Talia grimaces as murmurs travel around the group.
Kierra glares at me and I uncomfortably shift from foot to foot.
Nick looks around with a bored expression.
"I have to admit, you're stronger than you look." Talia says, walking towards us as Nick and Kierra follow behind her.
"And Reece, so nice to see you after all these years." She says bitterly.
Kierra glances at Dani then back to me. "I understand why you threw me across a room now and smashed all my computers. I wouldn't say I forgive you for it though."
Reece looks at me, his eyes wide. "You what?"
"Long story." I murmur.
"Well, long story short, Athena flipped once she saw your friends body, smashed some computers and Talia's toe like the 10 year old she is, and also threw Kierra across the room in anger. It was great, really." Nick says, crossing his arms over his chest.
Reece stares at me, his mouth open in surprise. All I can think to do is to shrug my shoulders helplessly.
Turning my attention back to Talia, I cross my arms. "You need to explain-"
"Well, let's talk later. There's an 85% chance that they're about to initate the Preocatan Procedure and we need to get to a neutral place." Talia says as a door opens.
Everyone stares at Talia blankly with an undertone of panic when they hear a set of footsteps.
Dani wrings her hands together. "What?"
"Don't worry about it. Zac is what?" Talia looks at Nick. "What number?"
"Around 100." He replies, shrugging his shoulders carelessly.
Talia snorts. "Everybody just stay still. This isn't a manipulated area but I'm sure I can figure something out."
My blood runs cold as the footsteps come closer and Reece pushes me behind him.
Everybody stands helplessly behind Nick, Talia and Kierra as the footsteps gets closer and closer.
I know it's Zac this time.
I was fairly lucky when it was just them the first time.
I'm not sure if I'll be lucky this time. My heart beat quickens again when I realize it's not just one set of footsteps.
"It's more than one person." Reece says out loud, coming to the same conclusion.
One person, if you can even call it a person, walks around the corner.
Multiple surprised gasps come from the group, as some cover their mouth.
The thing's face is disfigured, their nose scrunched up and one eyebrow much higher than the other. Her lips are almost nonexistent as she smiles.
"Who...who is that?" I whisper as Reece stiffens beside me.
"Oh fu-" Nick is interrupted as suddenly two more figures come behind the disfigured one.
Both equally as disfigured. Two have a female shape to them, while one does not.
The lights flicker and dread settles into my heart.
I know who they are.
The lights flicker on and I see him.
The man.
He laughs and I step back slowly as somebody screams.
"I thought he could only do that at school." I turned to Reece, shaking nervously.
He was staring straight ahead, a vacant look in his eyes.
I try to focus on something other than the man and the memories that threaten to spill out as I look at Talia.
She slowly walks towards the man. He laughs as he shoots at the ceiling.
Can she see what I'm seeing?
No, she must be seeing something completely different.
He looks at her, his eyes wild with...
With fear?
Talia's hand is suddenly around the man's throat.
She lifts him off the ground and my eyes widen as one of the disfigured people puts a hand on the wall.
But that's not what caused my eyes to widen.
Fog seeps out from the ceilings and walls.
This is by far, the last thing I expected to happen. I thought the bending lockers were freaky, but oh no, this is worse.
I watch as Talia and the man disappear. I watch in sheer panic as I realize I'm alone.
Trying to control my shaky breathing, I attempt to wrap my head around what just happened.
Another scream erupts from the fog and I cover my mouth in fear.
Preocatan Procedure.
It sounds so familiar.
Like I've heard it somewhere before. A long time ago.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." Daddy says, as he kisses my forehead.
"Goodnight." I whisper, as I close my eyes tight.
The door closes and that's when I open my eyes again, clambering out of bed.
I press my ear against the door and listen to make sure he's not outside of it.
Slowly opening the door, I step out and tiptoe over to the staircase.
Just as I expected, Mommy and Daddy are in the kitchen.
The stories Dad likes to tell Mom are amazing.
I lean my head against my knees as I sit on the staircase.
"I was lucky I got out. They're still after me though." He mutters frantically.
My mom clasps her hand over his. "Who?"
"Them." He locks eyes with my mom. "As soon as they initiated the Preocatan Procedure, I knew I had to leave. And I did, I ran. I ran so far away from that hell."
"You're worrying me." My mom says.
"They'll come after me. And once they get me, they won't stop. They could even take..." My dad trails off as he puts his hand in his head.
My mother wraps her arms around him and squeezes.
My breathing slows as the memory comes and goes.
How did I not remember those stories before?
My dad was here.
But my dad got out.
Which means I can get out too.
I smile to myself but am immediately pulled back to reality when a cold hand grips my wrist.
I'm about to cry out but a hand covers my mouth.
"Don't."
A relived sigh leaves me as I recognize the voice. I take his hand off of my mouth and turn to him.
"Reece. I'm so glad you're here. I was really starting to get freaked out."
He nods his head and an eerie feeling washes over me.
A flicker.
That's all it was.
A little flicker over his face and I knew.
