Chapter Text
It was only a joke. “I’m going to miss you when you die!” Ash had joked to Casey. Mostly everyone laughed along and looked past it. However, the theater didn’t.
Rowan ran a hand through his messy, dark reddish-brown hair. The old, abandoned lyric theater was creepy, a perfect place for them to shoot their short horror film for their high school. With Halloween right around the corner, they didn’t have much time left to continue searching for another area to film.
“I might have to add stronger lighting when I edit the footage,” Eli mused, glancing around the gloomy, dimly-lit lobby.
“Yeah, it’s really dark in here,” Lexie agreed, peering down a hall filled with shadows. “Maybe we should all split up and find a good spot to film, and return in about fifteen minutes?”
Casey simply nodded to Lexie’s suggestion. Her light brown eyes avoided making contact with Ash’s lingering gray gaze on her. She had her hands tucked into her sweatpants’ pockets.
She was never one to talk. Quiet, sensitive, cautious, and tidy. She mainly acted, and was always a target of Ash’s teasing. Casey always dressed like it was cold, wearing a white sweater, thin pink sweatpants, and black and white furry boots. Her long brown hair curled over her shoulders, and her curtain bangs added a sort of elegance to her appearance.
Ash, loud and a mean-spirited jokester, was often rebellious and easily got angry or defensive. His short, wavy black hair matched with the darkness of the torn hallways. He wore a dark gray hoodie, dirty, light-colored jeans, and black platform shoes just to make himself the tallest one in the group. He too mainly acted.
Lexie was the most logical one. She was also strong, grounded, protective, and decisive. She was an actor as well, but she also storyboarded their films. She had a medium-length black wolf cut and brown eyes that would pierce into anyone’s soul. She wore a teal t-shirt, black baggy jeans, and white and cyan sneakers.
Eli was an energetic thrill-seeker, curious about everything and kept himself clean. He was a lot shorter than all of them. He had short, light brown hair, and hazel eyes. Very faint freckles painted his cheeks and nose. He wore a green t-shirt and jean jacket, dark blue jeans, and brown sneakers. He was always editing footages he found, just as he does for the group.
That left Rowan. He was very observant, but would often zone out. Others would say that he could “see shots before they happened” as he had a very vivid imagination. His appearance was usually unkempt, though he often looked calm or unbothered. He was the director of the group. His dark reddish-brown hair was fluffy and messy, and he had dark brown eyes. He wore a black t-shirt and a dark red flannel, light blue jeans, and black sneakers.
“Rowan? Rowan, hello? Are you alive?”
Rowan looked up sharply, blinking at Ash who had spoken. “What?”
Ash scoffed, “Do you agree with Lexie or not?”
Lexie was staring at Rowan expectantly. “You’re the director and leader. It’s your call, Rowan.”
“Oh, uh…” Rowan shook his head, glancing between Lexie and Ash. “Yeah, let’s split up and explore, back within fifteen minutes, here. Cut—” He winced. “Sorry, habit. Go on.”
The group split up almost instantly.
Rowan walked down the shadowy hallway, and he could see the faint silhouette of Casey a bit further ahead of him. Squinting, he thought he saw a shadow moving with her. Silently, he crept closer to get a better look. There was nothing.
He stopped, and glanced to his right. Here was one of the many rooms the theater inhabited. Rowan carefully reached for the knob, and opened the door.
The door let out an obnoxiously loud, rusty groan. It seemed to have some strength to it, having not been opened in years, Rowan assumed. Walking into the room, it was just like he had imagined. Hundreds of seats stacked upon rows, dim lights scattered here and there if they worked, and a large stage in the front.
Rowan made his way towards the center of the room. Even though a performance hadn't been held here in years, the smell of dust and popcorn oil still clung to the air. Torn posters littered the floor, and the worn, dirty curtains sagged to the stage floor.
He turned on his flashlight, looking at places he couldn’t reach. Cobwebs glittered in every crook, it both amused and disgusted him. He dragged his attention towards the middle row of seats, an unsettling feeling looming over him.
As he took in the sight of the dusty, velvet-red seats, Rowan heard the sound of wind cutting through the air for a split second, and he thought he saw a shadowy figure standing near the seats. However, it disappeared as fast as it had arrived.
Taking steps back, Rowan nervously shined his flashlight around him, but was only greeted with loneliness. With a shaky sigh, he headed for the door to leave. Maybe this place was too disturbing to film in. Or maybe he was just paranoid.
Once Rowan made it back into the hallway, he quickly walked away from the room. He didn’t wish to be here any longer. Every second he was here, the more the hair on the back of his neck bristled up.
Back at the lobby, Rowan was the first to return. He flicked his eyes towards the front doors, the clear glass exposing the cold night outside. Rowan debated leaving right now until another flashlight shined on him.
