In my apartment, the only window looks out onto a steep hill. On top of that hill is a house boarded up with old wood. It’s been abandoned for as long as I can remember. My landlord always tells me there’s something sinful going on in the place, that priests should be exorcising the sin pouring through its walls. I never pay any mind to any of his ramblings.

Until now.

Police sirens wail into the night like crows. My roommate Nathan is able to sleep through the noise. I am not. It’s thirty minutes before my alarm goes off, so I may as well get up now.

Squad cars surround the dilapidated building, blocking all possible exits. I walk through the hallway to see if my other roommate Jay came home from his date to find him not there.

“What’s going on?” I hear fatigued mumbling from my bed.

“The police showed up at that abandoned house up on that hill. Do you know anything about that?”

“No, Gina, I don’t.” Nathan pushes the sheets from his body and heaves himself up from the bed. He winces at the blue and red lights blinding him. “It looks like there’s an ambulance there too. Let’s check it out.”

In our pajamas, we leave our apartment and inch closer to the scene. Officers, paramedics, and detectives talk amongst themselves, recounting whatever they’ve found inside.

“Did Jay ever text you?” I ask Nathan.

He shakes his head. “No. It’s normal for him to stay out this late ever since he got fired from his job at that country club.”

“Nathan, it’s almost 6:00. Even if he did stay out late, he’d come home before I had to leave for work.”

Yellow police tape surrounds the perimeter, wrapping around the bordering trees.

“We should sneak around and see what’s going on,” Nathan suggests. He flashes and excited smile, the thrill of adventure exciting him.

“Nathan, we can’t interfere with the crime scene.”

He shrugs. “We’re not interfering. We’re just taking a peek. We’ll head back to the apartment as soon as we’re done.”

Nathan took my hand and pulled me deep into the trees. Our feet tramped loudly against the foliage. The officers turn their heads. I pull Nathan behind a thick tree trunk.

“What the hell?!” I hiss.

His hand covers mine. His warm, soft skin gives me comfort and settles my nerves. I can feel his pulse thunder in his wrist as I force him off me. We keep moving, but change our pace and tiptoe our way to the shack.

My body tingles. The many nevres in my body spike up again. I feel everything around me all at once. The wind is like a hoard of hands wrapping around every inch of me. The brambles that rub against us are scratchy like claws.

Something is wrong.

“Nathan…”

We reach the shack and creep toward an open window towards a flicker of brightness.

“Nathan, back away from the window.”

He doesn’t pick up on the tremble in my voice and steps closer.

“Nathan!”

I run up to him. He pushed himself up on his tiptoes and look through the window. His eyes went wide. Horror masked his face.

“It’s Jay.”

Blood painted the floors with its red color. Candles surround his body in the shape of a pentagram, setting the scene of the crime alight. Jay lay at its center, motionless as a cold statue of flesh. A knife is planted at the center of his chest.

“No…not not him.” Tears flood my eyes. My heart contracts and releases with heavy effort.

Then the candles blow out, and all is dark.