#no one even noticed your empty and baseless hatred | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

amythehybrid · 3 years ago

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House in the Hills

“Legend has it that ye who enters, shall never see the light of another day…”

Rose Richards scoffed as she walked by a group of fellow classmates finding their stories to be a complete nonsense. She ignored the obnoxious laughter and giggles, rolling her eyes knowing that nobody will care enough to notice.

Once again, it was the end of another school week and like every other, the popular kids in her year group were throwing a party.

She was never invited, and even if she had been, she did not understand the appeal.

She made her way out of the school building, eyes searching each corner and group of friends for her sister, Natalie. They would miss the bus if she didn’t find her soon and Rose was not looking forward to losing time, she could spend watching reruns of ‘Friends’.

She curled her lip in distaste when she finally caught sight of her sister and without hesitation, burst into a power march toward the pair- her sister, and the guy she was speaking with. Rose, with a baseless, burning passion, disliked Tyler Lysander. The most popular guy in their year group, he was simply put, annoying and stereotypical, as Rose would nicely put it.

So, what was he doing speaking to her sister?

“Hey, hey, Rosie!” Tyler greeted, grinning wide with a teasing smirk. He lifted a hand and waved the girl over, chuckling lightly when he caught the bold display of deep-set dislike Rose bore for him. She ignored the guilty smile of greeting Natalie shot her as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

Yes, naturally, Rose would assume associating oneself with the likes of Tyler Lysander was considered wrong. He was the boy fathers warned their daughters about.

“Screw you, Lysander! Why are you speaking to my sister?”

Tyler made a clicking sound in his throat while shaking his head. He lazily threw an arm around Natalie’s shoulder, discreetly drawing the semi-oblivious girl closer. Natalie kept her head lowered in a meek fashion, a blush tainting her cheeks.

“Now, now, Rosie. That’s why you have no friends.” he replied, knowing his insult angered the girl. He smirked noting how she clenched her fists at her sides, forcing her features to stay blank of emotion despite the small curl of her lip.

“I was just inviting Natalie to the party tonight. Down by the lake, you know. At the bottom of that hill all the locals are scared of?”

Rose rolled her eyes. She didn’t understand the fear locals had. It was a stupid urban legend the old folks told to keep idiot teenagers away from the lake.

Tyler’s expression suddenly fell in mock disappointment. “I’d invite you but…” He paused, his face lighting up with a smile Rose didn’t trust. “In fact, you can come if you’d like though I doubt anyone would appreciate your gloomy aura.”

“I’m shocked you even know what that word means, Lysander.” Rose snapped back. Tyler made a face of mock hurt, the amusement never once leaving his eyes. “Natalie can’t go and even if I wanted to go, it’d be a waste of time.”

Grabbing Natalie’s hand, Rose tugged her sister along behind her ignoring the quiet apology she heard her sending to the aggravating human she tried to put distance from. When next Tyler called out to them, Rose resisted the urge to march back and punch his lights out.

“Yo, Natalie! Text me if you make up your mind! And wear something cute!”

They boarded the bus, Natalie sitting beside her sister aware of the volatile mood the girl was in. She never understood this baseless hatred Rose held for Tyler. She thought he was sweet, but she knew better than to let her sister know so. It would only invite a scolding lecture on how much of a ‘no good’ he was.

Natalie didn’t get it. Why did her sister refuse to give people a chance? Why did she keep them away? Perhaps it was best to not ask questions for which there was no response.

“You’re not going!” Rose shouted after her sister. They’d gotten off the bus and were heading inside their home. One they shared with their parents. “Natalie! Did you hear me?” she shouted once more as they entered the home and Rose slammed the door shut.

Natalie grunted, hating how much of a mom her sister was beginning to sound. In fact, it would appear to be an insult to their own mother for she was more of a best friend.

Their shouting echoed throughout the house, bringing their mother out of her room to see what had the girls fighting. She came down the steps to find Natalie stopping halfway up the staircase while Rose stood at the bottom glaring up at her sister.

Natalie turned about, returning a glare of her own.

“You can’t make me do something I don’t want to, Rose! What’s wrong with me going out? Or is it because of Tyler?”

“Girls?” their mother questioned. Both girls ignored her, Rose slapping her palm against the staircase railing out of frustration.

“It’s not about you going out, Natalie! It’s about where you’re going and with who-”

“So, it is about Tyler!” Natalie huffed, and Rose rolled her eyes. Natalie gestured to herself, speaking in a defiant manner. “Listen, Rose. He likes me, that’s why he asked me to go with him. And you know what? I like him too, so I think I’ll go.”

Rose scoffed. “Not without mom and dad’s permission.”

Both girls averted their attention to the older woman in their presence, Natalie immediately taking to pleading with their mother to let her go. She demonstrated her deep desire to go out for the night, explaining that she wanted to know Tyler better. Their mother gestured her hands for her daughter to calm down.

“It’s alright, Natalie. You can go to the lake. But no drinking, and I expect you back no later than midnight.”

“Mom! Are you seriously letting her go? She’s a sophomore and that party is mostly for seniors and juniors.” Rose blurted, hoping to reason with her mother. The older woman shook her head while Natalie shot her sister a glare.

“Come on, Rosie. It’s just a little party. Maybe you should go too if you are so worried about Natalie.”

