Laughing, having a good time, we were talking about horror stories in my bedroom before we sleep. I love a good horror story.
     "And so the people who went into the Forest of Forgotten Memories never returned..." Tamerine said at the end of her story called 'The Forest of Forgotten Memories'.
     Her stories are the best.
     "Tommy, it's your turn, you bloody pussy," Sam said in his British accent.
     Tommy wasn't much of a pussy or someone who gets scared easily, it's just his name that sounded like it belonged to a five-year-old even though his eyes made him look nice. He rolled his eyes but nods.
     "This story takes place right here, at this condo, downstairs at an abandon alley," he started, not bothering to out any enthusiasm into it. "It said that a lot of people commited suicide and killed and robbed and businesses went bankrupt and was haunted in this alley, that's why it's called Suicide Alley. There was never a survivor after all the shops closed down and the six hundred, sixty-sixth person had commited suicide."
     "Devil's number?" I asked, excited about this story taking place at my condominium. Just below my feet. "Cool."
     "Agreed," Sam said as we hi-five each other.
     He shook his head in disbelief but grinned anyway. "If someone goes there now, they will be killed one by one once they pull the Trigger. The end."
     "What 'Trigger'?" I said curiously.
     "Something that makes the spirits who were killed slash commited suicide slash blah blah blah you get it, angry."
     "Let's go there then, to pull that Trigger," Alois said and stood up to leave, "anyone else wanna come?"
      "I sure am!" Sam replied and stood up immediately.
     Tommy stood up but with a serious expression and snatched her hand aggressively. "Na ah, you heard what I said or are you deaf? You're going to die if you pull that Trigger, Alois."
     "Sounds like the big pussy doesn't want to go," she mocked, prying from his grip. He seemed mad now. "Alexis, you're in right? Tamerine?"
     Tamerine shook her head in disagreement. "I'm sticking with Tommy because I don't feel like dying today."
     They all turned to me, Tommy with a skeptical face and Alois with a face of someone who's ready for adventure. Which should I choose?
     "I don't see why not," I finally said, seeing that Tommy had his arms crossed.
     He just sat on my bed and looked away from us. "Don't come crying to me once you're dead."
     Tamerine just sat there, motionless. And she whispered to me, "Good luck."
     I shuddered at the statement but he could just be acting to make us look back; there's no looking back now! I'm so excited!

We went downstairs and I have my helmet camera on. I rode my skateboard and both Alois and Sam were racing each other towards Suicide Alley. I was faster than them and I did some tricks on my specially decorated skateboard along the way for fun.
     "We're here."
     I look ahead of us, jumping of my skateboard. There was an alley ahead of us, it looked so normal—whatever Tommy said must've been total bullshit. This is totally harmless.
     All the shops were closed until the very end of the alley, like the story goes. Some tiles were missing, some of them chipped. This was totally normal.
     What caught my eye first, however, was a black chair placed smack-dab in the middle of the way. Is that the 'Trigger' Tommy had mentioned?
     "Let's go!" Alois said cheerfully as she walked down Suicide Alley as if she was taking a walk in a park.
     "You think we have to call the spirits before we pull the Trigger?" Sam asked, suddenly not wanting to step a foot on Suicide Alley's ground. "I don't want to go now, I'm heading back."
     "Suit yourself, wuss, I'm calling the spirits and gonna pull that Trigger with Alexis."
     "I dunno if we should, Alois," I said, suddenly feeling a cold air hit my face, making me freezing despite my jacket.
     "Come on, just one step here?"
     "Fine."
     I stepped on the first tile and I got colder. I had a bad feeling right now. There's no turning back... I thought, reminding me of what Tommy warned us about—and I ignored. I'm such an idiot.
     Sam had already left us and ran untill I couldn't see him once he rounded a corner. We're on our own now.
     "Attention, beasties and ghoulies and ghosties and monsters that go bump in the night!" she called out with her hands cupped around her mouth to amplify her voice. "We're just two girls looking for this 'Trigger' of yours and we'll be glad to pull it for you!"
     "There will be no return once you pull the Trigger... Turn back and leave... Forever..." a voice behind me said in a dark whisper. A warning.
     "Did you hear that..?"
     "Yeah... We heard you and thanks but no thanks! We're pulling that Trigger of yours!" Alois said for both of us.
     I already stepped off the tiles of Suicide Alley and she looked at me, disappointed. "You're going?"
     "You nuts?! No one could have said that to scare us! I'm out!"
     She already sat on the chair and lounged on it. I just stood there, frozen in place as if a spell had been casted on me. She was still calling for the spirits that lingered here.
     A shadow risen behind her and wrapped itself around the chair towards her... More shadows came and surrounded her as if they were making a sacrifice. And Alois was the sacrifice...
     "ALOIS! GET OUT OF THERE!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, not daring to take a step near her.
     The ground sank around her—there was no escape. The shadows came in closer and bound her to the chair and wrapped themselves around her neck, suffocating her. She sank deeper and deeper, screaming as she descended.
     The shadows eventually wrapped around most of her, until I could only see some of her legs and body and her left eye. The chair finally sank completely and my friend disappeared, the shadows who wrapped her flooded in. I heard screams that deafened me. I cupped my ears.
     I ran back to my room to find everyone still there and I slammed the door shut.
     "What? What happened? Where's Alois?" Tommy said, concern hardened his face.
     "She-she was t-taken," I staggered, traumatized by what just happened. "K-killed."
     "What?!" the three asked together.
     "Oh shit!" Tommy said when he heard and slid down the wall beside me. "Stupid piece of... At least you're still here. That's all that matters."
     "What if a shadow is right there with bid red glowing eyes in the corner and looks like it's gonna take us?" Tamerine asked and I looked up.
     "Who says we keep to our word...?"
      It was that voice who gave me that warning in the alley. And he stepped closer towards me.