The 250 rumbled to a stop after a winding dirt road. Tori leaned over the steering wheel and stared wide eyed.
"Wow, it looks a lot bigger than it did on the brochure." Sydney nodded her head in agreement. She tugged on the handle and stepped out of the vehicle, grinning ear to ear.
"Give me the keys!" She jogged to Tori's side and snatched the keys from Tori's outstretched hand. The wooden stairs creaked under Sydney's weight, her excited jog turned to a slow walk in order for her to take in the surroundings. Pine tree needles covered the porch and the white paint was peeling around the screen door. Sydney stuck the biggest key in the screen door and a smaller one to open the wooden door. She stepped inside after a swirl of dust settled down and she grimaced.
"It's so dirty in here." She complained and Tori came in behind her with a big cardboard box.
"Well it hasn't been cleaned in a few years. We're the first to buy it since '67. But the people owned it until now, waiting for some dumb girls to buy it. They cleaned it until they got too old to." Tori explained, almost toppling over because of a crack in the floor.
Sydney laughed and quickly ran up the stairs. She came to a sudden stop when no light filtered to the upstairs. Carefully she felt her way to the closest door and tried to open it. It was stuck and she gave it a big push with her shoulder. She rolled into the room when it slammed open, quickly making her lose her balance. She stood up quickly, peeking down the hall to make sure Tori hadn't seen her and she looked around in curiosity. Sunshine flooded through two big glass windows, reflecting off four white walls. Sydney stared up at the ceiling and grinned. Glow in the dark stars were scattered there, varying in sizes. She twirled around focusing on the biggest star in the center of the room.
"So cool!" She whispered to herself, finding her closet and stepping into it. Her foot bumped something and she looked at in wonder. Bending over she felt soft leather and gingerly picked it up. A journal presented itself to her in the light. Her face bunched up in confusion. The owners had cleared everything out of here and even bought the girls new appliances to start them off. They had left a few things just a way to say thanks for taking that old house off their hands. But a journal, no way would they leave this and if they did they would definitely come back looking for it. She flipped through the pages, drawings and beautiful script flickered across the pages like a movie reel.
"Hey Tori!" She shouted over her shoulder, reading the first entry with delight. Her eyes stayed glued to the page, when Tori entered with another huge cardboard box. Tori huffed in response, dropping the box full of her roommates things.
"Yes girl-who-never-helps-do-anything. What is it?" She asked sarcastically. Sydney rolled her eyes and handed Tori the journal. The oldest girl looked at the journal, confused. She slowly turned the pages taking in the well drawn pictures. "It almost resembles a story book…fairytale-ish. No one really believes vampires or werewolves are real. Probably a present for a child or something…" She stared intently at two pictures side by side, with two boys facing each other with scowls on their faces. Blood was evident with the dark smears across their hands and chests.
"Ok I take that back. Someone was fucked up." She scoffed and tossed the journal to Sydney.
"You don't know that. Maybe it's based off something that happened?" Sydney grinned at the thought and stared at the hand writing. Tori glanced her friend's way and just shook her head.
"Stop fantasizing about nonexistent sexy creatures. We have a lot to unpack before we go shopping in Seattle for new school clothes." Both girls giggled in excitement. Sydney tossed the leather bound book on her box of crap that had nothing she really needed to bring but did anyway.
"Ahhh it's so nice to just go when we please!" They stated in unison and sing-song voices, grins as big as the Cheshire Cat on both of their faces.
As the girls jogged downstairs happily, something lurked in Sydney's room.
"Did you hear that? Nonexistent sexy creatures, how flattering." A deep voice remarked, a beautiful smirk spread across pale features.
"If they only knew right?" Another voice questioned and the two people laughed. Before the girls came back into the room, forgetting the keys to Tori's truck, they left behind the journal and two dead roses.
"Sydney really? Are these from a wedding years ago or what?" Tori asked, removing them from on top of her keys and onto the floor.
"Well…maybe. I keep so much, I just don't even know anymore. But I don't think I remember having flowers when I packed. Oh well. Let's go get the rest of the shit!" She exclaimed taking off out of the room. Tori eyed her friend's back, when a sudden chill went over her body.
"This house gives me the fucking creeps." The brunette muttered to herself as she quickly maneuvered out of Sydney's room not noticing the creatures that had been behind the door, staring with interest. Silence filled the upstairs portion of the house and the two intruders looked at each other, eyes gleaming.
"I think we can have fun with skeptics. Especially pretty new girls." A few quiet snickers emitted from their throats and then the room was filled with silence once again.