"GHOULS NIGHT OUT"

HALLOWEEN 2007 HARDY BOYS FAN FICTION CONTEST ENTRY

THE CATACOMB OF DEATH

by

Author C

THE STORY

The Chapters

INTRO

THE STORY

Smoke billowed out the entrance down the rickety old steps. Cobwebs hung from everywhere. A slight breeze rocked the aged shutters that hung from a single bracket by the dark windows. The darkness of night made it as unwelcoming as it did in the daylight.

The sign “Enter At Your Own Risk” did not offer any comfort.

“We are going to have so much fun,” 17-year-old Joe Hardy said, his eyes gleaming in excitement as they entered the giant warehouse on Halloween so that they could go into the Haunted Catacombs.

“I think so too,” Vanessa Bender said, slipping her arm around Joe’s. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done this.”

“Each year the layout is different,” Biff Hooper said. “I’ve come the last two years and have had a blast each time.” He looked at the girls. “Are you sure you two are up for this? There are parts that can get really scary.”

“We went to haunted houses where we used to live,” Vanessa said, her eyes twinkling in anticipation. “I loved them and nothing will keep me away.”

Biff looked at the other young woman who was with them. “Callie?”

“Yeah, Callie,” Joe said. “Will you be able to handle all the creepy crawly’s in there?”

Callie Shaw eyed Joe Hardy evenly. “I can handle anything that’s creepy and crawly,” she said. “I deal with you on a daily basis.”

“Hey!” Joe said angrily as the others stood there with their mouths hanging open in disbelief.

It was no surprise when Joe and Callie made jabs at one another. They really didn’t like each other and only maintained a small amount of courtesy because of Frank, Joe’s brother and Callie’s boyfriend.

They always made sarcastic remarks about each other and the comments seemed to be showing more of their true feelings.

“You stared it on the ride over here,” Callie said.

“You said…”

 

“Stop it,” 18-year-old Frank Hardy said through clenched teeth, glaring at both of them in turn.

“But, Frank” Callie began.

“No,” Frank said, anger forcing its way to the surface, but kept his voice low. “You two are making a scene. This was supposed to be a fun evening for all of us, but this constant bickering has got to stop. I’ve asked you both to stop this and it seems as if those requests have gone on deaf ears. I’m not going to put up with it anymore. And I don’t think anyone else will either.”

Before Joe or Callie could say anything, Frank moved his way past them, paid the admission fee and slipped through the door into the Haunted Catacombs. Frank’s best friend, Phil Cohen quickly followed.

Biff, Vanessa, Chet Morton and Tony Prito also made their way to the entrance and disappeared from view.

“Look what you did,” Joe scolded. “Everyone’s mad at us because you had to make a smart comment.”

“At least you admit I made a smart comment,” Callie said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

“Be proud of that, Callie, because I doubt Frank will be talking to either of us any time soon.”

“Ye of little faith,” Callie said. “Frank will have calmed down by the time he exits the catacombs.”

“Didn’t you see the look in his eyes?” Joe asked. “He’s angry and I’ve never seen him this way before.”

“Then you don’t know your brother.” Callie moved past Joe and quickly paid her admission.

Joe was livid. He knew Frank. He knew his brother better than anyone else and he couldn’t believe Callie insinuated that he didn’t. He knew he was going to prove to Callie that he was right.

After entering the catacombs, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could see movement in front of him and headed in that direction, ready for whatever horrors were lurking behind each corner.

The dark walls on either side of him were graced with cobwebs and spiders that felt almost lifelike. A small smile crossed his face knowing how much Callie detested spiders. He wondered if he could get a couple and really scare her later.

He turned a corner that revealed a steaming cauldron with a person standing nearby. It appeared as if the person was adding ingredients to the cauldron.

As he was about to move past, the person turned quickly and grabbed Joe’s left arm. He jumped slightly, surprised that the crew was getting this up close and personal with the attendees.

It turned out to be a woman dressed in a long black cloak that covered her hunched figure. Long, stringy gray hair went down to her waist. Wrinkles covered her face and hands and her eyes were bright blue and the size of a half dollar.

“Be cautious, young man,” the woman said in an old, scratchy voice. “You worst nightmare could become a reality.”

Figuring he would play along, Joe said, “I will.”

“I am serious,” she said. “Evil is lurking behind every corner. It’s best if you return the way you come before the horror finds you.”

“I have to go this way,” Joe said. “My friends are in here. I’m not going to leave without them.”

“You have been warned,” she said. “The evil will not hold back. Your worst nightmare could become a reality.”

His arm was released and she returned to the cauldron without another glance at him. He made his way quickly out of the room as an uneasiness washed over him. He was ready to get caught up with the others.

Continuing on, Joe watched as people jumped out at him from around dark corners, trying to scare him. He was startled, but not scared. He ran into Freddy Krueger, the man from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and even Frankenstein.

Joe found his way to a rickety plank bridge, which swung slightly as if someone had just gone across it. Rope was strung across from either side as a handrail. He glanced below trying to see what was underneath, but a fog kept everything hidden.

He placed one foot on the bridge, testing its stability. It seemed okay, so he continued on his way.

Halfway through, Joe felt his foot slip off one of the boards and he fell to the bridge, hard, banging his other knee.

“Oww,” Joe cried out.

Before he could pull his leg up, something was grabbing it from below. He looked to see hands reaching up out of the fog, grasping for his leg. Joe kicked with all his might, trying to get free and out of there.