“Rowan?” Lexie’s voice called through the pitch-black hallways—he wasn’t sure which one. “Where are the others?”
Rowan turned away from the light, shrugging. “I don’t know. Might still be on their way back.”
“Lexie, Rowan?” Eli’s voice rang. He soon emerged from the darkness shortly after Lexie. “Man, I could hardly see in this place. I think it’s too dark. Where’s Ash?”
“Right here.” Ash responded, coming from the same hallway that Rowan and Casey had walked through. He was pretty late, compared to the others. “This old place sucks. Let’s head somewhere else!”
“Yeah, the room I went to wasn’t really the best…” Lexie muttered under her breath, turning off her flashlight. “Can we really keep searching though? It takes so long to actually edit everything once it’s done.”
“Let me worry about that stuff, Lexie.” Eli replied. “I agree though. Not the best place to shoot our horror film. What about you, Rowan?”
Rowan was gazing into the darkness, before snapping back to reality. “Oh, me? The room I went to was…weird. I mean, it wasn’t all that bad, just really shady and all that stuff. I think I’m just—”
“Cowardly?” Ash smirked, chuckling quietly.
Rowan furrowed his brows. “No,” he murmured, “I think I’m just a little paranoid. I mean, it is an abandoned building. You know the stories people make up about that sort of topic.”
“Ooh, and you’re saying it’ll happen to us?” Eli’s eyes widened, the sparkle in his gaze a mix of awe and nervousness.
“That’ll be exciting.” Ash sneered.
“No, it wouldn’t,” Lexie retorted. “Maybe to Eli it would be, but think realistically. You’d be shivering in your timbers if anything like the stories say happened to us right here, right now. Don’t act tough, Ash.”
Ash rolled his eyes, his head falling back slightly. “Whatever. Let’s just get out of here, yeah?”
Rowan made his way to the front doors, gripping the handle and pulling towards him—but it wouldn’t budge. He froze, then shook the door. It still refused to open.
“Stupid door’s locked,” Rowan sighed, still tugging on the handles. “Ugh, you guys jinxed it.”
Lexie’s eyes widened, and she took a few steps towards him. “You better not be joking, Rowan. They weren’t locked before.”
Eli came forward and gave the jammed doors a tug as well. “He’s not lying.” he frowned, letting go of the handles. “Well, we’re stuck. Guards must’ve come while we were gone or something and locked up. Let’s find another way out, I guess.”
“Hey, wait,” Ash interrupted, glancing around. He kept twirling, looking over his shoulders. “Where’s Casey even at?” he said, a little too fast.
Silence fell over the group. No one had an answer.
Rowan noticed the sudden drop in his voice, the usual teasing edge was gone, replaced by something quieter. Ash almost sounded…worried? Rowan’s thoughts were interrupted when he swore he heard faint footsteps in the hallway. “Casey?” he called out, craning his neck. No answer, no light.
“Did you hear her?” Ash mumbled, suddenly sounding extremely worried. “Casey, are you there?”
Still no reply.
“We can’t find another exit until we find Casey,” Lexie said, stepping towards the shadows as her flashlight flickered back to life. “Come on, guys.”
Eli let out a faint whimper, his earlier spirit now drained.
They followed Lexie, moving past peeling wallpaper and doorways that opened into half-collapsed rooms. Dust flew around in the air, and a rhythmic hum echoed through the hallways as they walked.
Rowan kept seeing flashes of shadowy movements crossing the lights, though the others seemingly paid no attention to it. His mouth felt dry, too scared and focused on his footing to speak up about it.
He nearly stumbled back when Lexie came to an abrupt stop.
Lexie whipped around to face Ash. “What was it that you said to Casey earlier?”
Ash went pale. “What do you mean?”
Eli responded instead. “He told her he was going to miss her when she dies.”
“Okay, a-and? Y-Your point?” Ash stammered, squaring his shoulders as his gaze flashed from Eli, to Lexie, and to Rowan. “What about it? It was just a joke.”
“There’s always a follow up with your jokes, Ash. Especially with her.” Lexie crossed her arms, her posture tense.
“Are you—?” Ash blinked, taking a couple steps towards her. “Are you accusing me of killing her?”
Lexie met his gaze, an unfriendly expression formed on her face. “I don’t know that for sure, but you’re a suspect. You’ve been obsessed with death jokes and stuff lately, Ash.”
“Because it’s October! The spooky, scary month! Halloween’s, like, next week! I can’t have the festive spirit and humor without actually having to commit to it?” Ash snapped, swearing under his breath.
“Death jokes are dark humor.” Rowan muttered.
