Unfortunately, we bike past it every day. It's that house near the end of the block. Everyone knows about it. You should too. It's due to be demolished this Sunday. Everyone is saying they're gonna find some pretty bad things in there. Mark says he went in by himself a year ago, that he found a skeleton. No one believes him, but it seems like no one’s willing to risk that he’s right and venture inside it. 

Matt and I  had argued about going inside it. I said it was too dangerous and we might get hurt. That was just the first time. I was starting to reconsider, though. As long as we stayed on the first floor we’d probably be fine. Matt was ecstatic when I agreed to go in with him. He was originally planning on going alone, which didn’t sit right with me, and the only way I would trust him going was if I went too.

It was 5:30 AM when the two of us biked over to it. Early enough for there to be just a small tinge of light, but also for the rest of the town to be asleep and clueless. The grass was pressed against the old rotten fence keeping the home from the rest of the properties. It had grown to about four or five inches by the looks of it, and weeds lined the edge of the porch. It was peaceful in an odd way, like a garden that hadn’t been inhabited in years, allowing nature to fully take it over.

Matt stepped onto the porch first, placing one foot on the first step to ensure its stability. Once we made it up all the steps I peeked through one of the windows to the left of the door. The inside was still filled with furniture, either caked in a layer of dust or covered with a white sheet. Matt opened the door and eagerly stepped inside, turning on the flashlight he brought. It illuminated the living room where he pointed it, which was otherwise barely discernible. 

I pulled out my camera from my backpack to take pictures of the living room. There was a couch situated in the center of the room, facing a dusty fireplace that still had wood inside of it. An old painting was hung above it, a family portrait featuring a mother, father and two daughters. I hadn't read much into the history of the house and didn't know who had lived in it last, but I could only assume these four people inhabited it before its demise. 

We moved onto the kitchen of the home, which was very large and featured an island in the center of the room. Counters wrapped around nearly the whole room, and a small window was above the kitchen sink. Its curtains were red with a floral design on them, which wouldn't have been too easy to guess because of all the dust obstructing the pattern.

Beyond the kitchen was a bathroom, which had nothing very interesting inside. 

"We should probably go now. It's almost six," I said to Matt, who was looking through the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. 

"Really? We haven't been here that long. I know I agreed to not go upstairs, but…" 

I stared at him sternly. "You know I won't let you. The floor is too unstable, you might hurt yourself!"

"Come on, man! Live a little! What's the worst that could happen?"

"You do realize this place is getting demolished, right? Most likely because of how unsafe it is. Don't be an ass, Matt. Let's just go before our parents realize we aren't in bed."

"Fine," He says with a defeated look on his face. 

We both walk out of the house and go back to our homes, and I fall asleep nearly instantly. The house would be demolished tomorrow and none would be the wiser to us going inside of it. 

The next morning, at around 7:30, the demolition of the house began. Matt and I had planned to watch the destruction together from a distance, but as I rounded the corner of the street where we'd planned to meet, Matt was nowhere to be found. I called him multiple times, but not once did he answer.

I called his parents to ask if they knew where he was, but they hadn't seen him since yesterday. I was starting to get worried. Did he go back in the house alone? 

My palms were sweating and my heart was racing. My breathing was unstable and I called Matt nearly ten more times before giving up. Ten minutes had gone by when an ambulance drove up to the house. 

"Oh god," I whispered. I put my hands against my face. Two people pulled a stretcher out from the ambulance and wheeled it towards the house. I ran over to the house, wanting to go inside but being stopped by a police officer. 

"Calm down, sir! You can't go inside there. What is wrong?"

"My friend," I said to him frantically. "Was my friend in there?!" 

"Sir, I'm gonna need you to back away from the house. Please calm down."

Two men emerge from the house with the stretcher, but with a body on top of it. Although covered by a bag, I just know it has to be Matt. 

"Matt!" I scream, running towards the stretcher. The officer once again blocks me from moving any closer. 

"Sir! Please! Move away from the body."  

I back away slowly, sitting down on the ground against the fence. I sob uncontrollably, my body shaking as I scream out his name once more.

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Hello!

Hope you enjoyed that story. It's been a while since I wrote anything but I plan on getting some more stuff out in the near future!

Bye now!