The girl in question shook her head, scoffing to boot the show of her disapproval. “Whatever. I’d rather drown than go anywhere near that party. And don’t call me Rosie.”

Tensions running high between both girls, there was nothing their mother could say as Rosie and Natalie huffed at one another and went off to their separate rooms. Natalie plugged in her speakers, letting the songs on her playlist block out the surrounding world while she locked her bedroom door and made her way around the space picking out an outfit and matching make-up.

She pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to her date, telling him that she would go. She sent him her address, and a few minutes later, her phone vibrated with a reply from Tyler.

Over in Rose’s room, she opted for a subtle approach to letting her anger simmer. She put in her earbuds and climbed out onto the awning roof where she stayed, listening to her music and watching episodes of ‘Friends’ until the sun had completely disappeared from the sky.

The house lights had come on and her bedroom was dark. Her stomach’s rumbling was what made her move, heading out of her room with dinner in mind. As she entered the corridor adjacent to the bedrooms, she saw her sister come out of hers, and immediately, Rose’s lip curled in irritation.

When had her sister become like this?

Natalie wore a yellow dress that fell to her things and a white over-all that was left open. Her hair was left to fall loosely around her shoulders, curled a little indicating that she had spent some time on her hair and putting on make-up.

Their eyes met and Natalie pulled up short expecting her sister to say something. But, Rose didn’t. At least, not at first. She simply rolled her eyes and scoffed, saying her last piece of warning as she started down the steps. Rose knew there was nothing more to say or do short of locking her sister inside her bedroom for the night.

“Don’t give in easily.”

Rose had her dinner in the kitchen. Her parents were elsewhere within the house, but Natalie had left before Rose had finished eating. Her ‘date’ had shown up to collect her, and typically, like Rose had expected, Tyler hadn’t gotten out of the car to approach the house.

Rose retreated to her room, spending the better part of the night watching episodes of ‘Friends’ deciding to put Natalie’s uncharacteristic rebellion out of mind.

Though, at midnight, she was still awake and kept checking the time. She paused her show to listen out for the approach of Tyler’s car, or even her sister coming in through the front door. Her light footfalls that indicated her ascend up the steps, or even the soft click of her bedroom door.

Rose finally fell asleep, but she didn’t do so peacefully. Her sleep was light, and she kept waking up to toss and turn at which point she would listen for movement throughout the house or she would rise to ‘use’ the bathroom.

By the time four o’clock in the morning had come and Rose found herself standing at the threshold of Natalie’s bedroom, staring into blank, dark space, the bed empty of it’s occupant, she could already sense that something dreadful was adrift. Panic was slowly setting in as one thousand questions ran through her mind.

What if something happened?

What if Tyler tried to take advantage of her? Natalie was only sixteen and her ‘date’ was a senior high schooler. Rose didn’t trust many students in her grade, let alone Tyler Lysander.

Why was she so worried?

Was it the party’s venue or was it truly all about Tyler? Rose didn’t like him at all and for an intensely personal reason.

In a flurry, she dashed back to her bedroom and grabbed up her phone, trying Natalie’s number. She tried at least five times before she was thrown into a sudden panic attack. She had started pacing her bedroom floor, thinking up the worst scenarios and plotting her next move.

She contemplated sneaking out and heading to the lake. Or even Tyler’s house. She contemplated calling Natalie’s friends on the hope that perhaps, one or two of them had been invited to the lake party. But, her third option wouldn’t work.

She only had the number of Natalie’s best friend and she’d never once called or texted. Rose took a deep breath and shook her head. She reached for her phone once more and tried the number for Natalie’s best friend.

It went to voicemail after ringing. Natalie’s friend was either asleep or also at the lake party.

“It’s fine. Natalie can take care of herself.” Rose repeated a few times over, taking deep puffs of air to calm her racing mind. Convinced she was simply overreacting, Rose climbed beneath the blankets and curled up trying to get some shut eye.

Little did she know, her panic hadn’t been for nothing.

The commotion came at the crack of noon. The sound of her father’s angered, irate tone rising above every other sound within and outside the house, traveling up the steps to slither past her shut bedroom door. Beneath the chaotic, deep voice, she barely heard the pleading, softer voice of her mother.

It drew her away and down the steps, into the living room where her parents were too busy arguing to notice that Rose had now taken a seat, perched where she would easily see them. Her parents rarely argued.

It was always frightening and strange when they did.

Rose took in her mother’s worried expression. The petite woman rubbed at her hands while sitting on the couch appearing meek before her hulking husband, while said man paced a hole into the living room floor, anxiously tapping keys on his phone before holding it to his ear.

Obviously trying to reach someone.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t let her go to that stupid party!” her father bellowed, angrier than Rose would have expected. His muscles were tensed, and he appeared seconds away from chucking the phone at a wall.

“How was I supposed to know this would happen?” came her mother’s meek reply, voice shaking and moments away from bursting into tears. The woman’s husband scowled.

“Are you truly oblivious to what happens down at that lake? Drugs. Alcohol. Sex!” the man shouted, past the definition of angry now. His face contorted in vile dislike. “And to make matters worse, you let her leave with that Lysander kid!”

“I’m sorry.” Rose’s mother replied, barely above a whisper. Her voice lacked conviction and confidence in the face of her husband’s wrath. Once again, the man scowled.

“Rose!” he suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs. As loudly as his deep voice would allow him. He called her again, and not fearing the wrath of her father, Rose slowly emerged from her hiding place, ignoring the suspicious stare her father shot her.

