Awakened

Chapter 15

Stephanie was disoriented from being in the dark for so long. She was certain if the earth hadn't made her feel so safe she would have already gone crazy. She saw the two girls though, she knew she wasn't crazy. She reached over to the small plant that started growing by the door and plucked a berry from the vine. As she bit into it the juice burst in her mouth quenching her thirst.

She lost count of the days that had passed but she was still alive and that's what counted. She grabbed another berry and not for the first time wondered how it was able to grow without sunlight.

After she called out through the earth for help she had collapsed on the cot. She found herself on the floor by the door and the plant by her hands. At the time she didn't question it. She was too hungry and thirsty to demand answers. She plucked and plucked, berry by berry but every time she reached for one there were always plenty more to choose from. She tried to see if she could do it again since there was no other possible explanation. But no matter how hard she tried nothing happened.

With another berry in her mouth she put her hands against the wall again but couldn't sense anything. Her thoughts turned morbid forcing her to focus on thoughts of survival rather than death. She pressed her back against the wall and her eyes closed. She couldn't make herself sleep but there wasn't much else to do.

A growl resounded jerking her awake and she realized simultaneously that she had fallen asleep and that there was a commotion outside.

"What do you mean you can't find her?" a voice she wasn't familiar with snarled.

She heard both CeCe and Jay struggling to find a suitable answer for whoever this man was and failing.

"When exactly were you going to let me know that a simple girl managed to escape?" the same voice hissed.

"We don't know for sure-," Jay started but Cece cut in.

"You're not going to make it any better Jay!" she said under her breath.

Stephanie was surprised to hear that Cece was actually scared of this guy.

"We don't know for sure if she escaped sir." Jay finished ignoring Cece's pleas for him to shut up.

To her surprise the stranger started laughing, a deep throaty laugh that chilled her bones. She heard Cece clear her throat and Jay sigh. Apparently they knew something she didn't.

"You're not sure hmm?" when Jay and Cece didn't respond he continued, "Well maybe, you should be sure, otherwise I may need to find myself new assistants."

His threat was followed by a chorus of "yes sirs" and "of course sir". Stephanie pressed her ear against the door to see if she could hear anything else but a voice across the room distracted her.

"Hello? Jake?"

Stephanie looked around the dark room and saw nothing. She assumed the voice was coming from her head due to dehydration but then she heard it again.

"Jake? Where are you? This isn't funny!"

Stephanie waited for this Jake to respond but there was silence.

"Don't even think about jumping out to scare me!" the girl's voice called out again.

Stephanie felt connected to the girl for some reason. Her voice sounded familiar but Stephanie couldn't figure out why and she couldn't see her but she felt like she knew her.

"Why haven't they fixed these lights yet dammit? It's been over two weeks!"

Stephanie realized then why she knew the girl's voice. This was the girl from before.

Two weeks? Stephanie thought to herself. I've been here for over two weeks and no one has even noticed?

"Jake I'm going upstairs to go back to sleep if you're done joking around just come back to the room."

The girl's voice lowered but Stephanie was just able to hear it.

"There's no Stephanie. The nightmares go away when you're there with me."

Stephanie froze at the sound of her name. It couldn't have just been a coincidence. She heard the girl begin to walk away and she couldn't help herself.

"Hello?" Stephanie whispered into the darkness. She didn't want to risk Jay, Cece, or the stranger finding her but they had been silent for a while and she hoped they were gone.

When the girl didn't respond Stephanie took a step closer to the wall and called out again louder, "Hello?"

The footsteps stopped.

"Jake?" the girl called out wary.

"No..."

"Michelle this isn't funny get out here now." The girl replied anger in her voice.

"I'm not Michelle." Stephanie answered her voice weak from not using it.

"Well whoever you are come on out this isn't funny!"

"I can't come out." Stephanie said walking to the vent and crouching down.

"Well then I'm leaving. Have fun playing this trick on someone else!"

Stephanie was positive the girl would leave and before she could stop herself she screamed out, "Wait no!"

Her voice rang out and she knew that the three people she would least want to see heard her. She tried to keep the panic from her voice but she couldn't help it. "You have to help me please! I'm Stephanie."

The girl stopped walking again. "What?"

"My name is Stephanie Monroe. I'm a student here and these, these things kidnapped me. Please you have to help me." Stephanie said, her voice cracking.

"No. No that's not possible. Stephanie isn't real those are just nightmares. Stop it."

Over her panicked breaths Stephanie was able to hear a buzzing from beyond the vent. "I'm real. I promise I'm real. Please help me."

"Michelle this isn't funny! Stop you're the only one who knows about that. Stop it!"

Stephanie couldn't keep the tears from rolling down her face. She blew it. Jay and CeCe were going to find her and take her to the stranger and she would die. All because this girl wouldn't believe her. Granted Stephanie knew if the roles were reversed she would probably do the same. But she was the one in trouble and she needed this girl to believe her.

Despite being exhausted and completely drained Stephanie pressed her hands against the wall and pushed with everything in her. The only thought in her mind believe. The buzzing grew louder and Stephanie was able to hear the girl's breaths coming faster.

Believe. Believe. Believe.

With every repetition of the word Stephanie pressed harder against the wall. She was sure her hands were going to leave prints but she didn't care.

Suddenly there was a flicker of lights and the laundry room grew brighter. Stephanie was able to see one of the girls from the forest standing by the vent with her hands around her head growling in frustration.

Stephanie knew she couldn't hold on any longer and with one final push she collapsed to the ground.

Please. Help me. She wasn't even sure if she said the words aloud or if it was just in her head. She swore she heard the girl gasp and run out of the room. Stephanie let the darkness take her, realizing her last hope just ran away.

A/N

I'm a terrible and horrible person! I'm sorry for not updating for about a month! Classes and homework and other unstoppable forces kept me from updating. *sigh* it's my own fault and I shall try to actually update when I say I will. But hey I updated and its a Friday so woo! Starting strong for the end of March.

Also let me know if you guys actually are enjoying this by the way.

Anyway! Have an awesome day or night depending on whenever (if) you read this.