Are You Alone in the House

by Travis Szablewski

  “Are you really that surprised? All those horror movies you watch, I figured you’d see this ending coming from a mile away,” Melissa smirked as she bit the tip of the bloody bowie knife in her hand.

  “Why? Why did you do this?” Jessie cried as her lips trembled.

  “Did you even know your friends at all, Jessie? Did you even know who they were?” Melissa asked as her dark eyes narrowed onto Jessie. Melissa dropped the baby doll mask to the floor as she inched closer.

  “You…you killed Riley,” Jessie said softly.

  “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Jessie. It wasn’t supposed to go this far. It was all supposed to end with Riley that night at Blake’s,” Melissa growled.

  “Why? Why kill Riley? Why kill any of my friends? Why do all of this?” Jessie sobbed…as she backed away. Her bloody hands moved behind her slowly…and wrapped around the open drawer behind her…the meat mallet inside.

  “You know how many times me and Alex tried, Jessie? We tried over and over and over again to have a baby. And then I found out…that I couldn’t. I couldn’t have kids. In the blink of an eye, my entire future…my dreams of having a child were dashed. Everything I ever wanted…gone,” Melissa cried. “And then I found a text in Alex’s phone…from Riley. She told him that she was pregnant…with his child. She said she was going to keep it and she was going to tell everyone who the father was. I couldn’t have that. I couldn’t lose my husband…my life…everything that I’ve worked so hard for. Our reputation…would be ruined. He’d lose his job,” Melissa said. “And I sat there…and thought of that child…of my husband’s seed…growing inside of that disgusting little bitch. She had everything I wanted! I wanted a family! I wanted to have a baby! I wanted to have a child! To think of her…with Alex’s baby…it was too much. I couldn’t let her keep it. So, I snuck into the party that night. I found her in the master bathroom upstairs. I tried to talk her out of it. I told her I knew everything and that she needed to get rid of that bastard of a child. I even offered to pay for the damn abortion! But, no! She wouldn’t listen! She wouldn’t fucking listen, Jessie! She spat in my face! She told me that none of this would have happened if I could keep my husband happy! If I had been the wife that I should have been. And…clearly…I lost my temper. You know how that conversation ended,” Melissa smirked as she wiped her tears.

  “But why Reese? Why Blake and Quinn and everyone else? Why?” Jessie asked as her hand slowly tightened around the meat mallet inside of the drawer behind her.

  “I sent Reese that locket as a, shall I say, peace offering? I figured I was doing her favor by giving her the one thing that was left of her sister. But she just had to stick her little nose where it didn’t belong. When she started digging…when she started trying to figure out what happened…I couldn’t risk it. And then, she got all of you involved. She started putting the idea into your heads. I couldn’t let that happen, Jessie. I had to kill every last motherfucker that might have known about the baby; that might have known about Riley and Alex. I mean, my God, Riley couldn’t keep her legs closed, let alone her mouth. I had to cut every damn loose end. Reese was supposed to be the last. But you…you and Ethan both kept at it. You kept digging. That’s when I knew that I had to finish this. I had to do this…for myself…for my life. Why do you think I kept Burke alive…well, for now? He’s the perfect scapegoat. The perfect killer. He’s already got a gigantic target on his back. Everyone already thinks he killed Reese,” Melissa snapped. Melissa stepped closer to Jessie as she lifted her anchor necklace with the tip of her bloody bowie knife. “How does it feel, Jessie; to have your life shattered into a million pieces? How does it feel to lose everything you cared about?” Melissa asked as her eyes burned into Jessie’s.

  “Not as bad as this,” Jessie said sharply…as she tightened her grip on the handle of the meat mallet and swung it forward. The ridged edge of the meat mallet smashed into the side of Melissa’s head as she tumbled to the bloody kitchen floor.

  “Ah!” Melissa cried in pain as she hit the floor with a thud. Jessie ran forward, her eyes glued to the doorway of the living room ahead. She had to escape! She had to get out of the house! Jessie glanced back as Melissa tackled her from behind. Both of them fell through the doorway of the living room…and rolled over the back of the large sectional sofa.

  Jessie fell onto her back onto the sofa, Melissa on top of her. Melissa wrapped one hand around Jessie’s throat, pinning her down onto the sofa…as the other raised the bowie knife in the air…ready to strike.

  Jessie then dug her manicured nails into Melissa’s forehead…and clawed down Melissa’s entire face. The deep scratches dripped with blood as Jessie grabbed both sides of Melissa’s red hair and rolled with her off the couch. Jessie slammed onto her back as Melissa straddled her on the living room floor…the coffee table right beside them. Jessie grabbed Melissa’s head…and slammed it against the corner of the coffee table beside them as Melissa let out an agonizing scream.

