Fire & Flood

Chapter 21

"My fear," repeated Emily quietly. Her heart pounding so loud that the sound seemed deafening. The two dimensional theatre world around her seemed to shimmer and quake.

"This has to be a dream," she said and closed her eyes. "I'll wake up in a minute with Sam and Morgan by my side."

"Maybe..." said the voice. "Or maybe, the world as you know it is over and this is your afterlife." The stage curtain parted once again and Emily saw Sam bloodied and grief stricken carrying her lifeless body across her family's house lawn. Emily watched as her father answered the door and her mother beside him fell to her knees.

"No!" Emily screamed. "This can't be real!"

"It is as real as you make it, darling," said the voice calmly. "You are the star of this show after all!"

Emily felt sick to her stomach. She remembered the dizzying feeling of being charmed in the grove, feeling like her heart was sinking when she learned that Leslie was Laura, and the feeling of her heart breaking seeing Sam and Morgan a few seconds ago fighting over her lifeless body. Her fear, anger, and sadness bubbled up into a flurry of emotion.

"Enough!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. Part of her felt embarrassed that her scream was  pure rage, but she couldn't contain this any longer. "Show yourself, coward! Don't hide in the shadows! Face me!"

A chuckle resonated through the space.

"A brave little rabbit, aren't you?" Said the voice in amusement. "I don't give in to tantrums, but I do like games."

"I am done playing!" Said Emily forcefully.

"That's too bad for you," said the voice indifferently. "If you don't play, you'll never win. If you never win, you'll stay here forever and then..." a whisper sent shivers down Emily's spine, "... you belong to me." Hysterical laughter echoed all around Emily.

"Fine!" Said Emily brushing off the feeling of dread that was creeping into her heart. "I'll play, what do I do?"

"Simple," said the voice. "Find me."

With this the voice disappeared and Emily was left alone. She walked through the empty theatre and the set of double doors at the end of the gallery. Emily shivered as she stood in the dimly lit hallway of her school, the only sound the faint hum of the old fluorescent lights above.

"Hello!" She called out timidly. There was no answer. Her chatty captor was silent this time. Emily didn't know where to start, so she continued down the hallway that seemed to stretch forever.

Lockers lined the walls, their shiny surfaces reflecting distorted images of the empty hallway. The floor, polished to a gleaming shine, echoed faintly with the sound of her footsteps, each one seeming to amplify the sense of isolation. Classroom doors stood closed and silent, their windows dark and impenetrable, giving no hint of what lay beyond.

Emily didn't know where to start looking. Going from room to room seemed pointless. So, she took a few breaths to steady herself and started thinking about the most uncomfortable places of her school. Obviously, the theatre was one. Emily was not much on performance. The thought of public speaking or being on stage at all terrified her. On par with this feeling was the gym. Specifically, the locker room.

Emily ran towards to gymnasium without stopping to check any other places. Laughter echoed through the hallway. It sounded like screaming. A madness threatened to take over Emily. She tried hard to ignore it. She focused on her feet, on not tripping. Heal toe, heal toe, she kept track of her movement. She felt her muscles tense and relax with each step. Her breath quick and shallow. Heal toe, heal toe. Almost there. Just a few more rooms to pass by and one more turn. The laughter continued.

What would I do when I get there? Emily thought. Panic started to creep into her heart. Amidst the laughter, she now heard voices of her friends and loved ones - Sam, Morgan, Leslie, her mom and dad. They were screaming and laughing all at once. Emily wanted to cower, to cover her ears and hide in a corner. But what good would that do? Heal toe, heal toe, she focused