Who Are The Kings

Chapter 8: Finally Out

Stella's POV:

We have been here for hours. After the last message, everything that was once black turned white once again. But the door was still locked, we still couldn't leave. Maddie cried herself to sleep. I wish I could. I tried contacting whoever wrote those messages again. Nothing. We were absolutely helpless. The stinging silence was driving me insane. What was going to happen...

Suddenly a red light started flickering. This was either supposed to give us hope, or was supposed to tell us that we're about to be killed. Honestly though, I was eager to know what it meant either way. Anything was better than being locked down here.

The red twinkling woke maddie up. Her eyes weakly opened presenting her dilated pupils and swollen lids; result of intense sobbing.

"What's that" she mutters weakly before straightening her posture and leaning against the wall behind her. She sighs in defeat
"How are we going to get out of this hell hole"

"Let's hope Ashley comes back soon" I reply reluctantly - I didn't want to give maddie any false hope. She was devastated enough as is.

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Shawn's POV:

I hear Ashley yelling my name from upstairs, I sensed fear in her voice. I sprint upstairs looking for her. Nothing in the gym nor the library. Oh no. She was in there. They really couldn't let it go could they.

I walk in to see the red light bulb flickering and my sister stuck to the wall her face as pale as a ghost.

I walk across the room and hug her tightly trying to comfort her - in vain. She's shaking and trying to tell me something but she couldn't. So she simply points to the closet.

Oh.
"Madison and Stella?" I ask

She nods

I trace my finger over the golden letters carved on the closet before it opens and lets us in.

Ashley motions "no" with her head

"Don't worry ash I'll be with you. Come here. You shouldn't be afraid. Ask your friends not to go back down there again though. This place isn't for them."

She follows me hesitantly down the empty hall. Of course! They had to have been curious enough to go where it was most forbidden. I felt like yelling at them. But they didn't know what this was, so I contained my anger and opened the metallic door to see both girls laying on the floor tears of pure fear in their eyes. At this sight, all my anger was washed away. I immediately picked them up and hugged them both, before Ashley did the same and we all went upstairs and to the living room.

We sat them down on the beige sofa.

"I'm going to get you some water" I say

Stella nods. Maddie doesn't react in any way, her eyes fixed on the modern grey floorboard.

When I look at her I feel guilt. It wasn't my fault but I still felt bad. I couldn't explain it.

I handed them cups of cold water to replenish their senses. Stella shugged it down. Maddie shrugged and took a small sip before laying the cup on the glass table in front of her.

"Care to explain?" Stella breaks the silence and eyes me menacingly as if she blamed me for whatever happened to them.

"I'll tell you what I know." I reply shortly

She looks at me coldly

"Stop looking at me as if I did this to you. This isn't my fault what's wrong with you stel?" I was seriously getting annoyed

"Then why did you know exactly how to get down there? You know, opening the closet and the metallic door." she answers confidently

"And who's to tell I did that and not Ashley? She was with you when you first went down there, wasn't she? So she would know. " I lied because she had a point and I didn't know what else to say.

Ashley looks at me and raises her eyebrows questioningly.

I sigh."Okay. I'm going to tell you what I know."

"Proceed" stella hisses

"All what I know is that this book is only to be opened by our family members. But all what you saw down there wasn't what you thought it was. There was a projector above the metallic door. And the red writing on the wall was just a video forecasted by this projector to scare whoever went down there." This wasn't the absolute truth, but it was close enough and was all what they need to know. More like all what I could tell them.

"How is it a pre-recorded video? One of the messages had my name." replies stella with wit

She was smart.

"Do you not remember writing your name on the first page of the book whenever you went down there."

"I remember. Why would this room be here though. In Ashley's mansion. She didn't even know it existed. And if what you're saying is correct, the technology invested to protect this book is extremely advanced and whoever made it must have really cared about the room's safety. Who did this? "

"This mansion is Ashley's mansion now. It wasn't always hers. It has been passed down throughout generations in our family." I explain.

"Why couldn't you tell us before we moved here? We just had the scare of the century. I thought I was gonna be murdered down there! All because you didn't think to take the time out of your day and call Ashley informing her about this room before we moved. You knew about this Shawn. How could you?!"
Maddie stood up and pushed me against the wall and full on yelled at me.

Woah. She was the definition of "calm before the storm." Noone has ever yelled at me like this before.

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Maddie's POV:

I bursted. I couldn't hide what accumulated inside of me because of those few hours down there anymore. I took all my rage out on Shawn.

I look up to see him looking at me with shocked eyes. Yeah, I may have overdid this. It wasn't entirely his fault. I was over-the-top curious and this is where that led me. The saying was correct after all, curiosity did kill the cat.

My eyes began watering and hot tears blurred my vision. Instantly Shawn caresses my cheek before kissing it gently. Electricity shot up my spine. What was wrong with me, Shawn is Ashley's older brother and has always felt like that to me too. He was just doing this out of pity. I snap out of my trans as his muscular arms make their way to my legs, lifting me up before throwing me on top of his shoulder effortlessly. He takes me upstairs to my room and slowly puts me down on my mattress.

"I'm sorry" he whisperes before closing my curtains, turning the lights off and leaving the room.

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A chapter ending peacefully for once? Don't get used to this;) What else is in store for Maddie Stella and Ashley? Find out in chapter 9! x