“Did you know about this party?” the towering man asked his daughter who confidently approached him, though his tall height dwarfed her petite frame. Rose nodded, noting the manner he had sneered the nature of the ‘get-together’. Perhaps it was dislike of the ‘prohibited’ affair or that Natalie went with the one boy in their town her father absolutely disliked.

And for a personal reason. The same which Rose disliked Tyler.

“I tried to stop her. But she was pretty adamant she goes.”

Rose stood quietly as her father fussed and fumed, mumbling and cursing foully beneath his breath. The young girl gauged her mother’s reaction, wondering for a split second how her parents managed to make things work. They were opposites in a way.

Her father strict and firm handed. Reasonable and nice once mutual grounds were reached. Her mother was fiery and had a rebellious streak that even after so many years of motherhood, she hadn’t lost. Rose would easily say she was like her father. And Natalie, like their mother.

“I can try to find her.” Rose suggested, knowing well that their arguing commenced because Natalie hadn’t returned home. The young girl kept her ceaseless worry at bay, keeping quiet whilst her father projected and demonstrated exactly what she felt on the inside.

Uncertainty and fear.

Their town was small. It was rare for someone to go missing.

“Where would you suggest looking?” her father demanded, shooting her a firm stare that she took into stride. Rose shrugged.

“Tyler Lysander.”

Her suggestion sent the man into a frenzy, and they ended up in an argument. Rose argued that it was the best starting point since he would most likely be the one to have seen Natalie last. Her father argued that it was quite possibly the worst idea.

Rose didn’t care. Her sister was missing regardless of what the law said. It was unlike Natalie to pull a stunt like this despite her faintly rebellious nature. Her father’s rants had revealed he’d tried everyone he knew. The parents of Natalie’s friends, and even Natalie’s phone. He’d come up with nothing.

“I agree it’s a bad idea. God knows I’d rather anything else. But she went there with Lysander so that’s where I start.”

Her father halted, face red from controlled fury. He did not like the idea of Rose being within five yards of that boy. Middle school, freshman year of high school; all good. Sophomore year, absolute chaos. Junior year, a changed Rose Richards.

But he couldn’t argue. His daughter held a valid argument despite his strong disapproval. She was strongheaded like him.

“Fine. I’ll head down to the station and file a report.” her father instructed. He turned his furious stare onto his petite wife. “You’ll stay here in case Natalie magically shows up. We better pray she does or if something happens to her-”

“You’ll finally get your wish of hurting Lysander and his equally abominable kid?” Rose suggested to a finish, grinning smugly. Her father gave his signature smirk that Rose had come to inherit.

They split off on their separate ways. Her father to the station, and Rose to the Lysander residence while her mother stayed at home on the lookout for Natalie’s return.

Rose pushed down the feeling of certain dread as she approached the Lysander home. There had been a nagging voice at the back of her mind telling her something was incredibly wrong. It had been there since midnight and had left her paranoid. Rose had been shocked she’d managed to gain some sleep.

When Rose knocked on the front door of Tyler’s home and his mother answered, the lady’s expression quickly turned to shock. Rose Richards had been the last person she would expect to see on her doorstep and already, she sensed the foreboding nature of the girl’s visit.

Rose had not been the same girl after the incident in sophomore year of high school.

“Mrs. Lysander.” Rose greeted sweetly for her anger wasn’t directed toward the lady. “Is Tyler home?”

Mrs. Lysander nodded and let the young girl in. The lady led her up the steps toward Tyler’s room whilst she explained that he appeared skittish and jumpy on his return home. She complained too, that she hadn’t a clue on what to do with the company her son kept. Rose only nodded along, not bothered by Tyler or his mother’s problems. She only noted what was said about his uncharacteristic behaviour upon his return.

“Mrs. Lysander? What time did you say he got in?”

“Around three this morning.”

Rose was still awake that time. Futilely tossing and turning and pacing her bedroom floor.

Mrs. Lysander knocked on the door, and this she repeated, calling her son’s name four times. Yet, there was no answer. Until the woman grew fed up of her son’s silence and barged in.

Rose followed, pulling up short at the unruly, unkempt appearance of her nemesis. He was still fully dressed in his party attire of jeans, a stylish t-shirt and black and white Vans. But he was not asleep, rather hunched over in a dark corner of his room, knees drawn up to his chest and he rocked back and forth in a daze. Madness slowly setting in.

Rose’s heart thundered in her chest, the nagging voice echoing louder in her mind. Her paranoia grew.

Her greatest enemy was…spooked!

“He’s been that way since he got home. He refuses to speak to anyone.”

Rose nodded, pushing down the mounting fear that bubbled in her chest. “May I have a moment with him alone, Mrs. Lysander?”

The older woman nodded and quietly took her leave after shooting her son one more worried glance. Rose approached quietly and stooped down to Tyler’s eye level. She cared not for his mental health. God knows he cared little to nothing for hers.

“Where’s my sister?” Rose interrogated. A rough edge to her voice indicating her impatience, lack of sympathy toward Tyler, but carefully hiding the deep-set fear.

Time ticked away, silence ensuing. Tyler continuously rocked back and forth, his breathing coming in short, shallow puffs. Rose groaned in irritation, rolling her eyes as she did so. She repeated her question with more force, the strength of her tone startling Tyler out of his daze. The boy glanced up with confusion as if seeing her for the first time.

