-HIATUS- ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇᴍ - ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀᴡᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ (ꜱᴇQᴜᴇʟ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ɢʀᴀᴍʙꜱ?) -HIATUS-

Chapter 11

I walked back to my room and Libby ran out of Avery's wing. I blocked her from continuing.

"Libs? What happened?"

"I need Oren there is a heart in Avery's room."

"I'll contact Oren," my bodyguard said. I felt a realization creeping up on me. I left Libby there and rushed to my room. I slammed the door open. There was no heart. No nothing. Just a piece of paper. Every part of my body tingled. It felt like I was being watched. I walked towards it as fast as I could in a boot and crutches. I read the note. The writing was in red. What if it was blood?

Regret leaving?

I picked up the note and dropped to my knees. I was frozen still. Regret leaving what? What could I regret leaving? Connecticut? School? Friends? The cult. My eyes teared up. It had to be an inside job. But who on the inside would be part of a cult like that? Why did they put a heart in my sister's room and a note in mine? This was the moment I needed someone. But when I needed someone no one was there. Or were they? Oren's teams rushed into my room. 

"Miss. Hawthorne?" my bodyguard asked.

"The note."

"What about it?" Oren asked me.

"They know. It is from the cult. I need to go back."

"I don't think that is necessary," my bodyguard said.

"Why not?"

"There are maps you can use" 

"He's right," Oren said.

---

I was locked up in my room for a few days because of security protocols. They added extra security. No one could get in. Except they could through the passageway. Jameson came to visit a few times and tell me about the game. I wanted to play as well.

I took my boot off and left my crutches on my bedside. I put pillows under my blanket. My ankle hurt but I didn't care. I was going crazy. I opened the cupboard and climbed into it. I gently closed it and crawled through the space. I got into the room. One last ladder. I headed towards the chalk limping lightly. I crouched to pick it up but a hand jerked me backward. Who was it? What if? I turned around Jameson.

"Need something?" I asked him.

"You should be in your room"

"From when do you care about rules."

"You can't walk"

"I can"

"Fine. If you want to explore I am coming as well."

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"Fine. Don't expect me to tell you anything though. The only person that gets to know is Xander."

"Fine by me."

I crouched to pick up the chalk and struggled to get up. I used the wall to help me. Jameson raised an eyebrow. I stuck my tongue out. I limped over to the final passageway and marked it. I climbed up Jameson beneath me. My ankle started hurting. I didn't want to show it so I continued and took my emergency rock out of my pocket. I opened the trapdoor and got out. As Jameson climbed out I put a rock under it.

"Smart" Jameson said rolling his eyes.

"Of course, it is," I said giving him a sarcastic smile. I looked around me. Cell-like room. I scanned the room. I started with unevenness in the floor. If there was a wall would spin. If there wasn't the wall would open or the ceiling would. I tried to feel for air. I found a crack between two bricks with air. I wiggled my fingers around the crack and the wall flung open, unlike the others. It sent me tumbling onto the floor. Jameson gave me a look. I got onto my knees and pushed up with my arms to get onto my feet. My ankle wobbled a little and Jameson frowned. I gave him a look as I took the rock from the hinge of the trapdoor and put it into my pocket and walked through the door. He followed after me and the door closed. I looked around. I was on a balcony. With a beautiful view. 

"What is this place?" I asked.

"A balcony that isn't connected to any rooms."

"How do we get out of here? The trapdoor doesn't open."

"We're meant to climb up those vines and bricks" He pointed toward the wall behind him smirking. He looked at my ankle.

"I can still climb. Watch." I carefully climbed onto the balcony. I didn't want to show Jameson that I was feeling pain from doing so. I climbed up with Jameson below me. I put too much pressure on it and it hurt. I winced in pain. Hoping that Jameson didn't see it I made it to the top. Up to the roof and stood still. I watched as he climbed up.

"No pain?" Jameson asked.

"Of course not." I lied.

"You're lying. You winced at one moment after you put pressure on one foot."

"No, I..."

"Amber? What are you doing here?" I turned around. Grayson was there. "Jamie?"

"Umm... I needed to get out of my room. Soo... I snuck out and Jameson caught me and he said either he explores with me or I stay in my room so I chose to explore because I don't want to stay in my room for the rest of the week so I went with him. Now we're here. Well, I'm going to leave you guys and go to my room. Bye!" I walked off past Grayson. He put a hand on my shoulder. I froze in place.

"Amber. Why are you stuck in that room?" Grayson asked me.

"Security measures. My sister had a cow heart in her room. Now I will leave." I removed his hand from my shoulder. Our hands touching. 

"What did you have in your room?" Jameson asked now. I looked back at both of them. 

"A note. Inside job. They know. They were sent. They want me back. Well now actually bye." I felt tears forming in my eyes and turned away from them. It was all coming back to me. Now that everyone knew who I was. The cult could find me. I limped off and opened the trapdoor to go down. There was a ladder. How was I meant to climb down? Without putting pressure on my ankle. I looked back at them and smiled. I stood up straight and saluted. I stepped backward and I fell down the hole. I quickly grabbed onto the ladder when I was close to the end and climbed down slowly. I jumped onto my feet. There was a sharp pain in my ankle. I crouched and held my ankle.

"Shit" I muttered.

"Amber!" I heard one of the brothers say. They walked towards the trapdoor and looked down. It was Grayson.

"I'm fine. I am perfectly capable" I shouted. I stood up straight and I walked off and they didn't come down after me. I walked back to the ladder quietly and I heard them arguing.

"Why did she sprain it in the first place?!" Jameson said angrily.

"She tripped."

"YOU could've stopped her from doing so. YOU were there."

"I wasn't there," Grayson said angrily.

"I invoke the ancient rite of On Spake."

"Taeb Nwod"

"She tripped and hurt herself. You could have stopped her from doing so. If you really weren't there where were you? Why did you come back with her on your back? Yes, I know about that. I saw it with my own two eyes. I was watching the surveillance camera. I saw you guys arrive. Cease On Spake."

"She didn't want me there. She didn't want anyone there. So I stayed there. The guard came running up to me a little while after. He told me that Amber was hurt. I ran there. She refused to take the car. She said she could walk. So I carried her home"

"Taeb Nwod? You called it"

There was silence for a little while I was about to leave but I heard a few thuds. They were fighting. They were bickering. I walked away. Knowing that I shouldn't have been listening in on the conversation. 

(1243 words)