“Hey! Get on the other side of the line!” shrieked Terri as she grabbed the wheel just in time to pull the car on the right side of the road.
“I knew we shouldn’t have let him drive, he’s too drunk. Pull over; let me drive,” commanded Eric.
“You’re full of crap. I can hold my liquor better then you can. Plus I only had a few sips.”
“Right Steve, that’s why there was 5 empty bottles on the counter and you’re the only one who drinks that kind.”
“Oh well, we’re almost there. It doesn’t matter anyway,” snickered Steve.
“Jesus! It’s way too cramped back here. Why do I have to sit in back?” complained Jacob.
Ignoring Jacob, Chasity leaned over the seats and turned up the radio. Chasity started singing as loud as she could. Eric tired to cover her mouth and in a flirting manor complained about her awful voice. She stopped after a long struggle and smiled at Eric.
“Wow you two make me sick,” teased Terri as she turned around to see Eric and Chasity making out in the back.
Every Friday Steve and his friends went out to the usual parties and got drunk. You could describe Steve as the stereotypical jock, playing football, basketball, and tennis. Terri and Steve had been good friends ever since middle school. She was outgoing and wasn’t afraid to try anything no matter how stupid she looked. Terri and Jacob have been in an on and off relationship all through high school. They had just broken up a few weeks ago which meant that it was about time for another round sometime soon. Jacob always came to all the parties but he didn’t have much of a taste for alcohol. He had seen the damaging affects it had on his father and stayed away. Chasity had just moved to Harrison from a small town in North Dakota for her senior year. She had been getting into trouble at her old high school and her parents had decided that she needed to get away form the people they assumed were getting her into
trouble. Eric was the rebellious type. Chasity was instantly attracted to him. They had been dating since the beginning of the school year.
“So Jacob where did you hear about this place anyway?” asked Terri.
“Well actually this is kind of weird but some dude called me up advertising it. Also my friend, you know Chaz, well he and his girl friend went there last week and he said it was the best haunted house he’d ever been to. A girl, in the group in font of him, actually peed her pants. I’m so hype for this!”
“Man, I get scared so easily. Are you gonna hold me, Eric?” said Chasity
“Of course! I won’t let anything touch you!” he said as Eric paused long enough for Terri to start making gagging noises. “Plus… I don’t want to ride home with you if you reek of urine!” chuckled Eric as Chasity playfully hit him in his arm.
The headlights of Steve’s car illuminated a large black and white banner hanging across the entrance saying: “The Drake’s Haunted Houses.” They turned off the dirt road into a large field, which substituted as a parking lot. There were men dressed up in costumes that were directing traffic. It seemed to be fairly empty for a Friday night. After they had pulled in and parked the costumed men started to close the gates.
“Oh no! No escape now!” Steve sarcastically directed to Chasity.
“Shut up.”
With Jacob leading the group, they walked to the entrance. For late October it was colder then usual, and it had been raining earlier that day so the ground was mostly mud. Eric had gotten his shoe stuck in the mud and walked out of it, causing him to fall face first on to the ground. He let out a few curse words as everyone took turns laughing at him and reenacting his fall. He tired to wipe himself off but in the end all he had managed was to smear the mud more.
They had noticed most people heading towards their cars. Couples holding hands laughing about what had scared them most. A few children in the hand of their mothers with tears streaming down their rosy faces.
Terri was the first one to reach the entrance. The women in the ticket booth turned around to face them as they approached. She did not appear to be in costume although she had a frightening look about her. Her ears were bat like and seemed to be awkwardly placed too high atop her head. Her nose was crooked and pointy. Wrinkles covered her face while the bags under her bight green eyes were as dark as night. She smiled gawkily, showing her yellow teeth.
“Five tickets to the Kiddy House eh?” she said with a slight lisp and smiled.
“Ha ha,” said Steve awkwardly, “No we’ll have five for let’s say…uh…well…which one is the biggest?”
“That would be the “Grand Drake,” mah dears.” Her eye twitched slightly as she said this.
“Alright. Does that sound ok guys?” They nodded.
“That’s eight dollars each.”
“Oh yeah, right. Here you are,” he said handing her the money. Her fingers were long and stick like. Her nails were at least two inches long and painted bright pink. “Can I ask you a question? Where is every one? Surely you are busy on Friday nights?”
“Yes, mah dear we are, but you see this is the last night we will be opening. And if you would look at the clock,” her hand shaking as she pointed at the
clock inside the booth, “you would notice that you have arrived just in time for we will be closing in less then two minutes. You will be the last to pass through this entrance.” She smiled.
“Thank-you, We’ll be on our way so we won’t to hold you up. Have a good evening,” said Chasity pulling on Terri’s arm.
As they were a good distance away Steve said, “God I hope this house is more frightening and more realistic then that old hag.” Steve spat.
Jacob spotted a sign directing them to the house they chose. They walked in silence down the winding trail. The temperature had dropped and the wind had picked up. The path was getting wetter the more they walked. The sounds of the parking lot slowly faded. Soon the only sound was the rustling of the weeds in the wind.
Finally after a minute or two of walking they were in sight of the “Grand Drake.” It was tackier then they had expected. It was a mere circus like tent with a few walls unskillfully added on to the sides. The top of the tent rolled like waves on a stormy sea. A man sat in a folding chair just outside the blue curtain hanging in place of a proper door. He was dressed in a butler uniform with fake bloodstains covering his chest. He grunted and held out his hand. Steve placed the tickets quickly into his hand, moved the curtain aside, and entered. Chasity and Eric followed him hand in hand. They were followed by Terri and Jacob who were also holding hands.
The hall lasted quite a few paces and then turned a corner. The room was dimly lit. Terri turned the corner she let out a scream at the top of her lungs. It was a room full of the scariest things in the world. They were on the walls and even on the ceiling and floor. It was a room full of clowns! They walked slowly single file, although the two couples’ hands were still laced. All of a sudden one of the clowns jumped from the wall and everyone screamed, including Steve. One laying on the floor rose to his feet right in front of the group causing them to scamper forward.
“Well, I guess I have to admit that was kinda scary,” blushed Steve as he continued.
They soon found themselves in pitch back. Steve had been ahead a few paces and continued on the right. Not knowing the path had spilt; the others continued and took the left passage. Chasity had realized they had been separated soon after she could no longer hear any sound of Steve.
“Oh well. I hope he gets scared to death! Then we’ll see who’s so macho then.” Giggled Terri. Chasity giggled in agreement. Their laughter was soon halted by a very loud and low-pitched scream.
“Well he sounds like he wet his pants! I guess we better back track and go with him. We wouldn’t want wittle bitty Stevey to be alone.” Eric said mockingly.
They kept their hands on the inside wall hoping to find the junction. The wall was covered in slimy goo. Hanging from the ceiling were strings that tickled the back of their necks. The floor also would suddenly jerk to the left or right causing them to trip and stumble. It caught Jacob by surprise and he screamed once or twice.
Jacob who was leading suddenly completely fell upon the floor. The rest fell on top of him. They had fallen a top a large rubber feeling bump. More goo was coming from numerous spots of the bump.