The mansion

It's dark inside.

Ethan can only see shadows, Alex barely visible despite standing right next to him. She slips by him, tapping his shoulder, mumbling something under her breath. Half blind, he follows her, her black hair making it hard to see her properly as she moves deeper into the mansion.

"So," Ethan runs a hand through his now wet hair, "This place..."

Alex glances over her shoulder, "What is it, or how did I know how to get in?"

"Both?"

He hears Alex chuckle. "Kids sneak in here all the time."

"Uh-huh..." Ethan isn't sure if that's an answer to the first question, the second, or both. "Why?"

Alex reaches a staircase, making her way up. "Careful on the stairs. Why do you think?"

He follows her carefully. Truthfully, Ethan knows why kids sneak into anywhere. But that still leaves a question, "Okay, but... why here?"

Reaching the top of the stairs, Alex starts down a hall, the shadows getting darker. She reaches out, running her hand along the wall, using it as a reference. "You've never broken into an abandoned house before?"

"No," Ethan frowns, trying to follow. "This place seems kinda dangerous."

"The danger is part of the fun." Alex reaches a door, turning the knob and opening it. "That's what this place is here for you know."

Following her into the room, Ethan frowns. It might just be the darkest room yet, just a mass of black.

And then, light.

Ethan shields his eyes as the lights come on, Alex having flipped a switch on the wall. "This place has power?"

"Yeah," she moves up beside him, "It's old as hell though. Most of the fixtures don't work, and don't try use of the outlets. Seriously."

The light isn't particularly bright, just unexpected, so Ethan's eyes adjust quickly. The room is around bedroom-sized, maybe larger, although no bed is present. Instead, couches and chairs are gathered around in a circle, most of them appearing worn out, but not particularly old. In the center of the circle sits an extremely old table covered in stains and burns, an ashtray and several empty bottles scattered on its surface. On the left wall, a large set of double doors sit closed.

Turning to Alex, he gives her a small smirk. "So how do you know about this place again?"

"I told you," she brushes past him, making for the nearest couch. "Kids sneak in here all the time."

"Mhm," Ethan follows her slowly, "That include you?"

Alex sits on the couch, reclining and crossing her smooth, bare legs. "I'm not a kid anymore."

"That's not an answer."

She smiles.

Ethan joins her on the couch, suddenly realizing how wet he is. He's not quite soaked through, but his socks and shoes do feel waterlogged. He pulls off a shoe, inspecting the damage. "Fuck..."

"Take your socks off." Alex frowns, looking at the problem.

"What if I step on a used needle or something?"

Alex snorts. "A used needle? It's a glorified clubhouse, not a **** den. You'll be fine. Here." She slips out of her flip-flops, planting her pale feet on the floor. "See?"

Shrugging, Ethan takes off his other shoe and his socks, then carefully plants his own feet on the floor.

"You're shirt and pants too."

"Huh?" Ethan gives Alex a look. "Why?"

"Because you'll get fucking sick!" She frowns, "We might be here awhile."

Ethan eyeballs her. Her clothes are far less wet than his, the doorway shielding her when the worst of the rain hit. Grumbling, he knows she might be right...