Locked Away - Book 1

Chapter 41

"You've all got it?" I ask for what feels like the hundredth time.

They all nod, but they all still look scared.

"We'll do this tomorrow morning. After Bode goes to school." Tyler grabs my hand.

"What?" Everyone turns to see Bode standing there looking mad as hell.

"Bode..." Duncan starts.

"No! I want to help out! You can't just push me to the side!"

"Hey. Sweetie." Nina starts walking up to him.

"No!" He runs off.

"Sorry, I'll talk to him." She walks off, Duncan following behind.

"I guess tonight we relax." I take a seat.

"Relax?" Kinsey comes up close. "There's a party at Logan's house."

I look over to Tyler and smile. Kinsey looks at him and smiles.

"Please..." We say together, giving pouty eyes and lips.

"Fine. But not too late and not too crazy."

"Yes!" Kinsey and I high five before I go and hug Tyler.

"Thank you." I kiss him.

"I can't say no to that face."

"Ooh... really?"

"Don't go testing it." We kiss and begin walking upstairs. "We'll leave in an hour."

We rush up to his room, closing the door and locking it. We immediately begin kissing.

"It's time." I step back from him and force a smile.

"Now? Are you sure?" He looks nervous.

"Yeah."

Tyler walks over to his dresser and digs into the top drawer. He then pulls out the head key. I turn around and Tyler puts it in my neck. Then I'm standing next to him.

"Are you sure you don't want me coming with you?"

"I'm sure." I kiss him.

"Just be safe. If anything at all happens..."

"I know. I'll leave at the first sign of anything bad."

"Okay." He doesn't seem to want to let go of my hand.

"Ty..."

"Fine." He lets go but then gives me a kiss.

I look at him once more before opening the door and walking in. The hotel immediately shocks me. It looks... creepier... darker. Some lights are on, but those are all flickering. Covering the walls are black veins that seem to be beating. They thump like a heart. I can see them still slowly moving across the wall, spreading.

What's going on?

I walk up the stairs and begin going down the hall. The deeper I go into the hotel the darker it gets. The more veins there are on the wall. The thicker they are. The more they pump. The air gets thicker with each step. It gets harder to breathe. Even my brain begins to get a little fuzzy, but nothing too bad. I finally make it to the hallway of Room 237. Instantly I can see what's happening. Out from under the door of Room 237 is this black thick tar that's hardened and turned into these veins, spreading across the floor and onto the walls, branching off and spreading slowly.

I walk up to the door and turn the dob, my brain immediately preparing to be attacked and ready to run. But instead, the door blows open. It swings back hard, making a loud thud sound that echoes through the entire hotel and even my body. I take a deep breath in and let it out before stepping in. As I step in the fog in my brain clears and I feel this fortitude builds up in me. I see it. It's in a large metal cage that takes up half the room. I can only see its eyes, staring at me with pure rage. I can hear its claws scrape across the ground.

"We need to talk." Its head tilts like a dog. "Shlukos."