Day with the Brothers

Matthew (Canada) and Alfred (America)

"N-no! I don't want to go! Please, Alfred!"

Alfred yanked even harder on Matthew's shirt. They were going in whether his scaredy-cat brother wanted to or not. It appeared, though, that the only way that was happening was if he could pry Matthew off of the lamppost.

"Come on! Let go, Matthew! It won't be scary, it's all fake!"

"But- but you saw them! You heard what Kumajiro said! Something in there is evil!"

Alfred tugged even harder and Matthew didn't budge. He had his arms and legs locked around the post so tightly that he might believe they were magnetized together.

"You owe me!" He struggled and started wheeling backwards with one hand, the other still knotted into Matthew's shirt.

After one less pointless heave, Alfred untangled his hand from Matthew's shirt. He sighed. Throughout the day, his brother had done nothing but screw up and make painful situations. Now he had somehow managed to find something that Alfred could enjoy and he pasts himself to a lamppost. Why? Because his pig said uncomforting words and people ran out of the building. And what? The point of these things was to get scared. Did Matthew not understand that?

"Mattie … don't you love me? Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course I love you … but there's a limit to my love for you!" Matthew said matter-of-factly.
"So then you hate me. You didn't want me to have fun, you just needed someone to be lonely with you. I'm just a tool."

Matthew stopped struggling and glanced at his pouting brother. Alfred sat back with his shoulders slumped and his eyes focused on his lap. He looked so sad. Matthew felt a pang in his chest. Guilt. He shimmied down the post and shifted timidly from one foot to another.

"O-okay. We'll go in."

Matthew took his spot behind Alfred and began pushing the chair. He steered them to the entrance, his nerves not letting up, and pushed the handicap button. Alfred was squawking on about this and that and this and … what was that? A black mass just passed by. Or maybe it was nothing. It happened too quickly for Matthew to register – either way he didn't like it.

A lanky man stood by the door, he was wearing an antique top hat and trench coat. His smile was wicked – not good wicked. Scary wicked. And it remained that way as the two of them made their way past him.

"This is going to be so great! Ee-heehee!"

For a haunted house, the place didn't seem so haunted. They'd been wandering for over ten minutes and nothing had happened. The only thing worth noticing was that the building seemed to make Matthew's footsteps sound eerie.

"This sucks," Alfred voiced.

"I think I like it this way. Maybe Kumajiro was wro- Ah!"

"What?"

She was gone. But- but he'd just seen her! There was a woman standing at the bottom of the elevator. She wasn't human. Her cheeked were caved in, her skin – pale white and bone dry – seemed to hug her bones like saran wrap. The gash on her left leg oozed blood that just … just ended at her ankles. She wasn't human. She definitely wasn't human! And the look she gave Matthew when their eyes locked, was something of pure lust. Like she was- was hungry for him …. She was just there and then she wasn't. Haunted house actors couldn't do that. Holograms, maybe. But what type of hologram didn't require a flat surface to be pressed against?

"Matthew! Matthew snap out of it!" Alfred called to the dazed blonde. What just happened?

"I- I want to go home!" Matthew must have been having an anxiety attack. His breaths were so harsh. They were downright painful to listen to.

"Matthew what happened?"

"Wh-What happened? Didn't you see her? She was right there! R- right in front of the elevator! She vanished so quickly … I wanna go home~"

Alfred took Matthew by the hand, his pulse was palpitating like it had no end. Something scared the shit out of him alright. And the damn thing was so rude, it didn't even have a heart enough to stay for Alfred. He cursed silently.

"Calm down, okay. We're already half way through the building if we turn back now it'll take just as long to get out of here."

"Alfred I'm scared."

"It'll be okay. Let's just contin-"

The lights went out.

"A-Alfred I want to go home!"

There was a painful stabbing in the back Matthew's neck. He reached back, shocked suddenly by how much it hurt when he touched it and the smell of blood that was tickling his nostrils.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-" he stuttered. Before he could finish, there was a bright light illuminating the space before them.

