Across Dimensions (ONC 2020)

Chapter Seven:The Truth Behind It All

The knob turns on the door, I manage to fold myself small enough for Kai to close the lid moments before someone else enters the room. Foot steps approach slowly, coming to a halt beside the chest. 

I hold my breath for a moment when I hear a metallic click. They have a gun, I'm dead. Escape is fruitless. I just wish I would've had the opportunity to fill in the missing pieces of my life.

Surely if you don't know you've done something you cannot be held accountable for it in death, right? By stars I hope so.

"How'd you end up in here Kai? Did Grayson trap you?" Maximus asks, though his voice is somewhat muffled by the box around me.

"No, w-I fell in here when we were running away from angry spirits. They got very angry at me for not killing him and tried attacking us both." Kai states.

"Is he in the chest?" Maximus asks bluntly.

Crap, he's not to be take for a fool. Though I honestly didn't see this working from the start. Since it's the only hiding place in this room...

"No, no! He uh, got chased off by the ghosts, probably collapsed somewhere outside because of his injuries." Kai says, the nervousness in her voice makes it obvious that she's lying.

At least she tried, I am grateful that she cares enough to not murder me. Such a sweet trusting girl. It's a good thing no one else came through that portal. The ability to blindly trust a stranger would have likely brought suffering upon her if it had been an actual criminal hopping through.

"Then why are you sitting on it?" Maximus asks, his tone indicating impatience.

"Do you see any other furniture in this room? W-I've been stuck in here for awhile now, and the ground is less than comfortable. Maybe we should add a bed or at least a couch in here to go with your movie player. Possibly a microwave to make the popcorn usable. A book shelf for those of us not interested in watching you explore other... things." Kai falters on the last sentence.

Perhaps she thought better than to bring up what we saw. Most things locked away are not meant to be viewed by anyone other than the fellow who hid it away. But Kai majorly failed at recovering how much information she revealed. Even though I cannot see anything, I'm sure Maximus is eying her with suspicion.

"Get off the chest Kai. I need to end him." Maximus declares, his voice low.

"End who? There's nothing in this chest but a blanket and popcorn. Did you really name your popcorn? That's a very strange thing to do? Or are you talking about the chest? It seems to be in perfectly good condition..." Kai yips, cut off mid sentence.

The top of the chest swings open, and I instantly feel cold metal press into the back of my head. "Before I execute you, we need to talk. Stand up slowly, if you try anything, I will not hesitate to pull the trigger."

I swallow, doing as he instructs without question. If he wants to talk, that means he knows something. Perhaps whatever he tells me will trigger the block in my mind and cause everything to make sense.

Once I manage to unknot myself, I step out of the chest. Maximus grabs my arm, twisting it painfully behind my back. I bite my lip to keep from crying out when he twists harder. "Kai is young, innocent. I don't know what kind of lies you told her, but I know the truth, I know you're the reason Vidya and Kyle disappeared. One way or another, we're going to have a lovely chat where you tell me everything."

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Kai cries, slamming into Maximus with her body.

While I admire her attempt, it did nothing to loosen the fellows grip. I have yet to get a glance at him, but I assume based off of the strength that he must be huge. Hopefully once he realizes I know nothing he will allow me to go. I doubt it, but there is always hope.