disturbed me even more on the second pass.
The little niche we had hidden in before was still lit and empty as we passed. Our footsteps were remarkably quiet on the stone floor, though socks, bare feet, and sneakers often did that. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure everyone was still there. Read was the only one who met my gaze. The rest had their eyes wandering the walls and shadows for any sign of a threat.
The windows, though spread apart, got all the attention as we passed. I couldn’t see anything but darkness and the occasional lightning strike. No hills, no clouds, just the storm.
We made our way around the first corner; this hallway looked exactly the same as the last.
My confident footsteps faltered as I noticed the brown wooden door in the wall. It stood between two of the rain-splattered windows. The windows were just as grimy and gave no indication that there was anything but the storm behind them.
Phoebe moved to step past me, her hand outstretched for the doorknob. I stepped in front of her before she could just grab it. Her forest-green eyes widened in surprise as she ran into me. “What the…”
“Don’t just dive in this time. We’re a group. We need to decide this as a group.”
“I was just going to—”
“No,” I interrupted.
“What is your problem?” Phoebe asked, her eyes wide and threatening. She was trying to intimidate me, and usually it worked. I admit I felt the urge to look away but held firm.
“I don’t have a problem. But I would like to get out of here alive.” The moment I said it, I realized what I’d said and instantly regretted it.
Phoebe stepped back, sucking in her cheeks, looking wounded.
“It’s just a door,” Joel pointed out. “It’s not even black.”
“A door that leads to nowhere.” I pointed toward the window.
Joel’s frown creased the corner of his full mouth. “We’ll never know ‘til we open that door.” He moved to step around me.
Slamming my back against the door, I blocked him completely. “Would you stop? We need to vote or something.” If I were forced to grapple with Joel, I knew I’d lose, but I’d have tried.
“Fine,” Phoebe snapped. “I’m with Joel.”
Before the others could vote, I snapped, “Just because you have a ring doesn’t mean nothing will happen to—”
“Ring?” Joel boomed.
Phoebe narrowed her stinging gaze at me before she turned to face our friends.
“You got one?” Robin gasped, her eyes already staring at Phoebe’s right hand. Cody grimaced and fell back a step. Robin grabbed Phoebe’s hand and stared down at the silver circle as if it were an engagement ring. “How’d you get it?”
Joel scowled. “Yeah, how’d you get it?”
Phoebe explained about the ghost and vomit. Robin made a face at this and released Phoebe’s hand as if it stung her.
“Which means there could still be a ring in here somewhere.” I pointed to the hallways. “So if this door is our way out, we know where it is.”
“So what now?” Joel asked, meeting my eyes in a challenge.
I shrugged. “We can keep walking?”
“I know,” Joel said, an unnerving grin creasing his lips. He almost looked handsome with the smile. “Why don’t you ask Damien?”
Astounded, I couldn’t help but laugh at him. It was such an absurd suggestion that I couldn’t believe I’d expected something worse. “Sure thing,” I snorted. “Give me a second and I’ll text him.”
Robin said, “What? She can’t just go and ask him.”
“No?” Joel asked, cocking an eyebrow. “He sure seems to like to show up to her only. Has he even talked to any of us alone other than to explain a Challenge?”
No one answered. No one had to.
“So what makes you so special?” Joel asked.
Phoebe rolled her eyes to the ceiling, exasperated. Cody stared down, dragging abstract patterns in the dust with the toe of his shoe.
Robin inspected the faces around her, confused. “I think I missed something. He talks to you alone
The little niche we had hidden in before was still lit and empty as we passed. Our footsteps were remarkably quiet on the stone floor, though socks, bare feet, and sneakers often did that. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure everyone was still there. Read was the only one who met my gaze. The rest had their eyes wandering the walls and shadows for any sign of a threat.
The windows, though spread apart, got all the attention as we passed. I couldn’t see anything but darkness and the occasional lightning strike. No hills, no clouds, just the storm.
We made our way around the first corner; this hallway looked exactly the same as the last.
My confident footsteps faltered as I noticed the brown wooden door in the wall. It stood between two of the rain-splattered windows. The windows were just as grimy and gave no indication that there was anything but the storm behind them.
Phoebe moved to step past me, her hand outstretched for the doorknob. I stepped in front of her before she could just grab it. Her forest-green eyes widened in surprise as she ran into me. “What the…”
“Don’t just dive in this time. We’re a group. We need to decide this as a group.”
“I was just going to—”
“No,” I interrupted.
“What is your problem?” Phoebe asked, her eyes wide and threatening. She was trying to intimidate me, and usually it worked. I admit I felt the urge to look away but held firm.
“I don’t have a problem. But I would like to get out of here alive.” The moment I said it, I realized what I’d said and instantly regretted it.
Phoebe stepped back, sucking in her cheeks, looking wounded.
“It’s just a door,” Joel pointed out. “It’s not even black.”
“A door that leads to nowhere.” I pointed toward the window.
Joel’s frown creased the corner of his full mouth. “We’ll never know ‘til we open that door.” He moved to step around me.
Slamming my back against the door, I blocked him completely. “Would you stop? We need to vote or something.” If I were forced to grapple with Joel, I knew I’d lose, but I’d have tried.
“Fine,” Phoebe snapped. “I’m with Joel.”
Before the others could vote, I snapped, “Just because you have a ring doesn’t mean nothing will happen to—”
“Ring?” Joel boomed.
Phoebe narrowed her stinging gaze at me before she turned to face our friends.
“You got one?” Robin gasped, her eyes already staring at Phoebe’s right hand. Cody grimaced and fell back a step. Robin grabbed Phoebe’s hand and stared down at the silver circle as if it were an engagement ring. “How’d you get it?”
Joel scowled. “Yeah, how’d you get it?”
Phoebe explained about the ghost and vomit. Robin made a face at this and released Phoebe’s hand as if it stung her.
“Which means there could still be a ring in here somewhere.” I pointed to the hallways. “So if this door is our way out, we know where it is.”
“So what now?” Joel asked, meeting my eyes in a challenge.
I shrugged. “We can keep walking?”
“I know,” Joel said, an unnerving grin creasing his lips. He almost looked handsome with the smile. “Why don’t you ask Damien?”
Astounded, I couldn’t help but laugh at him. It was such an absurd suggestion that I couldn’t believe I’d expected something worse. “Sure thing,” I snorted. “Give me a second and I’ll text him.”
Robin said, “What? She can’t just go and ask him.”
“No?” Joel asked, cocking an eyebrow. “He sure seems to like to show up to her only. Has he even talked to any of us alone other than to explain a Challenge?”
No one answered. No one had to.
“So what makes you so special?” Joel asked.
Phoebe rolled her eyes to the ceiling, exasperated. Cody stared down, dragging abstract patterns in the dust with the toe of his shoe.
Robin inspected the faces around her, confused. “I think I missed something. He talks to you alone
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