“Guys, stop,” Eli groaned. “We have to find Casey and get out of here. Let’s not waste time, okay? I’d like to be out of here as soon as possible.”
“Shut up, Eli. All of you, actually.” Ash snarled, shoving a hand back into his pocket. He stormed off, walking ahead of them. “Casey’s probably pulling off some dumb prank on us. Trying to scare us.”
Everyone was silent, but Lexie watched Ash like a hawk targeting prey.
Rowan was wary of Ash’s surroundings, at least, the areas that he could see. Ringing whistled in his ears, the silence was…too quiet. It made him shiver.
They searched a couple rooms, spending countless minutes going to all the accessible places they could reach. It almost felt like there was no hope in finding Casey. They even called out her name in the rooms, but got no answer.
Suddenly, Ash started walking opposite of them instead, back to the way they came. “I think we missed a spot,” he grumbled, “I’m going to go check it out.”
Rowan, Eli, and Lexie drew to a slow halt, watching as Ash disappeared into the black fog of the hallway. Even with his flashlight beaming, the shadows quickly consumed him, covering Ash from view.
“Are we going to wait for him?” Eli asked quietly.
Lexie tapped her foot on the ground, thinking of an answer.
“No.” Rowan said suddenly, his gaze still locked on the spot where Ash vanished. “He’s acting weird. He’s not safe to be around. Let’s leave him.”
Eli and Lexie exchanged glances, both a little surprised at Rowan’s answer.
“Okay then,” Lexie nodded, whipping around to face forward again.
They traveled down the hallway, which almost seemed endless at this point. They searched multiple rooms, finding nothing yet again. They started to grow tired, tired of walking so much and the looming threat that something might be out to get them.
However, Rowan spotted a door that was wide open, a stark contrast to the rest of the rooms that were either slightly ajar or closed completely. He saw a flash of light for a brief moment until the vision dissipated. Eli and Lexie seemed to make no comment about it.
Rowan walked faster to the door. Had Casey really gone this far down the hallway? His legs were so tired. They felt weak. Did I already come this way? Why can’t I just find her already? he thought, frustrated.
“Maybe she’s in here,” Rowan murmured, catching the ears of Eli and Lexie as well. He raised his flashlight, this room being way darker than the other ones—and bigger.
Eli trailed behind him, the beam of his flashlight shaking. Lexie followed, coughing as dust filled their lungs.
“This is a really big room…” Lexie remarked, still coughing to get the dust out. “Let’s split up and take sections. I’ll check the stage.”
“I’ll check the top rows.” Eli patted his chest and cleared his throat.
Rowan didn’t have to say anything. They already knew what that left for him. He went straight for the middle and bottom rows of seats. He covered his nose, refusing to sneeze as the smell of burnt wiring and weird mildew filled his nostrils. Shining his flashlight over the seats, he briefly skimmed over them.
As he neared the bottom, Rowan spotted something shiny on the floor. Instantly, Rowan stalked towards it, weaving his way through the old seats.
Rowan lowered his flashlight, picking up the object. It was a phone, still recording on camera mode. Rowan stopped the recording and pressed on the small box in the bottom corner of the screen, viewing the video.
The whole video was unlightened and blurry, it was hard to tell what was even going on. Faint, shaky breathing could barely be caught through the speaker. The sound of wind whirling could also be heard, and occasionally a small flicker of light could be seen in some parts of the screen before disappearing.
Then, the dullest muffle sounded out, “Rowan, is that you?”
Rowan could hear the video getting more glitchy, silence ringing in his ears. His eyes were glued to the screen as the video kept playing. He flinched when he heard an inaudible whisper and the sound of the phone falling to the ground.
It kept playing, then Rowan picked up on a voice, insanely hushed but still familiar sounding to him. “Cut.”
Footsteps then echoed, slowly fading away the longer it went on until the video was just pitch black darkness.
Was that my voice? Rowan turned off the phone, his gaze never removing itself from the screen, before he shook his head and shoved the phone in his pocket. With a sigh, he raised his flashlight again, and his eyes widened at the sight before him.
Casey.
Sat upon a seat right in front of Rowan, eyes wide and head drooping, mouth agape with blood dripping out like raindrops. She had a huge stab-wound on the side of her neck, and blood was gushing out, coating her white sweater and t-shirt rose.
Rowan shakily held the flashlight over Casey’s unmoving body, the blood glowing under the warm light. No, I didn’t do that. I couldn’t have. I don’t think I was here. “Casey…” he murmured, his grip tightening.
Behind him, Lexie and Eli approached, their breaths caught in their throat.
“She’s…” Eli trailed off, his hand covering his dry mouth.
“Dead.” Lexie finished, her head lowered and looking away from the gruesome sight.
