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by the flicker of a candle
prior to and night one

prior to and night one

The time is set at may 20th 2024, in a school cafeteria, a medium sized group of senior higschooler sit discussing plans for after schools ends. 

Tod, a tall man with a stride unlike anyone elses in the room, his presence silences classrooms, the embodiment of order, stands up with a slam of his fists on the table declared “schools end tomorrow, we should make plans for finally finishing school.” 

kelly, a small framed girl with a cloud of temper hangin around her in the air, when shes around a fight is likely to happen, in a unelcoming attidute rooted in a disdain for tod retorts “do we have to do something? Like its just schools ending nothing exciting.” 

tod rebuted “look kelly, you dont have to come if you dont want to, god your the most annoying step-sister one could have.”

 kelly now piseed replies with a shout “well if your going to be like that i hope your trip ends in disaster!” kelly storms off in a cloud of anger.

Marcus, a short and lean kid, with fair hair and complexion turns to tod witha snide remark “well that was something, i totally ship it.”

 kyle a redhead from the deep south, average height with a beefy build and freckles EVERYWHERE chuckles to himself “yea, go catch up and make out.” 

daryl a slender boy, often mistaken for an adult with his grizled face states in a serious tone “guys, shut up. They obviously are going to makeout later, then they have privacy” 

tod, now done with everyones shit “ok, ok thats enough. Im going to puke if i think about doing something like that to kelly.” 

jonny a man of confusing nationality and the deepest black hair youve ever scne with a quick exclamation “GUYS, GUYS SHUT UP FOR A SEC. i found a castle that we could rent out for a ten day period, th best part is, its only 100 bucks a day. Thats a killer price!” 

tod replies skeptically “thats a low price, you sure theres not catches?” 

jonny excitedly “who the fuck cares, its a god damn castle its worth any gouging they can do” 

tod cautiously “well then we might aswell rent it out, lets just hope its a nice place, we should do a vote first” tod conducts a vote, shockingly everyone agree to going, all ten of them. 

Tod states in a joke judicial voice “well then, the vote succeeds”

The group goes on their day mostly not speaking of the trip much, after school charlie whom is a cute average built boy with a black skin tone and fine black hair, walks around to the back of the school building to meet liam, liam is a pudgy boy with a light caucasion skin tone and greasey brown hair. 

Charlie nervously “you wernt followed were you?” 

liam replies confidently “nope, not a soul.” 

charie now relieved “good, we cant have people knowing about our relationship, i had a question, should we stay in the same room while at the castle?” 

liam gentry grabs charlies hand “as much as i woul love to stay in a room with you, we probably shouldnt as to not arise suspicion, if if there arent enough rooms for everyone, then of course.” 

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charlie hugs liam in a warm embrace they exchange kisses and part their seperate ways, they had some packing to do afterall.

Perched on the tree branch of a sycamore tree sits a figure of a dashingly mischievous shape. The shape almost seems to be disattached from reality, like a cosmic force beckoned by the will of the universe. The figure disappears into the air and like a wisp of air slithers into the ear of liam. 

Liam noticing something hit his ear looks around confused “charlie, did you feel that gust of wind?” 

charlie looks back with a confused look “what gust of wind? I didnt feel anything.” liam thinking it was just an odd gust goes on with his day not noticing anything. 

The day and night pass eventless. Come morning the group gathers tod does a role call

“Marcus, is marcus here?”

“Yep, im hear!” replies marcus

“Kyle, is kyle here?”

“prEsent” kyle says with a sarcastic underlying tone

“Daryl is daryl here?”

“Dude, were all here, you dont have to do role call, every one of us. Marcus, kyle, me, jonny, charlie, liam, carter, evan, and rodger”

“You say that but i actually dont see charlie, where is he?”

Charlie running to catch up, one finger i his ear rubbing it “sorry im so late!! i felt something in my ear i thought a bug crawled in, i dont think itll be a problem thought, lets have some fun!” 

