CHAPTER 3 - THE HORROR HOUSE

Trestan was still holding his head. “She literally has a hard head. Tss.” He walked around without knowing where to go until he stopped by in front of the horror house. Another memory popped. 

***

“Dad, let’s go! I want to go inside this horror house.” Little Trestan pulled his father but Timotheus didn’t move.

“I can wait here outside, son.”

“But---“

“Baby, don’t force your dad. I can join you if you want.”

“But I want daddy to come with us.” Trestan pouted.

Trestan winced and shook his head while remembering how clingy he was before.

“Hon---“

“Fine, kiddo. Whatever you want. Let’s go.”

“Hon, you sure? You’ll be okay?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s… It’s just a horror house.” He gulped once before entering.

***

Trestan followed his memory until he found himself, walking alone inside the dark place with red blinking lights. “Nothing’s new. Still the horror house from years ago.”

***

“It’s not that scary. Right, dad?” Little Trestan asked his dad who heard him cursed a lot of times now.

“Y-Yeah.”

“How about you, mom? Are you scared?”

“Not really, baby. As long as I am with you two. I am not afraid.” She smiled.

***

“Mom…” Trestan felt a sudden heartache when he remembered those words from his mother. Then he remembered the time when they got out of the horror house. 

His dad was very pale and sick after they arrived at their house. There, he found out that his dad is not really a fan of horrors especially when it comes with ghosts. 

He smiled at that memory but that was only for a moment when someone suddenly pushed him hard to the side of the hallway where he had been alone earlier.

“Geh out of mah way, f*cker!”

“Let go! Let go of me!”

“Shut up! You b*tch!”

Trestan lost his balance and his right ankle got injured. 

He saw the lady who’s shouting. He wanted to help but chose not to interfere because it’s really none of his business, not until a young lady passed in front of him. It was as if she was chasing someone but she returned in front of him who couldn’t stand due to his injured foot.

“Mute? What are you doing there? You okay?” Blair looked at him but after a few seconds she spoke again. “You look fine though. I need to go.”

Automatically, Trestan held her wrist to stop her. He felt the danger she’s going to chase. 

He saw the guy holding a knife with blood stains earlier. It’s too dangerous for her to go.

“W-What are you doing? Let me go.” Blair felt the electricity when Trestan’s warm hand held her wrist. “Someone needs my help.”

‘Tss. You’re just putting yourself in danger.’ He can’t voice it out for a reason.

“I said let me go!” She stomped hard at his right foot where he got injured, that’s why he has no choice but to let her go. “Sorry! I don’t have a choice!” She said while running away.

“Sh*t! What an *ss!?” Trestan saw the yellow ball beside him. Blair didn’t notice that the ball she owns fell. He sighed heavily before grabbing the ball. 

He took out his phone and called his dad.

“Hey! Where are you? I thought you’ll wait---“

“Dad,” he held his foot. ‘Sh*t! Sh*t! That br*t!’

“Hey, Trestan Joern. Still there?”

“Y-Yeah. I think a crime happened inside the horror house where I am now and… and the culprit is still inside.”

“What!? You okay?”

“Yeah.” He was massaging his injured ankle. “Hurry, dad. He might do something worse.”

“Alright. Stay safe.”

The call ended.

+++

A moment earlier…

“Please, Alexa?”

“Just go there alone. I’ll just wait for you near the exit.”

“Why so KJ? Just this one. Please?”

“Ayt! If you’re not my best friend, I’ll really leave you here.”

“Yey! Let’s go.” Blair encircled her arm around Alexa’s arm then they both went inside the horror house. “I’m excited!”

“We went there a lot of times but still… you’re always excited.”

“Of course! I’m a fan.”

“Whatever. Let’s just go straight to the exit.”

“Psh! Kill joy! Let’s roam the area first.”

Alexa just follows her best friend wherever she goes. They heard someone shouting for help.

“Let it be, Blair. Maybe that girl just got stuck somewhere.”

“No. I don’t know but---“

“What if it’s a danger? Did I mention earlier that we shouldn’t continue entering this creepy place?”

“Let’s just see what’s going on.” Blair left her best friend and followed the scream.

“Blair, don’t you dare---sh*t. What a brat.” Alexa whispered before rolling her eyes. “Wait for me!”

They saw a guy who looked like a psycho stabbed another guy, probably the girl’s boyfriend. “Oh my gosh! Babe!” The girl was crying while holding his boyfriend.

“You’re going with me b*tch!”

“NO! Let me go! Let me go, you *sshole!” She slapped the psycho guy and it made him angry. He went uncontrolled again and punched the girl’s face.

“Crap.” Blair whispered while watching the brutal scene.

“Sh*t! I can’t contact the emergency hotline.” Alexa said while holding the phone. 

“Just keep calling them. Damn it!” Blair said while watching them and can’t do anything. She tightly held her yellow ball while thinking of something she could do to help. 

“You chose that guy over me!? How dare you, son of a b*tch!? After I gave you everything? You’re mine!” He pulled the girl somewhere and left the wounded guy.

Blair immediately went to the guy who’s lying on the cold floor and checked his pulse.

“Is he… dead?” Alexa asked while cold sweating all over her body. She’s just standing a little far from them.

“Still has a pulse but at any time, he may pass away.”

“What do we do next? I told you---“

“There’s no time to give me a sermon. Stop the bleeding. I will chase the psycho. Maybe I can do something to help that poor lady.” Alexa put a clean cloth at the side of the guy where he got stabbed.

“No! You’re staying. You’ll just put yourself on a thin line.”

“She needs help.”

“But you’re not the one who can help that girl.”

“I may try.” 

Alexa can’t stop her because she was holding a cloth full of blood. She tried to stop the bleeding but the wound was too deep. She tried calling an ambulance and thank goodness! They answered and they will be in that place after 3 minutes.

“P-Paula…*cough*” The wounded guy called his girlfriend’s name. He held Alexa’s arm with his weak and trembling hand. Alexa looked away. She doesn’t want to see the miserable situation of this unknown guy.

Someone passed by and Alexa saw a familiar guy. 

“Trestan!” She caught his attention. “Please help us!”

“W-What happened?” He said in a little voice.

“He got stabbed by a psycho. Can you carry him? The ambulance will be here in less than two minutes now.”

He just nodded and carried the guy on his back. The guy is kind of heavy and his injured ankle is still hurting but he endured the pain just to make sure that the guy will be alive until they reached the exit.

Trestan handed the ball to Alexa before he forgot. She confusedly accepted it and then she remembered that it’s Blair’s favorite toy.

“Uh… It’s Blair’s. Did she really chase them?” She asked while pressing the side of the guy to stop the bleeding. He just nodded.

“That brat! Hope she’s still alive and I’ll give her a hard slap when I see her.” 

Trestan couldn’t hide his smirk when he heard Blair’s best friend cussing and thought of how hard-headed Blair is.