𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖘𝖎𝖝

Your legs still felt like jelly as Dwayne guided you into the mouth of the sea-side cave. 

At that point in the night, you were beyond exhausted—both physically and mentally—and nothing sounded nicer than treating your wounds and slipping under the warm covers of your bed back at home. But you also didn't want your injuries to be in vain. So instead, you decided to wait it out and see just what was so special about this place.

The cave swallowed all of you one by one. Marko and Paul booked it inside, racing each other and howling like a pair of wolves at the tops of their lungs. Their voices echoed off of the tall walls, competing with the waves for who could be the loudest. Then David slipped in quietly through the entrance, towing Michael behind him on an invisible leash.

Every so often your friend would turn around wearily, blinking between you and the exit with his wide blue eyes. It wasn't until the floor of the cave bottomed out that it stopped looking like a cave altogether and started to morph into an actual, habitable-looking living space.

Splotches of moonlight filtered in through the cracks in the ornate ceiling but other than that, the only source of light was from the makeshift bonfires that had been lit inside of the empty oil drums scattered around the room.

The boys were rowdy, jumping and rushing around as they welcomed themselves home. But Dwayne was careful with you as he helped you over to a rough, beat-up-looking red sofa in the corner. "Thank you," you mumbled softly, avoiding his intense eye contact as he nodded and rolled his shoulders back.

For a moment you thought he might walk away. He'd been hesitant to leave your side since you nearly went flying off of the cliff earlier. Part of you was happy that he stayed, standing still at your side like a silent guardian. But another, larger part wanted to get the hell out of dodge before something way worse happened to either you or Michael.

"This was the hottest resort in Santa Carla just about eighty-five years ago," David said, his voice commanding your attention as he strolled around the dusty fountain in the center of the open space. 

The entire thing was decrepit, threatening to sink further into the earth with the added weight of your bodies. But there were also traces of torn tapestries and chipped murals displayed on nearly every surface, giving it an eerily beautiful vibe. 

"Too bad they built it on the fault."

You snapped out of your awestruck daze and sat forward, ignoring the burn of the old fabric against your skinned thigh. "It sank?" you chirped. You had no idea why you were so interested in all of this. Morbid curiosity, maybe? Or perhaps you just wanted to get to the bottom of why you felt so strangely at home there.

Michael eyed you again from the archway of the cave. He hadn't moved since Marko patted him on the back and whispered something in his ear with an immature cackle. On the opposite side of the room, you spotted Star guiding Laddie into one of the darker corners, far away from her unruly friends.

David spun around slowly, his long black tailcoat billowing in the air behind him. The sliver of a smile was twitching at the corner of his mouth as he looked you over. "In 1906, an earthquake came along and this place took a header right into the crack."

"And now it's ours."

You froze up as Paul's voice sounded directly behind your ear, making you shudder. You didn't move as he swung his body over the back of the couch, landing at your side with his arm draped around your shoulder. Smooth.

It didn't dawn on you to fight back until Marko appeared in front of you, boxing you in completely. "What do we have here?" he purred, reaching out for your injured hand. He only paused momentarily when you winced. His actions were calculated like he was doing his best not to cause you any more harm.