“Rosie?” he croaked.

Shoving away the supreme disgust she felt toward him, she asked her question once more. “Where is Natalie?” she gritted out.

Tyler’s expression suddenly contorted into what Rose would define as absolute terror. He gulped audibly, and his eyes went owlishly wide. His gaze misted and suddenly, Rose frowned at first when he burst out into tears.

Her heart wrenched in pain, but not for him.

Where was Natalie?

“I-I’m so…I’m really sorry…Rosie…” His voice was soft. Barely above a whisper and completely uncharacteristic of the confident, egotistical Tyler Lysander.

Rose’s anger mounted, and in a fit of rage she fell to her knees and grabbed Tyler by the collar of his shirt with both hands. She drew him nearer, hearing the audible gasp for he finally recognized the fury etched onto Rose’s pretty face.

“Where the hell is my sister, Lysander? I want details. No apologies.”

She recognized the fear that gripped him tightly as he stuttered his way through a vague explanation.

“They…they took her.” he whispered fearfully.

“Who? Where?”

Tyler paused, his misted gaze locking onto her angered one as his brows furrowed. Certain fear clouded his eyes as he could think of no worse fate.

“The people in the hills.”

“You think I’m playing around, Lysander? My sister’s missing and you’re trying to get a joke out of this-”

“I’m telling you the truth, Rosie!” Tyler shouted back, his voice cracking with the weight of his grief. “The stories are true!” He shook his head in a manner that reminded Rose of someone completely losing his mind. “I-I didn’t believe it…we…none of us did, Rosie. But it’s true. Someone grabbed her! I saw it! There’s someone in those hills by the lake!”

Rose shoved him away, getting to her feet. “I don’t have time for this bullshit!”

When she turned to leave, Tyler shot out a hand grabbing onto her wrist. He propelled himself up to his feet, his strength jerking the girl about as she tried to shove him off. He used the opportunity to take hold of her shoulders.

His tone, exasperated, and his expression troubled. “I’m not kidding, Rosie. You have to believe me.”

She thought of it for a moment, narrowing her gaze to him. “Fine. The person who took Natalie. What did they look like?”

Tyler shook his head. “I-I…I’m not sure. It was dark up there and our phone lights didn’t give enough to see. But there was a man. And he was tall.”

Our?

“You took Natalie up those hills? You said ‘our’ that time.”

“Me, a buddy of mine, and his girlfriend. I swear, Rosie. If I had known someone was up there, I’d never have encouraged it.”

Rose curled her lip, clenching her fists at her sides in controlled fury, battling the urge to physically fight the person before her. She resisted the urge to ask more unnecessary questions.

“Whatever. Since you were the last person to see my sister, you and I are going to get her back.”

“Y-You mean…go back to that hill?” Tyler asked cautiously, truly afraid of the answer. But by the anger and the determination written on Rose’s face, he knew she wasn’t lying. “I’m sorry, Rosie. I want to help…but I…I can’t-”

“No.” Rose muttered quietly. She approached Tyler, getting up in his personal space as she jabbed a finger into his chest. He took a step back, wincing painfully when she shoved his shoulder followed by another jab that brought about her verbal onslaught.

“Listen here, puss! My sister is missing. You took her there so that made her your responsibility.” Rose fumed, jabbing her finger into his shoulder harder this time, intent on causing some bruising. Kind in comparison to the scars he’d given her that she still struggled to heal. “If you’re too much of a wuss to man up and help me find the girl you lost, I will drag you there.”

Tyler curled away, his head lowered in fear and shame. Rose did not know the dangers she was dragging him back to.

“That’s kidnapping, Rosie.” he whispered softly, refusing to meet her stare for he knew the rage he’d find there.

“Just like Natalie was!” Rose yelled. She pushed his shoulder making him step back. Tyler winced. He was not used to this side of her. Even after sophomore year when she’d changed. She was usually quiet and resorted to quick comebacks and insults.

But he knew he’d gone overboard. He deserved every bit of her anger.

Fisting a hand in his shirt, Rose drew him nearer not one bit intimidated by his tall frame that dwarfed her. “We are going back to that hill to get Natalie. Meet me by the railway in an hour and while you’re at it, call your two friends who were there. Do not keep me waiting, Lysander.”

Rose checked her phone for the eighth time in five minutes. Anxiety gnawed at her mind, heightening her paranoia. It was already thirteen minutes past the agreed hour, and she stood near the old railway feeling more and more like an idiot with each passing second.

She had informed her parents of her plan. They did not like it, but she persisted that it was now or never. They couldn’t afford to wait for twenty-four hours or even forty-eight to pass by before the police decided to do something.

Her mother remained at home, her paranoia too, setting in as the day slowly ended. Her father had returned to the police station in hopes of making them listen. To get off their butts and do something because pulling a disappearing stunt was not Natalie’s style. Be she a teenager, her father was strict enough to ensure Natalie never pulled such gimmicks.

Those idiots better not have stood me up!

Rose stood near the railway with a backpack that carried a flashlight and batteries. A jacket should they find Natalie and she needed something to keep warm and sticking out of her backpack was the handle of a steel baseball bat.

She played softball for her school. She was known. But not for her athleticism in no short thanks to her nemesis and his undying need to see her miserable. The baseball bat was a gift from her father, and it had a few scratches from when she’d head down to the court and hit a few.

