Z2012SITEDMOUTHLESSGIRL



//Jiiive talkin’// //Ya tellin’ me lies, yeah// //Jiiive talkin’// //you wear a disguise// //Jiiive talkin’// //so misunderstood, yeah// //Jiiive talkin’// //You really-// “Jesus, George will you shut up already?” “My sincere condolences.” “Calm down Jen. He’s just trying to brighten up the mood.”

A certain finger was flipped in Noah’s direction courtesy of Jen along with a heartwarming scowl. Margret laughed and put one arm around Jen and the other around Noah. Her eyes slyly looked over to Jen, who pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow at her actions, and then over to Noah.

“Guys, guys, guys. Here we are out in the great outdoors on our way to adventure and already you’re killing it! I mean- do we want to add to the body count that this navy base has already claimed?” “What body count?” Jen spat. She drew her jacket closer around her as she glared questioningly at Margret and Noah. George was already far ahead of the group. “She doesn’t know about the body count?” japed Noah. “She doesn’t know about the body count,” agreed Margret solemnly. “’Ey George! Hear that? She doesn’t know about the body count!” “Bless her ignorant self,” George called back. Jen rolled her eyes. “Shut up and tell me about the damn body count wouldya? And ohmygod! where is- !” Margret’s face appeared in front of Jen’s. The flashlight illuminated her face in an eerie effect and her waggling eyebrows, though comic, made her face seem even more unnatural. “Strange things have happened on this navy base, Jennifer.” “Strange things indeed.” chimed Noah. “You see there are rumors, many rumors actually, that surround this navy base especially about the lovely place we’re about to go visit.” “Torture. Love. Tragedy. Revenge. Despair. Mostly despair. With just a touch of creepy.” “Sounds like my neighbor, Mr. Wiltshire,” Jen laughed at her own joke. No one else did; however, Margret was kind enough to give her a small smile. Noah continued on. “Our quaint navy base has attracted a lot of interesting people. Federal agents working on top secret government programs, lunatic doctors, violent sailors, and as I’m sure you’re familiar with, wacko religious cult followers. They actually took over the girl’s boarding school we’re about to visit. Probably wanted loads of virgins for their rituals. Not that you need to worry about that.” “Do me a favor, Noah, and go crawl back into your hole. Besides, didn’t they run that school into the ground?” “Oh, lookit, Jen’s finally connecting dots! The official report is that the church couldn’t afford to keep the school running and so they closed it down. But we know better, don’t we?” Margret waggled her eyebrows again at Jen. “Whatever.” “Aw man, look at how far George is.”

The beam of the flashlight bounced up and down up and down as the three raced over the hill until it illuminated the silhouette of George upon the front steps of the old boarding school. His hands were in the front pockets of his corduroy pants and his shoe scuffed at the front door. Despite that the building had been abandoned for over ten years it still stood pure white with little imperfections showing. Even the boarded up windows matched the glowing white mansion.

Noah strolled leisurely up to George admiring the front of the building. He turned towards his friend, “I suppose we’re not going through the front door, huh?” he said, jabbing a thumb at the padlock. “Well, we could, but just not in the easiest manner as say, the backdoor,” George replied. “Good thing I’ve always been a backdoor kind of guy,” Noah grinned as he winked at the girls. Jen gave him a disgusted look before following George around the back of the mansion. “I’m surprised you can even find a door,” Margret quipped. “OH, I have found lots of doors.” “Please! Name one,” shot back Jen from up ahead. “Like,” Noah made a childish face at the air while he paused, thinking, “Like, April James.” “Yeah, right.” Her eyes rolling could practically be heard. Margret let out an exasperated sigh and passed the two bickering for the company of George. He was already ascending the steps onto the screened in back porch of the school. “George, I hate to be a bummer, but I think this door is also kinda sorta padlocked.” “Ah, but a Boy Scout is always prepared.” And right on cue he unfolded his pocketknife, the sharp edge glinting in the moonlight. His lanky legs bent so that he could focus better on his work of cutting a hole into the mesh wiring of the door. “Thank God for the Boy Scouts.” “Yeah, but I’m glad I never become one of them.”

Margret laughed just as Noah and Jen came up behind, their bickering dying out. A small //wiirrpp// sliced at the air in conjunction with George's switchblade knife as he methodically cut at the screen door. Jen readjusted her jacket again. Margret looked at George's work. Noah surveyed the surroundings. George's cutting stopped and he folded the pocketknife back and slipped it into his pocket. His fingers grabbed at the flap of mesh and he peeled it back, looking at the group. "Ladies first?" "Oh yeah, because I would love to enter into the creepy house first. Thanks," Jen said sarcastically before her voice dropped down, "Noah, you go." "A gentleman like myself could never be so ill-mannered as to go in before a waiting lady." "I'll go, I'll go," Margret sighed, "Thanks George." She ducked down into the small hole and the floorboards of the porch greeted her with a creak at her entrance. Jen followed with Noah behind her, whispering, "They're coming to get you Barbara," and lastly George.

A sense of life coursed through the boarding school that it hadn't seemed to have before.The wind could be heard howling as it made its way through the empty vents. Rats and mice crept in the walls, their tiny feet scratching on the walls. Floorboards groaned under the stress of the new comers and their feet left imprints in the thin layer of dust and dirt. Noah and Margret peered into one of the windows trying to get a good look through the curtains slightly askew. Jen stayed near the screen door and George made his way over to the backdoor. His hand turned the brass knob and he pressed a little big of his weight into the door, but nothing budged. Leaning his shoulder into the door he tried again and was rewarded for his efforts. Noah clapped a hand onto George's shoulder. "George, you beautiful man." He took his hand off of George's shoulder and grimaced at the grime, deciding to wipe it off on his pant leg. Both George and Noah entered and Margret motioned at Jen to join them. She gave a questioning look to Margret, but followed her friends anyway for being left by herself was not an option.

The room in which they entered was a dining room that was in conjunction with the kitchen. A mouse scattered at the sight of them behind the pantry. Margret shown the flashlight around the area inspecting the room. Chairs leaned sideways, their legs broken and bandaged by cobwebs. George immediately went off exploring leaving the others behind. "What are we doing here again?" Jen whined. "Honestly, where is your sense of adventure?" Noah shook his head in disappointment and headed off after George. "It's alright Jen. Just let them get their jollies," Margret said reassuringly.

Jen kept close to Margret as they left the kitchen for another room. Moonlight filled the room from the large window on the side of the room. Besides the grimy floor and moth eaten curtains, the only other things the light touched were a small love seat and a broken piano. A few keys were missing and the top of it was cracked. Noah was currently playing a simple tune on it, but because the piano was out of tune the notes added to the eeriness of the building. George soon appeared out form behind a door with piles of books in his arm.