Good Morning

Locked Inside

Previously

  "God damn it! I hate my stupid knees! As soon as I took off the brace, it's like, Oh whoops terribly sorry! Did you need to walk?! Bloody blino ei fod yn! Ni ddylwn i synnu fodd bynnag, os dwi'n onest.."
My loud complaints echoed throughout the museum as I slowly attempted to hobble towards the exit of the museum and I sighed audibly when I spotted the front exit, a relieved smile across me face. The smile prompted disappeared when the doors refused to open for me.
"Oh no nonono. No!" A distressed cry tore from my throat and I let my head fall forward to rest against the hard surface.  

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"Why is it always me?" I turned on the spot and collapsed against the door, sliding down to the floor with a long, drawn out sigh. A small laugh bubbled out of my throat as I talked to myself, "..Although, this isn't the worst that could've happened; I got locked inside an awesome museum!"

My knee throbbed angrily and I winced , muttering a pain filled, "..It could be worse."

I gazed about the room for a while, finding the silence a little bit eerie. Staring at the grand staircase, behind the dinosaur skeleton, winding up and around to the second floor. 

Wait. What?

My head whipped back towards the stand where the T-rex skeleton had previously been. My eyes widened dramatically and my hands shook slightly from where they were clenched on to my brace. I opened my mouth. Then closed it. Open. Close. Open, 

"What the hell?"

I raised my hands hesitantly before quickly shuffling the slightest bit closer. I froze, but when nothing happened I slowly began to relax. I moved forward towards the platform with hesitant wiggles. When I reached the stand, I slowly raised a hand before carefully skimming it across the surface; yanking it back just as quickly as I had touched the platform.

When nothing happened again I started trailing my hand across the area more confidently, "Is there a space underneath? Do they store the bones... inside? What's going on?..." I searched valiantly for a hint that there may be an opening but found none. Eventually I gave up and sat back, staring in bafflement at the raised platform. 

"Am I going insane?" I sighed and giggled quietly, softly murmuring an old inside joke between my friends and I, "Insaaane in the membrane!"

I fiddled with the brace in my hands, turning it over and playing with the straps. Eventually I reluctantly sighed, knowing I had to put it back on unless I wanted to dislocate my knee a second time in a row. I bit my bottom lip and very carefully tried to straighten out my leg to put the brace on, crying out a few times in pain. Once the brace was on I let myself fall dramatically to the side and onto the floor, breathing heavily and a small noise of relief escaping me.

Boom. 

Thump.

I jolted up and scrambled for purchase as the floor beneath me shuddered; my heart rate picking up speed as my pupils dilated with the adrenalin rushing through me. My head whipped around the room as the noises got closer and closer.

My head froze in place when staring at the large archway across the room, my body shaking.

Suddenly appearing in the archway was the skeleton; it's enormous stature taking up the whole doorway as it's tail swayed eerily. The beast surveyed the room with large, sweeping motions of its head. It's skull looked right at me. The hollow sockets gazing at me for what seemed like an eternity as I sat frozen in terror. Then it's body crouched low and the tail whipped around menacingly before it let out a deafening roar and charged towards me.

I screamed loud and pitched as my hands and legs worked desperately to pick my body off the floor; my screams cutting off in a choked keen as my throat closed up with utter fear for my life. I scrambled towards the nearest place to hide; the front desk. All pain I could previously feel was long gone as the adrenaline flowed through me in an attempt to keep me alive. Behind me, I could feel the rushing wind of the skeleton gaining on my and snapping at my ankles. I dove and skidded behind the front desk, shakily huddling into a ball, when the tears started pouring from my eyes. I buried my face into my knees and cried hopelessly as the desk was rammed and jolted a few inches forwards.

I was useless. I couldn't move any further because my legs would collapse under my weight, there wasn't even enough time to call someone for help; wasn't enough time to call dad to tell him I loved him.

I was going to die, friendless and alone. In a country I barely knew.

"DADDY!" The scream ripped from my throat as I sobbed desperately, another high scream shredding my windpipe when the desk was rammed forward; wooden splinters cracking under the weight and zipping around in the air.

Distantly, over the deafening sounds of broken wood and loud roaring, I could hear the sound of rumbling footsteps running towards me.
"Rexy?! Rex!" The sound of multiple voices shouting over each other reached my ears, and the sound of smashing wood retreated along with the movement of the desk. I stayed spasming and trembling under the ruins of the front desk.
I was vaguely aware of the desk being shifted and heaved away from me, the hard pressure of wooden panels being replaced by the gentle caress of another human being.
"Larry. Larry! She is not responding."
Rushed footsteps squeaked next to my ears as another person kneeled down next to me, another hand grasping my arm with a slightly harsher grip. They shook me carefully and called out with a controlled calmness. When no response came from me, I heard them curse almost silently under their breath.

"Guys, guys! You need to go..go to the back of the museum and give her some space. Tell..Sa- Just tell the others to stay calm. And make sure Rexy doesn't come back this way until we come get you. It looks like she's in shock. Just don't let anyone come up this way for a while, I-I don't want to move her until I know she's not injured."

Hurried footsteps pattered down a distant hallway, along with the sound of hushed and worried whispers.

"Hey-hey there kid, my name's Larry Daley. I'm the night guard here at the museum, like the uniform doesn't give that away, right?" The joke was weak but enough to make me force my eyes to move from staring blankly at the ceiling to gaze at 'Larry'. He was smiling awkwardly but sparks of worry were glaringly obvious in his eyes.

My breathing hitched and my face crumbled from its blank stare into a terrified mess. Tears once again welled up in my eyes and followed the tear stains down my cheeks. I began to sob, clenching my fists into the jacket of Larry's uniform; desperately needing some form of comfort or reassurance.
Larry's own face dropped and he pulled me in to a tight hug, letting my cling to him as I cried in relief, terror and exhaustion. He slowly rocked back and forth, occasionally breaking the silence to whisper quiet reassurances.

Eventually my sobbing dimmed to quiet sniffles and heavy breathing. Now that the adrenalin had run its course, it had left me drained and the pain from my leg returned with a vengeance. I licked my chapped lips and croaked out a strained, "Hurts.."
Larry hastily pulled away from me and looked me up and down for injuries. I sluggishly moved one of my arms to point out the brace on my right leg.
"Dislocates...a lot."
I managed a strained, weak smile and judging by the look on Larry's face, he knew it was a fake smile. I groaned and let my head loll forward so my chin rested on my chest, closing my eyes in exhaustion. My eyes snapped open and I scrambled to throw my arms around Larry's neck when he scooped me up princess style. My heart began beating fast and I frantically shook my head, "No no no, please..I d-don't want to go back t-there."
Larry shushed me quietly, reassurances spewing left and right, "Don't worry kid, I'm only taking you to one of the empty offices so you can sleep..you seem exhausted. With good reason.." He coughed, "Anyway..We're going around the opposite way, so we won't pass by anyone. It's fine, kid."
I relaxed into his hold, letting out a long breath of relief. My head lolled again and rested against his shoulder as my eyes slid closed again. I took a deep breath and weakly lifted a hand to wipe the tear tracks off my face.
"Thanks.."
With the repetitive swaying of Larry walking, I fell into a much needed sleep. But just before my brain succumbed to the welcoming darkness, I heard Larry heave a weary sigh,

"I'm sorry this happened, kid"