Time Is Money

Three

"I told you there is no trapdoor or anything!" I exclaimed in frustration, on the evening of Wednesday.
"Well - uhm, I may have found one." Evan whispered, before smiling awkwardly. "In the cupboard, under the stairs. Under the carpet. I found it when my jeans got caught in it."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier, E?" I inquired, smiling from ear to ear. "Let's go!"

I then found myself lifting a trapdoor, laughing happily. There was a stable but thin wooden ladder that looked old, that I told Evan to climb down. I started going down first, then him. I put my index finger to my lips at Evan once, as he was about to say something. We didn't know what was down here. A military army could be at the bottom for all we knew.
Once we reached the bottom, I waited for Evan to get down before opening an iron door that lead to a narrow corridor, lit by torches that shone sunset orange and red on to the walls that were a creamy colour normally.

After squeezing through the corridor, we came to a winding staircase that lead up. We both sprinted, but we became as still as stone after we heard a voice.
"Are you sure it is secure?"
"Yes. Master Tom will never find this place."
At the mention of my name, I whirled around and nudged Evan down the staircase, back through the corridor, and up the ladder. After reaching the surface, I slammed the trapdoor shut and pulled the velvet carpet over it again.
"That was our only chance!" Evan yelled. "What were you thinking?!"
"I'm sorry, I can't do it." I whispered before going at full speed up three staircases and up to my room.
I flung myself into my bed and sobbed into my pillow.

I can't do this without Halee, I thought. It's not fair.. but think of all the people suffering because I didn't have the courage to go up that staircase and pull the lever..
My thoughts were then cut short by the sound of my door opening and shutting.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you like that," Evan began. "It's just, I want the sadness and suffering to end.."
"It's okay." I answered, pulling myself up and wiping my eyes. "I'm just thinking about Halee.."
"Let go," he then told me. "Stop thinking about Halee. She's all you ever think about! If this helps, I could become your best friend."
"Yeah, that would be nice.."

Three days later, my parents came back. They said hi to me and told Evan to come with them. I was scared, afraid they would drain his time like they did Halee's, but he came back up saying that they had asked him how I had behaved.
"I told them that you had said how bad you felt after telling your father that you hated the time currency and he liked to see people suffer," Evan replied after I had asked. "They both then said that they knew you didn't mean to hurt them, that you were only doing it because you felt ignored."
I grinned.
"Good job, Evan. Now they will unground me, and we can try to get to the lever." I whispered. "Come up to my room at 2am sharp. Tonight is the night we save everyone."