Down There…

Shivers creased my body as I stared down into the dark abyss that was our family basement. I couldn’t even begin to move then a firm nudge from behind brought me around. I was Terry, my younger brother, yes, the one with the gun, leering at me with those narrow mousey eyes.
“Aw, jeese!” I cried, bile rising in my throat, “Do I have’ta!”
Little brother smiled, more like a smirk but kept silent. His slow nod, and the click of the safety being removed confirmed my fate.
As I face the darkness again, I couldn’t help but recall events from before, long ago events I tried to place back in the deepest repository of my beleaguered mind.
The Basement…
Our small, tiny steps…
Terry…Harriet…Leo and I…
OH great! I’m actually walking down now as I think about what happened then.
I was only a dare, really an innocent dare, and yet we knew the stories, of the foreboding tales of murder, torture, of, of—
I shivered again, flesh cold covered in goosebumps, then came a light musty smell, wet and heavy bringing me to a stop. As I looked back up, I could see my brother was at the doorway still leering, still watching with those beedy-beedy eyes. The pistol was gone now, and his hands were holding the door.
“Terry…please.”
He appeared deaf to my anguished words, then slowly, very slowly closed it shut.
That’s when my chest heaved, eyes frantically searching for the lanyard for the overhead light. My hands groped wildly about, fingers scrapping the rough concrete walls in desperation. I was wrong, I cried hoping that would gain me a reprieve.
A low click, my wails rising. I slumped to the steps, quavering like a mound of Jello, clutching my knees wishing we had never found this place, never tried to discover the secrets that should have never been found.
Leo…why?
Harriet, my sweet Harriet…I left you here. I was—
Something brushed across the top of my head, and I jerked clambering back against the wall. I was crying full on now, sensing the bulk setting menacingly out there, somewhere in the darkness. The smell grew stronger, then a warm gust of air caught my face followed by a grunt turning into a long slow laugh.
“Heeeyyy, buddy,” called the dreaded voice I longed never to hear again. My lips quavered uncontrollably as another set of warm fingers rested down on one leg.
I didn’t want to think, didn’t want to believe this was happening too me, but the hulking form felt close now, dank smells of life filling my nose. Something large I felt hove up close to my face and then—
“I missed you…buddy…”