Uɴᴅᴇʀ Tʜᴇ Fʀᴏᴢᴇɴ Lᴀᴋᴇ

[Dip]

Somewhere lost in the clouded annals of history,
lies a place that
few have seen.
A mysterious place, called
The Unknown.
Where long-forgotten stories are revealed to those who travel through the wood.

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

The long day at school had been just that: long. The only thing on the young men's minds was the thought of candy, candy, and more candy. While the siblings were both pushing past adulthood, people simply couldn't resist matching Halloween costumes! The twins had found this out at quite the tender age, that if they wore the same thing, they would get piece after piece of candy. While they weren't going trick-or-treating, per se, but their destination was a simple ten trek on foot, and whose to say they couldn't pit-stop for some well-deserved candy bars and sweets?

While they knew it to be true, that didn't stop one sibling from breaking the cycle.

"What do you mean you're not dressing up at Bert?!" The younger brother asked. The young man named Rufus, in a fit of excitement and anxiousness, dressed himself head-to-toe in his costume as soon as he stepped foot into his room. He had exited from his room to show the other male what his outfit involved, and to show Horus the costume that he had made by hand (well, if you count going to every Goodwill in town 'hand made').

"I mean, I'm not dressing up as him." The older brother responded, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "It's weird!" The young man named Horus continued, "They were basically in a relationship! It's gross, and stupid. Plus, I have my own costume."

"What? Are you serious? Have you even seen Mary Poppins? They're, like, basically BFFs. Come on, put it on, I put it together and everything!" The younger brother pressed on, trying his best to hand the other male the small stack of clothing that he had spent such a long time outfitting. "What kind of costume is better than Bert and Mary? Huh?"

Horus shrugged. "Well, I wanted to go as a witch this year. So, I--"

"A what? A witch? News flash, Horus: EVERYONE dresses up as a witch! No one would ever think of something this clever!"

"I don't want clever, I want comfy, and I'm not going to dress up in overalls and smear my face with paint just to sit around at some stupid costume-party. You're lucky I'm even going!" The older twin responded, with a roll of his eyes.

"Ugh! You're the worst!" Rufus stormed away from his older brother, but it was hard to take him serious when he was dressed in a bright-red bow-tie and suspenders. Horus couldn't help but smirk as he watched him stomp back into his room.

This kind of back-and-forth behavior continued for a while. It mostly involved Rufus poking his head into Horus' room, asking him 'pleeeeaaase?', and him groaning every time the other told him no. The other only stopped when he saw the witch costume put together.

"What do you think?" Horus asked, flashing every single one of his good sides to his brother. Horus was dressed in a rather basic outfit. He had a pretty basic puffy-sleeved button-up shirt, with a pair of black (and rather ripped) pants and a ridiculously over-sied witch hat. Around his shoulders, he had a black hooded cloak. He even held a broomstick!

"I think it's fine." The brother shrugged. "I mean, it's no Bert, but--"

"Will you cut that out?" Horus chuckled. "Are you ready to go?"

The duo soon meandered out of their house and into the world, with Rufus leading the way. It seemed that the younger brother was always taking charge, but then again, that was never really a bad thing in Horus' eyes. Rufus was always a natural-borne leader, and he was pretty damn good at it, too! It wasn't so much that Horus was meek or afraid of blazing any trails, it was more like he never had to, so he never did.

The party they were invited to was a mere ten minutes away from their humble abode, but it was also right in the middle of a crowded neighborhood, and that was prime time candy realestate. The two twins hit house after house on their way to the party, making their ten minuet trek into a twenty-five minuet 'trek-or-treat'.

The two arrived, pockets fll of candy and pockets fll of candy rappers. Rufus was scared that maybe he had over-dressed for the party, but his fears melted away as soon as he noticed an almost realistic-looking clown. Rufus nudged his older brother, and pointed to the clown. "He's dressed like a witch, too." He smirked, and this earned a snort from Horus.

"Look around and you might find your Bert." Horus muttered back as he tried to sneakily empty his pockets of any candy wrappers. Once he was clear of any trash (he had sneakily stuffed it away in someone's shoes-- who took off their shoes at a Halloween party?), he took a sweeping glance around for someone who was relatively close to Rufus' ideal version of Bert.

While he didn't find his brother's Bert, he did find the devil himself. "Oh god," Horus muttered, pointing off to the side of himself. "I smell bacon." That was code for 'Abraham is here'. Horus was the first one to think of something as clever as that. AbraHAM? Pigs = HAM? Get it? He was so proud of himself for making that up, he had to remind everyone where it came from.

Rufus turned to see where the other was pointing, and saw the pig himself entertaining a gaggle of dressed party-goers. He smirked, and turned to his brother. "Wanna raise hell?" He asked with a devious smirk.

"Hell yeah." Horus replied, the same grin crossing his features.

The two wandered towards the other teen.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Halloween had always been Bram's favorite holiday, and while the candy and the trick-or-treating played a huge role in cementing his decision, the real reason behind it was the pranks he'd get to play on his poor unsuspecting victims. It was one of the few days when he could get away with almost anything. If anyone accused him of being a jerk or going too far, he'd flash them one of his nonchalant smiles. "Halloween ain't Halloween without the tricks, man," he'd explain. It almost always worked.

God, he loved the 31st of October. This unbridled love for the holiday was the reason he was standing in the middle of the Tafers' living room and dressed up as Bram Stoker's Dracula. He'd fought tooth and nail to get to this party. His parents, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, had chosen today for an out-of-town trip. They wanted to visit his grandparents down south. Why they didn't pick Christmas or some other family-oriented holiday for the trip, they never explained. His older brother James asked him to tag along, but there was no way in hell he was missing their last high school Halloween party.

And so, he and James fought. His brother had called him a childish ass, and he'd come to the party anyway. By this time next year, they'd all be scattered across the globe in their respective universities. The thought of it made this last Halloween bash extra special. He stopped thinking about James and turned to his childhood friend. "Maddie, Mads, you have to get in on this prank. We have to do something cool. Remember, next year we won't get to do this anymore. This Halloween party has to go down in history." Bram threw out his arms for emphasis then closed the distance between him and his childhood friend. He made sure the people around them were busy with their own thing before he stooped down to whisper in her ear.

"I bought a Ouija Board off Craigslist for five bucks." He flashed her a devilish smile.

"You what?"

"I bought a Ouija Board," Bram continued. "I'm going to dare some suckers to play it in the woods."

Maddie noticed the mischievous glint in Bram's eyes and knew this spooky Ouija Board session in the woods would lead to another one of his infamous pranks. She'd heard him talking about it to his soccer buddies, something about scaring the crap out of the freshmen in the woods. She highly disapproved, but her disapproval had never stopped him before and she doubted it would make a difference. "I see where this is going and I don't like it. Not one bit."

"Maddie, you've got to get in on this. It's your last Halloween party."

"I don't think I'm dying next year, Bram."

