The Dead House

only sound as Alex and his friends approached their destination. The ai

t his phone. "GPS says it's right ahead,

from the backseat, leaning forwa

ered, slouched against the window. "You know, the kind that looks

rkaster?" Chris as

lor exclaimed, making hal

of Jordan. She sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the passing buildings. She hadn't said much

e hundredth time. He wasn't sure what to say, or if he should say anything at all. Jord

head. "There! T

a small, forgotten parking lot. At the far end stood a low, dilapidat

t made Alex's

asked, her voice tinged with unease as the

letter," Chris said, do

the gold lettering under what was once a proud logo was peeling away. Weeds pushed through cracks in the

said, raising an eyebrow. "Lo

lding. The closer he got, the more unsettling it felt. The air here was st

tling the handles. "Locke

s," Emma mutter

his jaw tightening.

ebrow. "Breaking? B

better idea?"

she smirked. "Nop

ning. Most of the windows were boarded up, the

oards had come loose. The glass behind it was cracked b

through that?" Emma as

a crowbar in your b

boards. "These should come off pretty easily,"

t know you had a caree

aid, though there was no

the other side. The air inside was damp and stale

lled, stepping a

d dirt. When Jordan climbed through, Alex instinctively reached out to

id softly, her e

way quickly but he could have sworn the cor

every surface, and the remnants of furniture lay scattered across t

hris said, his voice

papers, her arms wrapped tightly arou

leg, sending it skidding across

he intended. He moved further into the room

office. The door was slightly ajar, the words Cha

ace, its surface cluttered with faded papers and empty coffee mugs. A c

g the desk. "This place looks

a hurry," Jordan said, h

ed papers. Most were invoices and contracts, but one stood

headline sending a

Closes Doors After

is shoulder. "That'

esn't make sense. How did

id firmly. "Someone else

is mind racing. "It was in his

an asked, st

just sent from this office, it was written in the same

bias has been dead for y

ped. "So how did I g

eight of his words settling

her arms. "This is too

. "We need answers," she said. "If this isn't a scam, then someone's go

For the first time, he felt the full we

sent that letter, they w

ssions of worry to varying degrees. Just as he opened h