Tod looking at daryl smugly “now, if i hadnt done role call we wouldnt hve realized he was missing, role call for the win!” 

daryl sighs with defeat. Charlie goes up to liam and high fives him “ hey man! Hows it going? Hope you slept well!” as charlie says this the figure wisps into liams ear. Liam concerned asks in anyone saw that, but no one did. 

Charlies in a reassuring tone tells liam that “it was probably just a bug dont worry about it!” charlie gives liam a quick peck hoping no one saw it. 

Liam smiles to himself as he turns to the sound of Tod clearing his thoat “we all have cars but we dont all need to take them. So liam, kyle, and i will drive, everyone else get on one of those cars.” evan, rodger, and jonny get into kyles car. Daryl, rodger, and marcus tod ride together. Charlie and liam left together to ride alone. They looked at eachother with a smirk, like that car ride bouta be the bomb, and it was buuut ill spare the mushy details, this isnt a romance story its a horror story.

Arriving to the castle tod and marcus step out first to greet the guide, tod waves to the guide with a stern look and the greeter smiles nervously back “hi there, you must be Tod, im sure your probably wonder ing if were going to trick you, well im sure youll be glad to know that you wont be gouged, or scammed, we bought this castle a couple years ago because the owner was tired of paying for it, so we decided to share this wonderful place with people for a cheep price! Im sure you know that your time period is 10 days, please, enjoy your stay” 

before tod can get a  word in the guide opens the door to reveal a vast entrance area two large stairwells acend into the the second floor, glimpses of candle lights can be scene throughout, its a marvelous scene, unlike any dreams or fantasies you could ever have. The group now gathered around the door stare in with awe, after a couple moments their attentions breaks and they all rush to get their stuff and claim a room.

“I call the master bed!” hollered Tod, everyone knods in agreement, he is the leader, its only right he gets the master bed, everyone else picks their respective rooms, marcus notice that in his room is a dooray that leads to jonnys room, and jonny has a door that leads to daryls room, daryls to liams, liams to charlies, charlies to- i think you get it, each room excluding the master is connected via door way. Everyone thinks nothing of it, except rodger, he inspects his room closer, the painting he has is of a lamn being lead, he looks in each room all have the same painting, including the master room, aswell as the interesting painting he founds that each room has a grandfather clock a nighttable with a candle stick in a holder. The beds all have the same red and white cross stitched pattern, and a singular window over looking an overgrown garden and hedge maze with an almost immaculately pristine fountain dispersing the clearest water ever scene, an odd sight compared to the over grown garden and the unkept hedge maze.

After everyone got settled the sky started to settle when the mysterious figure that once resided in charlie and liams ear is scene swooping over a 10 candle menorah esque installation with candles lines up in order of height as it resurfaces to th ceiling where it perched on the rafters all 10 candles suddenly light up, each flicker naturally. No one witnesses this event happen, as everyone is outside around a fire pit having a bonfire, liam and charlie arent present at this bonfire, no one seems to notice. 

They arent at the fire for they are walking together in the unkept hedge maze talking. Charlie ina  serious tone looks at liam and says “what if im an alien” 

liam with a small sigh, “your so silly, ofcourse your not an alien, those arent real, atleast i dont think their real.” 

charlie with a slight disappointed look hugs onto liams arm “yea i guess, if i was an alien i probably wouldve tried to eat you or somethings” 

he gives a small wink and liam smiles in return “well im glad you arent gonna eat me”, 

charlie replies jokingly “wellllllll, imma still eat you” charlie gently bites down on liams shoulder as to not actually hurt him. 

A few hours later charlie notices the semi distant light of the bonfire the other are having go dim the two assume everyone else has gone to bed, so charlie pounces onto liam and start to kiss- ok lets just skip this, just so you know this is supposed to be a sex scene but  i dont want to write one, so lets just skip to after- the two finish up their… act… they get up from the ground and head inside to get some rest during the night, unknown to them. The figure has been watching them perched utop the fountain, its slowly follows them back inside as everyone slips into rest the figure floats up to the candle installment and knocks the flame out of the smallest candle, it flickers with a horrific grace as it dies out.

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