shoulders into the bricks.
“Read, stop, you’ll just hurt yourself,” Aidan’s voice was strained.
“What was that, Aidan?” Cody asked, his voice shaky and soft.
Robin looked up, tears streaking her thick foundation make-up. “Cody?” She sobbed, shaking so hard I was surprised the floorboards didn’t shudder beneath her.
Cody twisted, stood and reached for Robin in one motion. Though he was still pale he didn’t seem as sick as before. He pulled Robin up in his arms, protecting her, and I felt a pang of longing.
Fearful, my eyes flickered back to the wall where the door had been. The window was too small for me to crawl through. Even then it was a three story drop.
I looked to the opened marble door.
I didn’t move closer to see where the mystery wind had come from. I wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. This type of craziness didn’t happen to real people—to sane people.
I pinched myself hard and winced as the pain throbbed in my forearm. It didn’t feel like a dream. Or was it all a hallucination? Maybe this was all in my head right now .
In a feeble attempt to calm myself, I took a deep breath through my nose, releasing it through parted lips and stared at the only escape, now filled with an inky darkness.
The marble door hadn’t disappeared but beyond it was a black pit, giving no hint to what it hid.
Phoebe spoke first, anger and fear searing her voice. “What-the-fuck.”
“What is this?” I croaked.
We all waited for an answer, tensing with each delayed second.
Phoebe took a cautious step forward. “Where’s the flashlight?”
“It must have fallen through the doorway before the…” I motioned to the bricks Read was leaning against.
Phoebe sighed through her nose.
I heard a lighter spark to life and a blaze of color erupted beside me.
Aidan was at my side. I hadn’t even known he was there, and it took all I had not to jump. I’d always known when he was close, what had changed?
Aidan’s pale eyes narrowed on the darkened rabbit hole as he lit one of the discarded candles.
The mysterious opening was still dark. The door should have led outside. The main house was only two stories high while the connecting tower was three. At least that’s how it appeared from the outside.
He raised his candle higher but no shadows cast within the marble doorway. He didn’t move any closer and I didn’t blame him.
My imagination presented me with a variety of gruesome ideas.
“Maybe we can get to the roof through the window,” Cody said.
Read was shaking his head. “Who’d fit through there?”
Robin started to raise a shaky hand. “Maybe?”
Aidan stepped forward, closer to the hole.
I gasped and my hands clawed out to catch him. “ Don’t. ”
Aidan paused, stretching the candle toward the doorway as far as he could without stepping closer. Not even a shadow revealed itself. There wasn’t a floor or walls, just blackness.
Phoebe grabbed my arm and whispered. “Come on, the window.”
I reached for Aidan, snagging the back of his shirt. He didn’t resist as I pulled him back.
It was as if a gunshot went off when we all bolted for the window at the same time.
Read had reached the window first, but his hand never touched the glass. Instead he hit brick.
I ran into Phoebe, Aidan ran into me. Cody and Robin skidded just behind Aidan, almost colliding with the group. It could have been comical any other day.
All around us, there was a solid wall. The single candle provided the only light. I looked up to see the patchy room was sealed above.
It was plain luck that the flame hadn’t been snuffed in our race.
Robin’s breaths came loud and raspy from behind, each one a struggle.
No one dared to speak, but what would anyone say?
I touched my forehead. If I’d finally cracked I should be the one panicking, not Robin.
I turned slowly, my eyes falling on the little doorway again.
If it were possible, a darker shadow stood in front of it.
“Read, stop, you’ll just hurt yourself,” Aidan’s voice was strained.
“What was that, Aidan?” Cody asked, his voice shaky and soft.
Robin looked up, tears streaking her thick foundation make-up. “Cody?” She sobbed, shaking so hard I was surprised the floorboards didn’t shudder beneath her.
Cody twisted, stood and reached for Robin in one motion. Though he was still pale he didn’t seem as sick as before. He pulled Robin up in his arms, protecting her, and I felt a pang of longing.
Fearful, my eyes flickered back to the wall where the door had been. The window was too small for me to crawl through. Even then it was a three story drop.
I looked to the opened marble door.
I didn’t move closer to see where the mystery wind had come from. I wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. This type of craziness didn’t happen to real people—to sane people.
I pinched myself hard and winced as the pain throbbed in my forearm. It didn’t feel like a dream. Or was it all a hallucination? Maybe this was all in my head right now .
In a feeble attempt to calm myself, I took a deep breath through my nose, releasing it through parted lips and stared at the only escape, now filled with an inky darkness.
The marble door hadn’t disappeared but beyond it was a black pit, giving no hint to what it hid.
Phoebe spoke first, anger and fear searing her voice. “What-the-fuck.”
“What is this?” I croaked.
We all waited for an answer, tensing with each delayed second.
Phoebe took a cautious step forward. “Where’s the flashlight?”
“It must have fallen through the doorway before the…” I motioned to the bricks Read was leaning against.
Phoebe sighed through her nose.
I heard a lighter spark to life and a blaze of color erupted beside me.
Aidan was at my side. I hadn’t even known he was there, and it took all I had not to jump. I’d always known when he was close, what had changed?
Aidan’s pale eyes narrowed on the darkened rabbit hole as he lit one of the discarded candles.
The mysterious opening was still dark. The door should have led outside. The main house was only two stories high while the connecting tower was three. At least that’s how it appeared from the outside.
He raised his candle higher but no shadows cast within the marble doorway. He didn’t move any closer and I didn’t blame him.
My imagination presented me with a variety of gruesome ideas.
“Maybe we can get to the roof through the window,” Cody said.
Read was shaking his head. “Who’d fit through there?”
Robin started to raise a shaky hand. “Maybe?”
Aidan stepped forward, closer to the hole.
I gasped and my hands clawed out to catch him. “ Don’t. ”
Aidan paused, stretching the candle toward the doorway as far as he could without stepping closer. Not even a shadow revealed itself. There wasn’t a floor or walls, just blackness.
Phoebe grabbed my arm and whispered. “Come on, the window.”
I reached for Aidan, snagging the back of his shirt. He didn’t resist as I pulled him back.
It was as if a gunshot went off when we all bolted for the window at the same time.
Read had reached the window first, but his hand never touched the glass. Instead he hit brick.
I ran into Phoebe, Aidan ran into me. Cody and Robin skidded just behind Aidan, almost colliding with the group. It could have been comical any other day.
All around us, there was a solid wall. The single candle provided the only light. I looked up to see the patchy room was sealed above.
It was plain luck that the flame hadn’t been snuffed in our race.
Robin’s breaths came loud and raspy from behind, each one a struggle.
No one dared to speak, but what would anyone say?
I touched my forehead. If I’d finally cracked I should be the one panicking, not Robin.
I turned slowly, my eyes falling on the little doorway again.
If it were possible, a darker shadow stood in front of it.
Similar Books
