SCAREBNB

five: a gift

The bathroom was completely thrown into darkness. My eyes were desperate to adjust to the black, and my hands clawed for the tap. As the water subsided so did the noise, and I was left with silence.

Before my eyes, a series of visions began conjuring before me. Hands like mine grabbing at my forearms, blue lips whispering furiously with no noise. Deep brown eyes with an intensity that broke my heart. I shook my head hard, pulling me back to reality.

I knew when the visions started it was time to take the meds.

I heard steps running up the hall, and then yelling on the other side.

"Are you guys okay?"

"I think the power is out!"

I hadn't noticed I'd run to Cadence and Annie, knocking my shin on the corner of the bath and shivering in my bathing suit.

"Oh God," Cadence said. It sounded like she was covering her mouth with her hand. "Holy shit."

"It's okay," Annie whispered. I felt her hand on my shoulder. "It's just the lights."

I was temporarily muted. I felt a towel spread over my shoulders and then Lucas had an arm around Annie and I as he walked the three of us to the living room.

My eyes were slowly grasping the darkness, and I could make out the furnishings, and the three guys. My hair dripped ice water down my back, and my lip was quivering.

"Where's your lighter?" Gabriel said urgently. I could barely see him and Elijah by the hall.

"Shit, I don't know, I can't see anything—"

I heard Elijah's voice muffle as they walked towards the bedroom, and then a flicker of light returned as the two boys entered the living room with a candle that we'd used the night before.

"Sierra, you're bleeding."

I looked down to see my shin weeping with bright red blood, trailing in chasms down the streaks of water still dripping from my body.

"Sierra," Annie repeated. I felt her hands flutter to my shoulders. "You okay?"

I nodded, my neck stiff. I wanted to be okay. I had to be okay.

"I just... I think I need..."

Annie squeezed my wrist, her eyes warm as her fingers trailed to my hair, wiping the wet strands from my cheek. "You're not crazy. This is a lot."

I squeezed my eyes shut at her whisper, leaning into her hand. The power was out. It was dark. Nobody knew we were here.

We're trapped.

"Shoot," Lucas said, his fingers knotted in his hair as he paced.

"Shit," Elijah said, his hand hitting a vase of fake flowers and toppling the ceramic to the floor. It shattered into pieces that sparkled in the flame of the candle.

"Hey!" Gabriel shoved his friend out of the way. "How are we gonna clean this? You want more of us injured?"

"It doesn't matter now!"

I noticed then that his voice was slurred.

"Did you..." Cadence strutted to the kitchen, sizing up Elijah, "Drink the rest of the tequila?"

"Enough," Annie said. "I saw a broom in the big room, I'll go grab it. Can someone grab Sierra a bandaid?"

Lucas followed Annie, an unspoken tether between them. Cadence had found the empty tequila bottle and was screaming at Elijah. I couldn't hear them anymore.

"Here," Gabriel said. He was already holding a hand towel, offering it to me. My fingers were frozen around the towel on my shoulders, and when I didn't move he leaned in front of me, taking my calf in his hand so he could press the clothe against my skin. "I hope this is okay."

I nodded. His fingers were the only thing that didn't feel cold on my skin. I watched as he gently pressed his fingertips in, turning my leg to assess the damage. A shallow graze.

"I..." My throat croaked. I swallowed hard. The knot in my stomach lurched. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" There was a sparkle in his eye in the dim light.

"Hurting myself like this, it seems like such a stupid thing to do with everything going on."

He shook his head, like it was a silly sentiment. It was.

"Do you think..." My voice trailed. I willed myself to produce a solid thought. I needed to process this. "Do you think we can explain this? Logically?"

He looked at me, twisting my knee so he could make sure most of the blood was caught on the towel. The white was stained with scarlet.

"We have to be able to," he said. "Anything can be explained. Our assumptions just keep breaking."

"But the probability... The lock. The lights. James..."

Gabriel looked pale in the gold light. Almost ghostly. "I guess I can't answer it. I feel like I don't know anything now."

Cadence and Elijah had now quietened. I could see the outline of Cadence's head as she sat on the sofa. Her shoulders were heaving. Elijah sat against the wall, his hands over his face.

I just wanted to escape.

"Do you have any dry clothes?" he asked.

"In the room," I said, looking down the darkened hall. Suddenly a thought zapped me and I yanked my leg from his gentle fingers.

"Hey, careful—"

"Annie and Lucas," I said quickly. It had only been a few minutes but I couldn't hear or see them anymore. I pulled the towel tight around me and found my feet, running into the darkness, now numb to my suffocating fear. "Annie!"

I didn't hear any response. How long had they been gone? I wished I could turn on a light. I flicked the switches anyway.

"Sierra! Don't run off alone!" Gabriel's voice followed me.

"What's going on—is she okay?" Cadence's voice followed.

"Don't leave Elijah," Gabriel barked back.

"Lucas!" I called again, my voice louder now.

"Sierra, here!"

I followed the sound, Gabriel on my heel as we stumbled into the second room, my hands using the textured wallpaper to guide me. I saw their silhouettes hunched to the side.

Annie had her phone torch shining in the corner, where the closet leaned against the wall. It was empty—we'd already scoured the place looking for James—but they were gathered by the floor. There was an opened hatch. A hidden compartment.

"What is it?" Gabriel asked.

Annie didn't say anything. She just shined the light to Lucas's hands.

In his palm sat a shiny gun.