Gifteds: And Then There Were None

Chapter 17. IV

Nico was ravenous. His eating habits were getting worse and worse with the deaths. He blindly felt around the hallways looking for the door to the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't have been up but he couldn't help it. His hunger was getting the best of him.

Damn it, He felt his finger trip over something on the wall. He cradled his newly-stubbed finger and looked around in bewilderment. What kind of a wall is this? Pushing himself up, he ran his good hand along the wall until he felt a raised edge. Hmmm... With a little bit of pressure against the edge, it swung open. It was a hidden door.

Nico's own curiosity genuinely surprised him. He had thought that such mundane emotions had been replaced with grief and the feeling made him nostalgic. He opened the door to find a series of stairs leading down. Having nothing better to do, he went down.

Nico found the stairway lead to a series of secret underground tunnels. Each wall was adorned with a torch giving the hallways an oddly medieval feel. All the torches were lit.

Someone's been here recently. As soon as the thought entered his mind, Nico heard footsteps. His mind panicked and the lack of sleep suddenly began to take a toll. I'm dead. This is how it ends. Will they even find a body? Or will Kyle have me taken away? The funeral will be closed casket for sure. Who am I kidding? They're not going to have a funeral. They have more urgent things to do. Like kill people.

The footsteps were coming faster and more urgently now. Nico closed his eyes. He didn't want to see who it was or the weapon they were holding. He just wanted it to be over. Quick. Painless.

The sounds of feet stopped abruptly. Nico sensed that the person was in the room. After a few seconds of silence he opened his eyes to someone he thought he would never see again.

"Maira?"