My heart pounded in my chest as I ran as fast as I could towards the other side of the room, my breath ragged and uneven. With echoes of Lydia's psychotic laughter still reverberating in my ears, I remembered the cruel sight of Eloise and Sam's lifeless bodies lying with their backs against the wall. The image of Eloise's head resting on Sam's shoulder was seared into my mind like some sort of sick movie scene. This couldn't be real. It just couldn't. I didn't hesitate as I reached the heavy, ornate door. Yanking the bloody key out of my pocket, I hurriedly shoved it in the keyhole and turned. With a deep clunk the door unbolted and swung quickly open. Behind me I could hear Jasmine's hurried footsteps and ragged breathing as she too ran as fast as she could away from Lydia. This room was very different compared to the last. It was a theatre. Ancient, dusty looking seats in rows ascended from the stage floor where I stood. An eerie sense of unease and deep fear flooded over me as if someone tipped a bucket of ice-cold water over my head. This room, out of all others, including my own, seemed to affect me the most. For a moment I was too stunned to move, but when I heard Lydias tantalising, eerie laugh I remembered why I was running. I scanned above the seats looking for a way out, I knew I couldn't turn around and find a place to hide behind me. Lydia was there with a gun, and she didn't hesitate to kill Eloise and Sam, why would she hesitate to kill me? Up above the rows of seats I saw a small door leading into a room. 'That must be where the projectors are' I thought to myself. A crack of a gunshot snapped me back into reality. I quickly made up my mind and started again to run.
"Oh Ethannn" Lydia called in a sickly sing-song voice. "Where are youuu? I'm going to find you. I'm going to get you!" I bolted up the stair running faster and faster.
"Ah! There you are! You can't run for long little boy." I turned in shock to look back at her. CRACK! I ducked just in time to miss the bullet that came whizzing over my head. She threw back her head and laughed a piercing laugh like cold water. Realizing that I had no other options, I made a split-second decision. I raced up the stairs to the small door overlooking the small theatre and barged into the room. It was a cramped space filled with old film projectors and dusty equipment. Gasping for breath, I desperately searched for a hiding spot. Finally, I spotted a dim corner with some stacked film reels. I moved them aside cautiously, careful not to make too much noise, and crouched behind them trying to control my ragged breathing. As I crouched behind the film reels, the adrenaline coursing through my veins was suffocating. The sound of Lydia's demonic laugh and heavy footsteps echoed through the theatre. Even hidden behind the stacks of reels in another room, I could hear her laughing. Suddenly the door squeaked, and the sound of Lydia's footsteps echoed through the cramped room as she searched for me. My heart pounded in my chest as I strained to control my ragged breathing, my mind racing for a plan. "Oh Ethannn, I know you're in here. Come out come out wherever you areee." My heart skipped a beat as she suddenly lashed out and kicked over a pile of reels. "Now... Where are you, Ethan?" I held my breath as she came ever closer. Suddenly I heard a loud crash coming from down behind the stage. Lydia obviously heard it too as she snapped her head around to look for the source of the sound. She cackled a laugh that made the hairs on the back of my head stand up. "Well, that'll be Jasmine! Now, you stay here and be a good boy, Ethan. I'll come back for you once I've finished with that one." Lydia threw open the door and stalked out after Jasmine. It was only when I heard her stomping footsteps making their way down the staircase did, I exhale and allow myself to take a breath. 'What to do, what to do?' I thought as made my way to my feet. How do I get out of here? I slowly crept out from behind the film reels, my eyes scanning the room for any potential escape routes. I could still hear Lydia's laughs from the small room, but this time, piercing screams of agony joined the mix. Jasmine. Lydia had finally found her. I suddenly knew what to do. Flinging the door open, I ran down the steep stairs towards the source of the screams. My feet thundering faster and faster as I drew up speed. All of a sudden, the terrifying screaming stopped and there was a deafening silence broken only by the sounds of my feet. I found myself standing at the foot of the stairs to the stage. As I reached the heavy velvet curtain, I took a deep breath and cautiously pulled the curtain aside and peered through the opening. My heart sank as I saw Jasmine, her eyes filled with fear, and a large silver dagger protruding from her chest. The sight was horrifying, and my stomach churned with anguish.
I knew I had to act quickly. Gently, I approached her, trying not to startle her. "Jasmine," I whispered, "I'm here to help you. We need to get you out of here." Tears welled in her eyes as she weakly nodded. I carefully reached for the knife to pull it out and then I remembered. No, I can't pull the knife out, it will only make the bleeding worse. Jasmine winced as she spoke next, "Ethan" she warned, "watch out, she's behind you." I started and turned around to see Lydia's wicked face glaring down on us.
"Don't. Move. A muscle." She spat at me. "Turn around slowly and put your hands in the air or I shoot her." She jabbed the gun in Jasmine's direction. Ever so slowly, I turned around, careful not to make any sudden movements and slowly raised my hands in the air. "Now that's a good boy. You don't want me to kill her too, do you? You don't like death, do you? Ha! Well, I do." I stared at her with all the hate I could muster. "You twisted monster." I hissed "Why are you killing people? What have we ever done to you?" Lydia jabbed the gun into my chest. "Kneel." Lydia said, I hesitated "Too late!" a loud crack filled my ears as a shooting pain crept up my thigh. I yelled in severe pain and fell to the ground onto my knees. She glared down at me and laughed. "You don't get it do you? You think you have it so hard! You think you are the main character and everyone else are merely side characters and don't deserve to be here. You think that everyone is out to get you. James was my brother. I had found out a week earlier. He was my brother and one of you killed him! I don't know who did it but it doesn't matter. It was one of you and I don't mind killing more than one person."
