Silence Falls

“Bert, I need the keys!” Cris hissed somewhat loudly from where he stood in front of Connor’s door trying to jiggle the locked handle.

Without a glance back, Bert hurled him the keys over his shoulders in response. His only attention was on Bam, Otep and Alexis who were taking notice to his next orders which was to locate an apparatus in the chapel nearby that would help them release the detained victim downstairs tonight. If he remained in chains on the day of the breakout it would slow them down and hinder their escape to freedom because it would give the staff more time to apprehend them. Bert’s plan was as simple as constantly moving to remain undetected for as long as they can as they made a beeline towards the exit. It was literally that straightforward but having to extricate some kid downstairs chained up to a cross along the way wasn’t going to help their situation in the least because they’d be running right into a dead-end where they could get easily cornered in if followed. “The chapel should have something there since it was the last room under construction before it was abandoned and quarantined off.”

“Bert, you know as well as I do that that kid isn’t going to make it far with those kinds of wounds afflicted on him and not to mention the lack of muscle usage for god knows how long he’s been chained to that cross down there. We’ll need some bandages and antiseptics for his wounds when we head down there but when it comes to his ability to walk…that’s a whole another ball game.” Otep pointed out to him, her face as always blank of emotions.

"Don't worry about the medical supplies, Otep. Cris and I will get those before we meet back up with you guys in the Chapel room. I just need to make sure that Connor is well informed of our escape plan first ok?” Bert hesitated on addressing the theory of the poor kid’s ability to walk. The truth was if he couldn’t move, they’d have to leave him for death and save themselves before they lose their only chance to escape to freedom. It was an awful thing to do to an innocent soul who didn’t ask for anything of this torture, but it would be either him or them at that point. Bert wasn’t planning on letting it be them. “And as for the possibility that that kid down there can’t walk to save his life, well…we’ll just have to wait and see first before we decide.”

“Yeah whatever, just don't take too long ok?” Bam stressed out before pointing a finger at the vent they had just climbed out of to enter the Solitary Confinement floor. “I don't wanna fucking meet whatever the hell had you spooked outside that vent a few minutes ago.”

“You and me both, Bam.” Bert agreed with him wholeheartedly before walking past them to Connor’s room where Cris had already made his way inside while they’d been talking. He called over his shoulder to the three before he stepped over the threshold. “Now move and be careful! Your never truly alone down here.”

“You heard him, let’s go.” Otep repeated as second in command as she leaned down to hike up her white pants leg up her to her ankle to unveil a tiny flashlight she always ferried around with her in case adventuring took her down a dark path. Clicking it on, she led Alexis and Bam to the Chapel's rusted metal door that inevitably screeched every time they were pried open. All three kids coughed as a thick cloud of dust flew straight into their faces as if they too were trying to make a grand escape of some kind. After they managed to get their throats cleared of irritation out of their system, they each filed in to search the chapel for any kind of tools that would help break the chains holding the boy imprisoned below their very feet.

Later after what seemed like hours had passed with not a single tool discovered, Cris and Bert finally joined them in the Chapel, shutting the door loud doors behind them as quickly as they could. Cris stepped forward with hope in his blue eyes. You guys find anything yet?”

“No, we haven't found a fucking thing! Those construction assholes must have taken their tools when they were done with this place because it doesn't seem to have even a rusted fucking nail anywhere!” Bam informed them heatedly with his hands on his hips.

“He's right, Bert. We've checked under every cobweb and dust bunny in this stupid place and there’s nothing here.” Otep crossed her arms in disappointed at their terrible luck.

Bert slowly nodded to himself with a weary sigh. “Well, I suppose if there’s anything I’ve learned crawling all over this godforsaken piece of shit in the ground it’s that you’re always destined to run out of luck eventually...”

Alexis looked back and forth between them all incredulously like she suddenly didn’t recognize any of them at that moment. “Okay so what exactly does that mean? Are you saying we should just go back to our rooms and forget about him just like that? Are you all just throwing in the towel that easily just because you tried once and failed so that must ultimately mean he can’t be saved? You’re just gonna leave him down there to die all alone and scared without even trying again!?”

Silence was all she had for an answer for a short time before Otep locked eyes with her briefly. "No. No, we're going to go down there and giving it a shot our goddamn selves.” Her cold eyes shifted to Bert. “What do you say, old man? We can do this together, right?”