When he felt the hold loosen, he scrambled to the other side of the bridge – to safety. He looked back at the bridge, but couldn’t see the hands anymore. He hoped it was part of the entertainment and nothing more. But he wasn’t certain.

Joe got to his feet and brushed off his jeans. He followed the fluorescent arrows that marked the way. He was really surprised he hadn’t caught up to the others yet. He hadn’t seen any turn offs and knew they were only a few minutes ahead of him.

“AHHH!” a voice screamed and he ran in that direction.

Joe quickly turned the corner to see Callie standing against the wall, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide with fright.

“Callie! What is it?” He moved closer to her.

“I thought…I thought… it was fake,” Callie stuttered, staring past Joe. “But it came at me. I tried to touch it, but I didn’t feel anything. It told me to go back the way I came that there was danger ahead.”

“Calm down,” Joe said. “Nothing I here is real.”

He glanced around the room. It looked like a graveyard. Broken headstones and mounds of dirt covered the floor. An old tree stood in one corner with tons of broken limbs. The backdrop was a dark night with a full moon.

“It came at me,” Callie continued as if she hadn’t heard a word he said. “It was so frightening.”

“Callie!” Joe yelled. “Snap out of it!”

She blinked and slowly glanced around, realizing it was just the two of them. “Joe?”

“It’s me,” he answered. “You all right?”

“This is not like any haunted house I’ve been too before.”

“Something’s wrong,” Joe said. “We need to find the others and get out of here.

Forgetting their earlier bickering, Callie said, “I’m with you.”

“Let’s go.”

Together they made their way through the room to the next walkway. Joe led the way with Callie close on his heels. He knew that they really didn’t get along, but he couldn’t leave her behind. It wasn’t in his nature.

“How far ahead do you think the others are?” Callie asked as they made their way up a winding staircase that creaked with each step they took.

“They can’t be far,” Joe said. “We were only a couple minutes behind them and no one entered between them and us.”

“Then why haven’t we caught up with them yet?”

“I don’t know,” Joe said as he reached the top step and turned to the right.

The room was dark except for a weak light bulb in the far corner, shining the light on the exit to the room.

They stepped into the room when there was a loud cackling from their right. They swiveled their heads just in time to see body parts trembling on the floor, blood splattering everywhere, including them. A man with a hacksaw stood at a table with a trembling body on it.

“AHHH!” Callie screamed and pushed past Joe.

He stumbled backward, but caught his balance before he fell. He looked closely at the body parts and the clothing and admitted that it seemed very realistic.

He quickly moved out of the room following in Callie’s footsteps, anxious to get reunited with the others. He found Callie in the small hallway dabbing at the red splotches of blood on her white pants with a tissue.

“These are so ruined,” she said to herself. “I just bought these and now they are ruined because of this stupid place.”

“If you thought it was stupid, you shouldn’t have come along,” Joe said as h slid past her and continued along.”

“I only came because Frank had to come keep an eye on you,” Callie snapped. “He’s always watching to make sure nothing happens to you, his precious baby brother.”

“You’re just jealous because I have someone like Frank around,” Joe said.

“Jealous?” Callie asked with a laugh. “You must be joking?”

“I just call it like I see it,” Joe said. “Frank and I have a special relationship. The rest of the gang doesn’t have a problem with it. You’re the only one who does.”

“I don’t have a problem with it.”

“If you say so,” Joe said.

“You’re the one who is jealous,”’ Callie said. “You’ve always hated the thought that Frank and I spend quality time together. That’s why we are always interrupted when we go out. You can’t handle him spending time with anyone but yourself. Frank is an adult, Joe, and you need to realize he can hang out with whomever he pleases whenever he wants. And that includes me.”

Before Joe could respond with an angry retort, there was an ear-splitting scream. The two of them took off at a run toward the noise.

Joe quickly turned the corner and stopped short. Tony Prito was on his hands and knees, attempting to get to his feet. He hurried to his friends’ side and slowly lifted him into an upright position.

“Tony, what happened?” Joe asked as he glanced as his pale face, which had a jagged cut on his left cheek.

“This place is really creepy,” Tony said with a shaky breath, looking into Joe’s eyes.

“Where are the others?” Callie asked.

“We got split up and I’ve been trying to find them.”

“How did you get hurt?” Joe asked, looking at the cut and realizing it had already stopped bleeding.

“I came in here figuring the others had headed this way,” Tony said. “Just as I stepped into the room, someone rushed past me from behind, knocking me to the floor. I think that’s when I got cut.”

Joe looked at the exit to the room, which was decked out with dead trees, millions of cobwebs and plastic skulls and bones, scattered on the floor. He hoped they were plastic.

“Let’s get moving,” Joe said. “We need to find the others. And we need to stay together. There is something really wrong with this place.”

“I have to agree,” Tony said.

“Let’s go.”

They made their way down the hall that twisted and turned. The further they went, the dimmer the lights were and tighter the hallway got so they had to walk in single file. Several times Joe ran into a wall and had to feel his way to the opening.

Joe led Tony and Callie into an area that felt like a cavern. They had taken only a couple steps when the lights blinded them.

“AHHH!” came a scream behind them.

As they struggled to see, they caught a glimpse of what seemed like a woman wearing a white gown. The edge of the gown looked like it had been dragged through the dirt and eaten by moths. The woman had long black and gray hair that went past her waist.