It was her prized possession. A symbol of her favourite hobby that could be easily used as weapon since she had no inkling as to what they may be walking into.

After another ten minutes or so had passed, each one grating on Rose’s nerves and heightening her irritation all the more, she finally caught sight of three figures crossing the railway tracks, making their way over.

She immediately recognized them. Tyler stood the tallest amongst the three with his dwarfing frame that reached just over six feet. She recognized the second boy, and without meaning to, rolled her eyes in mental agony.

Brad Wayland. Jerk number two. Flirt and womanizer by nature. All brawn and no brains except for when it came to football and picking up girls.

His girlfriend. Heather Holmes. Those two had a strange relationship. Neither were faithful but somehow, they made it work and had been together since freshman year.

They were both equally annoying and aggravating, coming in a close second to Tyler.

Great! I’m on a rescue mission with three of the most annoying people on Plant Earth!

But she would keep it civil and brave a show of gratitude if they found Natalie.

“What’s up, Rosie baby?” Brad greeted, grinning his signature smirk Rose was itching to knock off his face. Biting her tongue, she ignored his greeting as best she could until Heather spoke.

“For the record, this is like, insanely stupid.”

Rose’s civility snapped. “Like, I don’t care. If you’ve got a better idea, girly, I’m all ears.”

Heather scoffed and rolled her eyes muttering a ‘whatever’ under her breath.

“What’s with the bat, Rosie?” Tyler asked.

“We have no idea what we’re up against.” She stopped speaking, noting that the only person who came relatively prepared was herself. She narrowed her gaze on the annoying couple and her nemesis. “I see you three are prepared.”

Heather scoffed once more, shooting Rose a glare. “Get real, Richards! This is like, a stupid plan and like we should’ve like, let the cops handle this.”

Rose took a moment to comprehend that sentence, her confusion clearly shown on her face before she shook her head to rid away the horrid grammar of Heather’s statement.

“We don’t have time to waste, Holmes. Natalie was kidnapped and the police won’t do anything until at least forty-eight hours have passed. You three got us into this mess, you’re going to get us out of it.”

“Okay,” Brad started, and Rose could already tell she would need to restrain her dislike for the idiot more than usual. “But the woods are scary this time of day. And even scarier at night.”

Rose raised a well-shaped eyebrow, indicating that she was not afraid nor was she about to back out. And Brad realized this because he huffed, throwing an arm lazily around his girlfriend’s shoulder.

In silence, the group of four teenagers proceeded using the remaining daylight hours to their advantage. They walked the rest of the railway branching off to a section of the woodland that would take them to the lake.

The lake was a large expanse of water surrounded by trees; the shrubbery not thick enough for one to lose sense of direction. The woodland was quiet and as they approached the lake after almost an hour of trekking unclaimed territory, Rose pursed her lips when she caught sight of a few red plastic cups and cigarette butts littering the earthen floor.

She wondered about the party the night before. Had Natalie given in to peer pressure and consumed that vile liquid? Had she smoked one of those cigarette butts?

Rose peeked through the trees, noting that the sun was now significantly lower than it had been when they set off. If she checked correctly, they would have roughly one more hour of useful daylight before the trees and shrubbery melded together in dark, oppressing silhouettes that would surely blend into the equally overwhelming darkened sky.

They would have to make it to the top of the hill quickly. And then even faster if they found Natalie.

No…when!

When more minutes of silence passed by, Rose decided to break it with a question as more red cups and cigarette butts came into view. She cringed then when her gaze landed on a mint coloured lace bra lying on the roots of a tree.

And people wonder why I don’t party…

“Did Natalie drink last night? Or smoke?” she questioned. She sensed a change in energy from Tyler who strode quietly by her side, Heather and Brad not bothering to hide their annoyance with the question. Heather groaned, and her boyfriend chuckled.

“She had a beer or two.” Tyler answered hoping to put her mind at ease. “She didn’t smoke. I made sure.”

That made her feel better.

Not!

“You know, Richards,” Heather suddenly spoke up and Rose resisted the urge to scoff finding the sound of the girl’s voice to be particularly irritating this day. “How is it that you’re a senior but like, your sister’s so much more fun to hang around with? Then again, I am glad you didn’t show up. Your gloom would have like, ruined the entire affair.”

Brad snickered. Rose stopped in her tracks causing Heather to bump into her. Tyler turned about sensing the beginnings of a fight on the verge of breaking out and he came to stand behind Rose when she turned to face the infuriating girl. Arms at the ready to restrain her should it turn to a physical altercation.

He knew without thinking much of it that Rose was incredibly angry. With him. With Natalie. Possibly her mother for allowing Natalie to attend the lake party. And neither Heather nor Brad were making it easier for her.

Heather raised an eyebrow out of pure amusement catching the truly enraged glare housed on Rose’s pretty features. “What?”

“Natalie and I may have our differences but at the end of the day, she’s still my sister. My little sister.” She turned, shoving Tyler out of her path before glancing over her shoulder with a firm glare that left no room for imagination on how she truly felt toward them.

Brad chuckled in amusement. Heather scoffed and rolled her eyes. Tyler averted his gaze to the floor, hurt by the meaning behind that glare, and suddenly ashamed of his actions that led them all here.

“You three better pray we find her.”

