No Way To Escape | Novel

CHAPTER 47: A NEW HOPE

I gasped and woke up as I found myself lying amidst a pool of water around me on the floor of my hall. The whole floor was wet and muddy with shoe marks and I was myself heavily drenched. Morning sunshine was falling straight on my face like a thin, slender sheet from the adjacent window. Above me were Bob and Fred, looking at me in amazement having a terrifying look on their face. Bob was holding the bucket from my bathroom in his hands.

'What?... What happened?', I asked them, still baffled at my present condition.

'You have been lying here since we came', said Bob, putting down the bucket. 'We had come along to pick you up for a morning breakfast together at the Munchies, but you didn't open'.

'I called you numerous times just after I woke up but you didn't pick up'. Now it was Fred. 'I thought you must be sleeping, keeping your phone on silent. So I thought Bob and me should pick you up from here'.

'And as we came, you again didn't respond after repeated calls, bells and knocks'.

'So we decided to sneak in using the spare key, only to find you lying here, sweating and wincing in your sleep. We tried to wake you up by shaking and calling for you again and again, but you again didn't show any sign of response. Not finding any other way, we hurled water upon you. But then – we had to do it thrice. Damn! Hadn't you slept for a week?'

'Hey, Liam. You're okay?', asked Bob, placing his hand over my shoulder.

I was still in shock about the dream. It felt so real. It was trying to make me believe it were all true. It was Edward playing with my mind. Not the monsters, but the real Edward. It was so difficult to make out which Edward was real, and which was fake. All I could think of right then was the dream. It was shown to me by Edward – the good. It was the truth. It is all what had happened right there at The Warwick's on that ominous night. I trusted it.

Bob snapped his fingers before my eyes.

'Huh?', I asked, pulled out of my introspection.

'I asked if you are okay. And how come you are down here?'

'I don't know. I was sleeping right there on my bed. Had a bad dream. And now I am finding myself right here, before you, wetter than a mermaid'

Fred scoffed. Bob helped me up on my feet. I got up, jerking off the water on my body.

'Sleep-walking, huh?', Fred asked.

'As you call it', I replied as I pulled out and squeezed my shirt.

'Now go and get ready. We shall be at the Munchies within an hour'.

'Nah, I can't... Seriously. You two have it. I shall be, um... I have a job to do'

'On a Sunday?', asked Bob, bemused.

'You really fine?', Fred asked, looking closely at my face.

'Yeah, my boss actually. Has given some work to complete by evening, So gonna be busy. You two continue. I can join you later someday soon', I replied.

'Okay'. Fred shrugged. 'Fine. After someone fucks up your boss, shoving all his paper works right into his mouth, we shall have a complete day out together. Larry would be so –'. He stopped. All our eyes went down abruptly. We all knew how much Larry was fond of get-togethers and parties – especially with us. 

There was a brief period of silence. 'Shall we be on?', Bob asked after a while, looking at Fred, breaking the strange, eerie silence in the room. 'I can't wait to have their special chocolate burger!' 

Fred nodded. Then turning around, they picked up their respective jackets from the couch and started at the front door.

Fred looked back at me as he opened the door and stopped at the doorway with Bob just behind him. I could see concern and worry in his eyes. 'Hey man, you know you can tell us if there's something, okay? I don't want it to happen again'. Bob glanced up to his face and then back to me. I nodded. Then turning back, they left closing the door behind them.

I sighed. I was shivering from the water now. I went into my bedroom and changed into my regular clothes. After having my teeth brushed, I came out, got to my kitchen and prepared myself a cupful of hot coffee.

Pulling out the chair by the dining table, I sat down on it and taking sips of coffee, I closed my eyes.

'Well... it would be catastrophic of course' were the last words I heard from him. What happened next? What happened to Mr. Frank? Is there something else about the coin and spell?  Did I really wake up because of the hurled water or it was intended to end right there? Were it those monsters?

Questions like these started revolving around my mind. I didn't know if it was for me, or for Larry, or for Edward whom I hadn't even had met in my life. I had just seen him in my dreams but there was a strange connection now. I could feel it. Bob was right in his amazement. I had practically no job on Sunday.

Finishing my cup, I got up and felt as if I had got a new sense of hope instilled in me. I knew what I had to do now.