“Ingrid, Dad and I will be away for two days! Don’t worry! Your aunty will take care of you!”
Ingrid waved goodbye to them and closed the main door. After ensuring they drove away, she delightfully jumped around. She finally got her freedom—without parents.
She could do whatever she wanted now so she immediately called her best friend.
“Ashley! My house is free tonight and are you guys coming?”
“But aren’t your parents—”
”Wanna party, baby girl?”
Ashley smirked and replied yes. She packed her bag and invited her brother.
”I will help you invite Talbott.” Said Allen before he hung up.
Ingrid blushed as she heard her crush’s name. The four had been friends since childhood and Ingrid had a huge crush on him.
When they were young, they always watched Talbott playing baseball.
Talbott was a smart and charismatic guy and that made her heart melt.
While she was dreaming about her wonderful night and casually playing with her brunette hair, her door bell rang.
She opened the door to see two unknown figures. Ingrid felt a little uneasy and stepped back a bit.
”Hi, Ingrid! It’s me, your aunty Amy! It’s so good to see you!”
”And I am uncle Henry!”
”Umm…Hello…” Ingrid looked at her tomato-like red hair and smiled awkwardly. She had never met her aunty before.
”No, dear! My sister asked me to take care of you!”
”Well! Let’s get inside!” The two happily pushed Ingrid back into the living room.
The two looked around the house and Ingrid followed them and asked whether they needed any help.
They smiled and gently thanks her and also allowed Ingrid to do anything she wanted.
She was grateful to have such considerate uncle and aunty. However, her cat Bella didn’t think so.
It hissed at them and its normally fluffy white fur straightened upwards. Ingrid gently patted its head.
She was confused by but it didn’t bother her much. Bella was a shy cat and normally afraid of strangers.
She took it back to her bedroom upstairs and waited for her friends to come, while the two were watching television.
However, what Ingrid didn’t know was when she was returning to her bedroom, they stared at her with weird glances.
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After a while, the three came at around half past seven.
”Let’s party!” Exclaimed Ashley.
”Hey, Ingrid.” Said Allen who was reading.
”Stop reading! Brother!”
”Haha! Allen is always such a bookworm!” Said Talbott who was standing next to him.
They entered the house and saw her babysitters. After greeting them politely, they started partying in the bedroom.
“Go! Go! Yeah! I won!” Ashley was victoriously swinging her console in front of Talbott and Ingrid.
”No fair! You always WIN!”
”Haha! Gaming is Ashley’s game after all !”
Ingrid playfully laughed and turned to look at Talbott.
His beautiful blonde hair always attracted her eyeballs and his shiny blue sapphire eyes made her fell for him.
”What’s wrong?”
”Ah! No-nothing…”
Flip…flip…while they were immersed into the game, Allen was still reading his favourite latest novel.
”Come on! Don’t be such a party pooper!”
Allen frowned and put down his book, he then asked a strange question,” Don’t you think your babysitters look…familiar?”
They were all puzzled and stared at him.
”I think…I saw them in the…television or…newspaper before?”
This made them even confused but Ashley shrugged it off.
”You are just being paranoid…”
”Yea…I am sure nothing will go wrong.” Talbott ensured his best friend.
”Alright, if you say so…” He wanted to proceed reading but his sister dragged him in front of the television and forced him to play.
He reluctantly rolled his eyes, put his book inside the jacket pocket and picked up the console. And of course, He was bested by his sister.
”Whatever…this game sucks…”
”Now now… don’t be a sore loser and—“
Ding Dong! It was the pizza guy and Talbott ran down to pick up the boxes.
”Pizza time!”
Allen eagerly wanted to open the box but Ashley snatched it away.
”Uh oh! No pizza for party pooper!”
Allen rolled his eyes and decided to play with Bella instead. He gently smoothed its fur.
While everyone was enjoying themselves for around one hour, Ingrid received a phone call.
”Mom?” She turned off the background music.
”I’m sorry but your aunty’s flight is delayed, she will come tomorrow.”
”Wha-what are you talking about? She is here with uncle!”
”Nonsense! She is still single!”
This sent chills down her spine and more importantly, who were THEY?
”INGRID! I need you to lock your bedroom door and NEVER come out until the police arrive.”
She slowly hung up the phone and turned to her friends.
”They are not my uncle and aunty…”
The three froze and realised Allen was right all the time.
”LOCK THE DOOR!” Screamed Ashley.
As when Talbott rushed to lock the door, all the light suddenly went off. They used their phone as light source.
“Crap! We got no signals! They must have cut the electrical supply!”
