Splitting Words

"I'm not going down there," Andi proclaimed. "It looks creepy."

The fact that she was the brave one had Chrissy freaking out.

Caden rolled his eyes.

"Come on," Oliver yanked her arm. "Don't be afraid of dying. People die all the time, and you don't hear them complaining."

"Ha... ha... ha," Andi chortled humorlessly.

The four high school friends clunked their way down the metal steps towards the basement of the abandoned factory, where they could see the partially cracked door that had attracted Caden's attention the day before.

He yanked, and the door creaked like a witch's wail. He widened it enough for them to slip through.

"Whoa!" Andi said, shining her flashlight around, "It is creepy."

Chrissy held her nose, "...and smelly."

Caden nudged Oliver, "What do you think? Is it spooky enough for your birthday party?"

"We'll have to clean it up and bring like 20 bottles of air freshener. It's perfect!"

"All right," Caden shrugged, "You heard him. Let's go get supplies and get to work."

Chrissy shivered. "I don't like it. Can't we use the church basement? At least there's electricity."

Oliver illuminated her face with his flashlight. "Hey Caden, how is Chrissy like a skeleton?

Because she has no guts."

Andi interrupted Oliver laughing at himself. "What did they make at this factory anyway?"

Caden said, "I think it was lumber equipment, but modern machinery made it obsolete."

Oliver said, "Ooo, I've got an appropriate joke. A lumberjack is about to cut down a tree, but the tree says, 'Wait! I'm a talking pine.' The lumberjack says, "Yeah, and you are about to dialogue!"

Caden chuckled and gave Oliver a fist bump. "Good one!"

They noticed Chrissy standing frozen, staring at the floor.

Oliver asked, "What's up Chrissy? You look whiter than a sheet in a bleach factory."

She pointed down. "I think there's blood on the floor."

Caden squatted with his flashlight. "Yes, it's blood. Maybe an animal died down here."

Andi nodded, "Yeah, that would account for the stench."

_________

The friends returned with cleaning supplies and stronger, battery-powered lanterns. They set up a Bluetooth speaker and blasted tunes while they started working.

30 minutes later, Andi yelled above the music, "I'm gonna find a place to go to the bathroom." She went down the only hall leading off the big room they were preparing.

Not five minutes later, she came running back, screaming at the top of her lungs. She was grasping her right wrist.

Chrissy stopped the music. "What happened?"

They all rushed to her side.

Andi whimpered, "My hand. I reached around the corner, and something chopped off my fingers."

Caden said, "Oh my God! We have to get you to the ER."

They hurried to the door.

It was chained and paddle locked.

Exit denied.

Chrissy and Andi both shrieked.

Oliver yelled, "What the fuck? Who's fucking messing with us?"

Caden rattled the chains.

Strong.

They needed the key.

He asked Andi, "Did you see any way out down that hall?"

"No, and I'm not going back in there." She was wrapping her hand with her jacket, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"How about if Oliver and I lead and you girls follow?"

"Fine," Chrissy said, "But we're staying close."

Huddled together, they shined their lights ahead.

Chrissy, who was in the rear, let out a squelched noise.

Andi turned.

Chrissy was on the floor with her head sliced down the middle.

Andi backing into Caden, not realizing she was screaming again until she ran out of air. She yelled, "I saw a man with a hoodie go around the corner. He killed Chrissy."

Caden grabbed her hand. "Keep going, Oliver. We've got to find a way out of here."

They turned the corner where Andi's fingers lay pooled in blood. There was only one door at the end.

Locked.

Caden whispered, "Anyone have a cell phone? I left mine in the car."

"I forgot mine at home," Oliver said.

Andi added, "Mine was playing music back in that old machine room.

"We have no choice," Caden continued. "Back again."

Footsteps were a death march.

Every breath, a last gasp for life.

Caden rounded the corner and toppled.

The hooded man had swung an axe across his chest. He then spun it around and caught Andi across the neck, nearly severing her head.

The man turned and ran.

Oliver leaped over his friends and followed, hoping to catch him by surprise, but he had too much of a head start and made it to the big room, turning to face Oliver just as he turned the corner towards the door.

The hooded man threw the axe, but Oliver dove for the floor and it stuck into the wall. Oliver retrieved it and ran to the door, swinging with all his might at the chain.

It snapped loudly and clattered to the floor.

Oliver kicked the door open and ran out, finally breathing a taste of freedom.

As he looked back, the hooded man appeared at the door.

Oliver yelled, "You want my life?"

He threw the axe, hoping to knock him out.

Instead, the blade plunged squarely in his face.

"You couldn't hack it."

*

Author's note: I asked my band students if they wanted their first names included in a horror story. Three are characters of this piece. Caden plays clarinet. Andi plays flute. Oliver, a clarinetist and percussionist, wanted to be the comic relief.