Phantasmagoria (Ziall)

Chapter 9

“No. No. No.” I repeated, thinking that denying the situation would open the doors and bring Zayn back to me. “No, this can’t be happening.” 

“Well it is happening, Niall.” Harry argued with me, pulling at the door handles. They wouldn’t budge. “Get over here and help me.” I watched as Harry tried, unsuccessfully, to open the doors. The cold feeling that had taken over my body before and kept me there had gone away. I ran up to Harry at the doors and yanked with him. They still didn’t move. 

“Zayn!” I called out, hoping he could hear me on the other side. If he was there. “Zayn! Can you hear me!” I pounded on the door, tears stinging my eyes. Both Harry and I pulled at the door again. I kicked it and pounded on it’s surface, but nothing. And I never heard a word from Zayn.

We gave up when the doors refused to budge. I was so tired and so afraid that Zayn would end up like Louis. That he would end up in a painting. There was no doubt that that was what happened to Liam. This place was littered with paintings, old and older. 

I stumbled back. My chest felt tight again, but this time it was because I was in full panic mode. I looked around me, noticing one more set of doors on the other side of the large ball room. This place was leading us somewhere. Doors would appear and disappear. Hallways would become longer and places would change from being brilliant to destroyed. 

Harry stood next to me, laying his hand on my shoulder. “Hey. We’ll get out of here.” He promised me with his goofy smile. Though, I knew he was as stressed out as I was. After all, this place was messing with our minds. 

“Okay…” I said shakily. I stood tall and took in a deep breath. “Those doors aren’t opening anytime soon, but those are open. Maybe we can find a way around.” I said with a bit of strength in my voice. “I’m not letting this damn place mess up my relationship with Zayn. I’ve already wasted so much time denying it. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“So you guys-“ Harry paused. “What happened to him just being a desire from afar?” He asked. 

“This trip happened.” I spoke slowly while I looked around the open door to see if anything was off. “When we stopped at the station to fill up. He’s just been acting so strange. And then yesterday…” I shook my head, forgetting that I was missing days of time. “I mean, that first night. He kissed me in the hallway. I heard him walking around and got up to see what was up.” I touched my lips with the tips of my fingers and lived in the moment. “I don’t know if it’s this place or something else, but Zayn’s been different.” I realized that Harry wasn’t following me out the door so I stopped and turned around. He was giving me this strange look. “What?” I asked. 

“Niall, the first night, you didn’t even get up from bed.” He said matter-of-factly. “You were out cold.” He spoke as if he thought he was telling the truth, but I knew that I got out of bed and went to go see Zayn in the hallway. We kissed. It happened. 

“You’re lying.” I stepped back. “You were the one who was asleep. You were passed out. I made sure of it.” Harry had only stirred that night. He didn’t wake up until after I had gotten back into the room. “I took your camera and looked at that picture, remember?” My heart was pounding.