Chapter 5- Ghostly Meet

'I cannot believe this is happening...' Groaning, I throw my backpack over my shoulder and make my way towards the building. Other kids run around the front as I pass. Some stopped and pointed while others whispered to themselves. Looking back Aunt Flow gives me a mock thumbs up, shaking my head and looking back towards the entrance. 'This is bullshit...'

Stepping into the building a girl around my age strides over a bright smile on her face.

"Welcome you must be the new kid in town!"

"Guilty as charged." The joke flew right over her head as she tilts her head in confusion.

"Okay then..." Her smiles drop for a nanosecond before she grasped my arm and pulled me towards what looked to be a crafts table. "Choose what ya would like to do?"

"Uh, okay." Looking at the wide variety, nothing seemed to catch my attention. "I guess whatever I choose is what group I'm put into right?"

She nods, "A lot of people love the groups they have been put into once they choose so..."

Shrugging I grab a book off the corner and eyeball it for a second. "Scary stories? Childrens horror or?--"

"It doesn't really matter, is that what you choose." She looks back towards the door where another kid has wandered in.

"Yeah..." Seeing the sudden haste, she points me towards a small group of other kids my age and rushes off towards the front to pull her song and dance once more.

"Guessing you got dumped too?" A girl with a bright strawberry blonde hijab, forest green eyes, and tan skin spoke up. "The names Alania.

"Yeah seems like it. I'm Miles." Taking a seat beside her we shake hands before she gestures across the group. Three boys, two girls, my eyes land on a familiar face. "Oh, Hey Henry you too?"

"Yep, old man is helping your Aunt fix that window today and wanted me and sis to get out of the house for a change." Henry explains with a wave of his hand, only then did I realize that each of the books where different. Each scary for sure but not the same that we could actually have good conversations about them.

"Am I blind or do we all have different books?"

Everyone looks at their covers some looking dumfounded as others shrug and keep reading.

"What about we ditch this and show the new kid the old court?" An older kid suggested which goes down as easy as you can think, and now with quick glances to make sure the older girl doesn't notice we slip out the back double doors and out into the thicket.

"So what's this 'Court' you were talking about?"

"Well, it's more of run-down building with a large court front but we just call it the court... it's where all the spooky shit happens." The oldest of the group explains.

"Spooky shit..." I mumble shaking my head. "Not like I haven't seen the dead before..."

"What?", "Oh, nothing. Lead the way!" Waving my hands out in front of me the little group moves through the groove.

After a while, and few trips via hidden branches we reach the cracking asphalt that spanned to a large three-story brick building, cracking and covered in lush vines and moss.

"Wow..." I breath looking around. "This place looks--"

"Creepy as hell?" Henry spoke up.

A few agree as we walk across the concrete and to the already broken-down double doors, one leaning against the wall and the other flat in two pieces on the floor.

"It wasn't like this last time we were here." Alania mumbled stepping over the doors and into the vast debris littered hallway.

"Last time?", "Oh, yeah we bring all the new kids here see if their worthy of staying in Creeks Barrow." The oldest kid shoves me passed the doors. "Worthy? Seriously is this a cult or something?" Smirking, I shake my head and follow Alania through the halls and into an open stairwell, the windows long since busted in or starting to crack under vine weight.

"No but we got to make sure you're not chicken shit."

"What a way with words Eugene." Another girl spoke up pushing passed him and towards the stairs.

"Well, at least he's being honest." Henry chuckled round the stairs and into one of the halls. "Now, what we need you to do Miles is go down this hall, on your right will be a dark room. Once you go in you need to close the door and stay in there for five minutes." He explains motioning to the room. "Once you do that you will be all clear."

"Okay sounds simple."

With that, I walk to the mentioned room, all the windows boarded up, and a single chair in the middle.

'Ominous...'

Stepping into the room a familiar wave of goosebumps rolls like thunder down my spine. Pain, exhaustion, the last wisps of a once warm breath against the base of my neck.

The door slams shut.