Step….step…someone was walking towards the door. Bella jumped down from Allen’s lap and hissed loudly.
”Ingrid? I am sorry that the light went off. Can you open the door?” Said Uncle Henry.
The doorknob was rotating automatically and the four stepped back anxiously.
”N-no I-I am fi-fine! Thank you!”
”Open the door for me.”
”I-it’s a bit me-messy…”
Talbott noticed the window next to her desk. He rushed in front of it and opened the curtains. To his surprise, it was blocked by wooden planks from the outside.
”What!”
“OPEN THE DOOR!”
A knife stabbed through the door a few times and made a hole. An arm passed through the hole and was reaching for the doorknob.
The four screamed and tried to find a way out.
”NO—“
They watched as he proceeded to open the door from the inside. Uncle Henry was smiling murderously and randomly swinging his knife toward them.
The four frantically evaded his attacks and ran for their life. Uncle Henry was satisfied by their screams, he then turned his target to poor little Ashley.
”ASHLEY!” Allen used his right body to push him on the ground.
Uncle Henry dropped his knife and Allen picked it up. When he was trying to escape, he was smashed by a vase from his left side.
“AGH!” His forehead was bleeding and he ran while covering his head.
”You can run…BUT you can’t HIDE!”
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“Ingrid! Are you ok?” The two ran to the living room.
”Yea…I’m fine…”
After comforting her, Talbott made his way to the front door to only find out all the doors and windows were blocked.
“Crap! Wooden planks again…”
The two anxiously looked around the house—they no longer felt safe in this familiar house anymore.
Ingrid headed back to the living room to look for the telephone. However, the wire was cut brutally.
Talbott entered the kitchen in the mean time, trying to find something to defend themselves, but all the knives were gone.
”Damn! When will the police come!”
”At least ten minutes I guess…”
The two decided to find a place to hide, slowly sneaked to storage room at the end of the corridor.
”You hide here, I’ll go find an exit.”
”No! You are gonn—“
”Ingrid! I don’t want you to get hurt!” He tapped her shoulders “Stay here and —”
”Ingrid! Thank god you are safe!” Aunty Amy appeared behind them with a smile.
Her smile gave them the chills and their blood turned cold.
”Don’t worry! Come here!”
Ingrid sobbed and stepped back while Talbott stared at her hidden right arm behind her back.
”What are you holding?” He demanded an explanation.
”Your life!” She tightened the grab of the knife and swung it at Ingrid. Talbott immediately shut the door behind to protect Ingrid.
”TALBOTT!”
He tried to grab her arms, she frantically struggled and tried to stab him. He dodged and the blade was stuck in the wooden door.
”Ah!”
Talbott then dragged her to the ground and restrained her by pulling her hands to her back.
Aunty Amy struggled by kicking his abdomen, he yelped and fell down. She snatched back her knife and stabbed his left thigh.
She pulled out the knife and this time she aimed at his throat.
Suddenly, Bella jumped on her and bit her arm.
”Ah! Stupid animal!” She threw it to the wall.
”Bella!”
”DON’T YOU DARE HURT MY BOYFRIEND!” Ingrid slammed the door open and jumped on her.
This gave him enough time to sweep her down using his uninjured leg.
”Come on!” The two supported each other and ran.
“Brats! You won’t get away!”
”Don’t worry! I have a plan.”
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Uncle Henry was whistling while he was hunting down his prey.
After watching him going downstairs, Allen quickly shoved Ashley into Ingrid’s closet in the corridor.
”Brother! I-”
”NO! I will be back soon!” Even though the siblings always argued, they could still rely on each other.
Allen tiptoed his way to the other rooms while covering his wound.
His hands were full of blood and droplets of blood fell on the ground.
He opened the door leading to the study. It contains many books that captivated him.
”Wow…NO! Now it’s not the time to read!”
He searched around the bookshelves and found a newspaper lying on a table.
The title read:”Serial Killers on the loose!”
“Amy and Henry Addison, nicknamed “Teenager Reapers”, have recently broken out of jail. The police are still investigating the matter. The couple are brutal in nature, torturing and killing at least twenty victims…”
Adrenaline rushed through his body as he finished reading the article.
Suddenly, Allen heard whistling from behind and quickly hid behind the bookshelf.
Uncle Henry stood in front of the study, he noticed the bloody handprint on the door knob and smirked.
He playfully swung his knife as he moved through the bookshelves, following the blood path along the way. Allen quickly stepped back but found out his back was touching the cold wall.
His eyesight then turned to the big box at the corner.