She ran toward them screaming, brandishing a knife that was dripping in blood.

“NO!” Callie screamed as she backpedaled into a just as surprised Tony, knocking them both to the floor.

Joe attempted to sidestep the woman as she swung the knife at his chest. He twisted himself enough so that it did miss his chest, but caught his upper arm. He pushed her to the floor and she landed with a thud. She didn’t move.

“Did you kill her?” Callie asked quietly.

Joe glanced at his brother’s girlfriend and then the woman sprawled on the floor. He moved over to her and kicked the knife into the darkness, well out of her reach. With is uninjured arm he slowly rolled her onto her back. Her face was peaceful and she appeared to be sleeping. Joe placed his hand gently against her neck and quickly found a pulse.

“She’s alive,” Joe said as he straightened up.

“I’ve had enough of this place,” Callie said as she scrambled to her feet. “I’m out of here.” She headed for the door.

“Wait for us,” Tony said as he also got to his feet. The two of them hurried after her.

“Whoever created this place must really be twisted,” Tony said. “I’ve been to places like this before, but this is really extreme. I don’t know how parents can allow their kids to try this.”

“I don’t think I’ll be back to this place,” Joe said. “Everything we’ve encountered so far has been aimed to really hurt people and that’s not right.”

“I think this is the way out,” Callie said. “There’s a door here.”

As they moved closer to it, Callie put her hand on the door.

Suddenly she was yanked inside, the door closing behind her.

“CALLIE!” Tony and Joe yelled.

The two of them started banging and kicking the door, trying to get it open.

“This isn’t funny!” Joe said angrily, throwing his right shoulder against the door. He did that several times. Finally there was a creak and he fell to the floor as the door opened.

He looked up as Tony stepped in beside him. They saw Callie was shackled spread eagle to the wall across from them. Tape covered her mouth and they could see her eyes were wide with fear.

Joe got to his feet and started toward her figuring he would release her. He saw her shaking her head and couldn’t understand what she wanted.

“We’ll have you out of there in a second,” Joe said. “I’ve got my lock pick kit with me.”

Before he could go any further, he felt Tony pull him back. He said, “Watch your step.”

Joe looked down at the floor and saw a piece of fishing line had been strung across the floor. He followed the lines path to the wall and up to the ceiling. He stared in amazement at the spikes hanging down. He knew that if he had gotten caught on the line, he would have been stabbed with the stakes.

“Good catch,” Joe said. “Now we just need to get over to Callie.”

“I don’t see any other lines,” Tony said. “I think if we are really careful we can get to her.”

“All right,” Joe said. “Let’s go.”

Together they slowly made their way across the floor toward Callie. They didn’t see any other trip wires and were grateful. When they reached her, Joe pulled out his lock pick kit as Tony pulled the piece of tape off Callie’s mouth.

“I’m so glad you saw the line,” Callie said. “He said it would crush you in an instant.”

“Who said that?” Tony asked as Joe worked.

“A man,” Callie answered “He was dressed like Dracula. He was so fast and then he just disappeared.”

Joe quickly popped open the last lock and looked at his friends. “I got a feeling this has been a set up. These things normally don’t happen and this just tells me someone is up to no good.”

“Then who is it?” Callie asked, wrapping his arms around herself.

“That’s what we need to find out,” Joe said. “If this stuff is happening to us, the others are probably getting the same treatment and being split up. We need to find them and get out of here.”

“I completely agree,” Tony said.

“Callie, which way did he go when he disappeared?” Joe asked.

“He just disappeared,” Callie answered.

“A person just can’t disappear,” Tony said.

“He did. There was a cloud of smoke and he was gone.”

“The cloud of smoke was a diversion so you wouldn’t see which way was out,” Joe said. “Let’s start looking around. The exit has to be here somewhere.”

As they searched the room, they finally realized that the room had been designed as a library with a lot of old books on the shelves. A few candles offered minimal light on its surroundings. A red chair with torn edges sat on one wall with an antique lamp on the table beside it.

Once again cobwebs hung from every corner giving the feeling that no one had been in there for years.

“This is useless,” Callie said. “We are never going to get out of here.”

“Are you even bothering to look?” Joe asked, not bothering to turn around from the bookshelf that held numerous copies of books on magic and monsters, as well as a candle in the shape of a skull.

“I am looking,” Callie said. “It’s not like I can pull this book and the door will open.”

The creaking of the door made them all turn toward the red chair. A wall had opened behind it. From the glow of the candles they could see another set of stairs heading up.

Joe looked at Callie and Tony. “I think this is it.”

The three of them made their way toward the stairs and hoped this would lead them to the exit. As they stepped through the doorway, the floor dropped out beneath them and they slid down a winding slide in complete darkness.

They finally landed in a pile at the bottom. They stayed still trying to get their breaths back.

When they could finally move, they stood up and gazed at their surroundings. There were eight doors in the circular room with full-sized mirrors between them.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tony said. “I bet all these doors lead us deeper into this nightmare.”

“There’s probably one that will lead us to the exit,” Joe said.

“But how do we figure that out?” Callie asked.

“Do you have any lipstick?” Joe asked.

“Sure.” Callie dug through her purse, pulled out a tube and handed it to Joe.

“We’ll mark each door after we check it out.”

They moved to the first door and pulled it open. They were greeted with their reflections staring back at them.

“I guess it’s not this one.” Joe closed the door and placed a big red ‘X’ on it.