"Very funny. You know what I mean. We're seniors, we're graduating in June, and you'll probably get into some nerdy college and spend the next four years studying. Live a little. Plus you have to make up for not wearing a costume." The incredulous look on Bram's face and the flabbergasted tone of his voice made it sound like she'd done something criminal—like she'd offered innocent kittens and puppies to Cthulhu as a blood sacrifice.

"I was going to stay home, remember? Watch movies with my sister, maybe get some frozen yogurt." Maddie gestured to her outfit: a green letterman jacket and jeans.

"But you're here," Bram beamed. "So you should have some fun, yeah?"

She was sure "fun" would involve making sure Bram didn't get anyone maimed. She wasn't up for it, but it would probably be his last big prank of the year. Reluctantly, she nodded her head so he'd stop asking her to tag along.

"Thanks, Maddie. You're the best."

"That's what you always say."

Bram laughed then threw back his cape with a flourish. Before Maddie could say anything else, he'd strode across the room to join his soccer buddies by the fireplace. Included in this circle of soccer friends was Gavin Tafer, a lanky junior who seemed to think Bram was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Bram had introduced him as a defensive midfielder (not that she knew what that was), a good team player, and the owner of this house.

"Gav, my man," Bram greeted as he punched the boy's shoulder. "You have it in your room right?"

"Of course I do. We're gonna wreck some freshies tonight." Gavin laughed.

"Guys, are we really going through with this?" Felix looked uncomfortable at the thought. He was a staunch Christian and the thought of using a Ouija Board to commune with spirits in the woods didn't sit right with him.

"Like I said, Felix, we're not really going to commune with spirits. It's a joke."

"Either way, Bram. That's dark crap you're getting involved in. Who knows what'll happen."

"I'll tell you what's going to happen. A bunch of freshies are gonna piss their pants, Felix." Bram swung an arm over his jittery friend's shoulder and pulled the boy close. "They'll have the scare of their young lives, and if we're lucky, they'll leave their candy behind when they're hightailing it outta the woods. No one's going to get hurt. It'll be good, clean fun. Promise."

"Yeah, Felix," Gavin added in. "Don't be such a chicken. It's Halloween. Can't have the treat without the trick."

"Right, my good man!" Bram pulled away from Felix and extended his fist so he could give Gavin a fist bump. The two of them were laughing and joking around when Gavin noticed Horus and Rufus approaching from the front door.

"Twins at two o'clock," Gavin warned. Immediately, all talk of the great Ouija Board prank came to an end.

Bram spun around to face the twins. He was still smiling, and not even Rufus and Horus could bring him down from his pranking high. "Yo, Horse Face, Ruffles. What? No matching costumes this year? Did you two get into a fight or something? I kid, I kid, happy Halloween, twins. What brings you here? Excited to see your ol' pal Bram?"

"Hi Horus, Rufus," the much less bombastic greeting came from Maddie. She was giving Bram the look. Be nice. It was written all over her face and in the way her eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "Ignore Bram, he's had one too many sodas."

"Hey, it's Halloween. You can't have too many sodas. The night is young and the party has yet to begin." Bram strode away from his soccer friends and the twins and made a beeline for the snack table. He grabbed three cans of Fanta and made sure to give two of the three cans a good shake. He returned a minute later, wearing his most innocent smile. "Maddie, twins, have some soda." He passed the good can to his childhood friend before handing the cans he'd shaken to Rufus and Horus.

"Guys, it's our last Halloween party together," he sounded wistful, like an old man re-living the fleeting days of his youth. "Twins, it's about time we bury the hatchet, right?" Not. Bram kept on smiling, ignoring the curious look Maddie had thrown his way. He waited for Rufus and Horus to open his sham of a peace offering. "To Halloween."

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

When the young male asked if the two were figting, Horus simply gave a roll of his eyes. Rufus took more offense to this, andcrossed his arms tightly over his chest as he huffed in defeat. While both of the twins took offense to the insults, Horus was a little more affected by it.

Horse face? His face wasn't long in the slightest! And if his face was long, that meant that Rufus' face was long in equal measure! "What? Are you dressed as Nosferatu because you suck so much? I kid, I kid." Horus made sure to mock the tone and pitch of Bram's voice almost equally. He was stopped prematurity at the hands of his younger brother. Literally! Rufus used one hand to pinch at Horus' arm, and Horus, in return slapped his hand away and gave him a death-glare to end all death-glares.

"Hi, Maddie." Rufus started, turning back to face the other teen. "Don't worry, we always ignore Bram, don't we, Horse face?" Horus picked up his hand and rubbed gently at his new wound as he sent a glare in his brother's direction. "Hi, Maddie." The older twin chimed, after a time. The twins never really knew Maddie personally, save for a few high school classes, but any kind of beef they had with Bram never translated to her side.

She was almost innocent. Almost. She was guilty of one thing, and that was being Bram's friend. While the twin's pranks never directly involved the young lady, she always seemed to get affected only slightly. If Rufus super-glued Bram's locker, she always seemed to have super-glue on her finger tips. Impromptu water balloons? She would certainly get wet.

"I like your costume." Rufus continued, pointing gently at her letterman jacket. "You're going as.... no, no, don't tell me..."

"The Jock from The Breakfast Club?" Horus started, dropping his arm back to his side.

"No, no, wait! Ferris Bueller! You're Ferris Bueller! From Ferris Bueller's Day Off!"

"What? No way, she's.... She's Arthur Fonzerelli! You know, from Happy Days?"

"Arthur Fonzerelli? Are you stupid? Does she look like Arthur Fonzerelli?"

"Do you even know who Arthur Fonzerelli is?"

"No, But I know she's not him."

The back-and-forth bickering subsided as soon as Dracula reappeared, with three cans of soda. While Rufus only drank any kind of sugary substance on occasion, Horus had an entire twenty-four case of pop inside his room at all times. Horus happily took the can, and Rufus took his a little more slowly and deliberately. The younger brother touched Horus gently on his side, as if to tell him not to dig into it quite yet.

Horus gave a passing glance to his younger brother, and he watched as he soon put his skills to good use. Maybe it was the way that the other was so willing to get them snacks, or maybe it was just a hunch, but something didn't seem right with the Fanta they were given. Rufus took the soda in his hand, and angled it away from him.

The twin pulled the tab towards himself, and the flurry of soda-pop escaped almost instantly. It was like something out of a cartoon, with the sugary liquids spraying Bram (and Maddie, just a little) in the face and chest. Horus let out a loud roar of laughter, and soon, a few other brave souls joined in.

The hatchet was still warm in the twin's hands, and the only place they were going to bury it was in Bram's back.

"To Halloween!" Horus laughed, raising his unopened can towards the ceiling. He used his other hand to celebratorily fist-bump his younger brother.

