“We have to move fast. Now’s the best time. Most of the dorm’s empty because everyone’s out for dinner. Eve, you go outside and stand at the stairs. Make sure nobody comes on this floor without us knowing.”
Eve nodded so quickly that I was surprised she was the same girl who just had that mini-outburst.
“Rob, can you pick him up?” Liz continued as Eve went outside. She was the one taking charge of the situation now. “Can you carry him?”
“Sure,” Rob said hesitantly. “Over a shoulder. But the bonds are obvious if anybody sees.”
Liz tapped her lips in thought, but an idea burst in my head before she could say anything. “Roll him up in the carpet!” I said. Everyone turned to stare at me as if I’d gone mad. “Seriously,” I defended. “It’s already stained with blood, so I won’t need it anymore, plus it’s big enough to cover him. Rob, if anyone sees you carrying a carpet over your shoulders, they might think it unusual, but I doubt they’d look twice. At least, nobody would look close enough to notice a body inside.”
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Liz said. “Let’s do it.”
Rob hefted the guy to the edge of the carpet, where he and Ashley began to roll him up. It took a few attempts, but eventually the carpet covered his entire body, hiding his shape inside. While they did that, Liz gave Madison the key so she could run and call the elevator. I stood watch for a bit, then, after deciding I’d had almost all I could take for the evening, collapsed onto my bed. The adrenaline that had masked my tiredness since the attack was wearing off. I felt the fatigue coming back with double force. I doubted I could sleep anytime soon, though.
Madison came running back a few minutes later. “The elevator’s ready,” she said. “And there’s no one around. We have to hurry.”
Rob grunted as he picked the man up, and it took him a few efforts to position him across his shoulders without losing balance, but he managed it eventually. From where I sat, I could not say that there was a body hidden in the carpet. That was a relief. If we met anyone on our way to the caves, things would be suspicious. Well, not that suspicious.
“Alright,” Ashley said. “Everything’s ready. Tracy, you’re going to stay here?”
“She’s been through enough in one night,” Liz volunteered before I could answer. “I’ll stay with her for a bit. Ashley, you know the way there? You can lead Rob and everyone?” Ashley nodded. “Make sure Eve comes with you, too. And Madison. I’ll show up after I talk to Tracy.”
“Alright,” Ashley said. Everyone turned to leave. Before they could go I burst out, “Wait! If any of you come back, knock on my door three times. Like this.” I demonstrated. “That way I’ll know it’s you.”
“Good thinking,” Liz said. “You guys let Eve know, too.”
“Of course,” Madison said quickly. “She’ll know. Rob?”
Rob nodded. The next thing I knew, he was carrying the body out of the room. Madison stepped up behind him, with Ashley at her side. As the door swung shut, I exhaled a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Having the man, unconscious or not, out of my room felt like the first step to recovering from this nightmare.
Chapter Three – A Feeling of Safety
Liz went over to the door and clicked it shut. When she turned to face me, her eyes were wide. It was the first time I’d ever seen her actually look… frightened .
“You alright?” she asked, walking over to me. She began wringing her hands, something I’d never seen her do before. “Seeing that man in your room… unnerved me,” she admitted.
“You didn’t show it earlier,” I said.
Liz waved away the remark. “I couldn’t in front of the other girls. Whether I like it or not, they tend to look to me as their… leader. In a way. You’ve
Eve nodded so quickly that I was surprised she was the same girl who just had that mini-outburst.
“Rob, can you pick him up?” Liz continued as Eve went outside. She was the one taking charge of the situation now. “Can you carry him?”
“Sure,” Rob said hesitantly. “Over a shoulder. But the bonds are obvious if anybody sees.”
Liz tapped her lips in thought, but an idea burst in my head before she could say anything. “Roll him up in the carpet!” I said. Everyone turned to stare at me as if I’d gone mad. “Seriously,” I defended. “It’s already stained with blood, so I won’t need it anymore, plus it’s big enough to cover him. Rob, if anyone sees you carrying a carpet over your shoulders, they might think it unusual, but I doubt they’d look twice. At least, nobody would look close enough to notice a body inside.”
“Actually, that’s not a bad idea,” Liz said. “Let’s do it.”
Rob hefted the guy to the edge of the carpet, where he and Ashley began to roll him up. It took a few attempts, but eventually the carpet covered his entire body, hiding his shape inside. While they did that, Liz gave Madison the key so she could run and call the elevator. I stood watch for a bit, then, after deciding I’d had almost all I could take for the evening, collapsed onto my bed. The adrenaline that had masked my tiredness since the attack was wearing off. I felt the fatigue coming back with double force. I doubted I could sleep anytime soon, though.
Madison came running back a few minutes later. “The elevator’s ready,” she said. “And there’s no one around. We have to hurry.”
Rob grunted as he picked the man up, and it took him a few efforts to position him across his shoulders without losing balance, but he managed it eventually. From where I sat, I could not say that there was a body hidden in the carpet. That was a relief. If we met anyone on our way to the caves, things would be suspicious. Well, not that suspicious.
“Alright,” Ashley said. “Everything’s ready. Tracy, you’re going to stay here?”
“She’s been through enough in one night,” Liz volunteered before I could answer. “I’ll stay with her for a bit. Ashley, you know the way there? You can lead Rob and everyone?” Ashley nodded. “Make sure Eve comes with you, too. And Madison. I’ll show up after I talk to Tracy.”
“Alright,” Ashley said. Everyone turned to leave. Before they could go I burst out, “Wait! If any of you come back, knock on my door three times. Like this.” I demonstrated. “That way I’ll know it’s you.”
“Good thinking,” Liz said. “You guys let Eve know, too.”
“Of course,” Madison said quickly. “She’ll know. Rob?”
Rob nodded. The next thing I knew, he was carrying the body out of the room. Madison stepped up behind him, with Ashley at her side. As the door swung shut, I exhaled a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Having the man, unconscious or not, out of my room felt like the first step to recovering from this nightmare.
Chapter Three – A Feeling of Safety
Liz went over to the door and clicked it shut. When she turned to face me, her eyes were wide. It was the first time I’d ever seen her actually look… frightened .
“You alright?” she asked, walking over to me. She began wringing her hands, something I’d never seen her do before. “Seeing that man in your room… unnerved me,” she admitted.
“You didn’t show it earlier,” I said.
Liz waved away the remark. “I couldn’t in front of the other girls. Whether I like it or not, they tend to look to me as their… leader. In a way. You’ve
Similar Books
