Drop Dead Bitches

Chapter 8: The Haunted House
“Caitlyn, will you pay attention!” Alexis groaned in frustration.
“Okay, okay, hold on,” she said, rushing through her text.
“Who’re you talking to anyways?” Colin asked.
“Nick,” Theresa said in disgust.
Caitlyn glared at her. “I’m just thanking him for inviting me to his sisters wedding,” she said bitterly.
“Look, as a planning committee I think we should all stop relying on one person to come up with not-so-great idea’s especially when they obviously aren’t as committed as the rest of us are.”
“I am committed to this!”
“I’m taking over,” Theresa said.
“You can’t do that!”
“I just did.”
Everyone turned to Theresa to hear her idea’s while Caitlyn sat there with her jaw dropped.
“What do you have in mind?” Molly, the secretary asked, getting ready to write down notes.
“The theme is going to be Angels and Demons,” Theresa announced, a smirk across her face.

“You need to do something about her,” Caitlyn grumbled as Colin drove home.
“What do you want me to do, Cait? Tell her that she’s being a complete bitch to everyone?”
“I was hoping,” she sighed.
“I wish I could but she’s still ignoring me and I want to give her time to cool off and the last thing I want to do get her even more angry than she already is. I tried talking to her once and nothing happened. Just give it time.”
“Time?! She’s taking over my life, Colin! First my image, then my crown, my friends, and now my spot in the planning committee! This haunted house is mine and she’s just stealing it from me!”
“Are you sure it’s just about the haunted house?”
“Of course! What else would it be about?!”
“Oh, I don’t know. The fact that you think you’re getting replaced.”
“I am not getting replaced!” she cried, throwing open the car door and slamming it shut as she walked to the front door. “I still own this town.”

