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I willed the light to chase away more shadows, but darkness continued to cling to the walls and ceiling. This impenetrable darkness was as monotonous as a starless sky. My feet were heavy, my body reluctant to continue its travels.
Six steps.
Seven steps.
Something moved to the right of me, and I spun, light spinning wildly. It might’ve been my imagination, my fear manifesting itself physically, my flashlight playing tricks on me, but it almost looked as if a figure moved in the darkness.
For a brief moment, I wondered if we were alone.
A hand slapped down on my shoulder, and I jerked, pulling my arm back to punch the intruder square in the face. Aiden ducked just in time.
“What the fuck, man?” he cursed, restraining me easily. I berated myself for being such a pussy. B’s story about monsters had obviously fucked with my head.
There was no way monsters lived in these tunnels.
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “You scared me.”
Aiden continued to eye me warily before he eventually nodded. He was never one to prod—unless it had to do with Bianaca. Then he prodded away like a mad scientist.
“Alright. But I was just saying you shouldn’t be wandering these tunnels before we know where they lead. The last thing we need is for you to get lost.”
I nodded my head absently, his words making sense but not overly registering. My mind was still transfixed on the shadow I had seen moving in one of the tunnels.
It was just a play of the light. That was the only logical explanation.
I repeated that thought in my head like a mantra. A prayer. A damn life motto.
“We fucking did it,” Aiden said with a curl of his lips. For Aiden, that was practically a full-blown smile. “Months of work finally paid off.”
Beau and Tanner were beaming as well, and Tanner reached down to grab a rock. He held it up as if it were a glass of wine.
“This deserves a toast,” he said. Beau and Aiden both grabbed a rock off the ground, and after a minute of staring at them all like an imbecile, I grabbed one as well. “To getting the fuck out of here.”
“To getting the fuck out of here,” we all chanted, clinking the rocks together.
My stomach was a clamorous mixture of dread and exhilaration. Were we escaping one prison just to find ourselves in another? Were we escaping one set of monsters just to find new ones?
* * *
We arrivedat our rooms early the next morning, the sun painting the sky in palest pink, orange, and light green tones. After our initial celebration, we began to plan.
When to leave.
When to explore.
When to torture the information out of Heath, the class president.
Because, yes, we were willing to do that. We were willing to do anything if it meant leaving this fucking school.
And, of course, there was Bianaca’s confession. It settled heavily in the air, this ominous cloud that threatened rain.
For some inexplicable reason, her words rang true. It was as if you saw someone you hadn’t seen in years on the other side of a room. The name rested on the tip of your tongue, and you debated calling out. Eventually, you decided to remain quiet in fear you accidentally said the wrong name.
Crawling underneath my covers, Bianaca’s words reverberating through my body, I fell asleep thinking of monsters.
* * *
I punched at the mirror,reveling in the gratifying sound of glass shattering. My knuckles were red, skin peeled, but I relished in the pain. Allowed it to curl up around me like a warm blanket.