”You can’t hide!” He stood at the last corridor.
Allen was holding the knife in his hands, shaking and trembling.
He stopped right in front of the big box, staring at the bloody handprints on the lid.
”Hehe…” After stabbing the box a few times, he eagerly opened the box.
There was nobody inside it. He grunted but before he turned around and left, he saw tiny droplets of blood on the bookshelf.
He also noticed dried handprint on every column and the empty bookcases on the top column.
He smirked and left the room, sparing Allen’s life deliberately.
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Ashley was still hiding in the closet and started to worry about Allen.
She gathered her courage to come out and search for her brother.
“Br-brother…” she peeked into the parents’ bedroom, ensuring nobody was inside.
She entered the room and noticed a rope connected to the ceiling. She pulled down the rope and a flight of stairs appeared in front of her.
”Oh! I remember this house has an attic!” She quietly went upstairs, not noticing a pair of legs behind her.
Ashley looked around the attic, it was even darker than the house and the only light source was the small round window.
“An exit!”
She exclaimed and rushed in front of it, opening the window and looked downwards —it was at least ten meters from the ground.
Ashley took a deep breath and when her half body was outside the window, two large hands grabbed her back inside.
”H-Mmph!” She struggled but the bigger man covered her mouth.
“Be a good girl!” Uncle Henry threatened by putting his knife around her neck.
She froze to the spot and he enjoyed her reaction. He used his cheeks to touch her light brown hair.
Tears flow down her cheeks and he chuckled. He pointed his knife to her right shoulder and sliced a scar.
Ashley wanted to scream but she was gagged. She struggled to escape again and this made him tighten his grasp.
”Now now…shall we meet your brother?”
Ashley’s eyes widened in alarm but before she could do anything, she was forcefully dragged outside by Uncle Henry.
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“Ready?” Talbott set up all the traps in the basement and gave an OK sign.
Ingrid nervously nodded and turned on the music box. As soon as the music started playing, she hid under the table.
Aunty Amy slowly made her entrance into the basement. She walked downstairs towards the music box and turned it off.
”I won’t fall for your stupid tricks!”
Talbott tightened his grip on the crowbar and jumped out to attack her.
He successfully smashed her head.
”RUN!” The two ran towards the door to lock her up.
”STUPID GIRL!” she chased them and grabbed Ingrid’s leg.
Ingrid tried to kick her downstairs but she continued to climb towards her.
”Stay STILL!” She pulled Ingrid down and stabbed her arm with a creepy smile.
”HOW DARE YOU!” Talbott swung his crowbar but Aunty Amy grabbed it easily with one hand.
She pulled it out of his hand, threw it on the ground and gave out a sadistic laugh.
”YOU TWO WILL NEVER ESCAPE!”
Talbott frowned and uttered a yelp when he tried to move his left leg.
She howled and sprinted at him. He grabbed her knife using his bare hands, blood slowly dripping down on the floor.
”TALBOTT!”
”RUN! LOCK THE DOOR!”
Ingrid hesitated as she didn’t want to sacrifice him. She rooted to the spot with fear.
”I SAID RUN!”
When they were fighting, Talbott accidentally tripped and the two rolled downstairs, injuring his leg even more.
Ingrid rushed down to pull him up. Believing it was a good opportunity, he sprinted upstairs while holding Ingrid’s hand, ignoring his injured leg.
”YOU CAN’T RUN!” She chased behind them.
The two finally left the basement, Talbott pulled out the key immediately and lock the door right before she reached them.
Aunty Amy hit the door and collapsed. She got up, frantically kicking and stabbing the door. The two pushed a closet together to block the door.
”We did it!”
”Yea-Agh!” Talbott limped and almost tripped.
Ingrid noticed and grabbed his hand. She smiled,“Thank you for saving me.”
”Don’t mention it.” The two smiled.
”Ahhhhhhhh!”
The two heard Allen’s scream and rushed upstairs.
“NO!” Ashley screamed as she watched her brother got stabbed.
She couldn’t do anything as her hands were tied behind her back.
He covered his lower abdomen wound and stepped backwards. He then failed to dodge his kick.
”Ashley…” Allen lost balance and fell on the ground, with Uncle Henry grabbing his neck.
He then pulled him up and strangled him. Allen desperately scratched his hands and swung his legs to escape.
He pulled him closer to watch him struggle, enjoying every second of it.
”BROTHER!”
”LEAVE ALLEN ALONE!”
He turned to see the two standing behind him.
”R…run…Tal…Talbott…”
“If you do treasure your friends’ lives, you know what to do.”