She was there again, glowing like an angel in the dark. A death angel.

"Oh, my holy Jesus! Matthew do you see that? This is so cool! It's about time!"

Matthew's eyes dropped to her feet: she was hovering – and moving. Drifting. She was drifting towards them. Just as quickly as she came, there were others. An army of drifting, skin-stretched, corpses hovering for the brothers. Matthew screamed and bolted in the other direction. Quickly remembering his (probably) awestruck brother, he ran back, took the seat by the handles and ran out.

Matthew and Alfred were three point five quarters across the parking lot – half running, half fumbling for the keys in his pocket – when they heard someone yell to them.

"Hey!" the deep voice shouted from the other side of the lot.

Hesitantly, Matthew turned around. His head first, followed by the rest of his body. He didn't realize he wasn't breathing until a he exhaled with relief. A security guard was marching up to them. It was just a security guard.

"What do you think you're doing?" he gave them a quizzical look.

One of the blondes – the one in the wheel chair – had creepy-satisfied look on his face, the other one – the one pushing the chair – looked like he might pass out.

"I'm talking to you!" he snapped.

Matthew tried to speak but he couldn't find words.

"We were checking out the haunted house! Man it's so cool! How did you guys make it look so real?"

"Pardon?" The guard looked confused. He must have been playing the 'I don't know what you're talking about' act.

"The ghosts! The floating zombie peoples! I mean it was so … cool!"

"There was … no one in that building."

"Of course there wasn't," Alfred said sarcastically. He elbowed the guard in his leg playfully.

The man shook his head, "sorry to tell you this but there's no body in there. And that building isn't even being occupied anymore. It's up for demolition in a few days."

"W-what?" Matthew finally spoke.

"Yeah," the man replied. "It's being putdown – heh-heh, get it? Eh … sorry. Like I was saying: it's getting put down in three days."

"B-but there's people in there!" Matthew added desperately.

"Sorry, pal. It's completely vacated."

The world faded into a dark mist whilst the trembling Canadian calculated the words. There was no one in the building. But yes there was. But no there wasn't. The only people in there – so says the security guard – were Matthew and Alfred. Impossible. If they were the only people in there then …. Darkness swallowed the light and the world was engulfed in black. All that stood there was the skeletal woman.

"Go home, mortal. We're hungry." She said quietly.

m( _ _ )m * Surrender to the Power of the North America Brothers * m( _ _ )m

Matthew shakily handed Alfred his suitcase. It was almost sad that he had to leave so soon. Keyword being almost. The last thing they – well, Alfred really – did was try to keep Matthew from falling apart. After that security guard told them about the 'vacated' building he was snapped into a trance type thing. Alfred had to drive them home.

"I wish I could say it was fun, lil' bro but …" Alfred scratched the back of his head. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Maybe another time. I'll even help you plan things out, y'know. So that they're cooler. I'll be the hero."

Matthew nodded. He bent down to hug Alfred and took a step back.

"You can keep the wheelchair, eh. I'll cover it."

"You would have to, man. 'Cause you know I wouldn't. Anyhow, I should probably be getting on to the plane."

"Okay, bye."

Alfred waved. "Salut."

"Salut?" Matthew snorted.

"Isn't that how Frenchies say g'bye?"

The younger blonde rolled his eyes, "no. Stick to Spanish."

Alfred grinned cheekily, "if you say so … adios!"

"Au revoir."

"Hello?"

"No, I said good bye."

Alfred arched his eyebrows and they quickly settled back into place. "'Kay, Bye!"

"Bye."

Matthew wrapped his arms around Kumajiro and the bear nuzzled his arm, "well thank God that that is over."

For those in need:

Salut = hello [en Français (in French)]

Adios = good bye (in Spanish)

Au revoir = good bye (in French)

Part Three is totally over and that means this story is done!

Hope you enjoyed.

Please comment.

Et merci! (and thank-you!)