Johnny paced at the foot of the staircase, walking back and forth dragging his feet along the shaggy brown carpet.
“Charlie, come on!” He yelled to his older brother, “We’re going to be late for school.” He fumbled to peel back the wrapper of his granola bar as he continued to take fast, anxious steps.
“Okay,” Charlie’s voice rang down the stairs to Johnny. “Here I come. We aren’t too late are-” Charlie’s words were cut short as he toppled over and rolled down the remaining six steps after accidently miss placing his feet.
“Ouch.”
“Nice way to get down the stairs,” Johnny teased, “although I prefer to use my feet.”
“Shut up Johnny.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine” Charlie lifted himself from the floor and reached for his back pack and keys. His face was red from carpet burn and his arms scratched, already beginning to shows signs of bruising. He pushed past Johnny and continued through the doorway. “Now let’s go before we’re really late.”
Johnny followed behind his older brother, who now, also had a slight limp and he laughed quietly to himself.
“It’s not funny Johnny,” Charlie said, “and you better not tell anyone at school today, too.”
“I won’t.”
“I’ll tell mom you pushed me and then you won’t be able to go to soccer practice tonight.”
“No!”
“Then you better not tell anyone.”
Johnny peered out the passenger side window of his brother’s red Ford pick-up. “I won’t,” he mumbled.
“Good.”
Twenty minutes later and Charlie was spinning the steering wheel, turning into the school parking lot and shutting down the engine. “Let’s go.” He said to his brother.

They stepped out of the truck and walked up to the door. Johnny pulled it, “It’s locked.” He said looking back at his brother. He jiggled the handle a few more times but it was no use.

“Boys,” a deep voice called out from behind them, “come with me, please.” The man stood tall, towering over the two of them. His arms straight at his sides, neatly hidden beneath the black cotton suit jacket he wore along with matching pants and a bright red tie. The brothers followed the man to a small building covered with moss and disguised amongst tree branches.
“Step inside,” the man said as he held open a creaky wooden door, “please.” He added.
“I don’t know about this, Charlie.” Johnny said.
“Me neither.” Charlie agreed, “Who are you, anyway?” He asked, looking the man up and down a few times.
“I’m not of any importance.” He smiled.
“That’s it,” Charlie said, “we’re out of here.”
“Wait a sec!” Johnny called to his brother.
“What?”
“Look,” Johnny pointed to a frosted glass window. Behind it were people dressed in black moving around, almost gliding across the floor, like shadows or spirits. “what do you think they are?”
“I don’t know, but we’ve got to get out of here, Johnny.”
“The school is locked.”
“Ah, yes,” The man said, “the school is not open for you today. That is why I have brought you here.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlie asked.
“You were chosen.”
“Chosen for what? What’s going on?” Four of the shadow figures moved swiftly through the door way. Two grabbed Johnny by his arms and two reached out for Charlie.
“Charlie!” Johnny screamed while the figures dragged him inside. The man’s deep voice rose into a roar as he began to chant words in what sounded like Latin. The figures edged toward Charlie, slowly getting closer and closer, moving only when the man called out,
“Sanguinem!”
They grabbed ahold of his arms, gripping them so tightly that it felt like fire licking away at his skin.
“Sanguinem!” The man yelled a few more times.
They moved with his voice into the room of darkness.

“Charlie,” Johnny asked, “are you okay?”
“What?”
“Are you okay?” Johnny repeated.
“Where are you?” Charlie begged.
“Open your eyes, Charlie.”
“No,” he cried, “you can’t look at them or they’ll take you. They want blood, that’s what the man was yelling. The spirits want blood!”
“What?”
“You aren’t really here, Johnny.”
“Yes I am, open your eyes Charlie.”
“You’re dead,” Charlie cried, “they took you, the spirits took you into the dark room.”
“Charlie, please open your eyes.” Johnny reached his hand out and ran his fingers down the side of Charlie’s chin.
“Ouch,” Charlie screamed, “that burns.”
“You fell,” Johnny explained, “your face and arms are scraped and burned from the carpet.”
“They burned me.”
“What are you talking about, Charlie?”
“The man in the red tie, the spirits in black, the room hidden in the trees behind the school.” Charlie’s voice faded.
“You tripped and fell down the stairs.” Johnny laughed. Charlie opened his eyes and looked around his living room. The familiar yellow walls and white curtains, a leather couch covered with pillows that his mom had neatly placed together. He twisted the shaggy brown carpet between his fingers.
“I’m still at home?” He asked.
“Yes.”
“But,” he stopped.
“You fell and hit your head and you’ve been laying here for ten minutes,” Johnny laughed, “I thought you were pretending.”
“I thought we were going to die.” Charlie laughed too. A knock at the door interrupted their laughter and Johnny helped his brother to his feet. He opened the door while Charlie stood behind him, leaning against the wall. A man stood on the other side, dressed in a black suit and a crimson tie.
“Hello boys,” He said, his voice deep, almost frightening enough to send chills down your spine, “it seems you did not make it to school today,” he continued, “can you come with me, please.”