Chapter 8- Alexa

"Zoey?" Alexa's voice rang through the hallway, echoing around. No answer. Jay was in front of her, picking up something white off the ground. He looked worried. Alexa could see it was Zoey's shoe- white now stained with the black and brown of the dirt.

"Where is she?" Mason said, looking around. "She was right here a moment ago!"

Gail pushed her glasses up. "According to MY calculations, something took her, and or killed her." Alexa whirled around on Gail, making her flinch back.

"What makes you say that?" She said, her anger flaring as she thought of living without Zoey… first Max now her girlfriend…

Gail simply pointed to a small blood trail leading down a hallway. Was that there before? She thought. She could feel the tears brimming in her eyes, but she shoved them down. She would NOT cry.

"Holy shit," Jay said, following Gail's pointed finger. He slowly walked over, his eyes scanning the ground.

Up ahead the hallway seemed to loom in on them. The only light was buzzing, now. And now that she could hear… a soft noise. Almost like… a haunting tune… like someone playing the deeper notes on a piano.

"Shit no, I'm not going down there," Mason said, "That's the creepiest thing i've ever seen."

Alexa glared at him. "Shut up, idiot. Zoey's down there, and I am going to get her, whether you come or not." Mason simply looked away, as if embarrassed.

Jay's hand rested on her shoulder. "Alexa, you can't go down there." She could hear Jay's breathing growing panicked, and for a moment, Alexa felt what they must all be-fear.

Of course we're terrified. We got trapped in a fucking underground bunker with axes swinging from the roof and poision arrows. Ashley's dead, Zoey's missing and who in the hell knows where she's at. She felt herself shivering. She had to stay strong.

"I don't like this," Mason said, looking around. . "Guys, we can NOT seriously be considering going down there. She's already dead, and we will kill ourselves trying to find her."

Alexa snapped, taking steps closer to him. "And? You think your miserable life is so much better than her's? Huh, bitch? What do you think? Because right now, my girlfriend is wounded, poisoned, and somewhere wandering through there by herself! We are her only hope, so either shut the hell up and come with me to find her, or stay here and die!"

Nobody said a word. Jay gently grabbed Alexa's shoulders, looking her dead in the eye. "Alexa. Listen. One breath after the other, okay? Calm down." He said. Her breathing was more and more heavy. "Calm down? I can't calm down, Jay! Zoey is trapped and lost and scared-"

He put two fingers over her lips, making her be quiet. "I know, Alexa. She's one of my best friends too. I will go with you to find her, but we can't leave them here to die." He waved towards Mason and Gail.

Alexa laughed. "I don't care if they live or die, Jay. I care about you and Zoey."

"According to my calculations, we should stay together," Gail said, not seeming to care that Alexa wouldn't mind at all if she died. She Took a pace to stand beside Alexa and Jay. Mason let out a small, tiny little whine.

"What's wrong, football team captain?" She sneered. "Chicken? Scared of a little dark?" He stiffened. "NO, I am not! This isn't the dark, girl. It's clearly something from a nightmare."

Alexa laughed, turning towards the hallway, making sure she was in front. She didn't want to risk Jay's life. "Oh come on, it's a matter of being careful! It's Arrows and axes that swing from the roof. Not that scary!" She stared towards the darkness, and not a moment later did she hear Mason's footsteps running up to them.

It was so quiet. The only noises were the lightbulb, still buzzing, and Their footsteps and heavy breathing as the darkness seemed to never end. Then, did she hear a scream. Alexa physically jumped back, as on the right side of them, a door. But a glass pane was in the center, and a bloodied handprint. Someone was inside, trying to get out.

"Holy shit," Alexa cursed. Her fear flooded, her heart racing, her eyes filled with terror. Butterflies seemed to be in her stomach, as she felt her fear take over. Where the hell were they?What was this?! Then came the voice.

"Lexi… please.. Help me…" Making her stiffen, and stare with horrified, watering eyes. She could hear Jay, clearly just as concerned as she was. Alexa slowly, slowly, walked towards the door, her hand resting on the glass. It felt weird… like something was at the end of the hallway or something… watching them.

