Filed to story: My Life with the Walter Boys Book (I & II) PDF Free
“Yeah, you are,” Cole said and chuckled. He turned his attention back to the screen just in time to see the stupid girl step outside into the dark night. Then the TV and lights flickered out.
“Oh my God! He’s coming for us,” I screamed and buried my face into the closest available shoulder, which happened to be Cole’s.
“Not scared, huh?” he asked.
“Um, maybe a little?”
“Don’t worry.” He stood up from the couch and in the process pulled my protection—the flimsy blanket I had been hiding under—away from me. “The power always cuts out during big storms. Dad’s been trying to fix it for years.”
“Guys?” I heard Alex call out. He appeared in the kitchen, using the light of his phone to guide himself through the dark house.
“Alex, over here,” Cole said. “I’m going to go see if I can get the backup generator working. Can you go find some candles in case I can’t?”
“All right,” Alex said and turned back around as Cole made his way to the back door.
“Wait, guys,” I cried, shooting out of my seat. “Don’t leave me alone.”
Alex paused and glanced over his shoulder, which I took as a sign to follow him. When I caught up, he headed for the basement door. A bad feeling formed in my stomach.
“Alex?” I asked, trying not to sound nervous.
“Yeah?”
“The candles aren’t in the basement, are they?”
“Yup.”
“I think I’ll go with Cole.”
“That’s fine,” Alex said. “But just so you know, the backup generator is in a shed outside.”
“Basement it is,” I mumbled as we headed toward our doom.
***
“We’re going to end up like the girl in the movie Cole made me watch,” I told Alex as we descended into the basement.
“Did she die?” Alex asked, continuing down the steps.
“Well, not yet,” I said, “but I know she will.”
“So?”
“That’s my point. We are so going to end up dead.”
Alex stopped on the stairs. “Jackie, it’s just the basement. Do you think we keep monsters down here?”
“No, it’s just that…” I trailed off.
“You’re afraid of the dark?” Alex finished for me.
I sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.” I didn’t used to be, but since the nightmares—I just couldn’t handle the dark anymore.
“Once we get the candles it won’t be as dark, okay?”
“Okay,” I mumbled, not really feeling better.
When we reached the bottom, Alex grabbed my hand and pulled me to the left. I followed behind him in astonishment. This was the first real conversation we’d had since our fight, which was why his sudden contact was all the more surprising. We fought our way through a maze of cardboard boxes, and when Alex suddenly stopped, I ran straight into him.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“This is my dad’s workroom,” he said in response, holding his phone up so I could see. There was an outline of an open door, and then nothing. “There are always candles in here.”
Alex went in, and I hesitated outside for a moment, but only until I heard an awful banging noise from somewhere else in the basement.
“Hey, Jackie, just make sure you don’t—“
“Oh my God, what was that?” I burst out, before dashing inside and slamming the door behind me.
“—shut the door,” Alex finished.
“What?” I squeaked.
“Don’t shut the door,” he repeated with a sigh. He rattled the handle, but the door wouldn’t budge.
“Are we locked in?” I asked, horrified.
“It looks like it,” he said. “It’s been broken for as long as I can remember.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked.
“Hold on a sec,” he said.
He shuffled around the room, opening and closing cabinets until I heard him strike a match. A candle came to life, filling the room with light.
“Much better,” Alex said.