Happy monday everyone. It is raining buckets where I am and feels like it is at least two hours earlier than the clock insists. We may get sun today, but I doubt it. Still the morning must start, sun or no sun. So it is time for the morning writing prompt. Pens up, timers set and I’ll see you on the other side of fifteen minutes.
Yeah. I think I might have watched one too many horror movies this weekend…
Monday, October 12th: They were bewildered by what they heard.
They were bewildered by what they heard. The sound seemed oddly rhythmical yet discordant at the same time. Thump, slide, thump, thump. Slide, thump, slide thump, thump. It was a dim noise coming from down below and after a few moments of whispered arguments, it was decided that Casey, who was the quieter of the twins, would sneak out to the landing and look to see what the noise was.
Casey didn’t want to go, but had to admit he was the quieter of the two of them. Kevin could never keep quiet longer than a few minutes at a stretch. Even the whispered argument about it was an effort fot him. To finally decide the matter they resorted to rock, paper scissors. In his triumph Kevin almost yelled before shoving Casey out onto the landing. At the last second he clamped his own hand over his mouth to hold the noise in. Casey slipped off his shoes and noticed a hole was coming out on his left sock. He shrugged. Toe exposed and all, his socks were quieter than his shoes.
Behind him Kevin eased the door closed so no one would see him waiting for a report. Casey eased over to the railing. The sound was louder in the hallway than it was in the rooms. He looked over the railing, cautiously hiding behind the post at the end of the banister. He saw something moving below but couldn’t make it out. He took a deep breath to steady himself and leaned over further. His eyes went wide at what he was able to see. Michael Hollister was sprawled across the landing. His eyes wide and glazed over with death. Someone was dragging him down the stairs. Who, Casey couldn’t tell. He saw a hand and a sleeve clad in a blue shirt sleeve. Beyond them piled in the atrium far below, Casey saw the bodies of the others he met when he and Kevin arrived a few hours earlier. The noise continued. Thump, slide, thump, thump. The slide was Mike being dragged across the landing, the irregular thumps were where parts of him hitting the stairs. His head was the single thump bouncing on the stair tread. The two thumps following the slide were his feet, still clad in his boots as each one thumped separately down the stairs. Casey guessed the sounds were also made by the others being taken downstairs.
Casey retreated before he was seen. He slipped soundlessly across the landing and eased himself back into the room he and his brother were given as a room to wait while the confusion was sorted out. Officially they weren’t supposed to be here. They arrived two days before they were expected. They were placed here to wait while details were arranged and Casey doubted anyone knew they were in the building, let alone in the area. By rights they should still be two hundred miles away. He suspected it would be best if everyone thought they still were.
Kevin opened his mouth to ask what was going on but something he saw in his brother’s face stopped his question. Casey grabbed his shoes and motioned Kevin to follow him. Their luggage was still in transit so there was nothing of themselves left behind in the building. Casey motioned his brother to follow him. Kevin did, for the first time in his life quiet as he followed Casey’s directives. Casey felt like shaking and hiding, but knew they had to get out before the building was searched. He led Kevin to the small door they found when they arrived. It led up to the roof. Casey hoped they could climb up and hide until whoever was down stairs was gone. He thought it might be their only chance not to join the pile of bodies below.
Ten til Midnight 