Captured (Part 1)

'Natalie, drinks after work tonight?' Her coworker Rick pocked his head over the cubical wall, a hopeful expression on his face.

She shook her head. 'I can't tonight.'

Rick pouted and gave his best puppy dog eyes which only earned a laugh from his companion.

'You sure? It's Kates' birthday and we're all going out to celebrate.'

'I can't. I'm going to look at an old house. Sort of a, sentimental thing.' Hopefully he wouldn't ask too many questions. She felt silly even saying that much.

He nodded in understanding. He knew she mostly kept to herself but he always extended an invitation just in case her mind changed. 'Want company?'

Rick had been the first one at the office to actually try and include her in anything when she had first started working in the building. She felt bad rejecting him but she couldn't handle the alternative either. This felt more like something she had to do on her own. As much as she liked him, she wasn't ready to share something so personal with anyone, even someone who had welcomed her so readily.

***

Natalie caught sight of her reflection in the rear-view mirror. There were circles under her blue eyes and her normally shiny brown hair seemed to have lost some of it's luster after her long day. She had been way behind at the office and hadn't made it out until nine thirty. All she wanted was to get home, take a shower and curl up in bed. Unfortunately, there was something she had to do first.

In a months time, the house was set to be demolished and it would be gone forever. It wasn't likely she would find much left there; it had been abandoned for 25 years but she had always felt tied to the place even after she left.

Both her parents had passed away when she was three years old and she had been taken in by her aunt shortly after and hadn't been back since. As she later found out, nobody had ever moved into the house after that. It had been left at the mercy of the elements and squatters. Rumor had it the place was haunted or even cursed. Whatever the case, the bank had decided to bulldoze the building and sell the land off, probably hoping to make back a fraction of their money.

She pulled into the overgrown driveway after a half hour drive. Even from the outside the house looked like it was in bad shape. This late at night it was hard to see the extent of the damage but it was obvious the bank was making the right choice in tearing it down. Her headlights illuminated the boarded-up windows at the front of the house and the dilapidated porch. There was even a spot on the roof that looked to have rotted away completely. She checked the clock, ten thirty. If she didn't stay too long, she could make it home in the next hour.

She took a deep breath and got out of the car, slowly making her way towards the front porch. She had expected memories to come flooding back as soon as she saw the building or even a feeling of loss but, nothing. It just looked like an old, rundown house.

Dust and mildew assaulted her nose, nearly choking her as she made her way through the desolate building. A sudden rustling to the left startled her and she breathed a sign of relief as a rat scampered away. She shook her head at her own paranoia. Nobody had been here in years; she had nothing to worry about, save the possibility of falling through the ruined floor if she stepped in the wrong place.

She followed the scent of fresh air into the next room, what had once been the kitchen. Here, moonlight flooded through a hole in the wall, allowing her to better see the ruin that surrounded her. The fridge was rusted, door barely hanging by a hinge. Most of the cabinets had given up and were lying on the floor in various states of decay. She carefully picked her way around them heading towards the darkened doorway across the room.

The moment she entered the basement she knew she had made a horrible mistake. It felt wrong, as thought the building itself was screaming at her to leave. No time to react. By the time she felt the presence behind her it was too late. A pain at the base of her skull, and darkness.