No Vacancy

The Hall

Tyler was the first to move towards the basement door. Slowly he placed his hand on the knob as if he expected it to jump out at him. However, the knob remained still in the dim light. I sighed in relief as the door opened to a series of empty lockers. The room was cold, damp, and sound seemed empty. 

" I don't know. This just doesn't seem smart," said Henry, as he peered over Tyler's shoulder.

"Yea man. This is exactly like the scene in a horror movie right before the hot girl dies." Said Tyler. I looked down the hallway once more before Troy began to lead.

"Look, we can't wait for someone to come along and rescue us. We have to take matters into our own hands. For all we know this could be a lot more serious then we believe it to be." said Troy. I began to follow behind him, hanging on to his shirt. My knuckles were turning white as we slowly made our way down the narrow set of lockers.

Everyone was silent as we let the area overtake us. I think were all under the impression that if we made a sound, something would find us. They would find us and when they did who was to say what they would do. The worst part of it was the unknown, never knowing what our own peers were capable of anymore. But all of these fears remained silent as we walked.

The hall's walk was an endless path because of the slow progression of our steps. However, I didn't mind. To me the longer it took, the longer we had to face the unknown threat that awaited us.  My grip on Troy's shirt was getting tighter with each step. I knew eventually I would have to let go. The idea of the action scared me. My sanity was wavering. I knew if I let go now, my reason would leave. I would fall to the floor crying and shaking like a child waking up from a vivid nightmare. The only difference was I didn't have to option to say my nightmare was a dream.

From now on, I could be living in this new reality forever. That thought frightened me the most, it made me realize my own helpless. I had no control over the situation. I had no control over the people I was with, I didn't even have any control over myself.

I was about to give in to my less rational side when Troy suddenly turned around and grabbed my hand from his shirt.

He squeezed it firmly and whispered silently " Everything is going to be alright."I knew he was trying to calm me down. He also had no idea what lied at the end of the hallway. However, at that moment, I had no other choice but to believe him. His blue eyes held confidence, a wish to protect me. I could not question it. Suddenly, I was able to find my center. 

I slowly smiled and whispered back. "Your Right."

He answered with a smile and at that moment it was just me and him within our own world. Somewhere far from the shocking events that had taken place today. It was amazing how quickly it broke with echoing bang of the shaking lockers.

Raven's petrifying scream was silenced by Tyler's empty hand. Tyler than exchanged a look with Troy and tilted his head towards the shaking lockers. Troy nodded and let go of my hand. Tyler slowly handed Raven's shaking figure to Henry. Who accepted greedily, happy to have an excuse to stay behind. Troy and Tyler turned to us.

Tyler then whispered silently to us "This is the plan, Troy and I are going to check this out. If something goes wrong you run the hell out of here."

"That is not a plan at all." Whispered yelled Henry. "Where the hell are we supposed to run?"

"You know what, Smart ass. That ain't my problem. I don't see you willing to sacrifice yourself four eyes." Tyler said.

"You are such a Jerk-" Henry started

"Stop it" Troy whispered "Henry, Tyler is right. We have limited options here unless you have any bright ideas." Henry opened his mouth, then quickly shut it.

"That's what I thought," Tyler whispered. Henry gave him a nasty glare and wrapped his arms around Raven as she let out a quiet whimper.

Troy glaze turned towards me. "Listen, Jane." He said " Your smart. If things go south I am relying on you to get them out of harm's way."

I took a deep breath, nodded, and said " I got it" He gave me a reassuring look turning towards Tyler.

"Come on," he whispered. Tyler and Troy proceeded towards the banging. My breath got slower and slower with each bang that echoed, with each step they took until it finally ceased with their arrival to the locker.

Tyler's yell caused a gasp to leave my lips. "Hey, What the hell you doing?" The banging of the locker continued but everyone else remained silent until Troy peeked his head from the locker's corner.

" I think it's OK." He said, motioning us forward. We cautiously and quickly came forward. When I came to the locker and looked over to the origin of the noise. I came upon Tyler looking and grinning at a used to be a classmate, running repeatedly into the same locker.

"Seriously," he laughed. " What the hell is it doing?" To my surprise, I grinned at his words, before proceeding to the direction Troy's hand was motioning.

"You have one sick sense of humor"  Raven sneered at Tyler as she walked hastily towards me.

"Your a complete idiot." echoed Henry following Raven. Tyler then grinned at Troy.

"Come on, that is funny " laughed Tyler.

Troy just rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Just go"

"Y'all ain't no fun," said Tyler.

Soon after we found the P.E. closet. Troy grabbed a few baseball bats and began to hand them out. Everyone grabbed one except for Raven who shook her head in fear.

"No, No," she said shaking. I think the idea of the possibility of killing her peers frightened her, it frightened us all. Along with Henry who justified his refusal with a logical explanation that we probably would not, I quote "require a violent method." But whatever he wanted to do was his decision.   

We gathered in the center of the gym. Henry took out the radio that seemed to be catching reception. This would be the moment I thought. The moment where we would figure out the truth and for some reason I was afraid of the new reality that awaited us.