“Oh…” Aaron couldn't even finish.
He slowly approached the coffin, watching his footing so that he didn't step in the blood. He remembered the random artifacts that were outdated and with a heavy heart realized what the coffin actually was.
“Iron maiden…”
“What?” Andrew said.
“It’s an iron maiden…”
Aaron knew it was a stupid idea, but he carefully tried opening the door to the iron maiden. Spencer was in inside alright. He had been impaled from his face all the way to his ankles, one of the sharp spikes was through his glasses and eyeball. His body was stuck to the other side of the door as Aaron pulled, and there was an awful squelching sound.
“Egh…”
“What is it?” Katie cried.
“Don’t look,” Aaron let go of the door, hearing Spencer’s dead body get pierced again.
“Ugh…” Aaron wanted to vomit, “We need to get out of here.”
“I think I see stairs that way!” Aly said.
“We’re just going to leave him…?” The look on Katie’s face was equivalent of an injured puppy.
“For now,” Aaron explained, “We need to help ourselves first.”
They all took off, not caring about being quiet this time. Everyone followed Aly directing the way, and through a long row of metal shelves, layered with boxes and books, they could see an end of a staircase.
Aaron had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. The only way the light bulb would’ve worked is if someone was generating some electricity, and the only way Spencer was locked in a death box was if someone else was definitely with them.
They had to slow down, because the shelves were pressed closely together, giving them barely enough room to run forward. Now they were side-stepping. Andrew was starting to panic being in the back of the group. He was side-stepping so fast, he tripped and almost took Katie down with him. “Hurry, get up!” Katie helped pull him up.
When she was eye level with the shelves again, someone was looking right at her from the other side. Eyes like fire, red and furious. Crazed. It was a man, possibly, wearing patches of cloth around his face, similar to a burn victim.
Katie choked on a scream.
The deranged man reached his arm through the shelves grabbing at her. Katie shrieked, pressing herself against the shelf behind her, trying to be as far from him as possible. Andrew saw what was happening and jumped back, almost pushing over the shelf behind them.
The man managed to grab some of Katie’s long hair and pulled on it hard. Her head collided with books and the metal bar.
“Help!” she cried.
Another one of the man’s hands was going towards her face, but she was prepared this time. She bit him with all her might.
The man roared in pain and released the grip he had on her hair. She spat some of his blood out of her mouth in disgust. Once freed, Andrew put an arm in front of her and, with his foot, pushed the shelf that had the man on the other side. Katie followed suit, helping him knock the entire shelf over. They buried the man in books and garbage. It wouldn't last forever, but they had a better chance to escape him now.
All four of them made it to the staircase, Aaron and Aly already trampling their way to the door at the top.
“It’s open!” Aaron bellowed.
They fell over one another trying to escape the basement. Scrambling to get out of the mesh of bodies, Aaron shut the door behind them and firmly held it with his shoulder.
“Find something to hold this door shut!” he said.
Andrew and Aly searched the rooms while Katie stayed back to help hold the door. The man hadn’t come up yet, but they weren't taking any chances. Aaron considered taking on the man himself. He only got a glimpse of him when Andrew knocked the bookcase onto him, but Aaron knew he was stronger. The only problem was the trembling Katie next to him and the room of deadly gadgets downstairs. Aaron would have to wait.
“Here!”
Aly and Andrew were pushing a small dresser from another room towards them. It looked heavy enough, especially if they angled it to hit the other side of the wall, pinning the door closed for good.
“That should do it,” Aaron tested the door. Stuck.
“Thank goodness…” Katie sighed.
Her scalp was bleeding a little and her mascara started to streak down her cheeks. Aaron felt a powerful urge to hold her, but disconcerting sounds started coming from the basement.
“If he has more crazy tools down there he’s going to be able to hack the door down,” he said.
“Right,” Andrew agreed, “Let’s get out while we can.”
The basement lead them to a truly disgusting house. That wasn’t an exaggeration. It smelled of old rotting food and mildew, amongst other awful things. They walked through the kitchen, finding all sorts of perpetrators. The fridge was ajar, with food that didn't even hold a shape; just mush and a foul stench.
“Ugh!” Aly covered her nose and mouth, “There’s no way that psycho lives here…”
“I wouldn't be too sure,” Aaron said wearily.
Aaron hoped the front door would be past the kitchen, but it brought them to another hallway. Photo frames scattered on the floor with nails and glass. The floor was made of wood and appeared fragile and splintering.
Aly gagged.
“Let’s not,” Aly said shaking her poofy hair left and right.
Aaron nodded, hoping they’d be the smart group in this horror movie scenario.
Feeling agitated, Aaron thought, "How big was this place?" Judging by the size of the basement it was probably a pretty big home, or cabin, or whatever. The windows had been boarded up, so he wasn’t entirely sure where the front of the house was until they made it into the large entry way.
“Finally,” Aaron said.
The front door burst open, followed by a loud roar of an animal. However, it wasn't an animal, but another crazy man. He was a huge guy, and his mass filled up the entire doorway. The skin around his face was scarred up, and his snarl exposed missing teeth.
And he had a chainsaw.
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