TH1RTEEN || ✓

CHAPTER 7: Entry No. 7

Saturday, 5:32 PM

A swirling doubt kept on wrecking my gut feeling. As if I had just left my wallet open somewhere near the van. Or was Ricky sure he had locked our vehicle properly? This nagging sensation at the pit of my stomach had been eating me alive ever since the day started. Maybe I indeed left something back at the hotel. Or maybe my constant headache took a toll on me.

    Just like the plan, we settled at the tip of the escalators, wondering whether we continue or just forget we even wandered down this floodgate B. But Allison and Sadie's determination tied a leash on our necks that getting this over with would be necessary to free us this chain.

    Maybe correlating this one last trip to being chained was a little over-defined, but in the case of the deepening afternoon, Ava and Lewis' constant glances on their wristwatches and my headache catching up with me, I almost wanted to tell Sadie maybe this wasn't such the ideal idea at all. But I didn't want to spoil their fun.

     "What are we waiting for? Go down," Rosie was the one to push us to go first.

    Ava, who had been scanning the balcony, scooted beside me and Lewis. She whispered to the both of us how the rooms from the only long hallway were locked but one. One whose door was left open, as she told us. But the group was busy discussing how to get to the ground area to even pay attention to Ava anymore. And as much as I liked making Ava and Lewis feel acknowledged, my desire of getting out of this building, once and for all, was stronger than ever. So I participated in going down first.

     With Allison and Sadie close behind me, we travelled the escalators down to the ground level, until we had finally reached the souvenir shops.

     Tents of mostly scarlet red and canary yellows were planted on every inch of the ground. Men in their 60's manned the stalls. Necklaces of what looked like moonstones and just ordinary-looking jewels were displayed in short curtain rods. Some men had cards on their tables. There were no noises coming from these people, and they all wore the same—tribal slacks and shoals.

     In excitement, Allison and Sadie narrowed down the paths. Squeals began turning the heads of these sellers and observe us. Rosie, Ricky and Diya began loosening up. I had to admit that I did so as well, due to the thought of finally abandoning the place once Sadie and Allison had satisfied their eyes from this secrecy.

    These men, however, did not appear to be fans of touristic noise. Allison might had been hyperactive, for the fifth time she squealed, one of the men hushed her in a kind of brutal and grim way that it made not only Allison to zip her mouth, but also half of us who heard. This man in a white shirt and red tribal vest also threw a single coin on our way. He threw it in what appeared to be out of annoyance and contempt.

     Ava and I looked at each other. She wasn't involving herself to the crowd. Neither did I. When I loomed over at the coin, it looked nothing like it held some currency. Just a plain sign of some sort happened to be stamped on a coin.

    The rest of us busied themselves from shopping. Ricky and Diya already were purchasing what I assumed to be packets of inscence. Rosie was trying on moon necklaces, while Sadie circled around an old man with the cards. Lewis and Ava had their hands shoved in their pockets. As much as I'd want buying some as something to remember by, everything did not feel calming to me.

    The way these sellers were eyeing us gave me the shivers. It was as if they kind of expected us to be here. Even though the transactions seemed to turn out normal, my stomach did not rest at all. It forced my body to stay guarded as though anytime I should be ready to engage in combat. I noticed Ava glance outside multiple times. It was beginning to get dark.