He moved to the next door on his right. He pulled the knob and it opened. They saw another room, which looked like a normal living room with a couch and two armchairs. A coffee table was in the center of the room while a smaller table was placed between the two leather armchairs. An antique clock was on the small table.

But what caught all of their attention was the red and white “EXIT” sign hanging above the door on the other side of the room.

“It can’t be that easy, can it?” Tony asked.

“I don’t think so,” Joe said. “Let’s just mark this door and come back to it if the others don’t pan out.”

“Okay.”

The door was closed and Joe wrote “EXIT” on it.

He turned to the third door and asked, “Any guesses as to what we’ll find here?”

“Probably another mirror,” Tony said.

“A brick wall,” Callie said.

“And the winner is…” Joe said and pulled the door open, “a pitch black room.”

“Great, another dead end,” Callie said.

“Wait a second,” Tony said. “Listen carefully.”

They were silent as they leaned closer to the open door. They could hear mumbling coming from the room.

“It sounds like someone is in there,” Joe said, taking a step inside.

“You can’t go in there,” Callie said.

“I can’t leave someone in there if they are hurt,” Joe said.

He reached around the doorframe hoping there was a light switch. He quickly found it and flipped it in the opposite direction. The room was bathed in light.

“Oh my!” Tony said from behind Joe.

The younger Hardy was also stunned to see Biff, Chet and Vanessa gagged and tied p. They were hanging about a foot off the floor by meat hooks.

“Hang on,” Joe said. “We’ll have you down in a minute. “He looked at Callie. “Stay here and keep this door open.”

Callie nodded.

Tony and Joe carefully looked at the floor to see if any surprises had been left for them. They didn’t see any, but were going to be cautious. They saw a pair of footprints in the dust coming toward the door and figured this was the way to get over to the others.

One at a time, Joe and Tony made their way across the floor. They reached the others and quickly cut the rope around their wrists. They dropped to their feet with a thud. They followed the footprints over to Callie and moved into the room.

When all five of them were back with Callie, Vanessa jumped into Joe’s arms and held him close. He could feel her trembling and tears soaking his shirt.

He turned his head into her thick hair and whispered, “It’s okay. You’re okay, Van. It’s over.”

She trembled more and he realized this had truly scared her.

“Relax, Van. We’ll get out of here soon.”

“What happened to you guys?” Tony asked.

“We got split up from Frank and Phil,” Biff said as Joe turned his head to look at his buddies. “We somehow ended up in that room.”

“Where were you before that happened?” Joe asked.

“We went into a room that appeared to be a bakery, but all the sweets had roaches and bugs crawling over them,” Chet said. “All of a sudden the room was filled with fog and we couldn’t see.”

“The next thing we knew we were in that room hanging like slabs of beef,” Biff said.

“Callie, mark that door as ‘NO’,” Joe said.

“Got it.”

“So, where do we go to get out of here?” Chet asked. “I’ve had enough.”

“We need to check the rest of the doors,” Joe said. “One of these have to lead us to the exit.”

“What about this one?” Biff asked, pointing to the one they had previously marked “EXIT.”

“We’re not really sure that’s an exit,” Joe said. “We wanted to check them all before we went anywhere.”

“Then let’s keep going,” Tony said a he moved over to the next door.

He pulled the door open, revealing a brick wall. He moved to the fifth door and found the same thing.

“Who think door number six will be the key?” Tony asked, reaching for the knob.

“It better be,” Chet said.

Tony pulled on the knob, but the door wouldn’t open. He put both hands on the knob and yanked with all his might. Nothing.

“Let me give it a try,” Joe said.

Vanessa let go of Joe and wiped her eyes. He pulled out his lock pick kit again and quickly heard the lock click. He turned the knob and the door opened to a full size picture that had all eight of them. All of their faces were clear, except for Fran’s, which had a big red ‘X’ on it.

“Does this mean Frank is hurt?” Callie asked.

“I don’t know, but we need to find Frank and Phil,” Joe said.

“Let’s check these last two doors and then get out of here,” Tony said, moving to the seventh door.

He pulled the door open revealing a room full of electronics that seemed to be working.

“Wow,” Tony said.

The others hurried to the doorway and gazed inside the room. There were six television monitors on the wall showing different rooms.

“This was a set up,” Joe said, moving into the room. His gaze shifted from monitor to monitor, looking for a clue as to where his brother was, along with the exit.

The one monitor screen flashed and he saw his brother’s limp body being dragged by his feet down a hallway that was lit by several candles. From what he could tell, Frank was unconscious.

“Which door do we use?” Callie asked.

“What’s behind the last door?” Joe asked, never taking his eyes off the monitor, hoping to see where his brother was being taken.

“I’ll check,” Tony said.

He listened as the footsteps left the room. The images before him flipped several times, but there was nothing that helped him figure out which door they needed to use.

The screen suddenly switched again. This time he saw Tony standing in the hallway Frank had been.

“That’s the one!” Joe yelled as he turned and headed out of the room. The others followed closely behind.

They stepped through the doorway to see Tony crouched down next to the door. Phil Cohen was unconscious and covered in blood.

“Ohh,” Phil moaned as Tony roused him. Phil’s eyes opened slightly. “What happened?”

“Just take it slow,” Tony said. “What hurts?”

“My head the most,” Phil answered, allowing his eyes to slide shut.

“You have a nasty cut on your head,” Tony said.

