Look Behind You

Chapter Ten

мαggιє'ѕ ρσν

What was wrong with this adventure, you ask? Well, we had given up so badly that Kate- of all people- took charge.

"To the bathroom we go!" She sang.

"Why won't you shut up?" Kitty muttered, in tune with Kate's song.

"Don't be sour," Kate sighed. "You're going to use the bathroom too, you know."

"I hope you're wrong about there being a bathroom, Kate." Kitty muttered under her breath.

Kate ignored her and kept sniffing the air to follow the smell.

"This way!" Kate shouted as she pointed towards a right turn.

We continued down the hallway. My heart thumped at the thought of stumbling across a monster. I decided to speak up.

"Kate, what if there's a monster down this path?" I asked, my stomach feeling a little queasy.

"There won't be, Maggie!" Kate stopped walking to put her hand on my shoulder. "Just watch. I'm probably right."

I rolled my eyes as she tossed her head dramatically.

"Let's keep going." Nitro chimed in. "We don't want to waste time squabbling."

I glanced ahead at Nitro. She was so confident, leading our group into whatever lay ahead. She didn't even shed a thought about what would happen to her. I hope I'm like her one day.

Kate took another right. I tilted my head in confusion as I saw Nitro fall behind the group. She was whispering things to herself, her eyes dim.

I picked up the word Logan, and instantly my heart shattered in two. It must've felt awful, losing a sibling out of the blue. It must've felt like a nightmare in her world. Almost as though it were all a Dream, and once she woke up Logan would happily be shaking her awake.

"Nitro, how are you holding up?" I asked, stepping beside her.

She silently looked down at her feet.

"I'm fine. Just need my time to be alone. Thanks, though," Nitro murmured. I watched a tear roll down her face.

"It'll be okay. Just focus on the positives," I told Nitro.

I raced to catch up with the others, feeling guilty that I had left her. However, if Niro wanted to be alone, I wouldn't pester her.

I looked up ahead at the strange lights again. How could they be so bright but not even brighten up this hallway? Kate stopped to sniff the air again.

"This way!" She called out. "I can sense it! We're getting closer!"

"This is probably just her imagination," Kitty rolled her eyes.

"I guess Kate does have a nutshell for a brain."

We laughed, and Kate turned to face us. Instantly both me and Kitty fell silent.

The next couple minutes was Kate sniffing the air and turning in every different direction. Was Kate really following the scent of a bathroom?

As we turned down a hallway, I heard a noise. It was a soft beep, very faint but loud enough to hear. A few more beeps followed, until it fell silent.

I glanced at Nitro. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah," Nitro frowned. "Quiet beeps. What was that?"

"I heard that beeping clear as day, and I think it was just an old music box." Kitty twitched her ear. Being a meifwa, she had great hearing, not to mention some excellent night vision.

"That must be it," Nitro agreed, shooting a grin in Kitty's direction.

I uncomfortably glanced down at my feet. Even though I didn't have as wonderful hearing as Kitty, I still knew that wasn't a music box. The fact that a music box wouldn't randomly be placed in this maze was proof. It must've been important.

"I feel like we're going in circles." Kitty mumbled.

"Yeah," I nodded. "Kate, shouldn't we take a left turn soon?"

"I'm following my nose, and my nose says only right," Kate spat, tossing her head.

"Yikes. Someone has an attitude," Kitty meowed, crossing her arms. "Are you sure you're going the right way, and not leading us into certain death?"

"How do you know your nose is right?" Nitro chimed in, pitting her hands on her hips.

"I just know, okay? I can feel it in my bones."

Now that Kate mentioned it, I too could feel something in my bones. Was it the feeling that a bathroom was nearby? Or was it just me agreeing with Kate?

I stopped in my tracks. I'd felt this grange prickling feeling before. When we met the strange knight with the sword. When we saw the zombie girl.

This wasn't the feeling that a bathroom close by. This meant that whatever we were nearing, we were about to see it.