“Theresa, I can’t do this,” Derek said, pacing back and forth across her bedroom.
“Will you stop being such a damn pussy?! All you have to do is sit on my stomach. How is that so hard?”
“Do you not understand what we’re doing? Have you not registered the thought that we’re committing a crime here?”
“This isn’t Utah! We aren’t committing any crime and besides, it’s not like anyone knows in the first place so quit being such a baby!”
“If you’ve forgotten, someone does know. The person who took that picture of us? For all we know, they might send it to everyone else!”
Surrendering, Theresa began to cry. “Why is this happening to me?” she cried, burying her face in her hands.
Derek sighed, sitting beside her on her high, queen-like bed and brushing her hair softly. “We’re in this together. Whatever happens, I’ll be right by your side.”
“I’m just scared…,” she whispered.
Suddenly her door flew open and Tamara jumped into her room with a grotesque rubber werewolf mask over her face. “Boo!” she yelled.
“Oh no! Scary monster!” Derek cried, playing along as he jumped frantically crawled under the covers.
“Shh,” Tamara whispered to Theresa, putting her finger against her lips.
Theresa did the same and nodded her head as she watched her sister tip toed her way over to the side of the bed, her arms outstretched like claws.
“Get on the other side,” Tamara whispered to her sister.
They both silently crept on both sides of Derek who was quivering underneath the sheets.
“One,” Theresa mouthed. “two, three….”
“Attack!” Tamara screamed as they both jumped onto the bed, Theresa first then Tamara as Derek screamed like a little girl and tried wrestling them off.
“Hold him down!” Theresa laughed, taking his right side and Tamara his left.
Then everything was quiet. Derek laid under the blankets, not putting up any sort of fight or noise.
“What happened?” Tamara asked, frowning.
From under the blankets, Derek let out a load roar, pulling his left arm loose of Tamara’s grip and sending her flying Theresa’s way.
Derek heard laughter then a loud thud. Confused, he pulled the blankets off of him and leaned over the bed and there laid Tamara on top of Theresa who was face down on the ground and unconscious.
“Why is Theresa bleeding?” Tamara muttered.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Colin said he and Alexis walked out of the schools garage that was used to store all the decorations and props for school festivities.
“It’s no problem. I wouldn’t want you to come out here by yourself. It’s kind of creepy,” she said and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Yeah, well that’s probably the reason why Theresa didn’t want to do this herself.”
“She get’s more and more like your sister everyday.”
Colin scoffed. “But only worse.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I.”
“For what?”
“I left me keys back in the garage,” he said and grinned.
Alexis groaned. “Let’s go.”
Colin set down the box of decorations and they headed back towards the garage.
The schools garage was located in a storage unit and had been hard to locate during daylight which was why they were still there after the sun went down but because of the dark, it only made it harder to find it a second time around.
“I give up,” Alexis sighed. “Can we just call someone to pick us up and we’ll find it tomorrow?”
“And leave my car here all alone? I think not!”
“Come on, Colin. It’s getting dark!”
“Is Alexis Wilson afraid of the dark?!” he said in fake shock.
“No!” she snapped. “I’m just tired. We do have school tomorrow if you’ve forgotten!”
“It’s only half past eight. You don’t have to worry.”
And suddenly Alexis jumped back, screaming as she clung to Colin’s arm.
“What’s wrong?” he laughed.
“I just saw something!” she cried. “Or someone! I don’t know what it was but I need to get out of here!”
“Oh, come on! Are you really using that as an excuse? If you want to get out of here that bed then I guess I’ll call someone,” he sighed.
“Colin, I’m being serious! I just saw someone’s shadow move down there,” she said, pointing to the end of the hall.
“I’m sure it was just a stray cat or something,” he said indifferently. “Let’s go. We need to find my keys.”
“Colin, don’t!” Alexis cried, grabbing his arm before he walked away. “I want to go home right now. This place creeps me-” Alexis was cut off by the sound of a trash can falling and suddenly she screamed with terror.
“Alexis, Alexis, Alexis!” Colin said, clamping his hand down over her mouth. “Shut up!” he hissed.
She pushed his hand off of her mouth and spat. “Ew! When was the last time you washed your hands?! I don’t know what’s more mortifying. This place or the taste in my mouth.”
Colin rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone. “Hey, do you think you can pick me up?” he said into the phone. “I’m at the schools garage…. No, can you just come get me? …okay, that’s fine! …alright, I’ll see you in a few. Bye.” He hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. “Your welcome!”
“Thank you,” Alexis said in relief.
The two walked back to Colin’s car that would have to stay the night at the garage all alone. He picked up the box of decorations that he left on the ground and the two waited for their ride.
“Who exactly is coming to pick us up?” Alexis asked, suddenly curious.
Colin shrugged his shoulders. “Caitlyn.”
“What?! You’ve got to be kidding me. No, no, no!”
Colin looked over at her and smiled.
“Why are you doing this to me?!” she groaned.
“Doing what?” he asked, fighting a smile.
“Whatever, I can call someone else,” she said.
“Like who? Derek?”
She opened her mouth then closed it. Then thought of Theresa then slapped that thought out of her mind. There was no one else other than her parents and she was sure they were already knocked out from their long day of work.
“You piss me off,” she snapped.

Caitlyn rolled up in the family car at the parking lot of the garage. She spotted her and her brothers car parked with Colin leaning against it. He smiled and waved as she parked the car. As we walked toward her, suddenly someone moved from behind him and out came Alexis. Her eyes widened and reflexively, she slammed her fist on the lock.
Colin walked over to the car and pulled the handle. “Caitlyn, open the door,” he called.
“What’s she doing here?!” she responded, pointing at Alexis who stood a couple feet behind Colin with her hands on her hips, waiting.
“I’ll explain it all later just open the doors!”
She sighed in surrender, unlocking the door.