This was their last Halloween party, and it was going to be a fun one.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Arthur Fonzerelli and Ferris Bueller. Those were solid guesses, but they weren't quite right. According to Bram, she was dressed up as a wet blanket without a costume. That was true, but the banter between Horus and Rufus was so cute that she didn't have the heart to tell them they were wrong. Maddie placed a hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle. However, the amusement was short-lived, and the expression on her face quickly turned into one of shock when a spray of sugary soda caught Bram and her by surprise. Bram had done it again. He'd been a jerk and his prank had backfired.

The shock on Maddie's face turned into disbelief and then anger. "You were going to soda bomb them?"

The red-faced teen was too upset to answer right away. I'm going to kill you. The threat was written all over his face, and had Maddie not intervened, he probably would have introduced his left fist to Rufus' cheek.

"Abraham Snyder," Maddie hissed. She'd gone full-on mom mode, going as far as to call him by his full name. This was enough to rouse Bram out of his anger-induced stupor.

"What?" He cleared his throat. "Innocent ol' me? I'd never do such a horrible thing. Someone must have knocked the cans around before I brought them here."

"I'm not stupid, Bram. You were going to wreck their costumes and their last Halloween party."

He couldn't lie to her. She knew him too well—the disadvantage of knowing someone since they were five-years-old.

"Apologize," Maddie commanded.

"What? We're the ones covered in soda."

"You deserve it." She'd ended up getting caught in the crossfire, but the damage done to her own clothes, was minimal. Maddie peeled off the stained letterman jacket, revealing a white shirt beneath. Aside from the jacket, she was completely Fanta-free. The same could not be said for Bram. She stared at his wet, floppy hair and the purple stains on his face and shirt. She imagined it felt horribly sticky, but considering he'd orchestrated the failed prank, she didn't feel sorry for him. "Apologize, or I'm leaving."

"The fuck? That's a low blow right there, Mads." She was giving him an ultimatum and he hated it. Bram's icy glare flitted from the twins to Maddie. She was taking their side? Blackmailing him to apologize to them? It wasn't like she was their friend. She was his friend.

Both friends stared each other down. Maddie refused to budge.

Bram considered stomping off, but he knew Maddie wasn't kidding around. If he didn't apologize, she'd leave and wouldn't be able to witness his biggest prank of the year. As pissed as he was, he wanted to show her the art of pranking. This soda prank, it was amateurish in comparison to what he'd pull off later on. Bram wanted her to stay, so he gave in. "Fine," he snarled. "Ruffles, Horse Face, sorry I almost ruined your dresses." As soon as the words left his mouth, he stormed off so Maddie wouldn't have a chance to scold him. Fanta was trickling down the inside of his shirt. It felt gross and sticky, and he needed a change of clothes. Luckily, he had a spare soccer jersey in Gavin's room.

"Sorry about that," Maddie apologized when Bram was out of earshot. "He's been really antsy lately." Bram was restless on most days, but with graduation fast approaching, he'd been even more of a jerk than usual. She dropped the topic and mustered up a small smile. "Soda aside, how are you guys? I love your costumes. A witch and Mary Poppins, right?"

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

Horus, if he was alone, would have opened the soda and become the butt of the joke. It was thanks to his brother's quick thinking that he was almost entirely sticky free! The older brother tucked the unopened can into one of the deeper pockets of his costume, and watched with bated breath as the younger female chewed the ass of the older male.

Horus wasn't the only one excited to see Bram-- er, Abraham Snyder's defeat. The brother, who orchestrated the reverse prank, shook any of the remaining pop off of his hand, and began to drink the spoils of his labor. He smirked behind the metal rim of the Fanta can as the red-faced teen gave his begrudging apology.

If Bram had ever wanted to fist fight, he would surely get it in a heartbeat. The soccer team had nothing on the football team. But, he knew that throwing fists had almost entirely gone out of style, due mostly to their heightened maturity level. Freshman year, you could catch the three scraping nearly every other day! Mostly with Horus standing off to the side recording, but sometimes he would throw in a punch or two.

The two smirked as the other apologized pathetically. Horus wanted a picture of this moment, so he could frame it and make it a mural. He was so close to pulling out his phone, but the other soon stormed off in the other direction as fast as he possibly could, leaving a small trail of Fanta behind him.

"Sorry I got you wet, too." Rufus apologized, placing the nearly-empty can on the table near him.

"When isn't he antsy?" Horus asked, with a roll of his eyes. He tried his best to hold his tongue around Bram's friends, but it was hard when you hated someone so much that you just had to tell everyone you talked to! "I've never seen that boy calm down for a minute."

Maddie soon changed the conversation, and thankfully so. Horus was renowned for not having a filter, and his mouth often got him in trouble when Rufus wasn't around to tell him when things go too far. The twins beamed when their costumes were praised.

"He was suppose to be Bert, but he changed his mind last minute."

"My costume is better than yours, you just don't want to admit that, nanny-boy."

"Nanny-boy? Who are you calling a nanny-boy, you--"

"Say it." Horus crossed his arms over his chest. He knew there was no comeback to that one. Horus knew that, and so did Rufus. The younger twin glared at his brother, and turned away as he tried to think of something t say to him.

"How are you doing, anyway?" Rufus started, admitting defeat. This only made Horus smiled brighter. "I think we're fine."

 

[Fox of Spades]

The twins exchanged playful quips, and once again, Maddie was beaming at the cuteness of it all. She missed messing around with her little sister, but Leah had just turned 13 and was going through her I-hate-the-world-please-go-away phase. The sooner that came to an end, the sooner she'd have her baby sister back. The twins reminded her of how much she missed the joking around.

"Aw, you both would have been adorable. I don't know, it's just that you've been wearing matching costumes for so long. This is new. Not bad though, your witch costume is cool, Horus." She'd never understood why Bram despised the twins. Sure, she saw why they butt heads—the three of them were fiery and stubborn to a fault. Still, they were nice guys, nothing close to what Bram described whenever he spoke about them. "Glad to know you two are okay. Don't worry about the Fanta, Bram took the brunt of the attack. Speaking of Bram, I think I'll go check on him, make sure he has a change of clothes." Maddie would have said her goodbyes, but before she could, Bram came striding out of one of the rooms in his soccer uniform. He was still donning his vampire cape and fangs and she noticed he had the Ouija Board tucked under his arm. Gavin and Felix followed after him.

"Listen up, folks. Party in the woods behind the old power plant. There'll be games and drinks. Anyone who's anyone ought ta show up."

The announcement was quick, but it looked like Bram had tempted a few of the more curious souls. The young man made his way back to the twins and Maddie while Gavin and Felix had left to invite the freshmen.

"Twins," Bram greeted. There was an ice-cold glint in his eyes, but he managed to force a smile. He'd calmed himself down now, and during his time away from the group, had come up with the best plan ever. He was going to invite them to the woods. What was better than wrecking freshies and taking their candy? Wrecking Horus and Rufus, that was way better.

"Ouija board in the woods," he whispered. "I dare you both to come."

Maddie rolled her eyes. They were doing this again. Not even 15 minutes had passed, and already, they were doing this again.

