What the house hides

         "It's haunted, you know." The speaker was a short boy with a mischievous smile tilting his bright green eyes.
         "You've been saying that since school started, Ryan," an older girl answered, with the tone of one who has to deal with such statements often. Her similar green eyes stared disapprovingly at him. "Cody, tell my stupid little brother that his plan matches his brain." The girl, Allison, turned to the other member of the party.
         "What's your plan?" he said with interest lighting his somewhat scarred face: Cody was perhaps one of those boys with no sensible level of fear, one of those that didn't need to hear the term "double dog dare" before he risked life and limb.
         Ryan, now shining as his ownership of the spotlight was assured, answered, "The deserted building is right by the dirt lot and the park, right?"
         "The building isn't deserted, that old man… Alfred, owns it," Allison interrupted to correct him.
         Ryan rolled his eyes and continued, "We could go 'bike-riding' in the park and explore that building while we're there."
         "Good plan," Allison said sarcastically, "except that Mom won't let you go out to the park after what you did to Ms. Gardner."
         "It was just a can of silly string…" he said with a slight whining tone in his voice.
         "Let's just sneak out at night!" Cody piped in excitedly.
         "Uhh, it's dark then…" Ryan responded.
         "We shouldn't sneak out, it's not r--"
         "Are you scared, Ryan? It's not like there'll be monsters and vampires and stuff out, they don't exist."
         "I'm telling you, we shouldn--"
         "Of course I'm not scared! Besides, if there were vampires, I'd grab a great big stake and kill 'em!"
         "Then we're going," Cody said, smiling.
         "I'll have to keep an eye on you two, won't I?" Allison asked rhetorically as Ryan nodded.
         "Mom and Dad go to bed at eleven," Ryan interjected.
         "And my gran'pa goes to sleep at ten now, 'cos of his back," Cody answered.
         "We'll leave at eleven thirty, then, with our bikes, if you guys are still awake, that is." both Cody and Ryan looked at her. She managed to sigh and smile at the same time, "I have to watch you so you don't run into those nasty monsters and vampires, right?"
 
         A small tap on the door woke Ryan up and the light flicking on assured that he was awake while nearly blinding him. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to stay up," Allison was smirking slightly and leaning against the door-frame, "Mom and Dad are asleep, I just checked." She waited for him to sit up and rub his eyes. "Are you sure we should do this…?"
         "Of course… I'm supposed to be the little baby, remember? What're you afraid of?" Ryan slurred.
         "Get ready, we're meeting Cody in five minutes." she answered shortly and stepped out of the room.
         A few minutes later Ryan stumbled into the hall, still sleepy, but ready to go, and both of them moved quietly out the door and into the night.
         "Over here!" Cody whispered loudly over the sound of a lone dog barking in the distance. Allison nodded and turned on her flashlight, heading his way with Ryan walking his bike beside her. "This is it," Cody said, with the air of one preparing troops for battle, "if you want to turn back, now is the time. Once we get there, I am not leaving 'til we have explored the place or died trying!"
         Ryan's eyes widened, "Don't say that!"
         "Shush, Cody," Allison said, "Ryan, he doesn't really mean that we are going to die in there. It's just an expression." She threw a disapproving look at Cody.
         He shrugged, "I was just saying… yer little bro didn't have to be a wussy about it."
         "I am not a wussy!" "--Shush!--" "I am not a wussy and we're going!"
         "Ryan, didn't I tell you to hush!" Allison said desperately, "you're going to wake Dad up and then we won't be able to sit until Tuesday."
         Cody rolled his eyes and started riding. "Cody! Wait up!" Ryan said, receiving a glare from Allison as they caught up.
 