“This looks wonderful!” Theresa squealed as she entered the main gym where the festivities were to be held.
“You really think so?” Christina asked, bouncing over to Theresa. “Oh, what’s that on your head?”
Theresa slapped Christina’s finger away from the bandage on the side of her head. “It’s nothing!”
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” Melanie mumbled.
“I fell off my bed, okay? Sheesh. Now back to the set-up,” she said, bringing the bull horn up to her mouth. “Wait, what the hell is that thing?! Why is there a snowman in the Devil’s Lair?!” she yelled then turned to her girls. “I feel like Sue Sylvester with this thing!”

“I feel like Sue Sylvester with this thing,” Caitlyn mocked and rolled her eyes as she put the finishing touches on the Angels Cloud. “That’s my bullhorn.”
“Then why don’t you do something about it?” Stacy asked. “You’re just sitting on the sidelines and watch Theresa take your place. You’re letting her replace you.”
“Stacy.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up. I have this all under control, I’m not going to let my own creation replace me. Tonight, Theresa Santos is going down.”

Theresa walked out to the schools stadium where Hell’s Maze was set up. It was thirty minutes before the haunted house was going to open and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect just to show that she can do just as good as Caitlyn.
She looked down at her map before she entered the maze and sighed in relief when she found that she was holding it the wrong way.
The moon was already out and the clouds filled the sky, making it almost impossible to find out where you were going if you didn’t have a flashlight. Just being in the maze send shivers down her spine even when she knew every little thing in the maze was her idea.
Theresa held up her flashlight to every decoration, making sure they were in place and ready to go once the students-who she heard already waiting at the front of the school-started filing in.
As Theresa rushed through the maze, being only ten minutes before it opened, she didn’t see the extension cord lying across the ground carelessly. She tripped on it, falling to the ground and her flashlight rolling out of sight as the batteries popped out.
“Oh great!” she mumbled, getting back up to her feet and dusting herself off. “Who left that stupid cord on the ground?”
“I did,” someone whispered from behind her.
She jumped as she spun around to find no one there. “Hello?” she called, stuttering. “Who’s there?”
“I know all about you,” said the icy whisper once again.
She spun around to find no one. “Who’s there?!” she called bravely but she knew in her head she was mortified.
“Tonight you’re going down, Theresa Santos!” the person hissed.
Leaving her map, clipboard, and flashlight where it was, Theresa began running frantically as she cried for help.
“You can’t run away that easily you slut!”
“Get away!” she shrieked, running faster but couldn’t manage to find her way out. Suddenly everything seemed unfamiliar. She couldn’t recognize anything and everything seemed… scary. She monsters, the skulls, the fake flames, she was definitely in hell.
Exhausted, she stopped running and stood with her back against a wall, trying to calm herself so she can hear. It was silent except for the sound of people beginning to enter the maze. Soon she wouldn’t be alone and would find someone to help her out.

“What’re you supposed to be?” Caitlyn asked as Nick walked toward her.
“A hippie! What’re you supposed to be? A monk?” he asked, lifting up a piece of the cloth wrapped around her body.
“I’m Aphrodite! The Greek Goddess!” she exclaimed.
“Didn’t anyone tell you that this is a costume party?” he said and grinned.
“Nicholas Reynolds!” she gasped. “Are you hitting on me?!”
“That depends,” he smiled. “Are you flattered?”
She looked up at him, her cheeks turning rosy. “Yes.”
“Then yes, I am.”

