Esoteric

Chapter 5: Threatening

Molly nudged Mary and gave her a look of confusion. Mary returned the same look. It wasn't like she had any answers either.

"So like, how far is it?" Molly finally broke the silence.

"It's just a few rooms down, and into the left hallway. I think I remember where to go." Sylvia answered.

"Also, what was in that room you came from?" Mary asked.

"Oh, it looked like a bedroom. White walls. White beds. There was a carpet placed in the center of the floor."

Mary looked over at Molly, confused at the description Sylvia had given. There were more rooms down this way? Had they accidentally gone in a circle? They couldn't have. There must have been another bedroom.

"How'd you get your name?" Molly asked in a confused but assertive tone.

Sylvia seemed to be thinking, before she finally answered. "It was written on my wrist." She slowed her pace and turned her outstretched wrist to them.

On her wrist, identical to the bold letters Mary had seen, it read "SYLVIA." Mary reached out to touch her wrist and noticed that the letters were a little loopy. Molly examined it and ran her fingers along the text.

"Interesting," was all Mary could think of to say. She watched as Molly glanced at Sylvia and dropped her wrist.

"You don't remember anything either?" Molly looked at Sylvia again with curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"Nope." Sylvia sighed and turned around. "Anyways, I think it's down this bend in the hall."

Mary and Molly continued following her. Mary felt a sense of curiosity arise in her once again.

"How long do you think you've been here?" She quizzed.

"Probably about a week or two." Sylvia sighed. "How about you guys?"

"I think I've been here for only a day." Mary answered. She heard silence for a few moments, and then nudged Molly.

"Oh, right. I think I've been for the same time as her. Probably about a day." Molly said, snapping out of her trance.

Sylvia didn't answer, and only continued walking. She continued to maintain her cheerful strut through the halls, and every so often looked behind her.

"We're just about there!" She exclaimed.

A few feet away from them, Mary spotted the bend in the hallway. She wondered what else would appear before them once they turned, but her thought was rudely interrupted.

"Wait!" Sylvia whispered, holding a finger to her lips. They all came to a stop as she looked around at their surroundings.

"What?" Molly asked.

Sylvia didn't answer. She shifted her eyes back and forth between the floor and the ceiling. Mary followed her gaze, only to start seeing white spots from the glare of the lights above. Her heart started pounding and she felt tense at the silence that had suddenly come upon them. At any moment, she was expecting someone to jump out of no where and scream at them.

That moment never came. Sylvia stopped her gaze and slowly started walking towards Mary and Molly, almost backing them against the wall. Mary looked at Molly and then back to Sylvia a few times, in confusion. Molly gave her the same quizzical look.

"What-what's going on?" Mary turned to look at Sylvia.

Sylvia didn't answer for a moment. She finally spoke up, "We can't let them catch us."

"Can't let who catch us?" Mary raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms in annoyance, knowing that their journey was being delayed.

"You heard her. Don't let the art professors catch us skipping class." Molly bumped her elbow with Mary's, and smiled.