"Even if they're innocent?" I gasped, my leg still in horrible pain. I was playing for time, Jasmine and I needed to find a way out of here as soon as possible.
"No one is ever innocent Ethan. I tried to kill you the night he died but I accidentally shot your stupid girlfriend. It doesn't matter now though. You're here. She's here," She gestured towards Jasmine still lying on the floor bleeding. "and Sam and Eloise are dead. Ha! Ahh they deserved it. You know they did!"
"No one deserves to die Lydia." I spluttered. "No one. Everyone deserves a to get a second chance. That's why I'm giving you one. Lydia, it isn't too late. Put down the gun and just think about what you have done. Please!" I added in exasperation. But, it was clear Lydia wasn't going to give up that easily. She laughed coldly and jabbed the gun at my chest.
"No chance, pretty boy. I have waited too long for revenge. James didn't deserve to di-"
"WE DON'T DESERVE TO DIE LYDIA!" I screamed back at her. "OH YES YOU DO!" she shouted back. "You know you do Ethan. You know it. That's why you're here. After I failed to kill you that night, I decided I needed a better plan. A plan that would not fail me. That's when I remembered Sam's virtual reality project. Wouldn't that be perfect? I asked myself one night. It would be so funny to watch you run around finding keys and experiencing your worst nightmares. Sam's, losing, Eloise's losing her high, popular status, Jasmine, water, and yours..." she cackled again, "losing your one and only source of happiness. Your life is SO hard, isn't it Ethan. But I must say Ethan, you took much longer to realise it was VR than Sam. I can tell you aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer." She took one hand off the gun and pulled out a long knife from her belt and twirled it in her fingers menacingly. "It took little, stupid Ethan a long time to understand, didn't it?" said Lydia in a high babyish voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "The VR headsets were perfect; I could create a world where you experienced your terrors and fears without having to lift a finger. I would pretend to search with you, act scared and frightened. Crazy how well the plan worked isn't it, Ethan?"
"You're the only crazy thing here Lydia!" I screamed.
"I AM NOT CRAZY! Do you want me to shoot you again? Or... would you rather me finish her off?" she jabbed the gun behind her at Jasmine.
"NO!" I yelled, "DON'T KILL HER!" She let out a maniacal laugh that didn't suit her at all.
"You will die Ethan. She will die. You will both die, like Eloise and Sam. And deep down you know, there is nothing you can do about it."
Out of the corner of my eye, I felt Jasmine's gaze intensely fixed on me, her expression filled with urgency and determination. Lydia was too distracted to notice it; she was too engulfed in the telling of her crazy reasoning. She let out a sharp, cruel laugh as she continued. I understood that Jasmine was trying to tell me something. Something important. I strained to keep my face looking pained and not distracted by Jasmine. As Lydia examined the gun as she talked, I looked back at Jasmine's concerned face. Her eyes darted toward a nearby object, a dusty old, shattered mirror that looked like it once belonged to a changing room. I assumed it had been cracked by the bullet earlier. It was then I understood Jasmine's message. She was subtly signalling to use the large shard of the broken mirror. Jasmine's eyes locked onto mine. She moved her lips almost imperceptibly, forming silent words. "I have a plan. Be ready to move." I nodded ever so slightly to acknowledge Jasmine's message, keeping my gazed fixed on Lydia, who was still distracted by her delusional ranting.
As Lydia rambled on, Jasmine and I exchanged silent, determined looks, our plan forming rapidly. We knew that shard of the broken mirror would be our ticket out of here. In one, synchronized motion, we both sprang into action. Ignoring the burning pain in my leg, I lunged at Lydia, adrenaline coursed through my veins like fire. With my hand, I clamped down on Lydia's wrist desperately trying to wrestle the gun away from her. In the struggle, a loud crack filled my ears, the gun had gone off. In the confusion, Jasmine seized the opportunity and crawled over to the shards the broken mirror. "ETHAN! Now!" She screamed. With perfect aim she tossed the shard into my outstretched hand. I caught it, clenched my hand into a fist and lunged towards Lydia's exposed side and, with all the force I could muster, drove the jagged edge of the mirror shard into her thigh. Lydia screamed in pain as the shard pierced through her flesh.
With a final, desperate effort, I wrestled the gun from Lydia's grip and kicked it out of her reach.
The end.
Author Note: I can't believe it's finally finished!!! I can't say how much I enjoyed writing this!!! This is my first-ever novel and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it! This novel was a joint effort and I could not have done it without the help and ideas of my friends and family. My friends and I decided to write a joint novel together and I can't believe how quickly we finished it! Not everyone who was involved is published on Wattpad but one of my friends is. Her POV is called 'Escape the Past'. It is a lovely, well written, interesting read. If you enjoyed my story you will love hers <3
(please note her version says that this book is called 'Game of Intricacies' and it is partially true. I changed the name last min <3)
Thank you so much for reading my story it really means a lot. Let me know if I should write another one!?! I'm pretty busy at the moment but I will defo make time to write another if you guys want. Thanks again.
Love ya <3