Bert beamed proudly at his little Otep for putting on the Hero cape’s of positivity for once in her life. He knew one of these days she’d stop being a poor sport and give him the glimpse of sunshine even if it was short-livened. Looks like today was the day. “We absolutely can, my dear! In fact, how bout we head on down there right now instead of writing this guy off…even if the odds seem to be against us so far.”

“Hell fucking no!” Everyone stopped to stare in surprise at Bam at his livid outburst, but he didn’t care what they thought of him at the moment. If he was being heartless than oh-damn-well! He had journeyed down to the bottom floor before and the memories were still fresh enough in his mind for him to defend his objection. Clearly, Bert and Cris had completely forgotten about it and so Bam was happy to remind them. "No way am I going in that crazy elevator again after we almost just fell to our deaths in it the night before! Yeah sure we made it out alive that time, but what if this time we don’t! What if this time it’s our final ride!?”

Simultaneously, Cris and Bert’s eyes widen as they too recalled the terrifying roller coaster scare ride that scared the living hell out of all of them. They were all certain they were going to die that night…and somehow hadn’t.

“Hold on, what the hell are you talking about? The elevator works just fine! Here, let me show you scared little bitch asses.” Otep assured them before walking over to the elevator herself. The doors opened for her before she could push the button to activate them which made Otep feel slightly uneasy, but she brushed it off. They didn’t have all night to be doing this, so they had to be quick. The boys making up some story about the elevator almost killing them was ridiculous. Sure, it looked seriously unstable, but it genuinely wasn’t, it worked as good as new, it just didn’t appear so.

“Otep wait, it might be too dangerous!” Bert pleaded with her just as Alexis hurried past him to stand beside Otep before the rickety elevator box.

Otep took a breath before going into the elevator with Alexis locked at her side. The uncertainty she felt the first time she stepped into this mechanism had her panicking and terrified. It was a sensation she was certain she’d always feel when she entered it because of how wobbly and decayed it looked but tonight she oddly didn’t feel that emotion. She felt…safe.

"Alexi-" Bert pleaded even louder, concern etched on his face because he had firsthand witness what this elevator could do and didn’t wish for that to happen to the girls.

“Bert…” Cris softly interrupted Bert, his voice sounding distant as his blue eyes stared at the elevator. Gaining his leader’s attention, he told him. “This isn't about us anymore…this is about that boy down there. He needs us, I can feel it.” With his head held high, he too walked over to the elevator and stepped inside. He reached out place his palm over the opening where the elevator doors slid into the keep it open for the last two members to join.

Bert was the first to crack with a panicky infuriated curse. “Sonofabitch!” He ran a hand through his hair before surging forward to take the open spot in the center of the elevator where Alexis, Otep and Cris stood patiently waiting for them to join.

Bam abruptly reached out to grab Bert by his wrist before he could pass him completely and hissed out to him desperately. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!? You can get killed if you go with them, or did you forget!?”

Bert yanked his arm out of his reached and snapped back at him with a glare. “I fucking remember perfectly, however I’m nothing without those people in there. If they die trying to save that goddamn kid, then…so will I.”

With eyes wide in horror, Bam watched Bert enter the elevator. Still, Cris held the door open and Bam knew it was because he was doing it for him. In frustration he ran both hands through his hair and turned around in place. He didn’t want to go in there, he didn’t want to risk his life for some kid that got himself locked away downstairs away from everyone else. Wrought with anger but not wishing to be left in the Chapel alone in case he gets caught and locked into Solitary Confinement like Connor was, Bam kicked the pew nearest to him with a shout. “THIS IS BULLSHIT!” And then stomped immediately over to the elevator in defeat, muttering curses beneath his breath as he crossed his arms over his chest and took the spot in front of the elevator door. With that, Cris silently removed his palm from the slot of the door and allow it to close them in.

No one spoke until the elevator activated and began to lower itself down. Paranoid and anxious, Bert licked his lips and remarked softly. “The ride the other night was super long and scary when we were on it. It was like a scary amusement ride giving you the experience of falling down an elevator shaft, it scared the shit out of all of us.”

“Again! What the hell are you talking about? It was only 5 second ride, dude.” Otep summed up her experience just in time for the doors to slide open to their final destination.