kid. Toby’s family was in danger; that was a fact. But Eli knew personally how ruthless this town could be. They had come to his house. They had come after him. And people had disappeared while he lived here, all while he was forced to sit back and do nothing.
Eli helped how he could. He didn’t blame the kid for splitting while it was still the option. Bumps surfaced on his skin, gooseflesh formed by a sort of sixth sense, the same one that had the hairs on his neck at attention and the palms of his hands starting to sweat. He hurried around the corner, onto his street. Far up ahead was a scene that didn’t quite make sense to him. As he drew closer, he realized that it wasn’t just one car parked in front of his house. No, it was three, maybe even four, he couldn’t quite tell yet.
He slowed, his brisk walk becoming sluggish as he tried to figure out what was happening. He didn’t want to jump to conclusions but given the fact that they didn’t really know anybody in town, there could be no other explanation as to why people were there other than that someone had found out that they knew. They are sacrifices.
He was about to bolt for the house, terrified of whatever may be going on inside, terrified for her parents, his uncle and brother, but above all, his sister, whom he had left
all alone to fend for not only herself but for them all. But someone grabbed his shoulder, not firmly but hard enough to startle him. He swung around, ready to throw his poorly trained fists at whoever it was. It was Eli. Toby’s chest deflated with relief.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I—I had to come back. I had to help.”
“It’s okay,” Toby said. “I just thought—never mind. We have to help Paisley.”
They turned to face back at the house. The cars were parked in a line, blocking what looked like their entire front yard, but Toby didn’t see anybody, no signs of movement at all. It was weird. Whoever was there, all of them must have been inside.
“They must have found out somehow,” Eli said.
Toby just nodded. He was trying so hard to come up with a plan, but nothing useful was coming to him.
“I’m going to go in and get her,” Toby said, starting forward.
“Wait!” Eli hurried to slow Toby down, grabbing at his arm again. “We need a plan. I think I have one.”
Seconds were wasting away, and Toby was beginning to get frustrated, not specifically at Eli but at everything, and it was starting to boil over. He whirled around. “What? What is it? We have to hurry.”
“I can pretend I caught you.”
Toby’s eyebrow lifted with curiosity.
“If you just waltz on in, they’re going to grab you as soon as they see you. Then you’ll be just as stuck as Paisley. But if I come in with you, your hands tied up or something, that might throw them off just enough.”
“Enough for what?” Toby asked.
“Enough to get Paisley out of there. To get them all out. I don’t know. But it has to be a better plan than walking in and simply demanding their release.”
Eli had a point, Toby knew this, but his anger was clouding his judgement. And as much as he wished it weren’t true, deep down in his mind, and only crawling its way closer to the surface, was the undeniable fact that he really was pissed off at Eli.
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