Work Text:
October 23rd, 2288
On a barren torn-up road a repaired motorcycle blows up dust as it travels to Ashmore. A tiny town in Illinois that serves as a trader post after the bombs. The motorcycle slows down and pulls up to a large brick building surrounded by scaffolding. It is sunset and the last of the people repairing the building have left. The two riders get off and the woman by the name of Andrea asks the driver why they are here.
“Dakota, this is a nice building but why are we here?” She stretches sore from riding so long.
“This is the Ashmore Estate, it’s haunted.” Dakota smiles as he wipes off fine dust from his black Vaultsuit.
Andrea rolls her eyes and puts her hands on her hips. Her dull orange dress swishes as her hips cock to the side.
“Really? You had us leave Chicago and head to the land of dried cornfields for this?” She’s clearly annoyed.
“Hun it’s just for fun, I’ve heard loads of stories about this place and wanted to take you here for memories.” He approaches her and offers a hand, she reluctantly takes it.
“Let’s go.”
He leads her inside and they both admire the old-world graffiti throughout the building. They also observed the antique furniture and leftover equipment when this ancient building still functioned. Andrea will admit, this place has its charm she thinks as she looks at a wheelchair in the corner of the large room they’re in.
“Oh woah!” Andrea breaks the handhold and walks over to a windowsill. In the last moment of sunlight, Andrea stands before the window and wall that’s being reclaimed by bright green moss. Almost like a carpet.
“Of all the things eye it’s your love of eco-brutalism that gets you excited,” Dakota smirks as he takes his place by her side. He watches as she pets the moss and then looks outside at the rapidly approaching darkness.
“This place isn’t so bad.” She smiles at him causing his one robotic eye to flicker and his cheeks to blush. He ruffles his black hair with a hand on one side trying to keep calm.
“I’m glad, come, there is more to see.” He leads her away.
The wheelchair steadily rolls away from the wall and stops in the hallway without the couple knowing.
Finally, it is night and the couple is listening for anything out of the ordinary. So far, they’ve only heard coyotes talking in the dried-out fields.
“Kota, I’m going to wander around a bit okay?”
Andrea tells Dakota as she stands up from sitting on the floor of a small room.
“Alright just stay safe.” He smiles at her.
She walks down a hallway and into the darkness, she turns on her flashlight as she ascends a staircase and into a hallway. Not knowing where to go she just wanders keeping track of where she turns not wanting to get lost.
She enters a room and her flashlight goes on the fritz. As she is messing with it the door behind her slowly closes and locks. Her flashlight goes dead as she hears shuffling from somewhere in front of her. Her head snaps up, strands of red hair falling from her ponytail and framing her face. A pit forms in her stomach as she gazes into the darkness. She really hopes it is just an animal as the sound moves to her left.
“Da-Dakota…” she tried to yell his name but the only thing that comes out is a whimper. Then she hears it.
Giggling of a child.
“Hello?” She calls out thinking a brat is pulling a sick joke on her. The shuffling gets closer and Andrea can make out the darker shape of a child in the dark room. She smacks her flashlight and it miraculously flicks back on she aims it at the child and to her horror nothing is there.
She screams drops the flashlight and begins pounding on the door screaming for Dakota. Thankfully he hears the commotion and manages to break the door open. Andrea rushes to his arms and cries.
“We must go!” She looks at him.
“Yes!” He takes her hand and they sprint away.