“Can you guys stop being cute and help me?” That’s Skira, she’s athletic, pretty, and everyone’s parents love them even if they committed a crime. The couple she was talking to is Keven or Kev and Link. They’re attached to each other like glue. Kev is stubborn, a bit of a nerd, and loves Link. Link is quiet, small, and loves Kev. I’m not much of an asset in this group, just consider me as Hollow. I don’t even know how I became friends with them, and I don’t know why they are friends with me, yet we are. At this moment we’re at this “haunted house” that has been abandoned for years. Skira got dared and dragged us along. I’m not too worried because ghosts aren’t real. It’s all made up. “Ugh, why did you drag us along! It was your dare!” Kev said, agitation on his expression. “Because we are a pack, we travel together. If I travel alone and die alone, what’s the fun in that?” Skira is very unserious as you can see. We climb up the gate, Link is stapled onto Kev and Skira is silently scared. I can never tell what Kev is thinking though. “Uhm, maybe we should just go back and lie that we did the dare.” Link said, his voice caught me by surprise. He doesn’t talk much, only to Kev.
“No, we can’t.” Skira sighed. “I promised Lily Key that I would bring back something to prove I was here.” Her voice got higher when she mentioned Lily’s name and my heart jumped. Kev and Skira bickered while I was trying to find a way in. I tried opening the door but it was rusted through. I grabbed a rock and threw it into the window of the door, and unlocked the door. Now I know that it doesn’t just work in movies. They all stared at me wondering if I was completely psycho or if I was impressive. I’d go closer to the psycho part. “Wow, it’s warmer than I’d thought it’d be.” Someone said, I wasn’t sure who. “Okay, here’s the game plan. Keven and Link, you both try to find anything that is worth taking. And Hollow and I will check upstairs. If you are being attacked, scream.” And we headed off to our locations. I wasn’t sure exactly why I even agreed to be here. I replay why in my head and my parents pop up. I shook it off, and I lost Skira. “Skira?” I went downstairs to see Kev and Link together. “Have you seen Skira?” “No, wasn’t she with you?” “Yeah, she was but I lost her.” Kev gave me this annoyed look and he started searching. “Hey, I’m sorry about him. He’s nice once you get to know him.” I find that hard to believe.
When Kev and I first met he gave me the coldest shoulder. I don’t even know what I did wrong, I barely even talk…anyways that’s not the point. We have to find Skira. “Skira!” Kev yelled. “Skira! Are you just trying to scare us?” I started to panic a little. I went back upstairs going to every single room. The last one room she was in. “Skira?” This ominous feeling crept in me. “Skira, are you okay?” Please let her be okay. “Yeah. I’m fine. I found the perfect thing to take with us.” Her head is down and looking at a camera? “Why didn’t you answer us?” She turned to me, she looked normal-ish. It’s like she saw life in a new light. “Skira…” “Sorry I didn’t answer, this camera just got me distracted.” She touched my cheek, my heart thumped. “Skira. What’s wrong with you?” I backed away. This isn’t the Skira I know. “Oh you found her. Can we leave now?” Kev came up behind me. “This isn’t our Skira.” “What are you talking about? She seems fine.” He went up to her. “Hey, Skira are you okay?” “Yeah, why? I found something, we can go now.” Her tone completely changed. Something happened to her and now no one is gonna believe me. “Oh, Hollow you’re cute but like you said, no one will ever believe you.” She left and I was alone.
A week later
“Kev.” “Geez! You scared me.” “Sorry, but I need to talk to you and Link.” “Why can’t you just talk to Skira? You’re close with her.” I heard an agitation in his voice. I scoffed which caught him off guard. “Is that why you don’t like me? Because Skira chose me as a friend?” His eyes said everything. “You know what, forget it, I will figure out how to save Skira on my own.” “Wait, what do you mean “save Skira”?” “I know you won’t believe me but Skira isn’t Skira. She is someone else and she has been obsessed with that stupid camera.” I still can’t understand his expressions. “Yeah, I’ve noticed she’s been a tiny bit off but it’s Skira, she’s usually perky.” “I’m telling you, something happened to her. That’s why I’m going back to the house tonight.” He looked at me in surprise and relief? “You were a full on skeptic, why do you believe now?” This question shot me in the heart. Why do I care so much? But I resumed back to what fake Skira said to me. “Because, when you and Link left the room, she told me she wasn’t actually Skira. I need to know what happened. If you don’t want to help I get it. But if you do, you know where I will be.”
Later that night I brought my bag with all the equipment I needed. I unlocked the door and started looking, the floors creaking at every step I made. I went to the room where I found her. I searched and searched and nothing. No books. No papers. Nothing. It got me thinking, what happened to the family that used to live here? I opened my laptop onto a desk and searched up “haunted house in mullybear”. One result came up. Turns out the little sister went crazy and killed her entire family, then she went missing. They collected all the evidence. I found a picture that looked like this room, the desk I see now wasn’t here. How could this be? Did the sister come back? Is she the one possessing Skira? I close my laptop vigorously. “How am I going to save my bestfriend?”
