It was the radio.

James pulled it back out of his pocket and frowned, wondering why it was doing that. There was a

"Ha." James murmured as he stepped inside. He was now outside of the older building. The ground was damp beneath his feet and the slight smell of decaying wood reached his nostrils.

He found the door to the building farther up. It wasn't locked, it opened easily. James walked inside the dark stairwell; it was empty, surprise surprise. James's shoes made squeaky noises that echoed weirdly off the stairwell. It was kind of hard to see without any light, the only windows were on the second floor of the staircase and were covered over with grime and dust that not a ray of light could fall through on the moldy stairwell.

James walked further in and wrapped his arms over his chest. It was so chilly in here. He wondered over to the board on the wall and found the apartment's map.

I just need to find my way out. He thought to himself. His first thought was to try the first floor exit, only to find that the door was locked. James realized that getting to South West Val could prove to be harder than he'd expected. Starting up the stairway, James consulted the map and saw that there were only three floors. So then maybe he would have to take the fire stairwell. This second floor door was unlocked and James walked into the hall. Peeling, decaying paint was clinging to the walls. A thick layer of dust had gathered on the floor.

How long has this place been abandoned? James wondered as he randomly went to his right. Suddenly, a familiar sound interrupted the silence. His radio! James tightened his grip on his plank and froze, trying to find the monster hidden in the shadows. After a second, a form appeared in the hallway. It walked around blindly, not sensing James's presence. James wondered if he could just wander by it,but saw the hallway was too narrow. Plank ready, he slowly stepped forward, being careful not to make a sound. Sneaking up from behind the monster, James raised his plank and smoothly brought it down the monster's head. The creature crumpled to the ground and started to squirm on its stomach. James hurried by it before it could get him. He ran down the hall and paused to catch a breath. When he looked up, he saw that he was in front of 205. The door was unlocked…

James went inside the apartment, wondering if this counted as trespassing even though there didn't appear to any living there anymore.

It was lighter inside the room and James saw that it was full dismembered mannequin parts. In the center of the room stood a fully clothed mannequin. On the shirt on the mannequin was a flashlight. James reached for the flashlight and pried it of the shirt, realizing he really needed one to find his way around in here. A radio sound came up. Suddenly, at the far corner of the room, something stirred. James glanced up sharply, his heart thudding in his chest. The thing arose to full height, a mannequin with two pairs of legs at the bottom and on the top.

"What-" He instantly raised his plank, trying to keep from falling over. The mannequin monster seem to sense his presence and started toward him, the extra pair of legs kicking in the air.

That thing could knock me senseless. He thought uncomfortably. James moved out of the way a little, thinking that the monster would go away to. The monster stayed on course toward him.

Your light. He realized. It can see your light!

It came closer. Just as James was going to smash it over the head with his board, a leg lashed out, catching him in the ribs.

"Auggh!" He moaned as he fell, gripping his ribcage. The monster closed in and James had to scoot away to avoid being attacked. He felt sick! He was probably going to bsick right there from terror. "No!"

James struggled to his feet and scooted to farthest area from the monster, his hand was shaking so bad he thought he would end up hitting himself instead of the monster. With trembling fingers, he turned off his light and the room instantly became darker.

The mannequin thing paused, slowing down. A bead of sweat slowly dropped down on James's forehead, James didn't move to wipe it away, and he was trying to appear not there. The mannequin seemed satisfied that its prey was gone and moved in a different direction. As soon as it had turned around James was on it. With a powerful swing of his board, James smacked the creature. The creature let out a weird sound and turned on James. Before long, it was laying on the ground in its own blood. Sweat poured down James's forehead. The monster did not move, blood was coming from it.

What is it? James wondered in a daze, his legs wobbling. He had asked himself that already, but couldn't remember getting an answer.

James walked away from the dead thing an turned back on his flashlight. Welcoming light filled the room and James saw the clothed mannequin out of the corner of his eyes. Walking closer and holding the flashlight up to it, he now saw that the outfit stirred a memory. Hadn't Mary worn that quarter length peach-pink shirt with the white collar? Didn't she use to own a pink print flower skirt with pale green leaves that went well with her light brown hair and brought out her blue eyes? Why was it here?

James shivered, wondering if this meant that Mary was somewhere here. Silently, he left the room and was back in the hallway. James went further down the hallway and came to the next that appeared to have nothing of interest. Though he did find some hand bullets and he deeply wished he could find a gun. The other rooms didn't hold anything else so James went back to the other direction. As James went further down he hall, he saw that there was another hallway leading to his right. James followed it and tried the first door he saw but it wouldn't budge.

The lock must be broken. He thought to himself. Venturing further, he tried different doors, but so many of them seemed to be locked or else there was nothing there. The last room door was open and James went inside. As soon as he walked in, he heard a static sound. Instantly raising his board, he looked around carefully to see what was there. Then he saw that it was only the TV that showed snow.

I'm becoming paranoid. He thought.

As he proceeded into the adjoining room he saw that nothing was there either. On the wall however, three names were scratched into the wall paper. James went closer to have a better look.

Henry

Mildred

Scott

James stood away. Henry Mildred Scott? Who was that? Or who were they? Next to each name was a line pointed at a different angle. Shaking his head, James wandered out of the room and back up the hall. James headed to the third floor.

The third floor was by far the creepiest apartment floor he had ever seen. It was darker than the second floor, the walls seemed to moan, and a cold draft blew through the hall. As he entered the floor, to his right were some bars that separated the hallways. Something shiny caught his eye. On the other side of the bars was a key!

Where does that lead to? James got on his knees and put his hand through the bar and began to slowly grope, trying to reach the key with his fingertips.

Come on, come on. He said in his head as his fingers inched closer and closer to the key. Almost there.

The sounds of footsteps were heard. A figure appeared in the doorway. At first James thought that it was another monster, but the figure was too small. A little blonde girl darted out of the room and into the hallway. Before James could reach it, she had kicked the key away from James's reach and stepped on his hand. Pain shot through his hand, was it broken?

"Hey!" James called out after her angrily.

The girl didn't stop to apologize, she just kept running. "Ha-ha!" She called back in a taunting voice. The key was now way out of his reach.

"Damn!" James cursed angrily.

With a scowl, he stood and looked down at his hurt hand. It wasn't broken, he'd live, but there would probably be an ugly bruise. With another curse, he walked down the hallway, trying every door that came into sight. Almost all of them had broken locks.

What is a little girl doing here? James wondered to himself.

The last door, three oh one, was open and James went inside. As soon as he got a look around, his breath came out in a whoosh at the sight. It looked as though there had been a gun fight in there before the occupants had left. Used bullets lay scattered all over the floor, bullet holes covered the walls. In the middle of the room there lay a shopping cart. James ran a nervous hand through his dirty blonde hair and moved closer toward the shopping cart and peered into its contents.

There was a handgun.

James picked it up eagerly with monsters in his thoughts, but was disappointed to find that it was empty.

Well, that's a disappointment. He thought to himself bitterly. Though maybe there were some un-used bullets still lying around here. James scouted out the room for some, but found that who ever had lived here had used up all of their bullets.

Maybe I'll find some in the town. James thought as he pocketed the gun.

There didn't appear to be much else much else in the room of interest, so James left. The hallway on the third floor seemed so creepy, as if it were alive. It sounded like it was breathing.

James hurried back to the second and gave the hallways a quick look to make sure he was alone. His flashlight illuminated in front of him, giving the quiet hallway an eerie glow. If there were any monsters, they'd see his light. James passed the fork in the hallway when he suddenly heard a strange noise coming down from there.