The Joke

          “You’re so boring!” I call out to my sister. She slowly steps into the room, looking around frantically as if something is about to jump out at her. I smile and give a small chuckle before saying “Calm down A, nothing’s going to happ-” I begin to choke and fall to the floor, I feel a thick red liquid leak from my mouth as it stains the floor. She runs over in a panic. I look up at her with wide eyes “I– got you! Hahaha” I laugh, she falls back in relief. “Not cool, Marcus… not cool.” I laugh at her again before pushing up to my feet. I hold out my hand to help her up before wiping the corn syrup from my mouth “Gross.” I smile. She rolls her eyes in response “You’re the only gross one here.” her voice is monotone and serious per usual but she has a wide smile going across her face as she looks around the dark room. I pull out a flashlight from my bag and press the button, it gives a click and illuminates the room.

          I immediately walk over to a metal bed in the center of the room. Abbi leans against a wall of large empty storage spaces. “It smells so bad,” she says as she puts her hand over her nose like that would do something. “Well, you are standing where they used to keep the bodies.” I mock. She pushes off the wall dramatically before laughing. I smile and jump on the bed, she makes a disgusted face which makes me start laughing. I sit on the bed like L, trying not to touch too much, for about 3 minutes before we hear something from the hallway. “What was that?” Abbi whispers. I put my finger over my lips and slowly jump down. “Shit!” I whisper, wishing I could yell. Abbi grabs me and pushes me to the door in front of us, I quickly turn off the flashlight in the hopes they didn’t see it yet. It’s too dark to make out anything specific but I can see a figure not far from us. Their back must be turned because they don’t see me. They must be around 6 feet tall, or more because I’m 5’7 and they tower over me. Abbi makes a small squeak sound out of fear, which is pathetic, and the person’s head starts to turn. I shove her behind me, signaling to be quiet, as we neal down behind one of the beds.

          Abbie is gripping my arm but I’m too focused on being scared to feel the sting of her nails in my arm. I hear the door creak open and the click of a flashlight. I look down… I must’ve dropped it when we ducked behind the bed. Shit shit shit! My mind is racing. The footstep get louder as they move closer. I look up to see someone hovering over us, they round the bed and look down at us. Their eyes look red in the light. Brown hair falls neatly in front of their face. “What are you two doing here?” he asks in an annoyed tone. “Jesus Christ! Why’d you have to scare us like that, Ty?” Abbi exclaims angrily. I laugh and help her up before giving our brother a playful punch in the arm “Not cool dude!” he laughs before moving us out the door. “What are you even doing here? This place gives me the creeps. Mom had to pay me 20 bucks to go after you.” I roll my eyes. “Well then I think you owe us a thank you.” I joke, he doesn’t laugh “We got bored, okay? It’s not that big of a deal.” He stays silent the rest of the way out.

          “You realize you could’ve gotten arrested for being in there, right?” he says after we finally make it out of that labyrinth. I laugh at the question “Why do you think we hid?” he smiles back but is clearly annoyed with our stupidity. “Thought you saw a ghost.” he mocks “Maybe something followed you out.” I roll my eyes but Abbi gives a look of genuine fear and clutches my arm “You’re scaring Abbi.” I say accusingly before looking over at her “There’s no such thing as ghosts, A.” she looks up at me. “How do you know?” she asks. I think for a second. Ty regrets his joke. I look at him again to see if he has anything to say. “I guess we don’t.” not what I was hoping for “Not for sure anyway… but even if they are real you have nothing to worry about, Abs.” she nods.

          When we get home our mother starts screaming immediately. I struggle not to laugh, she’s not a very intimidating woman in her light pink sweater and blue jeans. “We were just messing around.” I try. Ty looks like he’s about to speak but Mother shoots him a look and he gives up on defending us real quick. “You could have gotten hurt!” she yells. “But we didn’t!” I yell back which catches everyone off guard “We’re both fine. You guys are overreacting.” I walk out of the room like I have something to prove and Ty follows me. He doesn’t seem upset or angry like everyone else but he still doesn’t understand. When he gets to my room he opens the door to me sitting on the floor. “Was the joke worth it?” Joke? A joke? This wasn’t some prank. I stand up angrily before pushing him out of the way and leaving once again. I hear my mom call after me but I can’t understand her. I run to the bridge that leads to the morgue. She makes it there not long after with Ty and Abbi.

          I don’t say a word and neither do they. A huge gust of wind comes through and nearly knocks me over, in which case I would’ve fallen off the bridge, which wasn’t exactly sturdy, and fell to my death. Not that that would be a necessarily bad thing right now. The wind makes an oOooOooO sound. “Look it’s the ghost you were so worried about.” I joke in a monotone voice. A rolls her eyes. Ty takes a step forward. “I’m sorry okay I didn’t think that’d upset you.” It’s not that. I want to say. It’s so much more. I’m tired of not being taken seriously. I don’t say any of that but I wish I could. They stare at me. Another gust of wind comes in and I stumble over. I almost trip of the bridge which makes Ty lunge forward to catch me. “Calm down. I’m not going to fall.” I say as I wobble around on the edge. Mother rushes forward to stop me when another gust of wind flies in. it almost makes her fall to the ground which makes me laugh. Until I stumble too far forward. No one moves this time, I guess they think it’s another joke. I’m like the boy who cried wolf. I fall. I can see everything so much clearer. I smile as I land on a large and pointed rock. In one side out the other. I can hear them screaming. At least I’m already at the morgue.