"It's okay," Bram added in hopes of fanning the flames. "If you're too chicken to show, I'll understand."

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

The older twin couldn't help but beam brightly when his costume was praised by the other teen. He smiled boldly as he crossed his arms over his chest in triumph. He knew his costume was cool! While it was strange not being able to locate someone who looked exactly like Horus, he would manage.

For as long as Horus and Rufus could remember, they had matched up and dressed up for Halloween together. Every year it was the same costume twice: a pumpkin, or a werewolf, or hell, even a Dracula! Horus was sure they may have broken the loop a couple times, but this year was the first he could truly recall.

The twins watched as the other tried to leave, but was stopped in her tracks by the very person she tried to chase down. Horus snickered loudly as the teen descended the stairs, clad in his uniform and his ridiculous cape and fangs. While Horus was focused on the costume, Rufus was focused on what was under his arm.

The younger twin, again, tapped his brother's arm, and motioned to the cardboard box in Bram's grasp. After the other's announcement, the two twins gave eachother a look. They both soundlessly agreed that there was no way in hell they were going to haul their cookies all the way to the power plant in the middle of the night on Halloween just to play games.

Horus and Rufus both turned to the Dracula once their title was called, and their plan to ditch the party was absolutely ruined with those three words, "I dare you'.

It was on.

"See you there, Edward Cullen." Horus smirked. After that choice burn, he gave his brother a fist-bump.

Maybe playing games in the woods wouldn't be that bad. It was just a stupid board game, right? Plus, they could always stock up on candy and pop on the way there, too.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Deep in the woods behind the old power plant, the planchette felt like a weapon of mass destruction. Sure, there wouldn't be an actual demon, he wasn't going to dabble in real occult rituals—Felix would freak out, and on the off-chance supernatural creatures did exist, he didn't want to get sentenced to eternal damnation. Not that he was scared or anything.

Maddie didn't believe in such things, but who were they to say stuff like that couldn't exist? He didn't want to chance it.

"You must be really proud of yourself, Bram." Maddie's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Mhm, quite proud." He ignored the sarcasm in her tone and flashed her one of his wry grins. With the help of his soccer pals, they'd managed to convince most of the freshmen to come along. Right now, the suckers were gathered near the lake, sipping on soda and talking about ghosts and urban legends. One of the stories in particular, was about the guy who'd gotten mugged outside the power plant. Bram didn't know the actual details, but some businessman refused to give up his cash and was pummeled to death by whoever had attacked him. His ghost, they say, still haunts the nearby grounds. "Hey, cheer up, Maddie. I'm sparing the freshmen." He had much bigger fish to fry, Horus and Rufus, to be specific. He'd thought it all through already, he'd use to the freshmen to egg the twins on then challenge the twins to take their place.

It was foolproof. The twins would never back down from a dare, especially not one from him.

Bram noticed Maddie narrowing her eyes at him, but he ignored her, opting instead to whip out his phone from his pocket. 9:55pm. In exactly five minutes, he would receive a text from Gavin and Felix. They'd be in their costumes, hidden in the woods, and ready to scare whoever needed scaring.

The look on Bram's face was positively devilish. He turned his impish smile to the group of freshmen sitting by the lake, then eventually, to the twins who were standing around. "You guys ready for some fun?" Without waiting for a reply, he strolled towards them and set the Ouija Board down on the grass. Crickets chirped in the distance and wind rustled the trees' leaves, but all Bram could hear was the sweet sound of victory. He held out the planchette to a pale-faced freshman. "Would you like to do the honors? I'd ask the twins, but I think Horus and Rufus are feeling a bit too chicken." He tried to egg the twins on, waiting to see if they'd take the bait.

"So um, what are we doing?" The freshman constantly looked over his shoulder, as if waiting for his friends to help him out.

"We're going to reach out to the unknown, learn the secrets of the beyond, commune with the dead. Basically, it's going to be frigging awesome and you guys are going to be here," Bram answered. When he wanted to be theatrical, he actually did an okay job. "You guys know the story, right? The one 'bout the guy who died near the power plant? So whaddya say, twins? Any of you wanna do the honors, or should I ask one of the freshmen to get this party started?"

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

To Rufus, the game was nothing more than just that: A game. Something made, sold, and bought by children! They wouldn't sell something like that in Toys-R-Us if it was an adults game, would it? They surely wouldn't sell it at a toy store if it could truly make compact with the devil. But to Horus, it was something that shouldn't be entirely ignored.

While it was something sold at questionable locations, it obviously had some power to it. They wouldn't make full on movie franchises if the Ouija Board wasn't as spooky, would they? While Horus feared the Ouija board, he was more curious about it. His fear with the unknown never translated well when it came to new and unusual things, but if his younger brother had nothing to fear, he didn't have anything to fear either, right?

The twins left the party with the rag-tag duo, but they were nearly the last to arrive at the old power plant. This can be entirely blamed on the twins lusting after more and more pieces of candy, and they were sure to get it. Rufus only had so much room in his dress pants and his trench coat, but Horus was blessed with deep and seemingly endless pockets of candy. Rufus gave Horus every single piece of candy that wasn't chocolate, and the older twin took it happily.

The two twins soon made their way to the desired location, umbrella-clad and broomstick in hand. They stood about for some time, wondering if they were ever going to get the show on the road or not. The two brothers knew from experience that Bram was stalling to set a specific ambiance, and they couldn't help but roll their eyes. Summoning spirits at 10 PM on Halloween night, at an abandoned power plant in the woods, with everyone dressed in costume? How much stalling did someone need? All of that was spooky enough!

The twins watched with brown-hued eyes as the Dracula-- er, Soccula, placed the board in front of the motley crew and then proceeded to diss the two Italian twins. The Witch opened his mouth to speak a comeback, but the Nanny quickly hushed him, as if he wanted to see where this went. The Witch, once again, rolled his eyes and sighed at his younger brother.

They were definitely not chicken.

The twins both knew the story of the guy who died near the power plant, but they never thought of it more than just a story. As children, the idea of a ghost lurking about the strange building in the woods was always frightening, but growing up, there became logical explanations for things to happen. Loud sounds were usually animals knocking stuff over, or a gust of wind.

The second heckling match prompted the older of the twins to finally reply.

"Sure, we'll do the honors." Horus started with a smirk, and it slowly grew. "Only because we both know you would never be able to do this kind of thing yourself. We'll both spare you the nightmares."

Horus was one to talk. He only ventured out to the party to keep his brother quiet. He didn't know exactly what he was getting into, but if it pissed off Bram, he liked it.

Rufus begrudgingly placed two of his fingers on the planchette, and his older brother followed. Soon, others started placing their fingers on the small dial, and as soon as there was a satisfying amount, Horus slowly took the lead for the first time in his life.

