*** in the Dark
As all Hope Drains Away.
“Try it again,” Topaz urged.
Using the chair pulled from the ground, Jordan and Justin banged against the planks of wood nailed to the fire escape. They had tried for almost ten minutes to get the main door open, but it wouldn’t budge; now their only hope was the fire escape, but things weren’t looking good.
“It’s not working,” Jordan sighed.
“No, look,” Justin gasped as he saw the door move an inch forward, “it’s working.”
“Keep trying,” Topaz said.
One… Two… Three… Four bangs. “We did it!” Jordan rejoiced.
“Come on,” Topaz groaned, “we have to get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving without Aisling,” Justin yelled.
“Well we’re not going to find her if we stay in here, are we?” Jordan asked.
Reluctantly Justin agreed and the three friends made their way slowly through the door. Wood had splintered on both sides and there were rusty nails lining the walls and something was oozing through the cracks.
Were they too late? Where was Aisling? What about Orlando and Rickie? Were they all right? This was all his fault.
“Justin, which way?” Jordan whispered as they reached a fork in the path. Justin listened intently for any signs of sound; Aisling might be calling him. But the darkness seemed to be swallowing any sound up. Any light from the cinema was long gone and Justin was finding it hard for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
“What was that?” Topaz asked.
Justin had heard it to, a shuffling sound coming from the right. Instinctively he began moving towards it.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Jordan grabbed his arm.
“Aisling might be down here,” Justin whispered.
Cautiously they all began walking forward, eyes and ears wide open ready for any slight movement, but nothing could prepare them for what was about to come.
The shuffling began growing louder, every step they took it seemed like it was right behind them.
“I didn’t think I’d ever say this,” Justin began, “but I think we should hold hands, we don’t wanna get separated.”
For once Jordan didn’t protest and the three held hands, Justin in the middle. Walking forward, Justin could feel his hand getting sweaty. Despite everything that was happening, being with Topaz still made him weak at the knees. The shuffling was growing louder still, until suddenly it stopped and Justin could feel someone’s breath down his back, it reached his nostrils and the putrid smell hit him. Years of leftover food and no toothbrush, it was enough to make someone gag.
He screamed before he really felt it. Falling to the ground, pulling Topaz and Jordan with him, Justin felt the blood soaking his jeans and the stinging pain of the knife that had sliced through his skin. He felt Topaz shudder next to him, her scream pierced him like a thousand needles, and clearly she had been cut to. From his right, he heard Jordan groan and his hand threatened to slip away. Holding on tightly to his friends, Justin began to stand up.
“Argh!” He screamed as the knife entered his back and he fell back down to the ground. Both Jordan and Topaz were groaning next to him and his sweaty hands just couldn’t hold on any longer.
“Jordan,” he groaned as his hand began to slip away, but no answering reply came, all was silence. He let his hand drop; he was so weak. He knew he had to get up, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Justin?” Topaz whispered from beside him, at least he wasn’t alone.
“Yes?”
“Oh thank god,” she sighed, “is Jordan there?”
No sound came from Justin’s right and he knew that the worst had happened. Jordan had been taken.
Using the chair pulled from the ground, Jordan and Justin banged against the planks of wood nailed to the fire escape. They had tried for almost ten minutes to get the main door open, but it wouldn’t budge; now their only hope was the fire escape, but things weren’t looking good.
“It’s not working,” Jordan sighed.
“No, look,” Justin gasped as he saw the door move an inch forward, “it’s working.”
“Keep trying,” Topaz said.
One… Two… Three… Four bangs. “We did it!” Jordan rejoiced.
“Come on,” Topaz groaned, “we have to get out of here.”
“I’m not leaving without Aisling,” Justin yelled.
“Well we’re not going to find her if we stay in here, are we?” Jordan asked.
Reluctantly Justin agreed and the three friends made their way slowly through the door. Wood had splintered on both sides and there were rusty nails lining the walls and something was oozing through the cracks.
Were they too late? Where was Aisling? What about Orlando and Rickie? Were they all right? This was all his fault.
“Justin, which way?” Jordan whispered as they reached a fork in the path. Justin listened intently for any signs of sound; Aisling might be calling him. But the darkness seemed to be swallowing any sound up. Any light from the cinema was long gone and Justin was finding it hard for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
“What was that?” Topaz asked.
Justin had heard it to, a shuffling sound coming from the right. Instinctively he began moving towards it.
“Dude, what are you doing?” Jordan grabbed his arm.
“Aisling might be down here,” Justin whispered.
Cautiously they all began walking forward, eyes and ears wide open ready for any slight movement, but nothing could prepare them for what was about to come.
The shuffling began growing louder, every step they took it seemed like it was right behind them.
“I didn’t think I’d ever say this,” Justin began, “but I think we should hold hands, we don’t wanna get separated.”
For once Jordan didn’t protest and the three held hands, Justin in the middle. Walking forward, Justin could feel his hand getting sweaty. Despite everything that was happening, being with Topaz still made him weak at the knees. The shuffling was growing louder still, until suddenly it stopped and Justin could feel someone’s breath down his back, it reached his nostrils and the putrid smell hit him. Years of leftover food and no toothbrush, it was enough to make someone gag.
He screamed before he really felt it. Falling to the ground, pulling Topaz and Jordan with him, Justin felt the blood soaking his jeans and the stinging pain of the knife that had sliced through his skin. He felt Topaz shudder next to him, her scream pierced him like a thousand needles, and clearly she had been cut to. From his right, he heard Jordan groan and his hand threatened to slip away. Holding on tightly to his friends, Justin began to stand up.
“Argh!” He screamed as the knife entered his back and he fell back down to the ground. Both Jordan and Topaz were groaning next to him and his sweaty hands just couldn’t hold on any longer.
“Jordan,” he groaned as his hand began to slip away, but no answering reply came, all was silence. He let his hand drop; he was so weak. He knew he had to get up, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Justin?” Topaz whispered from beside him, at least he wasn’t alone.
“Yes?”
“Oh thank god,” she sighed, “is Jordan there?”
No sound came from Justin’s right and he knew that the worst had happened. Jordan had been taken.