The Illusion

Eleven

Leo pulled the car up outside what is possibly the most boring building I've ever seen in my life. Paint peeling on the walls with no signage. It looked like a forget about garage that used to be in someone's back garden but the houses were long gone. I still had no idea what we were doing in the middle of nowhere at this outhouse but Dad had called it 'The Box' and suggested to Leo he brought me up here since it would be empty all day. Not a clue what that meant but Leo smiled softly and got out the car without another word.

I climbed out, early June air starting to warm up as the slightest breeze slammed into my bare legs. I'm glad I wore my leather jacket today, giving me a little bit of extra protection against the cool.

"So, this is where I die." I crossed my arms, leaning my ass on the hood of his car whilst he shuffled around at the back. "Scenery isn't terrible but the building could do with a bit of TLC. Maybe baby pink. Do you think I'd be able to convince dad to paint it pink?" The boot slammed shut, shifting of his feet against the sandy uneven ground below us.

"Paint his inconspicuous hut that he wants to look abandoned pink? Yeah. I don't think John's ever going to let that happen." He looked me up and down slowly. "You look the part today."

"What?"

"Leather jacket, ripped denim shorts, combat boots. You almost look like you weren't wearing a baby pink dress yesterday. It's a good look on you."

"And the girly dresses aren't?" I raised an eyebrow, not wanting to focus on the fact he was flirting or the slight tint of red I could just make out under his stubble.

"Come on then. Let me show you around." He nodded, walking to the building, not waiting for me to catch up. "Your dad said you should know the code to this already. If you ever need to get in, he said it's the same as the garage code at your grandfathers house when you were a kid?"

"Oh. Okay. Yeah. Got it. Haven't used that in ages."

"James said it was a code your whole family knew so if any of you needed to escape it was easy to remember in high stress situations."

"You mean when you're bleeding out."

"Yeah. Basically." He punched the 4 digit code in, pushing the door open and flicking on a light. "After you."

I stepped into the room, completely sparse of anything besides a falling apart sofa and coffee table in the middle of the room and a rug under it that had definitely seen better days. Graffiti on the walls and empty beer cans scattered across the room, I turned to Leo.

"Oh, you are definitely murdering me here."

"Are you kidding there's about 6 cameras in here, wave because someone's watching." I scrunched my face at him and watched as he rounded the room, pressing open a panel behind one of the shelves and pushing some buttons. "This code is your birthday." I laughed. Password child. Of course, I was.

The rug on the floor lifted and I turned around, watching as it unveiled a secret staircase. Leo walked up behind me, not a single cell of his touching me but I could feel him. His heat. His scent, leather and wood and moss. The same smell that coated his bed and me this morning and had me in a stupid haze as I woke up.

"Ladies first." I lifted my head up to him for a second before looking back at the stairs and heading down. The bottom led me to a room, much smaller than the one above and 3 doors. I turned again, watching Leo as he hit a button on the wall, stepping down into the room and making sure the top closed.

He pulled the door on the left open, grabbing my hand and pulling me in slightly.

"Kitchen, little seating area and there's a fully fitted bathroom through that door. Toilet, shower sink. There's a fully stocked first aid cupboard there too. That includes things like needles and surgical thread, disinfectant. Anything you'd need it's in there. Some food in the cupboards but try not to touch it if you're here for the day. It's for emergencies." I nodded, letting him pull me to the other two doors. "Okay. Now listen closely. This door, you don't want to go in there. If you need to go in there, you'll be taken in. Unless you want to be witnessing a horror film live. Leave the door closed."