“I will take his place! Release them at once!”
Talbott limped slowly towards him and signalled him to release his hand.
Uncle Henry smiled and dropped Allen on the floor.
He carried him up by his arms and Allen quietly slipped his knife inside Talbott’s pocket.
He stood in front of the bigger man, trying to stay calm with eyes fixed on his creepy smile.
Just when he was trying to grab his arms, Talbott immediately pulled out the knife and stabbed it to his left chest.
Uncle Henry never saw this coming, he smashed his head, but he coughed blood and eventually fell on the ground.
After ensuring their safety, Ingrid rushed to untied Ashley’s hands.
“Ingrid…I’m scared!”
”Don’t worry…it’s over…” The two hugged each other.
“You okay, Talbott?”
”Ouch…better than ever…”The two stood up slowly and reunited with the girls.
The four were finally safe and all they need to do now was to wait for the police to come.
Just when they were leaving, Uncle Henry gathered his strength and sprinted towards them, trying to give them his final blow.
The boys immediately pushed away the ladies. Talbott used his bare hands to fight back. However, due to his injuried head and leg, he was pushed down and hit his head again.
”TALBOTT!” Allen stood in front of him, trying to protect his friend.
”Think YOU can beat me, nerd?”
Allen tried to land an attack but he lacked experience, he was smashed onto the ground. He barely escaped another attack.
”I have a KNIFE!” He stood up, took out a Swiss knife he found in the study previously.
”SILLY! We ALL have a KNIFE!” He pulled out the knife in his chest and sprinted towards him.
Allen took a deep breath, just when he was within his attack range, he stabbed the knife into his left chest again.
Before Uncle Henry collapsed, he grinned,”Even if I have to go to hell, I’ll bring you with me.”
Allen soon noticed the kitchen knife in his left chest and collapsed as well.
The three rushed to his side and desperately tried to wake him up.
”Stay with us, PLEASE!”
“Bro! You can’t be SERIOUS!”
”NO! BROTHER!”
They were shaking his body with tears flowing down their cheeks.
”I am sorry! I won’t make you angry again! I promise!” Sobbed Ashley, lying on his chest.
”Guys…I am not dead…”
To everyone surprise, Allen opened his eyes and gave them a helpless expression.
“How are you…not dead…”
He pulled the knife out — no blood was spilled. He proceeded to took out his damaged novel from his jacket.
”You know, sometimes books do save lives!”
”YOU IDIOT! You scared us all to death!” Ashley hit hard on his head.
”Ouch! Be gentle with me, will you?”
Wail…wail…The four were glad to hear ambulance siren, hugging one another tightly until help had arrived.
“Hey Talbott! How’s your leg?” Ashley put down the flowers onto his table.
”Better than ever…” He stared at his hanging leg in plaster “I must admit…rolling down the stairs is really not fun..”
”At least I don’t get a concussion after hitting my head twice.”
”At least you don’t get stabbed twice in the abdomen AND the chest.” He showed his injuries and the three laughed.
”Don’t forget your assignments!” Allen put down a few books in front of him.
”Not assignments! But I do miss playing baseball…”
Ingrid opened the door and entered the room, she greeted with a tiny nod.
”Ingrid!” Ashley happily rushed to her ”Feeling better?”
”Yea…I do…”
The siblings quickly noticed her strangeness. Ingrid’s eyes were fixed on the ground all the time, and she peeked at Talbott when he was not noticing.
”Talbott, we will go and grab you some drinks!”
“Yea! And some snacks!”
”Alle-“ After they left, Ingrid walked towards his bed.
”I’m sorry…”
”Sorry for what?”
She then apologised about what had happened a few days ago.
”If I hadn’t invited you guys, you wouldn’t have been in the hospital…”
Talbott gently smoothed her hair.
”There is nothing to fear anymore, sweetie.”
”And most importantly, I won’t let your life fall in danger.”
”I never regret my decision. Your bravery not only saved me but Allen and Ashley as well.”
His words touched her heart and Ingrid tried her best not to cry.
”Come here!” The two hugged each other with a big smile.
Tears flowed down from her cheeks and she no longer felt any guilt in her heart.
Ashley and Allen were watching their reactions through the door gap, contented and satisfied.
”Awww…Isn’t love sweet?”
“I wonder when I will find my true love too.”
“Nerds like you won’t find true love!”
”Didn’t you promise not to make me angry again?”
”Did I say something like that before?”
Allen rolled his eyes but nothing made him happier than seeing his best friends with a smile.
The two then opened the door and shouted,”Snack time!”
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