  Jessie shoved Melissa in the chest. Melissa tumbled back, falling off Jessie. Jessie quickly turned onto her stomach and began to crawl to her feet…as Melissa’s gloved hands wrapped around Jessie’s ankles.

  “Ah!” Jessie cried as Melissa tugged onto her ankles, sending her crashing down onto the floor.

  “Come here, you little bitch!” Melissa screamed as she leaned back, tugging onto Jessie’s ankles. Jessie then spun onto her back and threw her right foot forward, kicking Melissa in the face. “Ah!” Melissa cried out as blood gushed from her nose from the hard blow. Jessie quickly stood up and ran towards the doorway that lead to the foyer ahead. She was almost to the front door! She was almost out!

  Melissa then charged her from behind, her arms wrapping tightly around Jessie’s waist. Jessie then bent her arm and threw her elbow back as it smashed into Melissa’s eye. Melissa screamed in pain as she tumbled back onto the floor, holding her bruised eye. Jessie ran through the doorway and into the foyer…the front door just ahead. She then stopped…as she remembered…

  Burke was still in the house.

  If she left now…if she left him behind…he didn’t stand a chance at surviving this horrific nightmare. Jessie quickly turned from the door and rushed up the staircase. Her legs took long strides, running up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. Jessie looked down the hallway…as her eyes settled onto the attic door. Her chest heaved up and down as she ran towards the attic door, faster and faster, her arms pumping at her sides. Jessie quickly ran through the attic door and slammed it shut tightly behind her. She quickly turned the lock and made her way up the dusty stairs and towards the dark attic above.

  “Burke! I’m here!” Jessie cried out as she leaped off the last step and ran through the messy attic. She dodged a stack of large boxes as she spotted Burke ahead, still tied to the rocking chair.

  “Who the fuck is doing this?” Burke cried as Jessie quickly tugged and pulled at the tape securing his hands.

  “Mrs. Newman,” Jessie snapped as she ripped the last of the tape from his hands and began to untie the ropes.

  “What?” Burke asked, shocked and stunned.

  “We have to go…now. Can you walk?” Jessie asked as she struggled to untie the twisted ropes around his body.

  “No…I think…I think my right leg is broken. She did a number on me,” Burke said.

  And that’s when she heard the loud thuds coming from the attic door below. They had to act fast…there was no more time to waste. Jessie quickly untied the last knot as she wrapped Burke’s arm around her shoulders. Burke winced in pain as he stood to his feet…limping on his right leg…all his weight, leaning onto Jessie’s side.

  “Come on…I’ve got a plan,” Jessie said as she eyed an old, rusty fire poker leaned against the corner of the attic beside her.

  HIDE & SEEK

  Melissa stabbed her bowie knife into the wooden attic door, again and again. The wooden shards clattered to the floor as she hacked at the wood.

&n
bsp; “Jessie, open the fucking door! You have no where to go!” Melissa yelled in anger as she continued to stab at the door. A chuck of the wood fell to the floor. Her hand would fit through the tiny hole perfectly. Melissa reached her gloved hand through the hole and turned the lock on the other side. Melissa raised her knife…and shoved the door open slowly as it creaked on its old hinges.

  Melissa slowly stepped forward and inched up the dark staircase. Her knife, raised…ready to strike. Melissa stepped up into the dark attic as her eyes scanned the room. She turned to a white sheet hanging in front of her and ripped it off…to reveal a tall bookcase.

  ‘Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Melissa smirked. “You’ve got no where to run, Jessie!” Melissa smirked coyly.

  Melissa moved deeper into the attic as she kicked over a large stack of boxes. Her eyes scanned the dark attic, searching for her prey. She snatched a white sheet beside her, ripping it through the air…to reveal an old, ripped lounge chair.

  “Don’t make this harder than what it has to be, Jessie! You know how this is going to end!” Melissa said as she spotted the old rocking chair ahead. She stepped towards it as she stared down at the rope and ripped duct tape that sat along the attic floor. Melissa’s eyes slowly drifted up, staring out through the large window at the night sky. Melissa then kicked the rocking chair as it tumbled forward, crashing to the floor. “The longer you hide, the angrier I get, Jessie! And the angrier I get, the slower I’m going to fucking kill you, bitch!” Melissa screamed in rage as she spun around, ripping the white sheets surrounding her…one by one. The sheets danced through the air around her and fell to the dusty floor as she ripped at the sheets…again and again.

  But nothing.

  Jessie and Burke were no where in sight. Only the weathered furniture and ripped boxes. Melissa’s chest heaved up and down as she spun around, her eyes scanning the dark corners ahead.

  “OK, Jessie! You’re really starting to piss me the fuck off!” Melissa screamed at the top of her lungs, veins sticking out through the sides of her neck.

