The 5th Bedroom (Initial Draft)

I recently began my second year of university. And, as is second year custom, I moved out of residence and rented a house in town with some friends. We should have thought it was weird when we saw the price of rent, it was cheap. Dirt cheap. Though, as most university students know, money is tight and we were all pretty ecstatic about having our own place and our own wallets. The house was perfect for 4 guys; 5 bedrooms, big lot backing right onto the river, no neighbours to dampen the party. Needless to say we were all pretty excited.

All of us are from different places from all over Ontario so we all moved in at different times. The friend closest to the house, Matt, is the guy who found the place for us. He took tours of the places and sent us all pictures, but ultimately we all decided on this house. Oddly enough, on move in day I was the first one at the house. I had expected Matt to be there but really didn’t think anything of it. My brother and I moved my stuff in to my room. We finished the move in and sat in the kitchen for a while, having a beer and chatting. During a break in conversation my brother, Andrew, pointed out how quiet the house was. I took a swig of beer and mulled it over. The house was quiet, though a busy road and a river ran by the house you couldn’t hear a single sound from outside.

I could tell that Andrew was creeped out so I grabbed him another beer and asked him if he wanted to see the whole house. He agreed and we started the tour. I had only seen the house through pictures but I managed to give a pretty comprehensive tour, though, when we had seen every room Andrew asked about the unused bedroom. Matt had told us about it but I had never seen the pictures so Andrew and I decided to check it out. At the top of the second floor stairs was the bedroom. We both tried to open it but it seemed, not locked but, jammed or stuck. Just as I put my ear to the door, the front door crashed open and a yell came from the foyer. Kirk, Craig and Matt were here. Andrew and I looked at each other, rattled, and laughed.

First Night: Andrew left shortly after the guys got here. He looked relieved. On his way out he gave me a long, lingering hug and made a point to say’ “I love you.” We finished the move in then grabbed some beers and started our 4 man-move in party. After some heated drinking games we corrugated at the kitchen table laughing and carrying on until a silence befell the group, just like with Andrew. This time it was Craig who broke the silence, “Damn it’s quiet eh?” Heads nodded in reply but no one seemed ready to talk. The flame of a new house and good times had been suddenly and insidiously extinguished. “Anyone want to go out for a smoke?” I proposed cautiously. No nods this time as the guys all pushed out their chairs and made a speedy procession out the front door.  Once out of the house there seemed to be a collective sigh as we stood in the front yard and gazed up at the house finally, for the first time all night, hearing the hum of vehicles and flowing of the river. We stayed outside until our eyes couldn’t stay open.

We all got ready for bed in the single washroom and then stood in our door ways saying good night. Craig’s furthest from mine, Kirks beside his, then the bathroom, followed by the 5^th bedroom across from the stairs, then Matt’s room. We all lingered for as long as we could but eventually we shut our doors and went to sleep. I peeked out of my room once more and looked into the hall, every door on the second floor was closed and for some reason I felt isolated. I closed my, hopped into bed and turned out my light. The long day took its toll and with the help of the beer I felt myself drifting off. Just as I closed my eyes I heard the river, then a splash followed by a sound that I will never forget. It was a sound of pure horror, a scream so piercing and pleading, a cold hand gripping my heart. The 4 of us burst from our rooms and met at the top of the stairs we looked back and forth at each other, and I really can’t tell you who noticed first but it might have been Kirk, all I heard was a gasp a we turned to see a row of neat wet footprints into the gapping doorway, the open mouth, that was the 5^th bedroom.