"You're not Reece." I say out loud.
I try to stop the immense fear from rushing through me as the figure snarls and changes back into its disfigured form.
"Oh Athena, I can be anybody you want me to be." She says and I recognize the voice as Sara.
Her form changes again and I see Logan.
Sadness tugs at my heart as I step back, resisting the urge to hug him.
Her.
It.
Whatever it is.
"Reece!" I cry out. "Hannah, Dani! Anybody!"
Screams echo around me and I cover my ears, realizing the screams are my own.
Cold hands wrap around my throat and I widen my eyes as my air is cut off.
I look into the disfigured face and squirm as they lift me off my feet.
Smiling, they tighten their grip around my throat and small black spots start to cover my vision.
"Sorry, honey. Your time here has ended. Hope you enjoyed your stay." She says in Diana Cole's voice and I grimace as I realize that may be the last thing I'll ever hear.
Diana Cole.
Wait.
I look down at the face and the cold fingers against my neck.
"Diana Cole was my...adviser most of the time. She helped me get out. She told me the one thing that nobody else knew."
My daddy told me the stories now. He said it would be a good idea if I knew.
"None of it is real."
It's not real, Athena.
It's not real.
"It's not real." I say, my breathing coming easily to me now.
The figures eyes widen as their hand disappears.
I fall to the ground and watch as the figure disappears into the fog.
None of it is real.
I run my hand over my face as I hear another scream.
All these people are dying because they think it's real.
What kind of sick joke is this?
Slowly, I stand up. The fog begins to disappear from the room.
I don't want to look. I know there's going to be dead people around the room.
But that's not real either.
They're going to try to convince me that things are real because that's what they do as authors.
They write stories.
And the people who read the stories are the next victims.
Who fall into a trap. But hey, it makes for a good story, doesn't it?
I shake my head in disgust as I walk down the hallway.
"Athena!" A voice calls after me.
Don't turn around. He's not real either.
A hand tugs on my arm and I turn around slowly. "You're not real, Reece. This is all just a big setup to make a good story. You're just the mysterious love interest."
Confusion washes over his face as he looks around. "What are you talking about?"
"The story is over. You can stop pretending." I feel a stab of pain in my chest.
"I'm confused. What story?" He asks, rubbing his hands over his face.
"They'll probably call it 'Stuck In A Cliche Love Story'. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" I ask, laughing to myself.
The door opens once again and we hear footsteps once again.
At least, the people who are still alive hear footsteps.
Which isn't many. Just me, Dani, Hannah, Talia, Nick, Kierra and Reece.
All fake.
"I'm really done with this drama and all the footsteps so I'm just going to go." I say, turning around and beginning to walk away.
"You really think you've figured it all out, Athena?" Hannah asks. "Well, you're wrong about one thing."
I freeze, my back still to them. "You're fake too, Hannah."
"Actually, I'm very real. And you're right, Athena. Most of it is fake. Just to create a good story. That makes sense, sure. But here's what I want you to do when you get home. Look up Reece Keller. Look up Dani Rhodes. Look up Talia Harris. You know what you'll find? Real missing people." Hannah scoffs and shakes her head.
"Talia was going to put all of you through hell. She wanted you to suffer. But she realized, just as I did, that that's not how we're going to get out of here. Athena, you're my only way out. You're my only way back to a normal life where I don't have to play this part anymore. But go on, leave. Don't let the door hit you on the way out." She says, her voice cracking.
I turn around and look at all of them.
Hannah, with her back turned and her arms crossed.
Talia, looking down at the ground and shaking her head.
Nick, leaning against a wall.
Dani, kneeling on the ground, with tears streaming down her face.
Kierra, tapping her foot against the floor with her arms crossed.
All of them avoiding eye contact except for one.
Reece.
He's staring at me with a sad look in his eyes and I feel myself break a little.
How can I be sure?
But I don't have enough time to think for the footsteps are there again.
Everyone looks with a tired expression as a girl walks around the corner.
I furrow my eyebrows. Her blonde, almost white hair was up in a high ponytail, her blue eyes darting around the room.
Turning around to look at everyone behind me, I see an interesting display of shocked faces.
Reece stares, his eyes wide. "Maggie."
Oh no.
I'm really tired of all these annoying cliff hangers with just one name.
"Proof that this is all fake. Sending in another gasp-worthy moment. Oh my gosh, it's Reece's one and only love! Is that what you expect me to say?" I ask, crossing my arms.
Maggie fades away and Reece rushes forward, grasping at air. "Where is she? Where did she go?"
"She wasn't real. Just like all of you. I'll be going now." I say bitterly.
"You're going to regret this when you realize not all of it was fake." Hannah says.
I stare at Reece, wondering why when I say they're not real, they don't disappear.
Walking away from them, my steps echoing around the hall, I ignore the weight on my chest.
It's not real.
None of it is real.
°•°•°•°
A/N
°•°•°•°
any thoughts?
this book is so close to endiiiiing
Em Tayah