“Here,” Joe said. He pulled off his sweatshirt and T-shirt, handing the T-shirt to Tony to wipe the blood off Phil’s head and use as a bandage if needed.

They waited patiently as Tony tended to Phil. After a few minutes, Phil as able to sit up. He seemed a little out of it, but they all felt better when he was sitting up. He looked at all of them in turn once, and then again. His eyes went wide. “Where’s Frank?”

“He was dragged off down that way,” Joe said, pointing down the hall.

“We need to hurry,” Phil said, struggling to his feet. “Frank’s in danger.”

“What do you mean?” Joe asked as Tony and Biff took their injured friend’s arms and helped him stand up.

“Frank’s going to be killed,” Phil said. “He claimed he got rid of the rest of you and we were the last to be disposed of. I got hit and Frank turned to check on me. He was hit in the head and just collapsed. I couldn’t follow. I tried, but my body wouldn’t listen. The person was laughing, wondering how long Frank could hold his breath.”

“Let’s move,” Joe said as he turned and headed down the hall. He didn’t have to look to see if the others were behind him. He could hear their quick footsteps following him.

“He wouldn’t really kill Frank, would he?” Callie asked softly.

“Not if I can help it?” Joe said. “I’m going to make certain nothing happens to my brother.”

The hallway twisted and turned so many times they all were getting dizzy. At times it felt like they were going in circles.

The hallway finally exited into a darkened room that had a black casket that was open. The red satin inner lining was slightly pulled out as if someone had just climbed out of the casket. Two metal candelabras stood at each end of the casket with three candles on each.

“Is that real?” Tony asked.

“I don’t want to know,” Chet said.

“Let’s keep moving,” Biff said.

“I agree,” Joe said and pushed open the door on the other side of the room.

The seven of them made their way into a large room. The door they entered through slammed shut behind them. They turned to see a wall made of glass on the far side of the room, but they couldn’t see anything beyond it. They also saw two doors, one on either side of the glass. Neither of the doors would open.

“I’ve got my lock pick,” Joe said pulling the kit out of his back pocket for a third time.

“You won’t need that,” a voice boomed over their heads.

“Who are you?” Joe asked, staring at the ceiling. He spotted a small camera in the corner of the ceiling near the glass. “Why are you doing this to us? Where’s Frank?”

“Your brother is absolutely fine.” There was a pause. “For the moment.”

The room beyond the glass was bathed in light. They all gasped when they saw Frank was tied up on a metal table in the middle of the room. He was gagged and his eyes were closed. Joe doubled this big brother was asleep.

“Let my brother go!” Joe yelled. “You had no right to do this!”

“I have every right,” the voice said. “You are the ones who came of your own free will. You are the ones who wanted an experience like no other. And now you will have it.”

“You’re twisted,” Joe said, never taking his eyes off Frank

From his position, he could see blood along one cheek and there appeared to be bruises on his arm that was already turning black and blue.

“I may be twisted, but I also hold the key to your safe exit.”

“What do you mean?” Joe asked, slowly, a feeling of dread washing over her.

“If you look at the room you are in, you will see there are two doors. One leads out of this place. The other leads to your brother. You, Joe, and only you, gets to decide which door to go through.”

“What?”

“Only you can make the choice. Do you want to save your brother or your friends?”

Joe stood there stunned. He couldn’t believe he held all their lives in his hands. It was too shocking. He honestly couldn’t choose. He loved his brother and his friends equally. He couldn’t choose one over the other.

He glanced back at the glass. He could just make out the slight rise and fall of Frank’s chest. He knew his brother was alive. But his brother was bound to the metal table. There was no guarantee he could get himself out of there.

Joe shifted his gaze slight and could make out the reflections of his friend’s faces in the glass. They were staring at him, waiting for him to make a decision. He didn’t know what to do.

If I choose Frank, then the others will probably die, he thought as he focused on Frank again. If I choose the others, this lunatic will kill Frank and probably make all of us watch. I can’t do it. I can’t be the one to sign the possible death sentence for any of them. This is a no-win situation. If I save any of them, I end up losing someone else that I really care about. I can’t do that. I really can’t.

Joe felt a hand on his chin and it slowly get lifted up. He looked to see Vanessa standing there, concern and love shining in her eyes.

“You can make this decision,” Vanessa said, lowering her hand, but keeping her gaze locked with Joe’s.

“It’s a no-win situation,” Joe said quietly. “I can’t choose one person over another. I just can’t.”

“Joe, who is in the worst situation?” Tony asked. “We are all safe here in this room. But Frank is alone in that room. He’s tied up to the table. He has no one in there to fight for him.”

“But if I choose him over all of you, this lunatic could kill you.”

“And if you choose us over Frank, he could do the same,” Biff said.

“Uh, Joe?”

They all turned to see Callie standing by the glass, pressed against it as she stared at Frank.

“What is it?” Joe asked, moving toward her.

“Is that…is that water in there with Frank?” Callie asked.

Everyone rushed to the glass. And sure enough, water covered the floor and was slowly rising. It was halfway up the table. They couldn’t see where the water was coming from.

“He’s going to drown Frank,” Phil said.

“NO!” Joe yelled and started pounding on the glass. “FRANK!!!

“Have you made your decision, Mr. Hardy?” the voice asked

Joe leaned his head on the glass. He couldn’t believe this. There’s only one choice, he thought. There is no alternative. I have to do it this way. I can’t let any more deaths be on my hands. This is the only way.

