,The last bell of the day cracked through the halls of Brighton High like a bullet. Students exploded from their classrooms, the air fizzing with freedom and weekend plans. Locker doors slammed. Sneakers squeaked. Laughter bounced off the linoleum.
Mindy Reyes leaned against her locker with one black-booted foot kicked up behind her, chewing a piece of strawberry gum like it owed her something. Her hair—half dyed red, half left jet black—fell in a messy wave across one eye as she surveyed the hallway like a queen holding court.
Across the way, Sophia and Karrie were deep in conversation, their heads bowed like co-conspirators. Joseph was taking too long at his locker again, alphabetizing his notebooks or whatever weird thing he did. Derreck and Eric were play-fighting, almost knocking over a trash can, while Olivia scrolled through her phone with one airpod in and one eyebrow arched.
"Can I get everyone's attention?" Mindy called, stretching her arms like she was on a stage. No one listened.
She clapped—loud. "HELLO? It's me. Your weekend savior."
Lorenz looked up from his horror zine, curious. Mae peeked out from behind a nearby column, nervous as always. Elli just stared at Mindy, not blinking.
"I have a proposition," Mindy grinned, biting her gum. "My uncle is out of town and his creepy giant house on the edge of Forest Lane is wide open. You know the one. Looks like it should be condemned. But guess what? It's got two fridges, a working sound system, and a hot tub with questionable water."
Eric laughed. "You mean the haunted one?"
"Urban legend," Mindy waved him off. "I've stayed there before. Nothing's ever happened—unless you count me almost drowning in wine. Anyway, I'm planning an all-nighter. No parents. No rules. Just us. This Friday night. We crash there, play music, drink stupid amounts of soda or whatever else we bring. And—" she leaned in, voice dropping, "we make it interesting."
"What do you mean?" Joseph asked, wary.
Mindy smirked. "We play something... dangerous."
A beat passed.
Sophia frowned. "What kind of 'dangerous'?"
"I dunno," Mindy shrugged. "Something that makes the night... memorable. You know. Bloody Mary stuff. Or Ouija. Or we summon a demon or whatever. Just for fun."
"You're such a freak," Olivia muttered with a smirk. "I'm in."
Derreck grinned. "If there's drinks, I'm in too."
Karrie said nothing, just watched Mindy like she was reading a puzzle.
Mindy popped her gum. "So? You all in?"
Lorenz nodded slowly. "Could be fun. Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie."
"It is," Elli said quietly. "The kind where nobody makes it out."
Everyone laughed. Except her.
The house on Forest Lane looked like it had held its breath for a hundred years and finally exhaled in rot.
It loomed, gray and skeletal, with boards curling off like burnt skin and windows so dark they looked painted. The porch sagged under the weight of time. Vines gripped the stone like the earth was trying to pull the house back underground.
"Cozy," Joseph muttered as they stepped out of Olivia's SUV.
"I told you," Mindy beamed, hands on her hips. "It's got character."
"You didn't say demonic asylum meets condemned meth lab," Eric said, adjusting his flannel. "Are you sure this place is legal?"
"No," Mindy said. "That's what makes it fun."
The group wandered in, one by one. The door creaked open with theatrical timing.
Inside, dust motes danced in the dying sunlight. The walls were a faded mustard yellow, peeling in long strips like old skin. Furniture covered in sheets stood like ghost statues. A chandelier dangled above, crooked and cracked. The air smelled like stale smoke, wet wood, and something faintly metallic.
"Home sweet hell," Lorenz said, eyes lighting up. "This place is awesome."
Karrie lingered at the threshold. Her fingers brushed the wooden frame. She felt it hum, almost breathe. No one else seemed to notice.
"You okay?" Sophia asked gently.
"Yeah," Karrie lied.
In the living room, Derreck tossed his bag on a sagging couch and cracked open a soda. "Alright, where's the music? This is supposed to be a party, right?"
Mindy fired up a Bluetooth speaker. Static gave way to pounding bass. Olivia plugged in lights from her tote, stringing them across the windows. Little flashes of purple and red made the room feel like a Halloween rave.
Joseph wandered toward the fireplace, where a faded portrait hung above the mantle: a family of four with pale eyes and rigid faces, like they'd never smiled in their lives.
"Creepy decor," he said.
"Creepy house," said Elli from behind him.
Joseph jumped slightly. Elli always moved too quietly. Her clothes were strange—lace gloves, a silver key around her neck, boots that looked like they belonged in a different century.
"Did you really stay here before?" Joseph asked, glancing back at Mindy.
She smirked. "No. But my uncle did. Once. He left in the middle of the night and never talked about it again. I thought it was a joke. Then he told me, 'If you ever go, don't play the game.'"
"What game?" Mae asked quietly from the corner, where she perched like a bird.
Mindy just grinned.
Later that night, they spread out across the house.
Karrie sat upstairs by a window, sketching the outside world that now felt strangely far away. Her drawing was dark, too dark—heavy lines, the house curling inward like it was alive.
Downstairs, Sophia and Olivia unpacked sleeping bags, laughing softly between sharing a bag of sour candy.
Derreck and Eric raided the pantry, finding ancient cans and a box of pancake mix from 2008. Derreck kept checking doors. Locked, mostly.
Lorenz had his laptop open, reading local lore. "Did you guys know this place used to be an orphanage in the 1940s?" he said aloud, mostly to himself. "There were... disappearances."
Elli sat on the floor, turning pages of a leather-bound book no one had seen her bring.
Mindy stood in the center of the room, arms crossed. She watched them all like a director before the first take.
"Alright," she said finally. "Midnight, living room. That's when we play."
Joseph frowned. "You're serious about that?"
"You don't have to," Mindy said. "But once the chant starts, there's no backing out."
Karrie looked up, something cold blooming in her chest.
Once the chant starts.