“Or what?” Brad prodded. “You’ll batter us with that baseball bat?” He chuckled, his laugh that to Rose, sounded like a clucking chicken, grating even more on her nerves. Rose glanced over her shoulder with a sinister grin.

“It’s a large expanse of woodland, Wayland.” Her voice, though sarcastic, dripped with mystery.

Her comeback silenced them. Brad suddenly became troubled, cautiously watching the girl’s every movement although she, for now, led the group further past the lake. They were now approaching the foot of the hill that had inspired that urban legend about a mysterious figure that roamed the top half of the hill.

Legend had it that about two decades back, maybe more, a young girl had gone missing from her camping trip she’d had with friends. Her body was never found, and no trace of her whereabouts had surfaced. Local police chalked it up to the girl simply running off and leaving town.

In the years that followed, more mysterious disappearances of the same nature occurred. Young girl in her teen years, mysteriously vanishing from a group of friends. It was rare to hear about a young boy in his teen years disappearing in the same fashion. But there have been one or two cases.

“I-I didn’t believe it…we…none of us did…”

She thought about Tyler’s crazed ranting for a moment. Could it be that the legend wasn’t that? But that it was actually true? Was there someone up in those hills kidnapping teenagers when the opportunity presented itself?

The more she thought about it, the more daunting the reality became. No longer could she ignore the signs that were in front of her. The cases and stories. So many had gone missing and the point of disappearance…always around that lake. The victims were always the same age group.

Were the local police keeping the existence of a possible serial murderer under wraps? Or were they perhaps themselves, too afraid to scour the hill? Every other year or so, someone went missing.

Rose remembered the last case. A high school senior, Abigail Lyons. Went to the lake one Friday afternoon with some friends. The story said that she’d gone into the bushes to urinate but never returned.

Her heart pounding louder than ever, it was all she could hear. Her mouth went dry and her breathing suddenly turned shallow as she stopped once again. Peeking up through the trees, she scowled in distaste and certain dread as the sun hung extremely low in the sky, casting shadows and silhouetted frames around them.

Barely an hour of daylight left.

“How far again until we reach the spot where she was taken?” Her question was rushed, and the others could tell she was anxious as hell.

“It’s just further up the hill.” Tyler responded, gesturing to the large incline of earthen floor and shrubbery ahead of them.

Her heart skipped a beat, her breathing hitched. Shaking her head, she glanced up at the imposing dome-like mound and inhaled deeply. She was hoping that her father managed to get somewhere with convincing the precinct to do something for as they began the lengthy, tiresome ascend up the steep incline through bushes, around trees, and over uneven ground, the dread pooled and built in the pit of her stomach.

Her nerves tingled and chills broke out on her arms and along her back, the coldness of the night to come already settling in, growing harsher the higher they ascended. Small animals scampered by rousing a subtle reaction from the four out of fright. Whether they turned around to scan the area in search of a possible threat, leaped out of the way, gasped or squealed, it was beginning to give them all an adrenaline rush.

“Guys, this is getting ridiculous.” Brad suddenly said. “We should head back and let the cops handle this.”

Rose withheld a small smile noting his words were intentionally aimed toward her. But she also gathered by his tone that he was easily the most spooked among them all.

“My father’s taking care of that. What?” Rose returned, throwing a smirk over her shoulder. “Getting jumpy, Wayland?”

“You realize how stupid this entire thing is, right?” he fired.

Yes, she did. Four teenagers venturing into the woodland at night was risky business by itself. Add on the possibility that there was a serial killer running around the woods heightened the ‘danger’ factor. But she was driven enough to ignore the threats, possessing a frame of mind- no matter how frightened she was- to find Natalie against all obstacles.

“Well, what’s more idiotic? Righting your idiotic actions or the ones that led us here in the first place?” Rose shot back. Her question once again silenced them as they clambered up yet another earthen ledge. They continued to clamber up the next slope, their vision having adjusted somewhat to the darkness that was now engulfing them.

“What were you even doing up this way? Away from the party, anyhow?” she asked after a momentary bout of silence befell them. Her irritation mounted when none of the three decided to give a response. “I asked a question. Or are you too ashamed of your idiocy?”

“This is why nobody likes you.” Heather seethed quietly.

“Like I care if people have a problem with the truth. How about answering my question?”

“It was a dare.” Tyler started off quietly. “Some guys were trying to scare a few of the girls with the urban legend story. We didn’t believe it, so they dared us to come up this way. Next thing we knew…”

“Freaking idiots!” Rose swore softly, not at all caring how they took her words. They shouldn’t have been near the lake anyhow, especially after the disappearance of Abigail Lyons.

They came up over another earthen ledge and Rose suddenly came to a halt as she spotted a faint, orange light through the thicket of the trees farther in. “Is this it?” she asked.

Tyler didn’t give a verbal response, rather simply nodded.

“Well, we should go say hi.”

“Are you like, actually stupid?” Heather hissed from behind Rose. Said girl rolled her eyes.

“You got me here, thanks. If you’re too much of a wuss to go any further, by all means, leave.”

“Guys.” Tyler warned, seeing their physical struggle to keep their words at bay. He understood that Rose had every right to be angry. They got Natalie into this mess. She had been kidnapped because of their stupidity and giving in to peer pressure so that they’d be ‘cool’. It was only fair they helped the girl’s sister get her back.

