Chapter 3
Finley walks over to the cabinets for the third time that hour. The same empty sight greets him as he sighs.
"We need to leave." He turns to the group.
"We should have already left." Danny rubs the back of his neck, his smile fading from his face. "We've been here for too long."
"The flashlight is nearly dead too." Oliver shakes it, trying to bring it back to life. It dimly shines before completely dying. "Correction, it's completely dead."
"It's not safe out there." Trevor stands from the table and walks over.
"It was never safe, Trevor. That doesn't mean we should've stayed so long." Oliver turns to face him.
"So the food we found and the supplies weren't a reason to stay?"
"They ran out a few days ago. That was a reason to leave."
"It's not safe to go out there!" Trevor yells, grabbing Oliver by the collar.
"Dude, calm down." Danny rushes over and grabs Trevor by the wrist.
Trevor lets go of Oliver and shoves Danny away. "Don't touch me, clown!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Danny steps up to him, his voice dropping.
"You all need to stop." Finley mumbles. "We're leaving now."
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A sneeze echoes through the maze-like halls and rooms as the group travels once again. They walk two by two with Finley in the center.
"I think we're going the wrong way." Danny yawns.
"I don't remember asking for your opinion, numskull." Oliver sneers.
"No one ever asks for yours, but you're always more than happy to share it." Danny glares over his shoulder to Oliver. "So please, shut up for once."
"At least my mouth doesn't run as much as Trevor's." Oliver adjusts his glasses.
"Don't bring me into this, ass-hat." Trevor yells behind him.
"Ass-hat? Is that the best you can come up with, Chad?"
"My name is Trevor. Stop calling me Chad."
"Whatever you say, you over-sized protein bar."
"You're jealous of my muscles, twig arms." Trevor shoots back.
"Guys, I know we're tired and hungry, but we need to calm down." Kaylah chimes in, her voice soft. The group turns to look at her with a sneer.
"I forgot you were even here, Kaylah." Finley yawns, rubbing his eyes. They take turn after turn only to end up in the same spot. Corridors blend together. Rooms connect and lead back to the start. The rooms mimic one another. Maroon walls, black floors, and a single white line leading the way forward. The sound of light scraping never seems to stop with each turn.
"Is that…?" Kaylah rushes in front of the group into the foyer. She looks around frantically, light in her eyes. The light fades as she realizes the door is still gone.
"You thought the door was back?" Oliver pats her back condescendingly. "Were you always that stupid?"
"I was being hopeful, Oliver." Kaylah pushes his hand away.
"I don't know why."
"Maybe if we hope enough, the door will come back?" Danny snickers, leaning against the wall.
"Shut up." Kaylah barks.
"Ooh, feisty." Danny walks up to her, his grin growing. He circles her for a few quiet seconds, eyeing her.
"Stop, Danny." Kaylah pushes him away lightly.
"Whatever." Danny saunters away.
Finley rubs a hand along the fountain in the center of the room. His hand glides across the smooth marble, soothing his mind for a short moment. The water rests in the fountain, waiting to be touched. He lightly prods the surface with his finger, the ripples spreading throughout. Without a second thought, he reaches in.
The others turn to face him and follow suit, as if entranced by the beautiful liquid. Their bindles fall to the floor in unison. Their fingers descend into the endless liquid. Then their arms and torso, until they're pulled fully into the comforting embrace of the fountain. A soft breeze passes by Finley's ear as he falls deeper into the dark space. Air fills his lungs, water kisses his cheek, and he falls deeper. A light shines beneath them, yanking them harshly downward. They're spat out on the other end, launched out into the throne room.
The decaying throne sits in the center of the room, the curtains still torn on the floor. For a split second, Finley panics. As soon as Kaylah falls down beside him, the scene changes into a pastel, grand ballroom. Stained glass windows allow a gentle stream of light to enter the space. Gold floors sparkle beneath them, white walls glisten, and statues with jester masks stand in elegant positions.
The others fall beside them, landing in a pile. Finley's eyes flicker to a sign hanging from the center of the ceiling. It lowers slowly until it's directly in front of them, towering over them in size.
"Find the symbols, then the knife. Choose a statue, save a life." Trevor reads aloud.
"You can read?" Oliver chuckles, earning him a glare from Trevor.
"Dude, shut up for once in your life. Now isn't the time for slick comments." Danny hits Oliver in the back of the head.
"That's ironic coming from you, Danny." Oliver shoots back.
The writing on the sign scrambles slowly. The letters shift and turn into numbers, beginning a five-minute timer.
"Find your symbols!" Finley yells, rushing over to the closest wall and rubbing the surface. The others run around the ballroom, looking for their symbols. They push their symbols like buttons and step back. Finley finds the knife behind his symbol and takes it, hiding it in his pocket.
They all come together and check the time.
"Pick a statue to stand in front of!" Oliver yells, standing in front of the statue holding a book.
"Of course you'd pick that one, nerd." Trevor scoffs.
"Just pick a statue, Chad."
"I told you not to call me that!" Trevor yells, crossing his arms.
"Stop acting like a baby!" Danny yells, standing in front of the statue holding a shield.
"Acting like a baby? I'm the baby?" Trevor steps farther from the statues. The timer clicks closer to zero as the argument goes on.
"Guys, stop fighting. Let's just do what the sign says." Kaylah pleads, standing in front of a statue with a flower.
"What if the sign is just a trick? Huh?" Trevor turns away.
"Dude, just get in front of a statue." Finley rubs his forehead.
"No. I won't." Trevor rolls his eyes. Finley looks at him, confusion on his face.
"I said, 'stand in front of a statue'."
"No."
"Don't make me repeat myself again." Finley warns.
"I said no."
The timer runs out. Loud dinging fills the room as a large pair of hands descends from the ceiling. They grab Trevor and squeeze him like a sponge. His blood rushes to either end of his body, turning him into a discolored pencil. He's squeezed until his eyes pop out of his sockets and fall to the ground. Trevor's agonizing screams fill the air. Kaylah turns away, feeling her stomach lurch within her. The others watch on in horror.
One of the hands reaches over to its side and pulls out a large needle and thread from its skin. It drops Trevor for a moment to thread the needle. He scrambles desperately, trying to escape as he wails in pain. The hands grab him and pin him to the floor. He screams in agony, trying to break free.
"I'm sorry! I'll stand by a statue! I'll stand!" He pleads.
The large needle pierces Trevor's lips. His lips nearly tear from the intrusion. He screams in pain as his lips are crudely sewn together like a scarecrow. His sounds are muffled as the thread closes his lips permanently.
The hands finally release Trevor onto the floor with a thud and retract back into the ceiling. He curls quietly in a ball, unable to speak or move. He coughs violently, blood leaking from the small holes between the stitches.
A door appears behind him, swinging open with a loud creak. He jumps, trying to crawl away before being dragged by creatures into the dark depths. The others rush in after him.
"Trevor!" Danny yells, running down the steps. They arrive in a damp basement and see Trevor huddled against a wall. Finley grabs a torch nearby and tosses it over, scaring away the creatures. Trevor jumps, tears flowing from his empty cavities.
"It's just us, Trevor." Kaylah says softly, walking over to comfort him. She crouches beside him. He latches onto her, crying quietly. "You'll be okay. We'll all be okay."