"Is, uh... Is anyone there?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

They could talk crap about him all night and Bram wouldn't have cared because Gavin and Felix were in their designated hiding spots, and it was time for the twins to get wrecked. "N'aww, isn't that thoughtful of you two." He beamed in response to the insult they'd thrown his way. "Concerned for my beauty sleep and well-being. This is why I love you guys." Bram's cheery tone, was of course, a front to mask the venom and hatred. He joined the twins and placed both fingers on the planchette.

"Is, uh... Is anyone there?"

As expected, there was no response. "Gotta sound more inviting, horse face. It's Halloween, these spirits have parties to go to, places to see, and people to spook." His eyes flitted momentarily to the freshman he'd bribed—the only person, besides his soccer buddies and Maddie, who knew about the Ouija Board prank he had in store for everyone.

"I-I can try asking," the wild-eyed, soda-toting 14-year-old answered.

"You sure, kid?" Bram asked. He made sure to smirk and look as condescending as possible so no one would know the kid was on his side.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. It's not like ghosts are real." The freshman placed his own fingers on the planchette. "Please talk to us," he mumbled softly beneath his breath as his fingertips began to shake. "If you're out there, we'd like to you." He feigned a yelp as he began discreetly steering the planchette across the board.

D-A-N-G-E-R

The freshman stared at Horus and Rufus with a terrified expression. Thanks to several years in the theater club, his performance was rather convincing. "Did you do that?" The kid practically screeched. "You moved it!" He yelled again, narrowing his gaze on Horus. "You did, right?"

Bram quieted down as the party-goers behind them began exchanging worried whispers.

"Ask it something else!" A girl in Bram's Science class suggested.

"You heard the lady," came Bram's swift, but somewhat somber reply. "Ask it another question."

"W-What do you want?" The freshman stammered.

I S-E-E Y-O-U I K-N-O-W Y-O-U W-A-I-T A-N-D I W-I-L-L C-O-M-E

A hushed silence fell over them followed by the piercing sound of metal hitting metal. Several of the teens screamed, and Bram let out a silent gasp of his own, despite knowing it was Gavin and Felix making loud noises in the woods.

"We should ask it to reveal itself to us," Bram suggested.

At this point, a thunderous clang resonated throughout the woods, followed by what sounded like glass shattering against one of the many trees. The freshman began feigning tears, and Bram took it upon himself to play the role of insisting asshole.

"C'mon, kid. Ask it to reveal itself. You wanted to play, don't be a fraidy cat."

​

Maddie simply narrowed her eyes at the charade. She was glad the freshman wasn't actually being terrorized, but the worried whispers coming from those who weren't in on the prank made her frown deeply.

This was obviously fake. The spooky sounds were happening at just the right time—that, and Gavin and Felix were conveniently missing.

Maddie pulled on her (now dry) letterman jacket and zipped it up as she decided to some investigating. Slowly, she made her way deeper and deeper into the forest. The only thing scary about Bram's prank was the amount of people who actually believed him. She continued walking through the woods until she heard snickering coming from behind several bushes. Not too far away, were shards of broken glass, a drum, and a sheet of metal.

"Gavin, Felix," Maddie called out. "Are you guys here?"

"Maddie?" Felix was the first to poke his head out from behind the bushes. He was dressed up as a ghost from Pacman, or at least, that was what he looked like with a white bed sheet draped across his shoulders. "What are you doing here? Did Bram send you to deliver a message?"

"Felix, no one is supposed to be here," Gavin chimed in. "If you don't shush it, we'll get caught."

"It's just Maddie," came the curt response. They'd know her for as long as they'd known Bram.

"If Bram had a message. He'd text us. We need to concentrate on the prank. Sorry Maddie, you gotta go."

"Come on, dude, she's cool."

"If we screw this up, Bram's going to have our heads."

"Stop being such a crybaby, Gav."

"Says Mr. I'm-so-scared-of-ouija-boards."

The two continued to bicker until Gavin finally pounced. Before Maddie could say or do anything, the two were wrestling on the grass, leaves and twigs crunching beneath their combined weight. She narrowed her eyes. There was nothing wrong with playful roughhousing, but how old were these guys again?

Not to mention... she'd almost gone to the spring dance with Felix. Though to the blonde's credit, Gavin had done most of the roughhousing. Mostly, he'd focused on trying to talk his way out of the headlock the younger teen was trying to give him.

"Guys, cut it out," Maddie scolded. "Guys, really, there's broken glass on the ground."

That seemed to do the trick. Both teens stopped trying to pin the other to the ground, but just as Felix and Gavin began dusting themselves off, their playful grins immediately turned into puzzled glances.

Maddie noticed the shift in their expressions, and concern immediately replaced exasperation. "What? Did one of you get hurt? I have plasters." She began rummaging through her messenger bag and pulled out a plaster with a kitten on it.

In front of her, Gavin and Felix were staring into the darkness with eyes as large as saucers. Felix had his hands balled into fists, and despite his bad ghost costume, she noticed his knees wobble.

"If this is a prank, I swear to God, I am taking my plasters and—"

"Maddie," Felix was genuinely spooked. "Come here."

Maddie blinked stupidly as she watched Felix inch towards her. The blonde looked absolutely horrified as he reached for arm.

"Dude, it's right there." Gavin threw out his arms for emphasis. "Dude, no."

It was then that Maddie felt an icy chill creep up her spine. There was something behind her. She could tell due to the shadow that had fallen over them. It was breathing slowly, biding its time. She half-expected it to be Bram in a spooky mask, but when Felix tightened his grip on her arm, she knew something just wasn't right.

"Felix, what's wrong?"

There was no response.

Curiosity won out and Maddie spun around and saw it. Antlers and a blur of bone-white among the leaves and the darkness. It had brown fur and hooves resembling that of a deer, but something about it wasn't right at all. Deers... deers weren't supposed to look like that. Perhaps it was the red eyes or the darkness that surrounded it. Or maybe, it was the looming sense of dread that clung to the creature like a second skin. Whatever it was, its presence was overwhelming.

Nobody said a word, and none of them moved a muscle until Felix began taking tiny steps backwards. He pulled her towards himself and Gavin, but unfortunately, ended up stomping on a twig.

The loud crack caused the deer to turn its crimson gaze upon them. It charged past the bushes.

The three of them screamed.

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

More inviting? More inviting Horus' big fat ass! Horus was the most inviting person he knew! Well, other than his own brother.All previous opinions the older twin had about the Ouija board were now thrown out the proverbial window and throughly debunked. The Ouija board was a hoax, nothing more than a childrens toy!

Rufus knew for a fact that this experience was going to be underwhelming, and he wasn't surprised when the owner of the game tried to play the mood lightly.

The twins kept their hands lightly on the planchette as the freshman spoke words that were less enticing than the previous words spoken. But it seemed that the freshie had the magic touch, because after he spoke, the planchette began moving slowly, over the letters. The twins watched it move, and watched it spell

D - A - N - G - E - R

This phrase sent chills down both of the brother's spines, and Horus took offense to being called out.

