She should have left when she heard the screams. That’s what most people would have done—run away and never look back. Or at least, leave and call the police. Instead, Marisa followed the sound which took her further and further into the abandoned building.

This wasn’t how she expected her afternoon walk to turn out, but Marisa’s curiosity and boredom got the best of her. She didn’t take the time to think about how dangerous it might be, she just wanted to know what was going in there. Besides, there was nothing waiting for her at home but a basket of laundry. She could use some excitement.

The walls were covered in graffiti as far as she could see. The sunlight coming in from the broken windows and ceiling holes was sparse the further she went along. She heard a crash, like something fell to ground, and she walked in the direction the noise came from.

“Hello? Is anyone in here?” Marisa called out.

No response, but she heard shuffling noises, and they weren’t that far away.

“Did you fall? Do you need help?”

Marisa felt something run across her feet. She let out a squeal and jumped backwards. It was a huge rodent. That must have been where the shuffling came from. Not willing to risk running into anything bigger or more dangerous, she decided the adventure was over and tuned back towards the front of the building.

She paused before walking out. Something didn’t add up. Rodents could have caused the shuffling sounds, and she supposed they could have knocked something over too, but that still didn’t explain the screams that brought her inside in the first place.

Marisa turned around and called out once more, “I’m here if you need help. I can call—”

A steel pole connected with the back of her head, and Marisa’s body hit the floor with a thud. She never saw it coming.

Written By: S.M. Grady

© 2020 S.M. Grady

*Don’t forget to hit the LIKE button and leave a comment if you enjoyed it!