“I have a counter offer,” Joe said, turning away from the glass and his best friends, unable to look at them knowing what he was about to say.

“Really?”

Joe lifted his head and looked directly at the camera. “You let my friends and Frank go, and I’ll take their place.”

“No!” Vanessa said.

He turned to look at his girlfriend, seeing tears streaming down her cheeks.

“It has to be this way,” Joe said. “I can’t choose between all of you. I’d hate myself forever. By doing it this way, I know all of you would be okay. And that’s what matters most.”

“But you’re sacrificing yourself for all of us,” Tony said.

“I’m not sacrificing myself,” Joe said. “I’m protecting my friends. There’s a difference.”

“You can’t do this,” Vanessa said.

Joe moved to Vanessa and cupped her face in his hand. He kissed her softly on the lips. “Van, there is no other choice. I couldn’t live with myself if I left any of you here. This is the only way to guarantee that all of you are safe, including Frank.”

“I can’t live without you, Joe,” Vanessa cried, tears running unchecked down her cheeks.

“I’ll always be with you, Van,” he said and glanced around at the others gathered around them. “I’ll be with all of you. But this is how it has to be for now.”

He kissed Vanessa one more time before stepping back.

“Which door can they use to leave?” Joe asked, hoping with all hope that his offered had been accepted.

“They can use the door to the left of the glass and you can use the door to the right. That will lead you to me.”

“And Frank?” Joe asked, seeing the water had just reached the top of the table. In minutes, Frank would drown.

“There is a door outside the left one that your friends can reach. The water is draining.”

Joe saw the water was quickly vanishing.

“Good,” Joe said.

“Joe?” Vanessa said.

“It’ll be okay,” Joe said and looked at Biff. “Just remember to keep the hole open.”

“I always do,” Biff said.

“We’ll tell Frank,” Phil began.

“Just tell him the truth,” Joe said. “He may not like it, but he’ll just have to deal with it.”

“You may all move to the doors.”

Joe moved to the far side of the room and grabbed the doorknob. He saw Chet had a tight hold on the other one.

Joe’s door clicked first and he pulled it open. He stepped in, but didn’t leave the doorframe. He wanted to make sure his friends got out safely. He was too worried about a double-cross.

He saw Chet pull on the knob and the door open. He quickly went through, followed by Callie, Vanessa and Phil. Tony and Biff looked at him and gave him a slight nod.

Tony moved through the door and Biff slowly followed. The door started to close slowly behind them.

Joe flung the door open and used his speed as a sprinter to make it across the room and out the door before it closed. He saw the others already had the door open to where Frank was behind held.

“Keep this door open,” Joe said, rushing into the room as he pulled out his pocketknife.

He reached Frank and cut the ropes that held him. He saw Chet and Tony working furiously as he was.

“You liar!” the voice yelled.

Suddenly, ice-cold water came falling all around them, soaking them.

“Forget the ropes,” Joe said. “Let’s go!”

He picked Frank up in a fireman’s carry and headed for the door where Biff was struggling to keep it open.

“Hurry!” Biff yelled.

Tony and Chet slipped through the door first, the water reaching their ankles and emptying into the hall. Joe stepped past Biff into the hall. His feet went out beneath him and he fell into the water, dropping Frank beside him.

“Frank!” Joe yelled as he turned to find his brother.

“I got him!” Biff yelled. “Let’s go!”

Joe scrambled to his feet to see Biff now had Frank in a fireman’s carry. He turned and saw the others were standing near a door that was hidden in the shadows.

“Let’s go,” Joe said and moved toward them.

“You lied!” the voice screamed in the background.

They ignored the voice and headed through the door. They stepped into a room that had two metal desks piled high with papers. The wooden chairs were broken in numerous places, but still usable.

“This place is a disaster area,” Tony said as they moved quickly through there.

“I just want to get out of here,” Joe said.

“I think we all do,” Chet said, pushing the other door open.

Gunshots over their heads forced them all to the floor.

“Stay down!” Joe yelled as he moved to the other door from which they had entered.

“You won’t get out of here alive!” the voice yelled. “All of you will pay! You could have kept your end of the deal, but in the end you’ve guaranteed everyone will die.”

Joe sat Biff still had a hold of Frank.

“Get the others out of here,” Joe whispered. “He’s angry with me.”

“We can’t leave you here,” Biff said.

“If we don’t try to get out of here, he will probably kill us all,” Joe said. “Biff, you need to lead them out of here and take Frank with you.  Know you won’t let anything stop you.”

“All right,” Biff said after a minute. “But you better be right behind us.”

“Definitely.”

“Head for the door,” Biff said. “Now. We’re getting out of here.”

Joe headed away from the others hoping he would give them enough time to get away.

He finally stood up and his gaze fell on the master of their terror, the face hidden in the shadows.

The person was wearing a crisp white shirt and black pants. A black cape with a red inner lining was tied around the neck. He was very thin.

“You didn’t keep your end of the bargain,” the male voice said as he took a step forward.

“You wouldn’t have let any of us go,” Joe said. “And you had no reason to put us through this torture in the first place.”

“And you had no right sticking your nose where it didn’t belong.”

“I have no idea who you are,” Joe said. “But you will go to jail for all this. You unlawfully detained us here. You assaulted Phil and Frank and there are probably a hole list of other charges that the police will come up with.”

“They have to catch me first.”

