Don't Get Eaten

Chapter Fourteen

I didn't know where I was heading. I just walked around until I found a hallway that was way too dark, but I didn't care. I needed to get out of here. I felt like I was being suffocated in there. I think my panic attack was finally hitting me of my situation.

Crouching low to the ground against the wall, I sink my hands into my hair and let the tears fall. Sobbing was more like it. Why? Why me? Why us? What have I ever done to be stuck here to be viciously attacked by something that wanted to eat me? I just didn't understand why.

I didn't hear the sounds of footsteps until I felt the presence of the person. They crouch down in front of me and gently start stroking my back. I didn't need to lift my head to know who it was. It was like my intuition could pick him up from a mile away.

"I don't get it. Why aren't you freaking out?" I croak out to him, lifting my tear-filled eyes to look at his face.

Zared just crouches there, continuing to rub my back trying his hardest to sooth my emotions. He doesn't quite look me in the eyes as he ponders how to answer my question.

"It's not that I'm not freaked out, I am. But for me...I think my situation would be different if you weren't here with me."

I frown with confusion. "What the hell does that mean Zared? The entire time we have been here I can't seem to figure you out at all." I push his hand away and stand back up, wiping my eyes roughly.

He slowly stands up with me. He doesn't say another word as I walk back out to the lobby, where everyone was now gathered.

"Are you okay?" Both Rissa and Vi come stand by me as they look at my swollen face with concern.

"I'll be fine for now. I think it just finally hit is all." I say to them.

"We're ready to head up to the sixth floor." Chuck comes out, helping to carry Mateo with Seth on his other side.

His head was leaned forward, completely still out. Vi rushes over to peer at him. "Is he going to be okay?" She asks.

"He's going to be just fine. He won't be able to move for a while, but as long as we keep cleaning his wound and changing his bandages periodically, he should heal with no problems."

"We'll be heading to the sixth floor, so it's going to be difficult." Lacy states as she pats Jacob on the shoulder.

He immediately takes the place of Chuck, who thanks him. Daisy starts handing each of us a lit candle. "It's pitch black in the stair well so you're going to need one."

Together we all follow them to the sixth floor. It was a bit crowded in the stairs since it wasn't a wide staircase, we were only able to go two out a time. I opt to stay behind the trio, since I have this strangely new sense of protecting those around me.

It's a strange feeling that I wasn't aware that I had. Guess I was one to hold people dear to my heart after all. Even to this guy standing next to me, who I'm wondering if I even know at all. He hasn't spoken a word since I said that to him in the hallway. But it wasn't like I was going to start talking to him either.

The candlelight was playing on his features and while I knew he was damn good looking, being in this kind of lighting only heightened those good looks, making my insides twist in guilt once more. I really hate this feeling. It was unfamiliar to me with him.

It took us a long time, but we finally reached the sixth floor. The others had gone on ahead way earlier, leaving us five to keep climbing those stairs. Zared had switched off with Seth, who was exhausted. While he was helping get Mateo up those stairs, I filled Seth in of everything we had been told that he missed out on.