         The building did indeed look haunted with its boarded up windows and lonely streetlight spotlight. Cody stared at the building, then glanced sideways at the other two, the excitement on his face highlighted eerily by the flashlight. He nodded at them, then sauntered to the old wooden door. He raised his hand to turn the knob and watched in near terror as the door seemed to open of its own accord. Ryan and Allison, who had been only a few paces from the front of the house, stopped dead in their tracks. "I told you it was haunted," Ryan said, even in fear wanting to get the last word.
         "Haunted?" a soft female voice spoke from beyond the door, "Of course not… I live here and I'm no ghost." She opened the door wider and stepped forward. Definitely not a ghost or any sort of monster they could imagine, she smiled down at them, apparently not perturbed in the least over having unexpected visitors at such an hour.
         "We wanted to explore your house," Ryan beamed up at her.
         "Ryan! That's not polite!" Allison turned to him and rebuked.
         "No, it's fine," the woman answered, "I rarely get visitors… In fact, I think some of the neighborhood children have made me out to be some sort of blood-sucking monster." She smiled to show how ridiculous the idea was, and the two young boys smiled back. "If you would like to see my house…" Allison felt uneasy… something was wrong, but what exactly? She looked up at the woman, like Cody and Ryan were doing, and decided, that nothing could possibly be wrong with someone like this.
         "You're great…" Cody murmured, mirroring both Allison and Ryan's thoughts.
         "So I have been informed… come in, come in," she said as she stepped aside.
         The floor creaked slightly with the added weight of three children and small motes of dust trickled from the ceiling.
         "This way," the woman said, not even checking behind her to be sure they were following. She led them into a small kitchen and motioned to a wooden table with several chairs clustered around it. The woman sat down in one of the chairs while Ryan, Cody, and Allison vied for the two spots next to her.
         She smiled, the smile of someone watching their favorite movie for the nth time. "Do your parents know you are here?"
         "Naw-aw, we sneaked out," Ryan beamed up at the woman.
         "Oh, really? That sort of thing might get you into trouble sometime." The children looked down at the table with shame. "Oh, no, it's ok. I didn't say that you were in trouble now, did I?" They shook their heads. "I suppose there's no changing you sneaked out…" perhaps if Allison hadn't been busy hanging on every word, she might have noticed the woman's odd tone, a tone that suggested seized opportunity. "Would your parents be able to find you here?"
         Allison looked to the others, "Cody's gran'pa and my mom and dad could maybe find us if they were looking and saw our bikes." Cody and Ryan nodded.
         "But you didn't leave a note or tracks?"
         "Nope," Allison answered, "we all made sure. We didn't want to get caught sneaking out."
         "Hmm," the woman said thoughtfully. "Alfred!"
         The children flinched as another person, a thin and skeletal man, walked into the room.
         "Mistress?" he asked.
         She turned back to the kids, "This is Alfred, he owns this house for me and will take care of your bicycles for you." She gestured to the man, and he stepped out and closed the door. There was a click.
         Sure, the woman was wonderful, but… "Our bikes need to be moved?" Allison felt her stomach tighten inexplicably.
         "Yes, of course… why, your parents might find you otherwise."
         Ryan felt his eyes widen and heart beat faster, "You … don't want my Mom and Dad to find me?" There was a piteous and incredulous tone in his voice.
         She shook her head and smiled. In his fear, Ryan imagined he could see…
         "Yes, these are fangs," she had noticed him staring, "all the better to feed with, my dears." Allison turned to the door. "But you would find it locked… such a sad predicament, isn't it?"
         "What are you?!" Cody asked suddenly.
         "Tut, tut. That's not nice. You really should ask, 'who are you?' And it doesn't matter… or it won't matter in a little while." The woman reached into a cupboard and pulled out rope and a roll of duct tape. "Ahh, here it is." She looked Cody in the eyes. "Stay," she said calmly, and with authority.
         He wanted desperately to run, to try the door and pray fervently that it wasn't really locked… but. He stayed; he stood in one spot while the woman deftly tied him up and duct taped his mouth. Then, he had no choice but to stay and watch the process be repeated on Ryan.
         "Stay," she commanded Allison. "You'll be first, I think. I hope that doesn't bother you terribly…" This time the woman did not tie her victim up.
         "First? For …"
         She nodded, "Yes, lets see, how shall I put it? " She paused a moment, "For death."
         Tears filled Allison's eyes. "Why?" she wailed, "None of us ever did anything to you!"
         The woman seemed unaffected, "That's life and death for you."
         "At least spare them, please! Please, I'll give you anything if you just don't kill Ryan!" she sobbed.
         "I don't think so. If it makes you feel any better, he'll live a little longer."
         Allison closed her eyes. "Please…" she said weakly.
         The only answer was a slight prick in her neck… then there was darkness.