“That’s the most dangerous place in the world, and you want to go inside; what, are you nuts?” Avry gripped her best friend’s arm, halting them in their attempt to approach the museum door.

It stood abandoned, its concrete walls painted with graffiti. The afternoon shower painted the sky gray. The building blended in with the streaks of red lightning across the clouds. Overgrown hedges and trees littered its grounds. The closest building was five miles down south. Even the bus line didn’t run that far, and they had to walk the last mile huddled under Avry’s small, pink umbrella.

“Uh, yeah?” Jaeden said, annoyed, clicking their heels. “We came all this way, didn’t we?” Jaeden brushed off Avery’s hand, tossing the umbrella aside. “It’s too good to pass up. I can’t back out now; I’ll look like a coward. You said you weren’t going to stop me.”

“I know that, but I can’t help it. Now that we’re here and…and I know now that you’re serious, but…you can’t look.” Avry’s lower lip quivered. Always the rational one. “I’ll tell Asan to take it back, to give you a new bet. This is ridiculous. Twenty pounds isn’t worth losing your sanity.”

Jaeden pulled lock-picks out of their pocket. They knelt and convinced the rusted lock to open, sweeping the chains out of the way. “You know it’s all just a scary tale, right?” Jaeden said.

“Scary enough to ban anything associated with it, yes. This isn’t one of those fairy tales you can mess around with — Jaeden!”

Avry’s friend tossed the chains aside into the street. Jaeden shoved the door with their shoulder, and with a loud clang, they entered without a second thought.

Avry hesitated. All the tales they grew up with flooded into her mind. Avry glanced back towards downtown. Hissing profanity under her breath, she followed on shaky legs.

It was nicely kept if one ignored the cobwebs, the dust, the utter lack of care from years of lying about. One could see the love that poured into the exhibit back in its glory days. The receptionist’s desk was in decent shape. Its black sign faded and rusted so much Avry couldn’t decipher the words.

Several windows shattered at one point—no doubt from someone desperate to seek shelter. Dark stains covered the floor in splatters. Avry tugged her coat tighter around her body. Her footsteps clicked in the open space, echoing throughout the hall, following Jaeden. Avry didn’t want to ponder it too much. A poor soul tormented by the harsh winter. Grabbed a rock and smashed it open, cutting themselves on the glass. They knew the dangers this gallery held and still chose it over the option of freezing to death. Avry shook the thought away.

It was an open gallery, its faded vibrant colors telling Avry of how popular it used to be. The ten exhibit pedestal stands around the room were empty. The pieces sold off at an auction, Avry guessed. The one that took place after the horrible incident with Officer Caddel and his wife. That set the whole town talking; the gossip spread faster than fire. It only fueled the stories of Avry’s childhood, and at one point, she wondered if it wasn’t a lie after all.

Avry’s knees locked in place when her gaze fell on the peeling walls. Off-white sheets lined the walls in rectangles and squares, right at her eye level. They were draped with such precision. Someone took great care; nothing would expose what lay underneath.

Vice gripped Avry’s throat. “Okay, Jaeden, we did it. You won the bet. Now, come on, let’s leave.”

To Avry’s horror, Jaeden stepped much too close to one for her liking, shrugging off their gray jacket.

“Jaeden, seriously, you’ve won; I’ll even vouch for you. Just please, please, can we go?”

“I want to see what it’s hiding,” Jaeden said. They dropped their jacket onto a pedestal, and their fingertips gripped one corner of a sheet and began to pull. Jaeden’s wrist was seized, and they met Avry’s terrified face.
 
“Don’t look. You mustn’t ever look.” Avry warned under her breath. “If you do, it’ll take you.”

“To where? Do the stories ever explain it?” When Avry didn’t reply fast enough, Jaeden scoffed. “So, who’s to say what lies beyond it?”
 
“My cousin looked into one of those things, and he’s never been the same since.” Avry squeaked, her voice lost. Her entire mouth went dry. Her skin prickled at her proximity to the thing hiding underneath the sheet. “He’s in prison now, remember? Do you want that to happen to you?”

Jaeden rolled their eyes. “Your cousin was well on his way to prison before the thought even crossed his mind.”

Avry’s eyes welled up. Jaeden wasn’t listening. “Please, don’t do this. For me if not for you.”

“What if it’s a good thing and someone doesn’t want us to find out?”

“Are you seriously going to risk my own safety for your curiosity?”

Jaeden’s deadpan tone chilled Avry’s bones. “Then leave.”

“And let you do it? Hell no. You’ve had your fun. Not even Benji would get this close, and you know how reckless he is.”

Desperation clouded Jaeden’s eyes. “But — ” they said.

Avry saw the temptation pulled forth and overwhelmed her friend.

“I have to. Don’t you see? We can disprove all the rumors, all the myths, right here, right now. We could make history.”

“No, we don’t need to make history; we need to be alive. Please, let’s just–”

Jaeden’s expression hardened, and they pushed Avry away.

Avry’s hands shot out and took the brute of the fall. Her arms zapped like she got electrocuted before giving out. Her hips felt bruised.

“Are you scared of a fairy tale, Avry? Hmm?”

In one swift motion, Jaeden unhooked the sheet, and it fell ceremoniously.

A white omen fluttered onto the tarnished tile without a sound. The world slowed down for Avry. Her raspy breathing was too loud in her ears. Avry’s eyes were glued to the innocent sheet, sweat dripping from her temples. Avry wouldn’t look. She’d never look, no matter how much the curiosity ate her alive.

“Jaeden?” Avry whispered. “What is it? What do you see?”

Photo by creatifrankenstein via Pixabay.