Silently, they trudged forward, keeping their footfalls light. Paranoia of a madman serial killer running around the woodland and that they were closer than ever to the source of all the misery kept them exceedingly alert. Every chirp of a cricket or night bird, every owl’s hoot; each rustle of a tree leaf, and each snap of twig and crunch of fallen, dried up leaves and branches caught their hearing.

They shivered in the night’s cold, rubbing at their arms to keep the chills away. Both from the air and hoping to keep their fear at bay long enough to make it out. The closer they stepped; Heather felt a scream bubbling in her throat, her mind racing. Brad stuck closer to his girlfriend, using her as a shield against the coming danger they knew awaited them.

Tyler fidgeted next to Rose who mostly kept a neutral expression. But on the inside, everything was slowly crumbling from pent up terror. She gripped the backpack straps tighter until her knuckles were white. Taking a shaky breath, Rose stilled her movements, the four-man group coming to a halt as well.

Silence befell them.

Shuck! Shuck! Shuck!

The group frowned at the unfamiliar sound. The closest Rose would say it came to was dirt being shovelled and at that rather insidious thought, a gripping shiver stole up her spine, momentarily rooting her to the spot.

I have to find Natalie.

With a deep puff of air, she moved forward ignoring the quiet struggle of Heather and Brad behind her. They kept saying the same things she already knew.

It was a bad idea in every sense of the meaning. It was an incredibly stupid plan or lack thereof. But somebody had to find Natalie before Rose’s worst nightmare came true.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” came Tyler’s uncertain tone less than an inch away. His proximity scared her more than the continuous shucking sound. Rose nodded her head despite every fibre in her being telling her to do just the opposite.

Somebody needed to find Natalie and she wouldn’t wait on the ridiculous protocol of law enforcement. A killer doesn’t need forty-eight hours to kill an innocent victim. All they need were a few well-planned seconds.

The group slowed as they came around the bend, tiptoeing along the side of the cabin-like house that couldn’t have been home to more than one person. The light inside was on, as was the front porch, and the back porch, the dim, yellow light from the bulb illuminating the space around them but obscuring their vision further beyond that to where the sound was coming from.

Crouching low, the others followed Rose’s lead and remained out of sight except for Tyler who crawled around to her side in hopes of getting a glimpse of what had her squinting into the darkness.

Further out in a small clearing where the shucking sound originated, Rose’s vision adjusted after a few moments of focus. She made out the burly, tall figure of a man moving about in an uncharacteristic manner. He held a shovel in his hands and every few seconds he would bend down. The shuck would come again, then he would rise up and toss the dirt onto a mound less than a foot away.

Rose’s breath caught then, her stomach plummeting lower than dirt as she caught sight of a familiar pair of black flats. Legs. Fair and smooth. The tall figure blocked most of her vision but there was no mistaking it.

His legs like tree trunks firmly planted apart gave a sneak peak to the torn white over-all and yellow dress she had seen perfectly intact less than twenty-four hours ago. Her throat constricted painfully, and she quickly clasped a hand over her mouth to muffle any sob that threatened to give away their presence.

She shut her eyes, taking a shaky breath that did nothing to stop the tears that fell. Through blurred vision, she glanced over to Tyler who was rooted his spot, his face contorted in certain fear, and he appeared as pale as paper. It was like he’d seen ghost, or perhaps, something he wasn’t supposed to.

The man suddenly dropped the shovel with a dull clank! It drew their attention and with teary eyes, Rose peeked around the corner feeling sorrow, grief, and utter helplessness overwhelm her as the man stepped away. Tyler had fallen back, and out of sight for he would have been immediately spotted had he remained rooted at Rose’s side.

Rose slumped backward. Agony like never before consumed her and she clamped both hands down over her mouth, the image of her sister’s lifeless body, pale and bruised lying on the cold, hard dirt, creating a trauma in her mind. She felt trapped, as though she were being suffocated.

Something was holding her down and she struggled to fight it, her sobs coming muffled as she gave into the overwhelming sensation of pain and devastation.

It had to be that she was seeing things!

She refused to believe her eyes.

It couldn’t be Natalie…

She fought against the force that was pulling her away, taking a final peek at the girl’s body. What she had hoped was paranoia and delusional projections of her restless mind proved to be reality. There was no mistaking the brunette hair that was once curled to look presentable. Now damp, and scanty. The dress and over-all sported dirt stains, rips and blood.

The lifeless corpse was no other than her sister. Her little sister, Natalie Richards.

Her heart shattered, she kicked and fussed as strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and yanked her to her feet and away. In state of shock and agony, Rose barely registered that distance was being placed between her and the house where her sister’s body was about to be buried by a psycho.

Her intuition had been correct. A serial murderer living in the woods. Preying on innocent teenagers. Murdered her sister for some sick, twisted obsession.

When finally, she was let down near a tree, the faint glowing orange light some distance away, she fell to her knees and shrugged off her backpack. She leaned over, bracing her weight on her hands as her stomach unloaded itself.

The viscosity of the upchuck came bubbling up her throat and through her nostrils. She choked, gasping for air. Tears streamed down her face and she let every ounce of pain she’d withheld over the years come flowing out.

Natalie was gone.

A madman took her away.

And to think that the last time they’d spoken, it was in a fight over a stupid party!

In that moment, Rose hated everyone. Herself. Her mother. The man who had kidnapped and killer her sister. She hated Tyler Lysander for inviting Natalie to that stupid party. She hated her sister for being so foolish and accepting that ridiculous dare.