Rowan caught a glimpse of something moving farther up ahead. A dark entity, moving like mist. His heart started racing, hammering his chest and he felt the oxygen ripped out of his lungs. He stumbled back, bumping into Lexie and Eli.
“Run!” he yowled, his voice breaking as he shoved past them.
They bolted for the door, their heavy, frantic stomping a stark contrast to the silence that once filled the theater. Bursting out of the room, Eli whirled around to close the door, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Help me!” Eli yelled desperately, pushing all his weight to close the unmoving door.
“Just leave it!” Lexie called back, dragging Eli by the arm as they sprinted up the hallway. “We don’t have time!”
Rowan ran behind them, pushing his legs to move faster and keep up. Why are they so fast? He tried to reach out to them, but failed. Where’s Ash? Was that him earlier? His mind was racing with so many thoughts while he raced up a stairway with Lexie and Eli.
Ahead of them down a shorter hallway was a very softly lit room, the door just barely open.
“Head in there and turn off the lights,” Rowan panted, running faster with adrenaline as he spotted the room.
The three of them reached the room and came to a harsh stop, nearly tripping over their own feet. They caught their breath for a split moment before Lexie spun around sharply to shut the door behind them.
A hand fought to push it open.
Ash limped into view, bloodied and cut all over. He was breathing heavily, blood running down from his head, over his eye, and down his cheeks onto the floor. Ash groaned painfully, still trying to push the door open.
“Let me in,” he rasped, coughing on his own blood. “Let me in!”
Lexie fought harder. “I’m not going to do that.” she growled, although her voice trembled for a split second. She pushed harder, struggling to beat Ash’s strength fueled by his growing temper.
“I said let me in!” Ash screamed at the top of his lungs, as much as his pained body would allow. “He’s hurting me! He’ll be here soon! I swear, don’t leave me out here—!”
Ash let out a sharp gasp, croaking as a dusty, blood-slick, long and jagged piece of glass held by a hand pierced his throat. The glass was thick like the ones in the lobby display cases, foggy and glinting faintly in the light. The remainder of his tears streamed down his cheeks, and he fell to his knees once the glass was ripped out with a strong jerk. It stabbed him again, finishing him off for good as warm, sticky red blood pooled over the floor when he collapsed to the ground.
Rowan watched him fall. Every little detail replayed in his head. He stared, silent, and slowly glimpsed back up towards the door as a figure appeared before them. Rowan’s breath was trapped in his lungs as he felt a twinge of familiarity in its place.
The figure had no real form. It was merely a tall, foggy black shadow that came to life. It gripped the glass harder, and its head snapped to focus on Lexie.
Frozen to the bone, Lexie could only stare up at the figure before her. She instantly attempted to shut the door, but it let out a deep thud as it hit Ash’s lifeless body. Lexie gasped as she glanced down, then gazed back up at the figure as it clawed the door in its grasp.
Ash’s body was roughly kicked forward, rolling to a stop in front of Rowan.
Rowan stared into Ash’s clouded eyes, which seemed to stare right back at him.
The figure took two steps into the room, its invisible gaze still locked onto Lexie. Swiftly, it pried her fingers off the door, kicked the door close behind it, and raised the glass to strike at her.
The lights flickered off.
The room erupted into screams, and thumping footsteps were all over the room. The lights flicked on every now and then before flicking back off.
It flickered on. Rowan shifted his gaze down and saw Lexie, fallen on the ground, blood painting the thin carpet. A large gash cut her from chin to throat. She was dead, too.
Darkness again.
Rowan huffed, feeling dizzy as his grip on his flashlight loosened until it fell to the floor, its own beam flashing off. Rowan swiveled his head around, trying to spot something. Anything.
The lights flickered on to showcase Eli’s dead, cut-up body next to Lexie’s.
Rowan’s gaze darted wildly around the room, not bothering to look for the figure that was attacking. He locked his eyes back on the door, pulse quickening, and lurched forward, only for the lights to flutter off as he lost all sense of direction. He tripped on something heavy and slick, staggering forward then back when he tried to balance himself, and crashed into something hard as he fell to the ground on his back.
Something fell down with him.
Blindly, Rowan flipped onto his stomach and reached out his hand to crawl back up—but his hand tightened around a sharp object that cut his skin. It felt oddly warm, dusty, and soaked.
The lights flashed on, burning his sight as Rowan squinted. Then he froze instantly.
In front of him was a small stand-up mirror. It reflected him, messy and bloodied all over his clothes and skin. In his hand, was the very glass that had attacked his group. It seemed to mold into his grip, like he’d held it before and was familiar with it. Behind him, the bodies of his friends showed, dead as their blood slowly approached him.
Shakily, with widened eyes, Rowan breathed out, “Cut...”