"Bull-shit, freshman!" The older twin hissed, his two fingers still placed on the wooden piece. "You moved that, and we--"

The younger twin gave his older brother a looked that said, 'keep your voice down before you wake up the entire woods'. The twin did just that, but stuck to his claim that he didn't move a single thing.

Soon, a young woman that Rufus knew to be on the tennis team spoke, and pleated for more questions. The twins waited silently to see what the board had in store.

For a children's game, this was exciting as all git!

All eyes were on the freshman as he stammered another question, and soon, the planchette moved across the board. The cryptic message seemed rather cumbersome, but the meaning behind it was chilling nonetheless.

The sound of metal against metal gave Rufus more of a fright than Horus, but both of the brothers were thoroughly spooked. They were so nervous, the twins didn't even notice that Maddie had ventured off into the unknown by her lonesome.

The sounds continued, and it was hard to Horus to believe that the sounds could be played out by humans instead of spirits. Maybe it was the fact that it was Halloween night, or maybe it was because he just wanted something ot be scared of, but he couldn't believe that this was Bram's doing.

Rufus, on the other hand, was in complete and utter denial. He wanted to believe that this was nothing, and just some sick game. But it was so hard to do that when all of the spooky signs pointed to it being the truth!

It wasn't long before the sounds stopped all together, and the coercing of the freshman couldn't rouse the awoken spirits. This ensured Rufus' thoughts, and slowly seduced Horus into his brother's same mode of thinking.

Atleast, that was, until they both heard screaming.

The two nearly jumped out of their skin, Horus yelping with fright. The younger of the twins jumped up quickly, his fight or flight reflexes kicking in. His older brother simply fixated his gaze on the direction that the sound came from, and soon, he was face-to-face with the culprit.

Deer were not suppose to look like that.

The younger brother, in his panic and confusion, screamed something unintellegible, and grabbed onto whatever he could. If being in football for so long taught him anything valuble, it was this:

FUCKING RUN.

And that's what he did.

The umbrella-clad Nanny grabbed the Witch, who in return, grabbed both the broom and Dracula. The three were nearly pulled out of their britches as the muscled Nanny broke into a dead sprint. Rufus stumbled, and soon caught himself.

He could feel the cold, red eyes still on him. He could still feel the Beast upon him.

He felt himself run head-first into the Unknown.

 

[Fox of Spades]

This wasn't what they'd originally planned, but whatever Gavin and Felix were doing, it was fucking brilliant. As soon as the strange deer came bounding past the bushes, everyone scattered. Bram grinned from ear to ear, oblivious to the fact that the demon deer was not a part of the prank. He was just about to laugh and call them a bunch of pansies when Rufus and Horus practically shoved him into the woods.

He played along and ran, but the smug smile on his face disappeared the moment he saw Felix and Gavin screaming their heads off as they disappeared past the trees. Why were they running? The puzzle pieces finally fell into place. Oh. Bram's eyes went wide. They'd called out to the supernatural and it had answered them—and where the hell was Maddie?

His stomach tightened into a knot. The realization that his friend was somewhere out there in the woods with a demon deer was an ice-cold fist to the face, and whatever fear he'd been feeling turned into concern and then terror. Frantically, he turned to the twins. "Where's Maddie? Did you guys see her?"

---

Felix and Gavin were long gone, and Maddie ran through the woods alone, questioning whether what she had seen was actually real. The lighting was bad, she told herself. The lightning was bad and you were caught off guard. She repeated the thoughts over and over again, attempting to rationalize the encounter in whatever way she could.

It worked, and after the fifth reminder, she had calmed down enough to stop running.

It was just a normal deer. It was Halloween, they were spooked out and they overreacted. Perfectly normal, nothing strange in the slightest. The more she repeated it, the more she believed it. Soon enough, Maddie was chuckling at how silly she and the boys had been. She imagined Bram would never let them live this down.

Speaking of the vampire, Maddie dug into her jacket pocket and fished out her phone so she could give him a call. There was no answer and she chalked it up to him being far too invested in his Ouija Board prank. Unable to contact anyone, she made her way through the forest until the trees finally gave way to a frozen lake.

"Gavin? Felix?" She called out. "Are you guys here?"

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

The running wasn't bad, it was the feeling that Horus was left with that he hated. The older twin was always jealous of his brother's physicallity. It wasn't long until the soccer player and the football player were side by side, and Horus was struggling with all of his might to keep up.

As much as Rufus loved his older brother, he valued his life more. He let go of his older twin's arm as soon as they had reached a good pace, and the older twins wished that that never happened. He kept his pace, breathing heavily and taking long strides. Why did he ever have to take up an interest in books? Why couldn't he have played lacrosse, or take up track?

Rufus turned to the running Dracula next to him for only a moment before he turned back to face the passing trees before him. "Maddie was here?!" That's all he could muster.

It wasn't long before the two twins heard the sound of a shouting voice-- but this time, it wasn't just a scream. It sounded like someone was... calling for them. Well, not them specifically, but they were calling for someone. Rufus pointed his hand straight, towards the direction of the calling voice, like a nonverbal communication.

Sadly, the young man seriously underestimated just how far the calls came from. After two more feet of running, Rufus managed to pile-drive Maddie onto the cold and slippery ice. This was not without consequence, because Rufus managed to slip and slide right on his ass. Horus, following closely behind then, managed to trip over his young brother right onto the ice.

What an awful Halloween party.

 

[Fox of Spades]

A tremendous force knocked her onto the lake, and before Maddie knew it, she was lying on her stomach and sliding across the ice. It was cold and painful, and for a brief, horrifying moment, she thought the deer would trample her to death. Maybe it was a fiercely protective mama deer looking out for its young, or a territorial daddy deer with anger issues. Whatever the case, there was a brief moment where she wholeheartedly believed that she was going to be murdered by, of all things, a deer.

She imagined some unlucky forest ranger would find her days later with her skull caved in, and that the poor soul would eventually have to break the news to her worried parents and her little sister.

No. She refused to let it end that way.

Scared and dazed, Maddie struggled to her feet only to fall flat onto her stomach once more. The ice felt like liquid fire against her skin, and had it not been for the voices behind her, she would have flown into a panic.

It wasn't the deer. At that moment, she realized just who had crashed into her. It had been Rufus, and with him, splayed out comically on the ice, were Horus and Bram. Her heart leaped in both relief and worry, but the relief was enough to drown out the throbbing in her side and the worry that had consumed her merely moments ago. "Guys! Are you... are you alright?" Maddie sat up, preparing to fuss over them like a mother hen.

​

"Maddie, don't."​

"Bram? What's wrong? Are any of you hurt?" Whatever anger Maddie had felt towards his immature antics melted away the moment she noticed the sheer horror in his eyes.

"Thin ice," was all Bram managed to croak as his eyes flitted to the ice beneath Maddie's feet.

The puzzle pieces fell into place. In her relief, Maddie had almost forgotten where they were and the precarious situation they'd found themselves in. They were in the middle of a frozen lake. The girl quelled her growing worry and eyed the boys who were a good few feet away from her. "We can't say here, Bram. We have to get off the lake." Slowly, she got down into a crouch and began making her way towards the boys.

Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. All went well until web-like cracks began to grow beneath her.

Maddie froze in place and there was a split second of peace before the ice beneath her gave way.

A flurry of curses escaped Bram's lips as he watched his best friend disappear beneath the ice. He had to help, but if he so much as stood, he was sure the ice beneath them would collapse. If he was drowning, he wouldn't be able to save her.

Stupid. This situation was fucking stupid and he had to act NOW.

Bram stood on shaky legs, but the moment he took a step, the ice beneath him broke and cold water filled his lungs.

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

If you asked Rufus who's fault it was, he would blame Bram.

If you asked Horus... well, he would also blame Bram.

This entire situation was Bram's fault.

The two twins struggled to understand what had happened as the young woman spoke to them. Where were they again? All Horus could remember was running really fast, and then tripping over... something. All Rufus could remember was running really really fast, and tripping over something much harder.

Horus was the first one to slowly drift from his dazédness and confusion. He noticed that the brush and the trees have slowly dissapated, and they were somewhere very cold... and open. The older twin too a sweeping glanse around him, and saw three things.

1) Maddie had come along for the Ouija party in the woods, and she was currently there with them.

2) They must have tripped her, or tripped on here, because she looked pretty flustered and just as confused

3) They had managed to slip and slide all the way to the middle of the frozen lake.

Horus looked down himself, and saw the thin white sheet of ice under himself, and paled. Rufus groaned as he held his head, as his crash landing wasn't the most elegant of them all. While Rufus was a quarterback, his achelles heel was crashing into anything without his helmet or his gear on. With his shoulder pads, he was a God, and no one could mess with him. Without them, he bruised easily and easily got headaches.

Horus opened his mouth to speak, but he soon shut up as he watched Maddie rise to her feet. Horus' eyes grew to the size of dinner plates, and he shook his head slowly, giving her a nonverbal no along with Bram's more verbal request

Rufus slowly sat up, and watched the commotion happen. He didn't understand at first, but he soon realized the severity of the situation.

It was hardly even November yet, and the ice was already frozen. The twins didn't even bother with jackets!

The twins watched as she crawled towards them, and they wondered if they should meet her half way and help, but their helpfullness went unnoticed as thin cracks began forming around here. One, then four, then ten... then, almost instantly, she was gone.

Horus screamed, and Rufus tried to crawl near the water. If they helped her, they would drown! If they didn't, she would drown!

Horus watched as the other man slowly stood up on his legs, and the other twin spoke. "Bram, don't yo--" But his warned went unheeded, and the ice under the boy cracked. It was much like a chain reaction after that, with the ice followed the trail of heaviest.

It was a shame that his other brother was quite a bit heavier than him, because his brother was truly his downfall. Horus was the third to fall in, and Rufus was the last. The younger twin had put up quite a fight, clawing and scraping at the ice to try and climb out, but it was all for naught.

They found themselves alone, together, Under the Frozen Lake.

They found themselves alone, together, in the Unknown

---

---

The log cabin, though beautiful, was entirely strange to the rag-tag group of water-lunged kids. It was so strange, infact, they didn't even know how they got there in the first place.

Horus was the first one to wake up, and he did so in the most ungraceful of ways. He coughed, hacked, and felt icy water burn the back of his throat. The older twin gasped for air, and coughed as soon as he received it. The twin goaned into his hands, and looked around the wooden interior of... whereever the hell they were.

The older twin saw three other lifeless bodies, and gravitated to the one he knew the best. Horus scooted over, and shook his younger twin wickedly.

"Rufus. Rufus. Wake up! Wake up, please!" He didn't mean to sound desperate, but it was hard not to, given their situation. "Rufus, where are we?" He asked, looking about once more.

The interior of the cabin looked very much like what you would expect it to be: rustic, warm, and for the most part, dry. It was strange, but Horus' clothing felt like he hadn't even stepped foot in the water. There was an unlit fireplace near the end of the room, and on either sides, were heads of hunted game.

The Nanny soon awoke, and coughed just as much as his older twin.

It took the dazed and water-lodged teen a little time to understand where he was, and who he was, but before long, he was sitting up with his brother, asking himself the same questions. "Horus... where are we?"
​

​

 

[Fox of Spades]

Maddie awoke to the sound of the twins' voices, and a part of her assumed she'd fallen asleep with the TV on. But then she remembered the deer and the frozen lake and—oh god was she dead?

Her eyes snapped open and she practically flung herself off the bed she was lying on. The wooden cabin was unfamiliar and old, and a sickening sense of dread began weighing down on her like an incurable disease. The sole thing that enabled Maddie to keep her wits, was the fact that Horus and Rufus were in the same situation.

But where was Bram?

"Ugh, what the fuck just happened?"

Wide, panicky blue eyes flitted to the bedraggled young man sprawled out on the sofa. Bram had gotten into a sitting position and was burying his face in his hands. Both he and the twins looked just as confused as she was.

"Where the hell are we?"

Maddie's eyes flitted from Bram to the twins before they lingered on the animal heads above the fireplace. While waking up in an old Cabin in the woods screamed kidnapped-by-freaky-serial-killer, she willed herself to stay calm, to think of a rational explanation. They'd fallen into the lake, so maybe someone had saved them and brought them here?

"I... I don't think any of us know." Maddie was obviously struggling to keep it together. "Is everyone fine?"

"I feel shitty as hell," Bram replied and Maddie wondered if the cursing and the scowl was his way of keeping it together.

"Maybe someone rescued us?" She tried to suggest, but the house was absolutely empty. She reached into the pockets of her jacket. "I think I lost my phone, can one of you call for help?"

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

The fact that the twins were in a strange and new house wasn't anything to be calm about, and Maddie flinging herself out of bed didn't help much, either. The twins weren't as lucky as the other two and hadn't been graced with a bed or a couch. They were given just a simple floor, with a blanket for both of them to share.

The twins looked about the cabin, and tried to make sense of where they were at. Were they still at the Halloween party? The living room didn't look the same as it had before... Where were they? It wasn't long before the other two awoke, and they seemed just as dazed as the twins did.

The twins were silent as the two talked gently, and when the topic of phones came up, the Witch and the Nanny both moved to look for theirs-- but, to their anguish, they were without phones, aswell. Horus turned to his brother, and Rufus turned to Maddie.

"My phone is gone, too."

"Me too!" Horus nodded, checking and double-checking his deep candy-lined pockets. He had treats and even the soda-can that Bram almost bombed him with, but no cell phone. "Do you think someone robbed us?" Horus asked, but mostly to himself.

"I'm going to go look for a phone. There has to be one around here somewhere..." And with that, Rufus slowly stood up, and slowly made his way to one of the near-by hallways.

Horus watched as his younger twin blazed the trains, and he silently wondered if he got all of the good genes from mom and dad, and Rufus was stuck with the stupid genes. Seriously? Wandering around a weird, spooky old house?