Pounding her fists against the earthen floor as the floodgates to her emotions were smashed through, she stifled down the painful scream that would no doubt give away their location. Her upchuck ceased and she was left a blubbering mess of sorrow and anger.

Rose registered over her hyperventilating and sobs, an argument happening less than a few yards away in hushed tones. The quiet of the night allowed her to catch snippets, her anger bubbling over at the cowardice and pretence she heard.

How dare they grieve when it was all of their fault?

Rose gathered her courage to stand and step forward but before she could open her mouth to say something, a twig snapped behind her and she was immediately grabbed from behind. A large hand slapped over her mouth and a trunk of an arm wrapped around her midsection lifting her clean off the ground. She kicked and screamed, her arms flailing wildly but the monstrosity of a man she knew was her sister’s killer, easily dodged all of her attacks.

In the midst of her terror, she wondered how they hadn’t seen or heard his approach. Big guy, with footfalls as light as a feather. Her mind’s reasoning.

“Tyler!” she tried screaming past the large hand that easily covered her nose and mouth. Once again, she felt herself being carried but in the opposite direction. Rose screamed, faintly registering the frantic screams coming from Tyler as the killer dragged her back to that house.

She saw Heather and Brad suddenly sprint away and she faintly heard Tyler screaming after them.

Rose’s instinct suddenly kicked in and she bit down on the man’s hand, cringing in disgust at the taste of dirt on her tongue. His grip loosened for all of a heartbeat, letting her fall to the ground. She turned about and lifted a foot with the intention to kick him where the sun didn’t shine vaguely catching sight of what he looked like.

Scraggily, and unkempt beard. Crazed eyes. Towering frame in all black. It was no wonder they hadn’t seen his approach. With clothing that dark in complete darkness, it would be difficult picking him apart from the silhouetted forms.

He would easily give her nightmares for years to come.

“Rosie!” she heard Tyler’s voice suddenly bellow from behind the man who turned at the approach of Tyler’s heavy, hurried footfalls. He’d broken into a run and Rose could see him wielding the steel baseball bat she’d brought along.

Adrenaline surged through her as she watched the man prepare to dodge Tyler’s attack. She stuck her foot out and kicked his lower back, shoving him forward. The sudden attack made him stumble for a moment long enough to throw him off focus. It was all the time Tyler needed to swing the bat with all the strength of his six-foot frame, assuming a stance to hit a home run.

He’d have to if they intended to get away!

He swung the bat as hard as he could, the impact vibrating through the bat and shocking his hands. He almost dropped it but quickly shook his hands out as the killer groaned and staggered. He wobbled side-to-side and shook his head.

Tyler’s lips curled to frown, and he lifted the bat once more and swung. It connected with the side of the man’s head just below his ears, the impact immediately disorienting him.

Neither teenager waited.

Rose scrambled to her feet and with one last look backwards, to the house where her sister’s lifeless body lay growing closer and decomposing with each passing moment, she ran around the man’s disoriented form. He had toppled to his knees and swung out a hand in an attempt to grab her again, but she evaded successfully.

“Come on!” Tyler urged, grabbed hold of Rose’s hand. Together, they burst into a sprint heading back the way they had come, down the earthen ledges, zigzagging through trees, sliding and stumbling their way through the darkness.

He gripped the bat tightly in one hand, and with the other, he clutched onto Rose’s like his life depended on it. They hauled ass over woodland territory, never once stopping as they approached the lake, sprinting past the banks and the litter left there from the night before.

Rose’s heart thundered in her chest. Between the adrenaline pumping through her veins, the need to lie down and scream her lungs out, and hovering on the edge of a mental breakdown, she had a difficult time keeping pace with Tyler’s long strides. Until she seemed to give up and he was practically pulling her along.

He didn’t stop even when they had broken out of the treeline back at the starting point of their mini mission. They ran across the old railway tracks, scrambling over the dilapidated wire fence that separated the rest of the town from the abandoned railway and the woodland.

When they stopped running, Rose collapsed to the concrete pavement, leaning against the red brick wall of a small diner. They were safe.

Back in town, with people milling about. There was no way the killer would pursue them.

It didn’t mean however, that they would be completely safe unless that man had been reported and arrested. He may live in the woods, but Rose would bet anything that at some point, he ventured down to dine in, or buy a few grocery items.

It was a small town.

Another wave of tears choked her, and she let it fall. Gasping for air, Rose allowed herself to freefall into the abyss of her breakdown. The air beside her stirred and the next second, she was pulled against a broad chest. Needing the comfort, she ignored that the person holding her was her nemesis, Tyler Lysander, and curled into him.

She cried her eyes out, faintly registering the soothing motion of Tyler’s hand rubbing at her back, and his string of continuous apologies.

She should hate him. She really should. Part of her wanted to. It wanted to cast all the blame on him for ignoring the stories. Ignoring the warnings to stay afar from the lake. But it wasn’t entirely his fault.

He couldn’t have known Natalie would be taken. He couldn’t have known for sure that the stories were true and that those mysterious disappearances were actually murders in disguise.

It was their fault.

They ignored the stories. The urban legend of the mysterious figure roaming the hill by the lake.

Anyone who enters, shall never again see the light of day.

And Natalie didn’t.

#short story #suspense #writers on tumblr #murder #mystery #teenagers

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