The man left the shadows charging at Joe. His slick black hair stuck to his head. His pale skin made him look like he was on death’s door. For a moment when he opened his mouth, it seemed as if he had fangs.

Joe stepped to the side and stuck his foot out to trip the man. But he was ready and stepped in the same direction and at the same time swung a tight fist into Joe’s stomach, he let out a breath of air.

Joe countered with two jabs of his own, but the man was fast. As soon as the man threw another punch at Joe’s stomach, Joe caught him in the chin.

The man laughed manically as he stared at Joe.

“You don’t have the strength to beat me. You’ll never have the strength. You could’ve stayed with me for all eternity, but this insolence will not be tolerated. You have sentenced yourself to death.”

Joe took a step back, but his clothes had dripped a large puddle on the floor and he fell to the floor with a thud.

In an instant the man was on top of him, squeezing Joe’s neck. He gasped for air, but couldn’t get a breath. The man was stronger than he appeared.

“You will die and then I will go after the others.”

Joe could see spots dancing before his eyes. He knew that he was about to black out due to the lack of oxygen. There was nothing he could do.

He felt the air around him getting colder. As his vision faded, he thought he saw a sweeping white light swoop down from above. He was vaguely aware of the man releasing his hold on his neck. Joe’s eyes closed and his head rolled to the side.

The last thing he heard was a scream.

* * * * *

The gentle caress of a hand brought him back to awareness. The touch was soft and very familiar. He leaned his head closer to the touch.

“You are a hero,” a recognizable voice said softly in his ear. “I am so proud of you.”

His eyes opened slightly and stared into the beautiful face of his first love. She was dressed all in white and looked exactly as she had the last day he had seen her. He couldn’t believe it was Iola Morton.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she put a finger on his lips.

“Just rest, my love,” she said. “I am still gone, but you are going to return to those who love you dearly. I’m here because you gave your life freely so those that you love could get to safety. I’m here to guide you back to them.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” Joe whispered, his eyes locked onto Iola’s beautiful face.

“You’ll never leave me.” Iola placed her hand on Joe’s shirt, just above his heart. “I am a part of you here and will always be there. You may not be able to see me, but everyday I am with you, my hero. And you have to go back. There were so many great things you need to accomplish. You are a wonder, Joe, and there are so many people who could benefit from your help.”

Joe could feel his eyes closing. He didn’t want to lose sight of her.

“I will always love you, Joe Hardy,” Iola said before placing an ethereal kiss o his lips.

Darkness swallowed him again.

* * * * *

“He was in here,” a voice said, penetrating the fog that had a grip on his mind.

“What a mess,” a second voice said.

“There he is.”

Joe opened his eyes to a blinding light from a single bulb handing from the ceiling. His head throbbed. He swallowed a couple times and winced. He wanted to reach up and touch his neck, but his body just wouldn’t respond.

“Joe?”

He blinked and saw Biff standing there with Officer Con Riley.

Joe opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out.

“Stay put, Joe,” Con Riley said as he pulled out his radio. “We need medics.”

“Are you all right?” Biff asked, crouching down beside his friends.

Joe glanced around, searching for Iola. He had see her and wanted to see her again. But her words rang through his ears. You may not be able to see me, but everyday I am with you. He felt a slight breeze touch his cheek and knew Iola was there.

“Help me up,” Joe whispered.

Biff hesitated for a moment, and then help Joe to a sitting position, keeping his arm around his friend’s shoulder.

Joe saw their tormentor sitting against the far wall, unconscious.

“Did you do that?” Biff asked, following Joe’s gaze.

“Don’t know,” Joe whispered. The last thing he was certain about was the man on top of him, squeezing the life out of him.

At that moment two pair of medics hurried into the room. He was quickly bundled in a couple blankets when they saw him body trembling. They also bandaged his bleeding arm. They quickly evaluated him and insisted he go to the hospital. They were concerned because the cut on his arm was long, his temperature was low, he had a big lump on his head and the bruises on his neck were swelling.

Joe looked at Biff. “The others?”

“On their way to the hospital as well,” Biff answered. “We’ve all been through the wringer and Chief Collig insisted we get checked out.”

“Okay,” Joe whispered, feeling exhaustion setting in on his body.

Biff and the medics slowly moved him to the stretcher. He pulled the blankets tightly around himself as they secured the straps.

“Go with him, Biff,” Con said. “I’ll meet you at the hospital later.”

“Okay.” Biff looked at Joe. “Let’s get out of here, buddy.”

Joe nodded slightly.

* * * * *

The sunlight streaming through the windows woke the 17-year-old from an exhausted slumber. His body ached more than after a grueling football game. He rolled his head to the right, hoping to go back to sleep, but it wouldn’t come.

He slowly took stock of his body, trying to figure out where he hurt the most.

His arms and legs were sore, as well as his stomach. He swallowed a couple times. His throat hurt the worst. But it didn’t matter, he was alive and so were the others.

I can’t believe all that we went through, Joe thought. I still have no idea who that guy was or why he had a problem with us. And what’s even more confusing is that I have no idea how he ended up unconscious o the far side of the room. I had to have thrown him off me before I blacked out. He couldn’t have ended up tat way on his own.

But what about seeing Iola? Could I have been hallucinating from the lack of oxygen? Could I have bee that close to death that she really had been there to guide me back to life? Could she have been the one to stop him from truly killing me? I have so many questions and doubt I will ever get the answer I need to figure this out. And Chief Collig will want an explanation, but I honestly don’t know what to tell him.

