Secrets of Our Past

“Hurry up, Athen!” Sebastian called from downstairs.

“Hold on a minute! I’m almost done!” I yelled back down to him. Slipping one last knife into my

left boot, I made my way downstairs. I was proud of my costume this year. It was a pretty good assassin

costume for something last minute.

“Not bad, girl!” Jameson exclaimed when I got downstairs.

“Thanks, man!” I replied and glanced at my friends’ Halloween costumes. Jameson was dressed

up as a scarecrow that had been impaled with an ax. I’d have to remind him to clean my floors when we

get back. Sebastian was dressed up as Jack Skellington with Aracelia as his Sally. It made sense seeing as

they were dating at the time, “Alright, then,” I announced and opened the front door, “I have a great idea

and nobody can say no.”

We grabbed the extra necessities for our costumes and started down the street, “So, what’s this

amazing idea you have?” Jameson asked.

“You know that abandoned asylum a couple blocks away?” I asked and everyone nodded, “I think

we should go inside. Like a Halloween passage or something,” I turned around and walked backwards,

“Just think about it. Dark hallways, rotting doors, cobwebs and dirt lining the walls. Imagine the thrill

we’d have!” Nobody answered for a moment before Jameson nodded his head. After a few minutes,

almost everyone had agreed to my idea. Aracelia was hesitant but eventually agreed because Sebastian

was going.

I turned around and led them to the building. Around ten minutes later, we arrived. The large door

and windows were boarded. Vegetation covered the walls and ground. I walked toward the door and pried

the board back with the knife from my boot. My friends looked at me bewildered when they realized that

the knife wasn’t just a prop. The board hit the ground with a thud and we walked inside. We only

wandered for a few minutes before strange things started to happen. Random items fell, things flew across

the room, Jameson and Aracelia being pushed and scratched. I was looking in one of the rooms on the
second floor when I heard something behind me. I jerked around in surprise and just missed something

being hurled at my head. I ducked down quickly and the others rushed into the room.

“What happened!?” Jameson exclaimed, “Are you okay!?” I nodded and he helped me off the

ground. I mumbled something before speaking.

“I don’t know. I turned around and was almost hit,” I replied and he furrows his brows.

“Maybe we should leave.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I reassured him. Jameson looked down at the doll. A crack formed and we

all stepped back. We waited but nothing happened. I turned to walk with the others behind me and a loud

crash echoed around the asylum as the doll shattered. Glass shards flew around the room and Jameson

shields me while Sebastian pulled Aracelia away. I stared at the glass on the floor and whipped around

again when Aracelia screamed. She was standing in the hall with Sebastian. In front of them was a large

creature that stood over eight feet. Gray bones peeked out from the rips in the creature’s skin and large,

long antlers protruded from its skull.

“Run!” I yelled and we took off. It chased, almost catching us but Jameson and Sebastian pulled

us into a room. I slammed the door closed and it was quiet. Someone turned their phone light on and

waved it around the room. The light whirled around and suddenly stopped on a figure. It was the creature

from outside. I heard them scream and it went dark.

I watched as my old friends lifted their heads. They were chained to one of the pillars that

fortified the building. They had been moved to the asylum’s basement and looked around in confusion

and fright. The creature walked closer to them and I smiled when Aracelia screamed once more. I laughed

and heard them gasp when I walked out.

“Hi,” I said and crouched, “Meet my Croatoan. I haven’t named it yet but it does a good enough

job,” Jameson tried to talk but a cloth muffled his voice, “This is probably a really big shock to y’all. It’s

not y’all’s fault, y’know. If y’all need someone to blame, blame your ancestors. They’re the cause for all

this.” I walked closer to the basement stairs. The Croatoan stayed behind waiting for an order. I nodded to
it then smiled at the others, “Ta Ta!” I exclaimed and walked through the door. Their screams ceased and

the door slammed shut.