Once in a Lifetime

33

After a strong gust of wind from outside caused the upstairs floorboards to creak as well, Scott jerked his head toward the staircase before he led Stiles and Tabitha towards it so they could investigate the upstairs as well. Like the rest of the house, the staircase was rickety and covered in cobwebs, causing the threw to walk up the stairs slowly to ensure that they didn't break anything. Upstairs, Scott, Tabitha and Stiles peeked into every room they passed; while the rooms were completely free of furniture, decorations, or other personal belongings, they were at least clean and free of dust and cobwebs, unlike the downstairs. Confused, Scott, Tabitha and Stiles started to discuss what they had found.

"Maybe Alex got the address wrong?" Scott guessed.

"Or he lied," Tabitha said grimly.

"Why would he lie?"

Scott, Tabitha and Stiles made their way down the hallway, passing several more empty rooms, until they reached the end, where a chipped white wooden door was shut. The three shared a hesitant look before Tabitha, looking uneasy, stepped forward and reached out for the crystal doorknob, twisting it to open the door. When they walked inside, they were shocked to find that the room was clean, bright, and full of furnishings typical of a pre-teenage boy. It was clear by the photos on the wall that this was Alex's bedroom, and Scott, Tabitha and Stiles were stunned by the confirmation that something supernatural was truly going on.

"He didn't lie..." Stiles and Tabitha said.

Scott asked in a shocked tone, "Why didn't the cops say anything about this?"

Stiles shook his head before answering Scott's question. "They don't know its here. They can't come here without a warrant, and there's no owner of record to serve a warrant to... So, unless there's some kind of threat or imminent danger, they wouldn't come in."

Before Scott, Tabitha and Stiles could ponder any further, Scott froze when he suddenly heard footsteps and creaking floorboards downstairs. Stiles and Tabitha became alarmed when they saw Scott frown in confusion and concern.

"What?" the couple asked.

"...I think I heard something," Scott replied as he hesitated for a moment before turning and walked out of the room to investigate. Stiles and Tabitha followed after Scott to accompany him, but on the latter's way to the door, she became distracted by the photos hanging on the wall next to it. She stepped over to get a closer look and frowned when she saw that every photograph was solely of Alex with no other people. Upon closer inspection, Tabitha noticed that one of the photos was in a frame with "#1 Dad" printed on it but didn't feature Alex's father anywhere; it soon became clear that Alex's father had somehow been erased from the photo when Tabitha noticed that Alex appeared to have his arm propped up as though he had rested it on his father's shoulder. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew behind Tabitha, startling her so much that she screamed.

"Tabi?" Stiles said. "Hey, what is it?"

She shook her head. "I-I don't know. Something bad is coming, Stiles. Something really bad."

Meanwhile, Scott, still holding a lit flashlight, made his way down the stairs and back into the completely empty living room. He entered the dining room, once again making note of the empty plates and glasses set on the table until the sound of footsteps nearby caused him to look alarmed and uneasy. He was about to follow the sound when he glanced back at the table and realized to his shock that the plates that were just on the table had vanished; had it not been for the circles left behind in the thick layer of dust where the plates and glasses were just sitting, one would not know they had even been there.

Back upstairs in Alex's room, Tabitha and Stiles saw that the bedskirt was seemingly blowing in the wind, and they knelt down on the floor next to the bed to see if the source of the wind was under it. However, when they peered underneath the skirt, Tabitha saw two horse hooves step into view, both of which were splattered with human blood. Horrified, Tabitha backed away from the bed and looked up, expecting to see a horse standing behind the bed, but there was nothing to be seen.