Lost Cyborg

Chapter 7.

Ellora's hand flew to her mouth. Suddenly she felt like all those robots were going to jump at her at any moment. She  proceeded to get away from them but stumbled back on her feet.

Ezra caught her just in time. "Are you alright?" He asked and Ellora finally looked up at him. His face was worried and concerned as he looked down at her.

"Are… are they…" she was suddenly stuttering.

"Calm down," Ezra said in a soothing voice to calm her down. "They are all shut down. Charging."

Ellora shook her head as if doing so will make it all disappear. It was a nightmare. She stood up straight and freed herself from Ezra. And then she heard it. A sound. A door opening. Slowly. The front door, Ellora realized. For a moment Ellora almost stopped breathing. She looked at Ezra, who too seemed to have heard the sound and was now looking out of the door. Instantly, he grabbed the flashlight and the phone from her hand and switched them both off before shoving them in his own jeans pocket. It was all pitch dark now.

"Ellora," he said, his voice less than a whisper. "Someone is here."

Someone was here. In this house. In the Dark House, abandoned for 15 years. The intruder?

Another sound. The front door closing. Someone was inside now. They were trapped. Closed inside the house with the intruder. Ellora heard a jingle of keys and then footsteps. Someone was walking downstairs. Ellora looked up at Ezra in horror.

The steps kept walking. It was slow and calm. But every step made a thudding noise in the dead house, which Ellora could hear clearly even from the upstairs. Was it going towards the kitchen? Ellora didn't know.

"We need to get out of here," Ezra said, finally. He gripped Ellora's wrist and pulled her towards the door. He pulled her out of the room before closing the door behind them as silently as he could.

Ellora shivered, but this time out of fear. They were out in the hallway, exposed. The person, whoever was downstairs, could see them if he looked up. On second thought, maybe he could not because of the darkness.

"Let's go to that room," Ezra said. His voice was so low that Ellora couldn't even hear all the words  properly. She had to guess them. He pulled her again, walking towards the third and final room on this side of the hallway as fast as possible without making any sound.

Thankfully, Ellora saw this room was open. They went inside the room and Ezra immediately closed it behind them. The room was completely dark. All Ellora could see was the tiny glow in Ezra's eyes and his icy blue hair, which seemed to shine in the darkness. But she didn't dare turn on the flashlight.

Neither of them spoke. Ellora stood where she was, not daring to move in case she bumped into something and it made any noise. The only comforting feeling she felt was the presence of Ezra beside her. He was still holding her hand firmly but also gently at the same time as if he was afraid that if he let go, she would get lost into the darkness. His hand was cold around her wrist. It lacked any kind of human heat.

Ellora heard the footsteps again. It was clear in the silence; louder. The person was getting up through the stairs. It stopped once on the second floor, a few more steps, and then a door opened. Ellora couldn't tell which room it was but by the distinctness of the sound, she guessed it was on the other side of the hallway. Silence for a few seconds, which felt eternal.

And then footsteps again. Another door opening; the sound was closer now. More silence. Ellora almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the loud bang of the door slamming shut angrily. Footsteps again, this time even louder and quicker.

Another door opened and with a gasping shock Ellora realized it was the door just beside them. Ellora shifted closer to Ezra. Her heart was thumping furiously in her chest. She gripped the collar of Ezra's T-shirt tightly as her heart kept threatening to bounce out of her chest. He didn't resist or push her away. Instead he wrapped his other arm around her and held her back all the while still holding her hand. His presence was the only good thing in the darkness and fear.