Horus stood up, and slowly made his way to a window, nearby to Maddie. He pushed back the curtains, and poked his eye out to see. He squinted, and pulled the curtains back farther. He didn't recognize where he was at all!

Where were they? This place was entirely Unknown to Horus.

 

[Fox of Spades]

⌊ Living Room ⌉

Something was horribly wrong, Bram understood that the moment Maddie and the twins realized their phones were missing. One phone, sure, they could chalk it up to coincidence... but three phones? Some serious shit was going down. Bram stood up and reached for his own pocket. he wasn't surprised to find that his phone was missing too.

"Do you think someone robbed us?"

"If they wanted to rob us, they'd have left us for dead or something. Bringing us here, it doesn't make sense." Bram watched as Rufus disappeared down the hall then made his way towards Horus and the window. The woods outside were unfamiliar and it made Bram feel sick to his stomach. "Robbers take things, not people."

He reached for the windowsill to steady himself and held on tightly until his knuckles turned white. "We should leave."

"You're saying they're kidnappers?" Maddie blurted out. Her eyes darted around the room nervously, hoping to find something that would prove Bram wrong. She still wanted to believe they'd been saved from a watery demise.

"Look," Bram's eyebrows furrowed in irritation. "I'm not accusing anyone of anything, but who the hell brings people to some shitty cabin in the woods? It's really starting to feel like something out of a slasher movie?" Bram threw out his arms for emphasis, and it was clear he was trying to keep up a calm facade. The last thing they needed right now was for everyone to start running around like a bunch of headless chickens. Rule one of horror movies: keep calm and stop making stupid decisions. Right under that was the stick-together-or-die rule. "I'm just saying this place feels fucking creepy." He focused on Horus. "You feel it too right? Cobwebs on the ceiling, freaky animal heads on the wall - what the hell? Are they trying to win horror house of the year?"

Maddie noticed the wild look in Bram's eyes... and the way he was cursing every other sentence, she could see right through the calm facade he was trying to keep. "Bram. It's Halloween. People decorate during Halloween."

"Mads, would you just quit it?" Bram looked like he'd swallowed something sour. "Something is seriously wrong here. If these people saved us then they should have called 911, not drag us out to the woods and stuff us in some isolated cabin."

"Okay then," Maddie exhaled. "Let's say this guy is a serial killer... couldn't he have, I don't know, left us to drown?"

"Not if he's a sicko, where's the fun in drowning a bunch of kids, right? Cut 'em up, that's what a sicko would want to do."

"Whatever, Bram." Maddie would have said more, but his words were starting to make her feel ill. "I'll check on Rufus."

Bram scowled then turned to face Horus. Whatever argument they'd had before waking up in the cabin had been forgotten. "I'm not messing around. Don't you think this is ominous as hell? We should go before whoever took us here realizes we're awake. I'd rather we avoid becoming the next human centipede, thank you very much." Bram stopped when he noticed a glimmer of metal in the corner of the room. "You've gotta be kidding me... this guy leaves fucking axes lying around?"

---

​

⌈ Hallway ⌋​

​

"Rufus, are you there?" Maddie called as she entered the hallway. "Did you find a phone?" The hallway was mostly empty save for the animal heads and the photos tacked onto the wall. The photos consisted of two people, a strange man dressed in old-timey clothes and a little girl Maddie assumed was his daughter.

"They must have been an odd family," she mused. The people in the pictures didn't look evil per se, but she guessed Bram had a point, something about the place - about the people just felt off, uncanny even, like walking into a small room filled to the brim with clown statues or those creepy Mickey Mouse masks from the World War II era. "Rufus?" She called out again. "You don't think these people are actually serial killers, do you?" She reached for one of the photos and turned it over so he could see. "Bram's freaking out." She was too, but yelling baseless accusations and running off into the woods in the dead of night didn't seem like the better option, and them losing their phones only made the idea sound worse.

What if they got lost in the woods? What then? Google Maps wouldn't be there to save them, that's what.

"I think he's been watching too many horror films," Maddie added in hopes of lightening up the tense atmosphere. "They seem... nice. Different, but not too bad. Maybe they're reenactors, right?"

 

[Dip]

Horus and Rufus
Isospir

As much as the older twin didn't want to admit it, Bram was onto something. Robbing them was one thing, but dragging them back to their home... that was another thing. The young Witch closed the blinds, and looked over the Dracula near him. He looked away shortly after, inspecting the wood floor under himself with rapt nervousness.

"Leave?" The older twin asked. "Leaving isn't an option, Bram. Look outside, and tell me you know where we're at. If those trees, and that lake-- and that-- that windmill... if that shit outside looks familiar, you can lead the way home."

Horus didn't mean to be pissy, but it was hard not to be when they were thrust into a strange new place, with no phone and no recollection of where they were at. If this was some kind of sick joke, it wasn't funny anymore.

Horus turned to look at the young women as she blurted quite nervously, and Horus turned and took interest in one of the many stuffed animal heads.

Regardless of if it was Halloween or not, this... this whatever it was, was just way too much for the older twin to handle. People decorated for Halloween, but... not like that, they didn't. It seemed too real for it to be just something they put up once a year. It seemed to unknown to the older twin, and Horus took great offense to that.

Horus could deal with the talk of burglars, and he could deal with the thought of hunters, but as soon as someone mentioned the word 'serial killers', Horus' blood ran cold. The older twin paled, and longed for the witty retort of his older twin.

"Bram? Hey? Could you, like, I dunno... shut the hell up for like, five minutes? I know you think you're... I don't know what you think you're doing, but what you're doing isn't helping. At all."

He didn't say anything on the matter of being murdered in the middle of the woods, and instead, kept to himself for as long as he could have. Horus watched as the young lady left in search of his brother, and Rufus wished that it was him that was leaving the conversation.

Horus was quiet as he listened to the rest of Bram's schpeal, and he sighed as he crossed his arms infront of himself. He turned away from the axe on the flloor, and wondered if drowning would have been the better option.

"This is creepy, but where are we suppose to go? Back in the water? Look, I think it might be the best to... I don't know what's best..." Horus swallowed a lump that formed in his throat. "Rufus is better at planning these kinds of things out. " Horus turned his gaze once more, and eyed a sack near the corner of the room.

Rufus, to be entirely honest, had been too distracted to look for a phone. He had been invested in some recently discovered pictures, and tried his damnedest to decipher them against the fleeting light that escaped a nearby window.

Rufus turned as he saw the young lady, and he turned back to the pictures, as if those could answer her question. And in the end, it did! The two teens took into account the pictures, and Rufus watched as she looked one over closely.

The young man shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Of course he jumps to serial killers. It always has to be serial killers. I seriously doubt it, but if he is onto something, I will personally apologize." Rufus joked. He could tell that the other had quite the active imagination.

"Reenactors... well, whoever they are, they're creepy... I don't really have a good feeling about this, Maddie."