Mr. Lindens Library

                Five days before the incident happened, Daniel was just a normal teenage boy, going to school and living life to the fullest. Although Daniel’s family was rather wealthy, he went to public school where he met his best friend Cole Harper, a street kid that lacked the certain angst of other street kids. Regardless the differences between the two they had been best friends for years, and would walk home together every single day, never failing to pass by the old abandoned house that separated Daniels neighborhood from Cole’s by a lengthy fence that followed around about five acres of land that hadn't been tended to for as long as the two could think to remember, always making mention of how serious it was.

                The building looked like a mansion really, towering with stained glass walls, and high arches that seemed once beautiful, now hanging by its last thread of life. Something about the place had always called out to Daniel, although he could never put his finger on it. It was a curiosity the plagued him since He and Cole were boys. So as to rid Daniel of this burning curiosity of what lay in the old abandoned building, the two made a pact that at the end of their senior year of High School, before both parted ways, they would step foot into the old rotten mansion- which had never happened before- and see what they could find out.

                The night of the mission to infiltrate the corroded manor was brisk, the smell of rain and fall permeating the air. The two boys were to meet each other in front of the house at seven thirty, but as usual, both of them were late. “Sorry bro, mom made a huge deal about my dislike for peas.” said Daniel with careless grin.

                “It’s cool; I just brainstormed whether or not I should even come. This place looks like it could collapse any second!” Cole said, with an uneasy expression on his face. “Besides, what do you think that we will find in here anyways? If the place had cool things inside of it I doubt that it would be ABANDONED.”

                Daniel brushed Coles comments off to the side, knowing good and well that he was determined to reach the inside of this creepy place. Besides, even if Daniel went in alone, it wouldn't be long until Cole would follow, for they had a friendship tighter than a rubber band ball, and Cole wouldn't dare let him be in any kind of trouble without him. The two of them look for any nearby cars or pedestrians before climbing over the ten foot high metal gate and both times falling with a thud followed by a curse word. “Ouch! I fell on my knife.” Cole then draws out a huge black Gerber tactical knife. “Pretty sweet right? Scored it off my dad a few days ago, he never noticed. My dad has more weapons than most people have silverware.”

                “I’m going to pretend I never saw that just in case I get questioned by police when you murder yourself with that by accident.” Said Daniel with a light hearted laugh, although having a weapon of that proportion in Coles hands never really ended well.

                The two walked to the front door and simultaneously kicked it in, not out of necessity, but more for being able to say that they have now kicked in a door. As they step into the threshold of the decaying remains of the building, they notice something on the ground- a book by the title of Mr. Lindens Library. As Daniel picks up the book He and Cole both notice an awful stench coming from inside the building, and it smelt like a rotten carcass. At that moment, Daniel and Cole fell to their better judgment and left the old mansion at a hurried pace, with the book of Mr. Lindens library in hand.

                “You’d better be careful with that book there, Dan.”

                “Psh, why do you say that?”

                Judging by the way that the old mansion had been left, as if nobody had wanted it, Cole assumed the same of this peculiar book, but instead replied “I don’t know it could have asbestos poisoning on it or something.”

                Daniel followed Cole’s sarcastic statement with a chuckle and said “No worries, dude, if that happens; I can chill in a hospital for months without worry of work or anything otherwise.”

                That was the last night that Daniel and his family was ever seen, or heard of again. Police turned his home upside down for clues as to the disappearance of him and his family, but there was nothing amiss. Cole spent every waking last moment of his summer in search for his lost best friend, but with all of his efforts there came nothing. All he could ever think of after that was that book, even when he grew older and had married. He had warned Daniel about the book, but now it was too late.