Below The Stairs

Chapter 8: One way

Emily closed the door and a clicking sound follows, locked and final. The voice is now gone and not to be heard for now. We are all silent. Two fearful of the consequences of making a single sound full stop and it is now I am realized as in that I just really got kidn*pped. "Where are you taking us?", Ryan manages to ask. But the voice never spoke and the man kept driving. Hours are passing by but the night sky stays still. My eyes are tired and try to close but the jolt after call coming to a stop opened them.

I look out the window and see a... McDonald's? The man leaves and closes the door, entering the restaurant. I took my chance and jiggled the handles but he had kept them locked. He comes back after a few minutes holding a few bags each side. "He got us food? ", CJ whispers, even though the man is still on his way back. Too far to hear a word. The man reaches the car and the door opens but the rays of light from the dome light do not turn on as if it were told to keep a secret.

The man closes the door...well at least attempts to since the door decides to have a mind of its own. When it finally closes the warm smell from the bags burst the word the back seats. "Is he going to eat it all? By himself? ", I whisper. He throws four bags to the back. "Don't need you starvin now do we? We're almost there", he says. "Almost where? ", Ava asked. The man stays silent as the car vibrates as clinking sounds are heard every once in a while. (Don't ask why I've been counting... there's the figure out for me to do after all). The car comes to a jolt as it stops at a skyscraper with the logo, "MASTER MIND, your go to for technological support".

The road of the engine goes silent as the man turns around. "You will go in there and tell the receptionist that you were sent by X.Millers", he says. His tone leaving no room for questions and his broken Australian accent gone and replaced by a firm voice that warned of consequences if not obeyed. The doors click and the doors swing open as if letting out a breath it didn't know it was holding. The sky is by now painted with a soft orange colour. The revolving door of the building awaits us

. I turn back to see the car gone. No longer to be seen. "Why don't we just you know...run away?", Ryan whispers as we get closer to the building. "Are you crazy?! We don't know where we are but you want us to run aimlessly into a random town?!", Emily whispers. "Settle down, we need to go in. It's cold out here and you don't know if this place is dangerous or not", I say. " Hujin what do you think we should do? Should we make a run for it?", Ava asks. "I don't think wandering aimlessly in an unknown location is the brightest of ideas. We'll need to go in", I say.

We enter the building, and see a receptionist ahead. The inside is warmer and more comforting than the man's car. We stay standing in front of the revolving door too anxious to go on. I turned around to see my friends standing further behind me, as CJ motioned for me to go on and speak to the receptionist. I sigh and walk to the front desk. "Hey...uhh we've been sent by X.Millers", I say as my hands shake with adrenaline.

The receptionist a young woman with short hair and look that said I don't want to be here, told me to give her a moment. For what seemed like forever but was probably a few minutes she called us to follow her. My friends followed behind me as if using me as a human shield. We are then told to go down a hallway and will soon come across an elevator. That we should go to the top floor. "I can't go any further than this. I don't know what goes on in there, and I don't want to know", she says.

We hesitantly enter and go straight up. The wait was long and unbearable. For what seemed to be hours the elevator came to a stop. The doors slide open and ahead is yet another Hallway. A figure is seated working on a desk full of paperwork and holographic screens and highly advanced appliances. The sun had risen by now and we don't know if we have led ourselves to our death or to something more.