Colin and Alexis worked A Taste of Heaven, the food stand. As a matter of fact, Colin was working the stand while Alexis sat in a chair watching him sell pizza, hot dogs, and drinks.
“So I was just wondering…,” Colin said. “Would like to maybe… help out?!”
“Why should I? I’m here aren’t I?”
“Yeah, but just because you’re behind the stand doesn’t mean you’re necessarily helping.”
“Why not? You’re doing just fine without me!” she laughed.
“Have any of you seen Theresa?!” Melanie asked, running up to the booth.
“No, why?” Colin asked, frightened.
“A couple kids found her stuff in the maze but no one has seen her since she went in to inspect it and that was quite a while ago.”
“Maybe she went home,” Alexis said.
“Why would she go home? This is her haunted house,” Colin said. “Have any of you tried calling her?”
“We found her phone alone with everything else,” Melanie said, holding up her phone, clipboard, and flashlight.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Alexis said indifferently.
“I need to go find her,” he said, pushing open the booth door.
Alexis jumped up from her chair and pulled Colin back. “Don’t!” she cried.
“Alexis, let go of me! I have to go find her.”
“I meant… don’t leave me alone in this booth. I don’t know how to work it!”
“You’ve been watching me for the past thirty minutes. I’m sure you know how to do everything just fine.” He shrugged off her hand and began his search for his girlfriend.

“Hey Caitlyn,” Derek said from behind her.
“Hi!“ She gave him a brief smile and looked down at her golden sandals.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thanks.” She looked away and spotted Nick walking back toward her and smiled.
“Here you go,” Nick said, handing Caitlyn her glass of blood red fruit punch.
She took a sip. “Thank you.”
“Hey,” Nick said to Derek.
Caitlyn took that as a hint to introduce them. “Nick, this is Derek. Derek, this is my friend Nick.”
Derek grinned at Nick and turned back to Caitlyn. “How’ve you been? We haven’t spoken in a while.”
“I’ve just been… busy lately.”
He nodded his head. “Busy with what?” he took a quick glance at Nick.
“Just some stuff…. You should have some of this punch. It’s delicious,” she said, changing the subject.
Suddenly, everyone in the gym started screaming as the fire alarm went off and the sprinklers came on, drenching everyone from head to toe as they pushed through the crowd, trying to get out of the dark gym as soon as possible. The sound was deafening and so even when you were standing outside of the school, you were still able to hear the alarm and the sound of the fire trucks in the distance as they rushed to put out the large fire that lit up the night sky.
The flames seemed so indestructible even as the rain poured down, only making the fire bigger. The flames illuminated everyone’s face as they stared up at the fire in complete shock.
The fire fighters were already there, helping those who were trapped in the building. The thick smoke poured out of every window and door at the back of the school where the fire started and was spreading to the gym where if people didn’t get out fast enough, they’d soon be engulfed in the smoke.
The screams and cries of the names being called were everywhere as friends held onto each other, glad that they made it out as they watched their school burn.
Caitlyn was one of them.
“Has anyone seen my brother?!” she cried, pushing through the crowd. “Colin!” she screamed. “Have you seen Colin?” she went around, asking people who just shook their heads. She felt the strain in her throat from screaming and crying but she needed to find her brother.
Then she spotted Alexis who stood with Derek, his coat around her shoulders. “Alexis, have you seen Colin?” she cried.
“You’re saying he isn’t with you?!” Alexis asked, mortified.
“No, I thought he was with you! You two were running the food stand, right?”
“Yeah, but he left to go find Theresa….”
Caitlyn stood there, the blood draining from her face. Theresa too?
“There he is!” Derek shouted, pointing at the fire truck.
Caitlyn ran to the fire truck, pushing people aside. “Colin!” she cried, running toward him.
“Caitlyn,” he sighed in relief as his sister hugged him.
“What happened? Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I just got caught in the smoke. I’m fine,” he said and coughed.
“Where’s Theresa?” she whispered.
“I tried to find her….”

It wasn’t long until Theresa was found, knocked out and lying on the ground outside of the school near the emergency exit at the library where the fire started.
There were rumors going around, saying that she started the fire but the only people that knew the truth was herself and I and it was going to stay that way unless she wanted to come clean.
Tonight, Theresa Santos beat me and I can tell you that I don’t like it one bit but I can say that putting the school on fire was a much better plan than what I came up with. Luckily, no one died tonight. No one that I wanted to, at least.
Note to you all: never piss a bitch off.