"Z-zoey?" She asked quietly. She looked into the glass, trying to see beyond it. She felt a single tear drip down, and for once, didn't even care it was there.

"Lexi, please get me out of here…" Zoey's voice was short, like she was exhausted, or injured, or both. Alexa felt her fear building. What if this wasn't really her? A fake? Someone pretending? But what if it was… and she left her here. The others were silent behind her, the only sound she heard them make was breathing, and sticking close to the opposite wall.

As she reached towards the door handle, though, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She whipped around, expecting some sort of thing..but it was only Jay. He had the same confusion in his eyes, the same question in his mind.

"What are you doing!?" Mason shouted, as Alexa slowly, slowly tried to turn the door handle. Locked.

"Shit, it's locked," She said, ignoring Mason's question. She looked closer, easily telling it needed a key to get inside. To get to Zoey. "Glasses, got anything useful for a lockpick in there?" She gestured to Gail's backpack. She pushed her glasses up, and sat down, keeping her back to the wall. She dug around inside her backpack for a moment, before drawing out a small pocket knife. "According to my calculations, if this is put into the lock hole, and move around until you hear a click, it should open." She said, handing Alexa the knife.

"Wait, Alexa," Jay said. "Are you sure about this? What if it's.. I don't know, someone pretending to be Zoey? Someone trying to trick you?"

She stopped for a moment. "I'd already thought of that," She said quietly. "But I really think this is her… and I'd risk my life to find out." She gave him a weak smile, and earned a hug. He whispered a 'good luck' to her, before backing away to stand beside Mason and Gail.

She put the sharp end on the knife where the key would have gone, and moved it around. Over and over, waiting for the click Gail said would happen. A few minutes passed. She thought it was hard to tell when the only light came from a dim light bulb. Then, click. Alexa pocketed the knife, and once again, turned the handle.

She'd never felt this fear before. Like she knew something was there, and she was going to die. She felt being watched, she felt it, and she knew it was there. She'd had years to know that feeling- her dad would always be staring at her from behind the newspapers he pretended to read. But this… it filled your body with an entirely different fear. The fear like you just… knew. You knew you'd die.

As the door opened, Alexa saw her. Zoey was doing her best to stand, leaning against the wall. She was so sick looking… so bloody. Alexa didn't care about the danger for the heartbeat it took her to rush over to Zoey, and have her in her arms, carrying her outside… whatever that was. Zoey wasn't moving, she was trembling so hard… what did she see?

"Holy shit," Jay said, at Alexa's side in seconds. Zoey seemed to hear him, her eyes slowly blinking up, and she flinched. Alexa sat down, guiding Zoey beside her. It was like she couldn't even move.

Zoey looked at Alexa. "T..thank you…" She said lightly, before her body went limp. For a second, nobody said anything. Alexa stared for a second, but could see she was still breathing.

"Glasses!" She shouted, "You must have something to help! Help her!" Gail snorted, and pulled something from her bag. She crouched down beside the two of them, Mason still muttering and pressed against the wall. It was labeled, 'Antidote', and Gail began pouring some of the liquid down Zoey's throat.

"You had that the entire time?!" She shouted at Gail.

"Well, you never asked, and technically Zoey was missing, so we wouldn't have needed it until we found her. Plus, I'd thought she would have been dead, so I didn't think we would even need it, so, therefore, it would be pointless to even mention it." Alexa wanted to slap Gail right there, but she had more important things to worry about- Zoey.

Gail poured the last of the antidote down her throat, and Alexa watched. What if it was another trick? Something that hurt her more? Killed her? But then Zoey moved again, and her eyes opened. Alexa motiend at Gail, and she began grabbing more bandages from her backpack, and wrapping them around Zoey's ankles, legs and arms.

"Hey," Alexa said softly, helping Zoey to sit up, using her body as Zoey's support. "You okay? What happened?"

Zoey didn't talk at first, she looked like she was trying to breath, but her eyes kept flashing all around, and she was as close to the wall as she could get. Alexa was right beside her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, letting Zoey lean her head on her. Mason and Gail were arguing beside them, Jay on Zoey's other side.