I was about to leave until I heard a huge thud a few rooms next to me. I walked over carefully, trying to hold my breath. I open the door, palms sweaty. No one. Are you serious? I look around again, and nothing. “I think I’m losing it.” THUD THUD THUD I quickly turned around, to see if anyone was there. “Hello?” Yeah, now I know I officially lost it. I went to a bookshelf, all the pages were ripped out but one book wouldn’t move. On the spine it read “origins”, I tried grabbing it but it was latched…maybe.. I gently put the book down and it opened up something behind me. It was a tunnel. As I went inside that thudding got louder for like two minutes then stopped. My flashlight was brand new yet the light went out. “Sigh.” I grabbed my knife just in case. “Ahh. Oh…it was just, haha it was just a light string.” I pulled it and it was a small hidden room. Dust covering everything. No cobwebs though. The thudding started again, but they were quieter than before. I check every possible area, except the ceiling. I took matters into my own hands and climbed onto an old rickety chair, I balanced myself and carefully cut open the ceiling.
“Skira?” My eyes widened. “How is this possible?” She gave me this look like I should help her out. I untied her hands and mouth. I put the knife down, our eyes locked. We embraced. My stomach flipped inside out for a moment. “Out of all the people I honestly didn’t think you’d come for me.” My heart shattered, in pieces…it’ll take a while to piece it back together. “Well, I did.” I looked away from her, I think she could tell she said something wrong yet didn’t correct herself. “But, I’m glad you’re okay. Now what is even happening?” “You know that person that looks like me. She isn’t me. I’ve been stuck here, she feeds me sometimes and I took a picture with that camera and she appeared.” “That makes sense, and Kev didn’t believe me.” I scoff. “He didn’t? Why not?” “Because he’s insecure that he’s losing you and I took you away from him.” “That’s ridiculous.” “Yeah, I know.”
I turned around to see her. “You are smarter than I thought.” The evil Skira was in front of us. “What do you want?” My Skira asked. “I just wanted a body of my own, and you did me that favor.” She paused, then went onto a deep monologue.” My family hated me because I wasn’t like them. I didn’t want to be a wife, have kids, I wanted to travel, be something! They ripped my dreams away from me and gave everything to be stupid brother… I was dying. Dying emotionally and physically. I found out I had an illness that wasn’t curable. I told them, and you know what they did?” Skira and I shook our heads, trembling with fear. “They pushed me aside! So I had to make a solution where I could live forever, but after this place got marked as haunted no one came here anymore, not since Skira came.” “So, you were stuck in that camera for 25 years?” I asked. “Yeah. It was quite lonely. And I’m not gonna get into the whole thing of how I even got in the camera cause even I get confused about how it happened.” We shook our heads in agreement.
“Honestly, you have a reasonable reason to get rid of your family cause they seem rude.” Skira commented. “Oh, yeah they were.” Evil Skira answered. “But, why kill innocent families that lived here after your family?” I asked quietly, “Because they were in my way. They would always try to win and get rid of me. No one can get rid of me.” She swiftly grabs my knife. Skira and I back away, she swings but misses. We tried to run, we got out of the room and she was going to kill Skira. I jumped in the way, looking down at my stomach, the entire world became foggy. Some tiny bit of strength in me grabbed the knife from her hand and my stomach, into her head. Evil Skira and I both fell to the ground. All I remember was emptiness.
It’s neither cold nor hot. No sunlight, yet it’s not that dark. I was somewhere with a conscience. I think I’m dead. At least I died saving her. A light started to appear, many colors all at once. It’s so beautiful. “Hollow?” A voice? I’m not religious at all but am I in heaven? My vision came into focus, I’m not dead. I think I’m in a hospital. “Oh my god.” Link? What is he doing here? I looked up slightly and Kev was here too. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He comforted me. I couldn’t speak and I thought he hated me. Maybe I was wrong, I tend to make up a lot of stuff in my head. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you needed me.” I put my hand on his, an understanding lands between us.
“Skira.” I say weakly. “She’s right here.” He moved out of the way, and I started to cry. She was okay. “Tr-llow, you saved my life. And you’re okay, everything is going to be okay.” She rubs my head lightly. I can see she is trying to hold in tears. Perhaps joy or sadness. “What about…” “She’s gone, you got rid of her.” She whispered. A relief lays down on me. My entire body feels different. I don’t feel alive or dead either. It’s like I’m floating. “Did I die?” I had to ask. “Yes, and the doctor said you will not feel the same as you once did.” That makes sense. I’ve always hated hospitals, but this time I was grateful.
Two weeks later
Once I got out of the hospital, I immediately went back to the house where it all started with Skira, Kev, and Link. Dust and blood lies where Evil Skira was or I should say Evelyn. I do sympathize with her, but she tried to kill Skira and I. She doesn’t deserve my pity. I found the camera on the desk. “We should get rid of it.” Skira offered. “Yeah, we should.” We all went to the backyard and buried it. “Now what should we do?” Kev wondered, “Get burgers?” “Yeah!” Link yelled, excitement within him. We all shared a laugh and moved on…
Later that night, when they all went home I went back to the house. I re-dug the camera, studying it. “No one will ever know about you again.” I broke it into pieces. “Que no descanses en paz.” And I walked off home.
