NEAR DEATH

We fell silent after Elise's story. I'm happy she told us everything but that isn't working in my favor because now I want to see everything she mentioned.

"Elise?" I called out to her questioningly,"Can we explore one last thing before we go and close this..... exploration chapter of our lives? Please. I think I might sleep walk to see it if I don't get to do it before bed."

Elise frowned and when I looked at Markus and Oliver they had the same expression on their faces. I clasped my hands in front of me and stared at Elise in the most manipulative way I know; seriously and unblinkingly. She stared back and I started to feel that I was going to lose the challenge but then she sighed and I fought back the urge to smile.

"It's better for us to be there to protect you when you get into trouble than for you to try fight something while asleep." she said, more to Markus and Oliver than to me.

The two boys looked at each other then smiled. I smiled as well and hugged Elise who was sitting next to me then we all stood up.

"Hey freckle boy. Won't it be nice if Vee finally hears you scream?" Oliver said patting Markus' back.

"I won't scream." Markus answered.

"We'll see." Oliver said winking at me,"So where are we going?"

"Somewhere you guys have more memories of." I answered wriggling my eyebrows.

They both frowned and my smile broadened. We walked to the boys' dormitorium and made sure to walk closer to the walls so we wouldn't be seen. There was no one in sight but Elise told us Br Michael was probably still awake as he usually slept late. The light in his room was on and his silhouette was visible from there. He was just standing there looking at the girl's dormitorium. His curtains were not drawn so if we made the wrong move we would be seen.

"Maybe we should go back, Vee. I mean Shorty already said the tunnel was blocked. Choose something else." Oliver whispered as we stood with our backs against the cold wall.

"The other cool stuff is in the forest. I'd rather be caught by Br Mike than be devoured by a half blinded animal." Markus whispered as if he was complaining.

"Even if we go back he'll see us because he's looking at the dorm." Elise pointed out,"I'll distract. You guys go."

She didn't even wait for us to respond and started walking back to where we came from. The boys and I naturally looked up to see if Br Michael had moved and he was still standing there. Elise started walking back, this time she made sure she was walking where she would be visible. Br Michael drew his curtains as if he had seen a ghost and soon he moved away from the window.

"I wasn't expecting that." Elise said starting to walk to the door.

We followed and entered the dorm without any trouble. We followed her to the third floor where apparently Markus and Oliver's rooms were. It's my first time here and it's warmer than my dorm. These guys even had a personal bathroom!

"Don't admire anything here. It's all nightmares." Oliver warned me clasping my hand.

"I feel like the ghosts in your dorm are shy unlike the ones here." Markus said.

Shy?! Jen wasn't shy! She nearly killed me on my first day! I rolled my eyes at them and freed myself from Oliver's grip.

"It's this way." Elise said heading to the very last room on the left end of the corridor.

"The tunnel is in my room?" Oliver asked with widened eyes,"No wonder I couldn't sleep there."

"Oh please. Come on before someone hears us." Elise said exasperated.

We followed her and watched her go to the wardrobe. Was it the same Mechanism as the one in my room? She told the boys to carry the wardrobe to the other side of the room and when it was moved different grey tined bricks stacked on each other roughly were exposed. There was cement only on the bottom part while the rest of the way the uneven bricks just lay on each other. There was even a warning sign.

'IF YE COMETH THIS WAY YE MUST BE READY TO STARE INTO THE EYES OF DEATH.'

My tunnel didn't have a warning sign. Was choosing to come here a big mistake? I was going to tell them we could go back to and forget I wanted to check the tunnel out but the warning sign ignited and was burnt up in bright blue and purple flames then the bricks turned to dust. Elise took out salt from her pocket and drew a line where the wall had been then she waited. There were no stairs because this room was the last one. There was a wooden floor there and a lit torch on the wall. It also had a purplish blue flame which was very unusual. Elise looked at us then stepped in first. I followed feeling worried about her and then Oliver and Markus scumpered in after me neither one of them wanting to be last.

Markus ended up being last. Elise was drawing another line after going forward six steps.

"Don't step on the lines or remove any crystal of salt." Elise warned us.

We all nodded and started following her closely. The stairs here went further than the one's in my room and with how many salt lines Elise was drawing it was more dangerous. I looked up where we were coming from and saw a boy standing with his face covered only leaving his eyes. Oliver and Markus looked up as well a gasped. He didn't come down because he seemed to be trapped in the rectangle of salt boarders.

"Don't look at him. He might go through the walls." Elise warned us as she finished drawing another line on a flat platform made from a different type of wood.

There were strings and a pulley which means it's like an old elevator. We squeezed on the small square and when I looked up again the boy didn't have his head. I guess the boys were right; the ghosts here weren't shy. Elise looked at the boy and he started convulsing while attempting to come down the stairs. He stopped moving and at this time my heart was pounding in my chest like crazy and the boys were both hugging me as if they were going to protect me. I could feel them shivering as well but luckily Elise started pulling the ropes of the elevator. The sight of the boy started to disappear and my heart calmed down.

"I could use the help of someone muscular to pull." Elise said and the boys let go of me to start pulling.

There was a faint sound of dripping water and the lower we went the louder it got.

"We can go back now." I said as I caught a glimpse of where we were going from a gap that grew the lower we went.

I was so dark and when we reached ground level the place lit up like the torches had sensers. The flames were normal this time at least. We stepped out after Elise and the temperature dropped a few degrees. I shivered looking around. It almost looks like a warehouse. Warehouse.....did Elise bring us to the sewing room?!

"Follow me and run as fast as you can." Elise said and my knees instantly felt like jelly.

How useless can I be? This is literally the worst moment and place. Markus must have noticed because because he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder like I was absolutely weightless. Elise started running and the boys followed. My head kept hitting Markus' back but it didn't hurt. I guess Elise's little potion had worked. Oliver and Markus started screaming and so did I even though I had no idea what was happening. There was a growling sound and Markus turned sharply.

"Ahhh!" I screamed.

This time I had screamed for a good reason. It must be the thing Elise had blinded but why did it care about losing one eye when it had five more and three heads. It was huge! I kept screaming because I was now the only one seeing it as it chased after us. It took a long leap as Markus was turning and it's paws left deep cuts on my arm. I screamed even more but soon Markus was running up some stairs in a cramped space that didn't leave room for the thing to follow us up.

I closed my eyes feeling the sting on the huge open wound and when I opened my eyes we were outside close to the girls dorm. Markus put me down and I was soon surrounded by them.

"I thought the drinks protected you from physical harm." Oliver said looking down at my hand.

His expression was exactly what I was feeling.

"Look." Elise said patting his back while her other hand was pointing at my arm.

My flesh started patching itself up and a few seconds later the cuts were gone. Oliver was the one who carried me this time and they took me to Elise's room then left looking traumatized. I fell asleep much more quickly than I had anticipated and I dreamt about the beast and Elise.