Locked Away - Book 1

Chapter 14

"Huh?" My head jumps up.

I don't know why, but I feel this sudden energy. This sudden feeling that I need to be doing something. I look next to me and Tyler is still asleep. I can't help but smile looking at him.

Creek.

The noise is coming from the other side of the door. I slide my arm out from Tyler and slip off the bed quietly. I slowly walk over to the door. As I open it, the tiniest of creeks make my heart race. I look back. Tyler's still fast asleep.

I turn back and look around the empty hallway. That's when I see the footprints. A set of wet footprints going down the hall. My stomach immediately drops. My mind tries to rationalize.

Someone, probably Duncan or Bryan just went out and didn't realize they got their feet wet. Of course. Nothing else it could be. Or... It isn't raining...

My mind starts going in the opposite direction.

Does this have something to do with that noise I heard earlier? Or that other dream?

I find myself checking my body. Feeling for cuts. Feeling for anything out of the ordinary.

Creek. Creek.

The fear inside me begins to grow rapidly. My heart begins to race. My hands become sweaty. But something in me has to follow it. Something in me can't just stand here and not know. So I step out. I begin following the footprints. They go deeper into the house and to a set of stairs that goes up.

The attic? Well shit! Now I know I'm about to be murdered!

But I still can't help myself. I need to know what is going on. So I walk up the stairs. I get to the door at the top and the sound is now louder.

"Shit." I quietly shout to myself and almost fall down the stairs as the shadow of a person walks on the other side of the door.

I'm so dead.

Yet I still can't stop myself.

I slowly turn the doorknob and open the door. After a single deep breath, I quickly walk into the room, ready to fight someone.

No one.

Not a single person. Just a few pieces of old furniture and other old stuff stacked up around the edges of the room.

I walk deeper into the room and look around. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing crazy. But then I hear the noise again, this time from behind me. I quickly turn.

No one. Nothing.

Breath. Just breath. There's nothing here. Just an old house.

Why don't I believe myself?

I reach over to a lamp that looks to be plugged into the wall. But as my finger reaches I accidentally prick my finger against something sharp.

"Ow." As blood drips across the floor I bring it to my mouth and suck on it.

There's a sudden cold blast of wind. I look around. No open windows.

I close my eyes and just breath. I bring myself back down to reality. I remind myself that this is all just in my head, then I head back downstairs. I close the door. I quietly head back to Tyler's room. But just as I turn the corner to the hall I see a shadow figure on the opposite end and nearly pee my pants as I jump into the air and back up into the wall. I can't stop starring straight at it. It's just standing there. No movement. Doesn't even look like it's breathing. My body quickly freezes like in that one dream. My heart is racing. I find myself ready for the worst.

But then it vanishes. My legs crumble under me. I smack the ground hard, everything quickly going dark.

"Hey." I open my eyes, bright sunlight shocking my brain, but the sight of Tyer in front of me makes me smile. "You good?"
"What?" I begin remembering what just happened... or may have happened.

"You were making some noise in your sleep."

"Oh. Must've just been a bad dream."

"You remember it?"

"No." Lies.

"Well, my mom and Kinsey are making pancakes."

"Sounds good. I'll be right down." Tyler leans down and we kiss before he walks off with a little extra oomph in his step.

I throw the blankets off and suddenly get a pain in my finger. I pull my hand up and see a cut on the finger.

Was it real?