The Test

Chapter Four

The trunk opened, letting in the cool night air, and showing me a view of the stars. They looked especially beautiful tonight, but maybe that was just because I was going to die, and this would be the last time I saw them.

Brian lifted my limp body out of the trunk, and carried me down the road, to an abandoned house.

"I can test you here, and no one will hear. It will be quiet."

I didn't respond, because I couldn't. I had no idea what the hell this test thing was, but it didn't sound good.

Once in the house, he went to a room, just off the front door. From what I could see of the room, it was large, with no windows, and a coffin, lying on the floor in the middle of the room.

My heart sped up, and I could feel my stomach churning with dread. I was claustrophobic, and Brian knew that. It had come up in a random conversation once.

He opened the coffin and dumped me in, then shut the lid. Then I could hear as he screwed the coffin shut.

My heart started to race in my chest, my lungs constricting making it hard to breathe. I had to get out of here! NOW!

Tears streamed down my face, and I screamed—by this point I was able to move the muscles in my face and throat.

"HELP!" I yelled, as loud as I could. "Someone please help me!"

I started sobbing, struggling to move my body so that I could escape. But whatever Brian had given me kept me immobile.

Yelling in frustration, I closed my eyes, and tried to calm my crazy breathing. Sobbing wasn't going to conserve my oxygen supply, and I knew I only had a limited amount.

The walls started to close in on me, and I couldn't breathe. I passed out.

***

"Lannie, don't worry, we'll get you out." Derek yelled so I could hear him through the metal box I was currently locked in.

"Don't leave," I sobbed, hitting the side of the box with my little fists.

"I won't," he promised, "Just think of something else until your daddy gets home."

"I can't, I'm too scared," I whimpered, curling into a tiny ball.

"Listen to my voice then. I'll sing you a song, okay?"

"Mkaay," I murmured, tears still streaming down my face.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high,

Like a diamond in the sky,

Twinkle, twinkle little star,

How I wonder what you are."

"Again," I whispered, and listened to his voice as he started again. This time I joined in too.

***

When I woke up, I could remember exactly what happened that day, like it was yesterday.

While Derek and I had been playing hide and seek, I had tried to hide in the small metal chest that my Steve kept in the living room. Unfortunately, it had gotten stuck and I couldn't get out. I had only been six at the time.

Derek Jackson was my best friend, and had been since I was little. I could picture him perfectly when I closed my eyes. Bright green eyes, black hair that had been buzzed short, and a warm smile that was contagious.

There was a pang of hurt in my chest when I thought about him, but I ignored that, focusing on out happier memories. Like the day he sung to me.

"Twinkle, twinkle little star," I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying. I kept my eyes squeezed shut, Derek's face stuck in my mind.

I could almost hear him in mind, singing with me. This calmed me down, making me think that maybe, I would be okay, just like the time when I was six.

"How I wonder what you are," my heart slowed down, and I was able to breathe easier.

"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are."

I was calmer at this point, and I realized that I could actually move my whole body now.

I started pounding on the sides of the coffin. It wasn't as sturdy as I had originally thought, so I started kicking the bottom. Maybe I could kick the bottom part open and climb out.

After a bit of crazy kicking, a heard the wood splinter and I let out a cry of joy, kicking harder.

Finally, the bottom part opened enough and I was able to shimmy my way out, feet first. The broken wood scratched my skin, but I ignored the stinging, pushing myself until I was standing outside the coffin.

I wanted to jump and dance for joy, but my legs buckled beneath me and I slid to the floor. My body needed to rest, but I couldn't just yet. But my legs protested so I gave myself a couple of minute before I got the hell out of dodge.

Something furry ran over my bare toes, and I scratched them absentmindedly; probably a fuzz ball.

I still felt the tickling though, so I looked down. Sitting on my foot was the biggest spider I had ever seen. It was furry, black, and as big as the palm of my hand.

Screaming, I jumped up and kicked the spider across the room.

Where the hell had that come from?

I shivered, but not because of the cold. I hated spiders, and had always been afraid of them, ever since I was a little girl.

I pushed that out of my mind, and turned towards the door, so I could escape. I'd had enough of these damn coffins and spiders. I wanted to go home now.

Suddenly, the floor started to move around my feet, and I screamed, jumping onto the coffin. Because it wasn't the floor that had been moving.

It was hundreds of big, black spiders, crawling around.