Chad looked in the mirror, but it wasn’t the reflection he was use to. The young man in the mirror wore dark clothes and looked very Goth. Chad moved his head to the side to check out his newly pierced ear. Amber gave him a crucifix as his first earring. He picked up and opened the gift wrapped box that was sitting on the edge of the sink. Inside was a pair of fangs. Chad snapped them into place. Chad left the bathroom and walked down the hallway to his room. Today was his eighteenth birthday and Amber was going to take him out to celebrate. She told him to dress Goth because they were going to a special place tonight where she’d planned on giving him an exceptional birthday gift. Chad hoped Amber would approve.
Just as he turned off the lights, the door bell rang. Chad knew it was Amber and flew down the stairs to answer it. When he opened the door, Amber immediately smiled with approval.
“You two have fun,” Nedra said brushing wisps of grayish blonde hair from her face as she walked into the front room. She’d just gotten home and was still in her nurses’ uniform.
“Thanks mom,” Chad replied.
They said their goodbyes and were on their way.
A full moon was rising as Amber and Chad walked towards the abandoned building at the end of the long gravel driveway. They weren’t alone; Amber’s brother Seth and his girlfriend Gabriel, along with his friend Jazz and girlfriend Melissa were with them.
“You sure this is okay,” Chad asked. He’d just noticed the ‘no trespassing’ sign.
“Yeah it’s okay,” Seth answered. His hair was thick and black and he had several earrings in his left ear with a beaded chain running to one in his nose.
“Look what we hav’ here,” Jazz teased Chad and Amber as he flashed his fangs. He went on, “A couple uv baby bats.” He was a thin, tall kid with frizzy black hair. His eyes looked more like holes in his head because of the dark eye shadow he wore.
“Knock it off Jazz,” Melissa yelled at him. She had more of a Victorian look but still wore the black makeup and hair like the rest.
“Just teasin’ that’s all,” Jazz answered.
“And will you quit using that dumb accent,” Seth warned raising his fist like he was going to punch Jazz.
“Okay, okay,” Jazz grumbled. He liked the accent.
The six teenagers stood in front of a formable looking wood door. Chad wondered how they were going to get inside. That’s when Seth produced a homemade lock pick from his trench coat pocket. They all watched as he easily slid the pick into the archaic lock and with a couple of turns had the door open. Seth put the pick back in his pocket and gave the door a shove. The creaking it made upon opening, reminded Chad of all those old horror movies he’d watched on late night TV. He also remembered that no good came from the people going inside those haunted places either.
The entrance way was very dark, so Seth took his lighter and flicked it on so they could see. Jazz, Melissa, Gabriel and Amber did the same.
The first thing that caught Chad’s attention was this painting of a nude woman on the wall next to the stairs leading to the second floor. She was breathtakingly beautiful with her cascading layers of golden blonde hair, and very sensuous with her perfect form. The more Chad stared at it, the more he swore she could’ve stepped off the wall and joined them. Chad felt it belonged in an art gallery in New York.
“They keep trying to cover the damn thing up,” Jazz said all the while copping a feel of the woman’s breasts. “They painted over it, sanded it, and used paint remover on it. But it keeps reappearing. How is weird is that?”
“It keeps coming back?” Chad swallowed hard.
“Don’t listen to Jazz,” Amber reassured him. “It’s just one of the stories about this place. They’re just trying to scare people away.”
“It’s true,” Jazz started to say, but Melissa jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. Jazz yelped and backed away. He didn’t like it when she did that.
“Time to go upstairs,” Seth said as he led the way.
The rest followed. Chad glanced back over his shoulder at the lady on the wall. He could’ve sworn that at the same moment her eyes turned and she looked back at him.
When they got to the dorm room, the three girls disappeared into the large walk-in closet. They emerged a few minutes later with a dozen large candles and an Ouji Board. The girls set the candles in a large circle. Jazz took out the Ouji board and game piece. Amber lit the candles and joined the rest whom were already seated on the floor.
“What should we ask it?” Melissa said.
“Haven’t a clue,” Gabriel added.
“I don’t know,” Chad replied.
“I know, I know,” Jazz answered. “I’ll ask about my family.”
Jazz placed his finger tips on the triangular game piece. He asked, “Who’s the next to die from the hands of the mysterious Night Blade?” The game piece didn’t move. Jazz tried to force it, but it refused.
“Let me try,” Seth pushed Jazz out of the way. He reached in his pocket producing a tatty piece of cloth. Seth took his pocket knife and cut his finger letting a small drop of blood fall on the cloth. Next were Melissa, Jazz, Gabriel and Amber; but when it came to Chad he didn’t want any part of it.
“Come on,” Seth said. “It’s just a game.”
“No way,” Chad protested further.
“Please Chad,” Amber pleaded, nuzzling his neck with a kiss.
It tickled whenever she did that, but it also made him always give into her whatever it was that she wanted.
“Okay,” Chad said. He took the knife and nicked his index finger. The sting only lasted a second and soon his blood was mixed with the others. Seth placed it on the game piece and immediately it started moving. As everyone watched the triangle floated across the surface of the game board finally coming to rest over the letter “D”.
“D for Death,” Jazz said with a howling noise.
“Knock it off Jazz.” Melissa hit him in the chest.
“Will you two stop it,” Amber said, but then froze. Then they all heard it.
“What is that?” Chad peered into the darkness just beyond the circle of light.
“It sounds like someone tapping on the window,” Seth answered.
“You guys are scaring me,” Gabriel said.
“But we’re on the second floor,” Melissa said.
“I’ll go look, you bunch of wimps.” Jazz jumped to his feet. He left the security of the light and walked across the room over to the window. All eyes were on Jazz’s dark silhouette. There was nothing, and then came the scream. It was a horrible, terrifying scream and Jazz bolted back to them.
“It’s after us,” Jazz said. His face was white and breath labored.
“What’s after us,” Melissa and Gabriel cried.
“The Night Blade,” Jazz screamed.
“I’m going.” Seth stood up. He entered the abyss.
Seth walked over to the window. He peered outside but saw nothing. All Seth heard was the rustling of the branches in the trees; nothing else. He was about to turn and leave when it felt like an icy hand slid across his back finally coming to rest on his shoulder.
“Knock it off,” Seth cursed to himself.
Seth returned to the group.
Jazz burst out in uproarious laughter.
Seth had had enough. He rushed over and tackled Jazz to the floor. Seth started punching him repeatedly. Jazz begged Seth to stopped, but he didn’t. It took the others to finally drag Seth off of Jazz, who crawled away over to the safety of the window.
“You’re crazy,” Jazz spouted off, wiping the blood off his lip.
“You’re a jerk,” Seth cursed back.
“Will you two just stop it?” Amber scolded them.
“I think we should stop.” Melissa suggested.
“I agree,” Gabriel added, looking at Seth. “We should go to our room.”
Everyone else split off to the other dorm rooms, but Amber and Chad remained behind.
