The Darkest Door

Chapter 8

Theo's POV

I thought my days at school were going much better, I was totally wrong. The day started out just fine but I couldn't stop thinking about prom, about Delilah.

I hated admitting it. I didn't want to be honest that I did want to ask her. It would be so much fun. I was just so unsure if she would even want to go, with the current circumstances that she's dealing with right now.

It felt like the whole world was out to get me. Everyone was talking about prom, their dates, their outfits, where they were going beforehand.

Prom was only four weeks away, and everyone was posting their promposal pictures all over social media.

The whole day just felt horrible. I was stressed with this inner guilt that I wasn't helping her, or doing anything right.

I got to my car, and started to break down. The overthinking happened so fast. I didn't know what to do. I sat in the parking lot, in the backseat so no one could see.

It felt like the whole world was against me, first my mom, then Delilah.

I couldn't drive home like this, I just couldn't. I felt my phone vibrate on the seat beside me.

I took a deep breath and looked at the message. Of course it was from Delilah.

She wanted me to watch her again. Typically I would, I just was not in the mental state to do anything at the moment. I didn't have any idea what to say.

My phone began to ring, it was my father. After taking another deep breath I decided to answer. "Hey dad."

"Everything okay?" He asked, "you're running late. You should have been home 30 minutes ago."

"Yeah dad I'm fine. Just had to talk to my teacher for a minute, then I was talking to Delilah," I told him, hoping he would believe my on the spot fib.

"Okay then, just wanted to make sure you were okay, drive safely,"

"Bye dad, see you in a bit." I told him before hanging up the phone.

I sat for a moment, taking in the environment around me. Everyone had gone home. I was the only one left in the student parking lot.

Delilah sent another message. I wanted to tell her everything. I wanted to tell her about all those times I've spent watching her and thinking about her but I just couldn't. It would be the most embarrassing thing I could ever do.

I thought back to all those nights where she comforted me, all those days where she held me in her arms. I always felt like I wasn't good enough for her. I was just some sad, depressed teen needing his best friend to hold him together.

I told her I wanted to be left alone even though it was the farthest from the truth. I couldn't have her worried about me again when she is dealing with problems so much more important right now. I can't keep letting myself get in the way.

~~~

Delilah's POV

I awoke in the dark room just like always. I felt weak and tired. My cheeks still wet. I have to wake up before my mom finds me. I closed my eyes and imagined myself back in my room. I opened my eyes and looked back at the brick wall. It didn't work.

I tried over and over but I couldn't get out. I was stuck.

I knew it was over for me. I could feel myself spiraling out of control once again. I decided to look around the left room to calm my thoughts while I found a way out.

I finally decided on going back to lead my past self into the left room. Mentally preparing was definitely more tough this time because I knew this was going to be hard.

I closed my eyes, imagined like I was outside my room. I opened my eyes and I was there waiting outside the entrance.

I knocked on the door. Once I was inside, I sat down beside myself on the bed trying my best to remember what I had said before.

"Okay then, can you tell me what my purpose is here then?" She asked me, once I finished explaining the door on the other side of the hallway.

"I'm not even sure of that myself," I told her, trying to hold back the tears. I pulled her into a tight hug. Here they come, I thought as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

I pulled away and wiped my eyes, "I'm sorry, I wish I could talk about it but I can't." I told her, watching my concerned expression. I looked like an innocent little puppy.

I stood up and walked out the door, slowly closing it behind me. I leaned up against the wall, tears pouring out of my eyes. Next thing I knew, I was back in the left room.

I sat on the floor in the left room, key in hand looking up at the ceiling. Twisting the key in my hand, I felt something engraved. I stood up and turned to look around the room.

The painting. It looked different. The painted was still of my house except this time instead of the sun shining brightly behind it, it looked like it was beginning to set.

It was so odd. The painting couldn't show time as it was in the outside world because the last time I was here it was around this same time. Very strange of it to change.

I sat down in the chair of the desk and began looking through it's drawers.

There were so many things in the desk, papers, photos, old sticky notes. It was all different things from my past. Things that I wrote or pictures taken of me.

I looked through the photos and I found many of myself and Theo. I just wish he would talk to me. I trusted him when I told him about my new ability, why couldn't he just trust me now?

I scattered the papers, and pictures out on the table and looked in the bottom of the drawer. A magnifying glass. Exactly like the one at my grandma's house that I would play with as a child.

I looked back at the key resting on the table and knew exactly what I had to do.

I looked at the key with the magnifying glass. I saw the gold accents and noticed they began to spell out a sentence all around the base of the key.

"Find the thing that doesn't belong"

The thing that doesn't belong? That could be anything! I looked through the papers and photos once more not seeing anything that "wouldn't belong."

What if that's the solution, to get all the crazy mind games to stop? I had to find it, even if that meant, staying in here for days.

The worse they could do is hospitalize me again, it's not like they would ever find anything actually wrong with me. Unless there was a possibility.