Isn't It Funny for Attics?

In the room, no one was talking. The silence was deafening here. The only sound that could be heard was the single ‘tick’ of the grandfather clock sitting at the corner of the dark room. All I could do was stand there, feeling like I’ve been doing that all day, standing.

Tick….Tick….Tick

I was exhausted, I just wanted to lie down and sleep forever.

“Sophia what are you doing?” I didn’t know who was talking, My mind was in a trance, eyes misty from spacing out. “SOPHIA!” I didn’t even realize what I was doing until someone screamed.

“Oh..” I thought. I was standing, hands up, and holding something. A shank. What?

“I-I uh what?”

“Sophia?! What are you doing?”

Oh that's right JJ, she's here too.

“What?” wait, I already said that. I couldn’t say anything, nothing was coming out of my mouth.

“Are you ok?” she asked. “What happened? You weren't responding”

I said nothing, I couldn't say anything if I wanted to. My mind was still blank like I couldn't think of anything to say.

“I-I uhg” I fell stupid, JJ looks like she might scream any minute, as if I was dead.

“Why did you pick up the shank?” she questioned after what felt like forever.

“How did we get here?” I ignored her. I didn’t feel like answering any questions right now.

JJ looks like she got what I meant and just answered.

“We're in the attic, remember?”

“No.” I state blankly

“We were looking for your brother,” I just stare “The one that went missing last month?” she clarifies

Oh, that's right, Michael. I try to remember. I have a brother, he's 17, went missing last month, in September. That means it’s October.

“Oh,” That's all I can say ‘oh’ I need to clear my head. I stand up and so does JJ. I look around and all I see is old furniture and memories. I see a door on the other side of the dusty basement. I go over, covering my face from cobwebs. I hear JJ’s footsteps right behind me, I felt a little safe.

I reach for the door knob, it’s cold, I twist it. “It’s locked.” huh how did that happen?

“What?!” JJ sounded freaked out. I mean, I don’t blame her. Before I could say anything else, I hear a noise. A creaky, eerie noise. As if we aren't alone. I turn around to stand next to JJ. But she wasn't there. “JJ? This isn't funny” I turn around and what I saw had me screaming at the top of my lungs.

Chapter 1

August 21, 1993.

Walking down the road from school gives me a lot to think about. About how Jackson threw out Mr. Franklins coffee cup. Or how JJ, my best friend, got detention for snoring in class. While thinking, I took a turn and headed in the direction of the colorless driveway towards my house."

"Meow," a cat. Hamph, a peculiarly strange name for a cat that belonged to a strange couple, in their strange house in this strange neighborhood. Ever since mom got that new job in Indiana we've moved from the bustling city of Jersey City to the quite, more suburban, like town. But that was 4 years ago.

"Sophia!" I turn to see who bellowed my name.

"Hey, JJ!" Jasmine 'JJ' Jacobs. My best friend since I came here. Running up to me, her Curly red hair is in her face covering her millions of freckles she possesses, her pale skin is already visibly sweating just from a little jog. She reminds me of Merida from brave.

She's panting, "You walk to fast to be carrying a back bag that big," she's not wrong, My back bag is full of all kinds of books, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, even some issues of my favorite Spider-Man series. I'm a nerd, or as JJ calls it, 'an ambitious geek'

"Your just slow," I respond back. Giving me a blank look she faces in front of us and we walk in silence. I remembered something.

I look to ask, "Don't you have detention?" JJ doesn't get detention often but when she does she loves to play with what she can get away with,

"Yep," a grin spread across her face knowing what she did. Her blue eyes shows success. That's the only thing she has that's different then Merida's, her eyes.

I don't have to ask what she did but I do despite me knowing. "Then why are you here early?"

"Reasons," I've learned that if JJ doesn't give me an explanation, I don't ask for one.

"Ok." Walking a little longer I begin to see me house becoming bigger as a take every step. JJ lives a little farther down than me. We said our goodbyes and I headed to my front porch. I don't go in until JJ disappears from my sight as she turns the corner. Afterwards, I walk in the door.