"Zoey, it's alright. You're okay, and you're back with us now." Jay said, trying to calm her down. "What happened? How did you get in there?"

She looked into Alexa's eyes. They were so… different. Haunting… she could tell Zoey was terrified for her life.

"I-i…" She tried to start. "I was just… sitting… and… w-waiting…" Alexa shared a 'look' with Jay, as Zoey continued. "And then… something… grabbed me.. It.. h-had no face, lexi... " She broke off again, tears falling down her face. Alexa hugged her tightly, as did Jay, surrounding her.

"There are t-things in here," She said, moving away to look into Alexa's eyes, and with that one look, she knew exactly what she meant. THis place wasn't normal… this place had things that didn't exist. But they did. Here. "Lexi, please, we need to get out of here. The things.. Lexi…" She once again, broke off, crying into Alexa's shirt. She hugged her tight, and slowly, rose up from the wall, holding Zoey up as she did.

"Pfft, she's making that up," Mason commented. Alexa shot him a glare. "Really, idiot? She just made herself leave a trail of blood, locked herself in a room, hurt herself more, and ran away on her own to do that? Zoey does not lie."

He rolled his eyes, but didn;t say anything else. Alexa looked over at Jay, as her being-watched-feeling grew stronger.

"Something's here.." She said, quiet at first, making Jay and Mason look over, and Zoey's head snap up in fear.

"What?" Mason asked, stepping closer. Alexa felt her heart hammering. "Something is here. It's watching us. I can feel it."

Then the lights began flickering. IN and out, in and out so quick, it was all in a blurr. Dark, light, dark light, in out, in out. The lightbulb's noise grew louder as it hummed, and kept flickering.

"Holy shit!" Mason shouted, drawing himself closer to Alexa, Zoey and JAy. Gail inched closer as well, her normal 'calculations' gone. Then came a haunting tune, like someone playing the piano, but slowly, and only the deep notes. It echoed around all of them, making it a few BILLION times more horrifying.

"What is going on!" Alexa shouted, as a horrible, low moan sounded from behind them. Alexa seemed to be the only one to hear it, and she slowly stopped moving. Jay Grabbed both Mason and Gail's hands, keeping them together.

"Alexa!" He called, looking for her. Her face drained of color, she could feel nothing but her blood turn to ice as she saw it. On the floor, in a crab walk position, was a girl. He head was.. Twisted, upside down, in the spot they'd come from. She wore a ghostly white dress, torn and ripped, blood stained most of it turning it red. Her long black hair was blowing but there wasn't any wind to do that. Then her head turned, tilted towards Alexa but…

She had no face.

The lightbulb's flickering grew more intense, every time it went light, the girl had come closer. Like she was glitching. She grabbed Jay's hand. "RUN!" SHe shouted, taking off. SHe wasn't as fast, considering she was still holding Zoey, but the girl gave a ear-splitting, horrible screech, as she gave chase. Only seeming to come closer with the light. The flickering grew more intense, and as Alexa ran, guiding Jay, Mason, Zoey and Gail, she could hear the creature, screaming over and over, it's horrible face always tilted at them.

Doors. Alexa noticed as she ran, each time she passed one she heard a long, echoing scream, or gunshots, or could see someone getting stabbed again and again, heads rolling liflessley on the ground, handprints in the glass panes.

Her legs were growing more and more tired, as she powered on, passing door after door, hearing the thing screeching behind her, the lightbulb flickering non stop, starting to stay darker longer.

"Help me.." The people stuck inside the doors would moan, or, at least, the things inside the rooms. Zoey was starting to limp-run, beside Alexa, her face clearly terrified because that was the same thing that took her. It was still relentless, chasing harder and harder, getting closer and closer, as they kept running.

Alexa turned to Jay, trying to keep one eye ahead. "Jay! Take her!" She shouted, taking Zoey's arm from over her shoulder, and slinging it around him. Zoey glared at Alexa. "What are you going to do!?" She said, her concern growing. Alexa gave her a quick, small kiss. "Jay. Keep running, alright? Keep everyone together!"

He looked confused. "Wait! Alexa what are you-" She didn't hear him, as she turned around, and ran directly towards the creature.