“You weren’t hallucinating,” a soft female voce said in his head as a warmth washed over him. “I came to you because you were in danger. I am always nearby should you need help, but Frank usually beats me to the rescue.”

He felt a feather light touch brush across his forehead and then down his cheek.

“But Frank wasn’t there this time, so I stepped in,” she said. “You are destined for great things, Joe, and if you leave this world before your time, there will be many who will be at a severe loss. Not just your family and friends, but the world you are meant to help.”

“But you went before your time,” he thought.

“It was my time,” she said gently. “My death meant that so many others would live and grab onto love and truly make it last knowing life can be short. While my death hurt many, it has given my family and all of my friends strength to persevere and show their love even more.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to explain all this to Chief Collig”, he thought.

“Be honest with him. The last thing you recall was that man cutting off your air supply until seeing Biff and Con Riley entering the room. What we discussed in between us.”

There was a pause and Iola said, “Your family is here. Go ahead and wake. And remember, I’m always here.”

“I love you, Iola,” his mind said.

“I love you, Joe,” she said. “And don’t forget to apologize to Frank about your behavior with Callie. You both love him and really need to get along for his sake. Who knows what the future holds.”

And with that, Iola was gone.

Joe heard voices talking and slowly forced his eyes open. He took a moment before all his friends were brought into focus.

Biff, Chet and Tony were standing at the foot of his bed. Vanessa was on the left side. He slowly turned his head to the right to see Callie on the far side of Frank’s bed with Phil. Frank appeared to be sleeping.

“Hey guys,” Joe said with a scratchy voice. He winced as he swallowed.

“You’re not supposed to talk,” Vanessa scolded. “The doctor said it’ll be a few days before the swelling goes down.”

“Everyone okay?” Joe asked. He knew Vanessa was right, but he had questions that couldn’t wait.

“We’re okay,” Biff said. “You seemed to get the worst of it.”

He looked at his brother and before he could ask what was on his mind, Phil said, “Frank has a mild concussion and severe bruising. It seems that guy gave him an awful beating.”

“And your folks are here,” Tony said. “They just went to get some coffee.”

“How long am I going to be here?” Joe asked and winced when he swallowed.

“Probably a day or so,” Vanessa said. “At least that’s what your mom said.”

“Has Frank woken yet?”

“Not fully,” Callie said. “It seemed like he was coming around earlier, but he never opened his eyes.”

Joe felt his eyes start to slide shut and quickly forced them open. “Sorry.”

“Go ahead and rest,” Vanessa said. “The doctor gave you some pain medication for your neck. It’s probably what’s making you so tired.”

“Probably.”

“We’ll be back later,” Biff said.

The others bid Joe goodbye and left the room.

Once the door closed, Joe looked at his older brother. His face still seemed pale and he hoped Frank would wake soon. 

They had been through so much and Iola’s words rang through his head. She was right and things had been awkward. But Frank meant the world to him and with how close he came to losing his brother; he wasn’t going to take anything for granted. Especially his relationship with Frank.

“Hmmm,” came from the other bed.

Joe saw Frank’s eyes were open and he was staring at the ceiling.

“Frank?”

Two bleary, brown eyes met his own gaze. Frank asked softly. “What happened?”

“A lot,” Joe said. “But that’s not important right now. I’m just glad you’re awake.”

Frank turned his head back and resumed staring at the ceiling.

Joe feared that Frank was still angry with him about what happened. He knew he had to make things right.

Finding the energy to move, he slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the cool linoleum as he padded his way over to his brother’s bed.

He took Frank’s left hand and his brother gazed into his blue eyes.

“Frank, I need to apologize,” Joe said, wincing at how sore his throat was. “I shouldn’t have talked to Callie the way I did. I can see how much our fighting and nit picking not only hurts each other, but really hurts you. I don’t want you to be angry with me. I’ve learned my lesson. Life is short. I know that Callie makes you happy and I’m not going to get in the way. I am more sorry that you will ever know. I know that it may take time for you to forgive me, but I’ll be here when you’re ready. I am so sorry, Frank. I can’t say it we’ll be the best of friends, but I know I will be putting forth a better effort not to fight with Callie. I do hope you will forgive me someday.”

Frank remained quiet and Joe figured that right then was not the time. He just hoped it would happen sometime, but felt he deserved what he got since he had not used his head.

He released his hold on Frank’s hand and slowly moved back to his bed. He sat down and leaned back, pulling the covers back up to his chest. He stared up at the ceiling.

“It’s okay.”

Joe turned his head and looked at Frank again. He hoped he had heard his brother correctly. “Frank?”

“It’s okay, Joe,” Frank said, swallowing. “You didn’t mean to hurt me.”

“I will try to do better, Frank.”

Frank offered him a smile. “I know.”

“So, how are you feeling?”

“Sore and tired. My head is throbbing a bit. But other than that, I’m okay.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“So, do you want to tell me what happened? And what made your sudden change with Callie?”

Joe thought about all he had been through at the Haunted Catacombs. He met Frank’s gaze and said, “Let’s just say this was an experience I will never forget, and leave it at that.”

“You sure?”

Joe nodded. He knew there were parts he would tell Frank later. But the most important thing wouldn’t be believed.  He felt the slightest breeze that ruffled the hair on his forehead and knew Iola was proud of him. Things were going to be all right.

And he doubted he would be going to another haunted house anytime soon.

The End

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