  “And how do you feel about that?” a soft voice asked sarcastically from behind her. Melissa quickly spun around…

  As Jessie swung the fire poker forward. The sharp tip smashed into Melissa’s head as she tumbled to the floor in front of the large attic window. Melissa quickly stood to her feet, her teeth grinding with rage…as her eyes lifted…to see Jessie charging towards her, the fire poker tight in her hand.

  Jessie stabbed the fire poker forward, as the sharp tip plunged into Melissa’s stomach…and out through her back. Blood splattered onto the window behind Melissa as she tumbled back. Melissa’s back slammed into the large window as the glass shattered behind her. Jessie watched as Melissa’s body fell back out through the attic window.

  Melissa’s body fell from the attic window and slammed onto the roof below. Her lifeless body then rolled over the edge, tumbled through the air…and smashed onto the top of Ethan’s car parked below. The entire roof dented beneath Melissa’s dead body as the glass of the windows shattered from the heavy weight. The glass flew from their frames and scattered along the gravel below.

  Jessie’s chest heaved up and down as she stared through the broken attic window and down to Melissa’s dead body that laid on top of Ethan’s mangled car. It was over…it was all over.

  “Is she dead?” Burke asked quietly. Jessie spun around and walked towards a table covered with a white sheet in the corner. She threw the sheet off…to reveal Burke hidden beneath the old, weathered table.

  “I’d hope so. If not, she’s going to have a nasty case of tetanus from that rusty fire poker,” Jessie smirked as she leaned down and grabbed Burke’s arm. Jessie helped Burke to his feet as he rolled his eyes.

  “God, you have a sarcastic response for every situation, don’t you?” Burke said as he wrapped his arm around Jessie’s neck and limped to his feet. Jessie walked by his side slowly towards the attic stairs ahead.

  “Yeah, I’ve been saving that one for a while,” Jessie smirked.

  AFTERPARTY

  Burke and Jessie both sat on the wooden steps of the front porch and stared forward at Melissa’s dead body still laying on top of Ethan’s car, the fire poker still sticking out from her stomach.

  “Yeah, it’s two-thirty-five Meadow Brooke Lane,” Jessie said into her cellphone that was placed against her ear. Jessie ended the call as she looked to Burke by her side.

  “Knowing the cops in this town, it’ll be about thirty fucking minutes,” Burke smirked. Jessie smiled softly as she rested her head onto Burke’s shoulders. Her smile slowly faded as she held the diamond anchor emblem hanging from her necklace tightly in her hand. “Did Ethan get that for you?” Burke asked softly. Jessie lifted her head from Burke’s shoulder as she nodded sadly.

  “Yeah, he did,” Jessie said, her voice hoarse from screaming and crying.

  “You know you meant the world to him, Jess,” Burke said. “He loved you a lot.”

  “I know he did. I just wish…I just wish he was here to say it one last time,” Jessie said as she looked to Burke beside her, a tear running down her cheek.

  “I wish the same damn thing about Reese,” Burke said as he stared forward, his eyes growing teary. The crickets chirped through the tall pine trees surrounding the Tanner house as Jessie looked up at the full moon above.

  “They’re still here, ya know,” Jessie said softly.

  “What?” Burke asked as he looked to Jessie beside him.

  “They’re still here. Maybe not right in front of us. But in here,” Jessie said as she placed her hand onto her heart. “If you ever want to talk to her…if you ever feel like you have no one to talk to; just touch your heart, and she’s there. She’ll always be there…with you…right by your side,” Jessie said as she smiled through her tears. Burke smiled softly and nodded as the tears ran down his cheeks.

  “When did you get so sentimental?” Burke asked sarcastically as he wiped his eyes.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still kick your ass,” Jessie giggled as Burke smirked. “But that’s something I always try to remember. I know it doesn’t make it any easier…but it helps you feel a little less lonely…a little less lost,” Jessie nodded.

  “Killer party, wasn’t it?” Burke smirked, breaking the serious tone surrounding them.

  “I prefer the afterparty,” Jessie smiled through her tears as Burke laughed. Jessie rested her head onto Burke’s shoulder…both staring up at the full moon.

  The police sirens right down the road cut through the silence of the peaceful night…growing louder and louder as the crickets slowly grew silent around them. Help was almost there. This nightmare was all over.

  Jessie grabbed the tiny diamond anchor hanging from her necklace…brought it to her lips…and gently kissed it.

  Ethan was still with her.

  He always would be.

  Forever in her heart.

  Forever her anchor.

  EVERYONE LOVES A KILLER SEQUEL…

  DID

  YOU LOCK

  THE FRONT DOOR?

  COMING SOON