Hide and Go Seek

16. Max

We still haven't gotten a call back. No update for almost two weeks about Jacob. But no photos either. I feel lost, left in the dark. I need to know what is happening. If Jacob was killed, why hasn't Thing sent a photo yet? If Jacob is alright, why haven't the cops called? Or more importantly, Where is Grim? It's been nearly two weeks and she hasn't made an appearance. It has me worried.

Alan is sitting on the couch, laptop on his lap.

"What are you up to?" I ask, bored and exhausted from worrying too much.

"Working on Mr. Fornworth's Essay." He replies as he methodically taps away at his keys.

"Do you wanna play a card game with me instead?" I try. Alan looks up at me briefly.

"Would love to sis, but the essay is due tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?! Shoot! Nevermind, I gotta work too!" I scramble to our desk and hop onto my computer. I always forget we're still in college with assignment's to do. My mind has been constantly occupied with the game. I never remember I still have a life to try to live.

– – – – – – – – – – –

I pop some Advil in my mouth, washing them down with water. Writing essays in one sitting always gave me a headache. At least it was done though.

I walk back over to Alan, who had finished a couple hours before me, and sit down beside him on the floor to watch him finish up his game of solitaire.

"Fancy a game now?" He asks.

"Of course. Speed?" I retort using my most proper British accent. It's moments like this I vye for. Small clips of normalcy with all the crap going on in our lives pushed to the very back crevasses of our mind.

Alan shrugs, saying sure as he shuffles the deck and lays out the cards. He deals the cards and we start, laying them down as fast as possible in order. This game was our favorite to play. It was really fast, hence the reason for its name, and easy to play.

We are half way through our tie-breaker, round five, when we hear a knock on our door.

"Pause!" I say, and we both immediately drop our cards at the same time. "Are you expecting someone?" I ask.

"Nope. Maybe someone came by to drop something off?" I hum in response, both of us get up and make our way to the door. Alan peers through the peephole.

Without a second's hesitation, he grabs my hand, and bolts towards the back of the small apartment. I don't even question who is at the door, I already know– Grim. My face goes at white as Alan's as we make our way to the back window where a rope waits. We live on the third story, so we prepared an escape plan beforehand, just in case this happened.

My heart is in my throat, practically choking me, as Alan throws open the window while I tie off the rope on one of the bed posts.

I hear the front door creak as I toss the rope out of the window. But the door was locked... Too late, she is in the house.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are" She calls out in a sing-song voice. Oh, gosh. Her voice made me shake. It was still Grim's but it had such a sinister note lurking in every word.

I perch on the edge of the window, grabbing the rope. The bedroom door opens. Me and Alan both let out a cry of fear. Her face is horrifying, something straight out of a movie. She grins at us, stretching the skin on her face and making her various scars turn whiter. She had a knife in her hand. There was no more time. We were goners.

"Ah, there you are!" the thing that used to be our friend said gleefully. I turn toward Alan, wanting him to be the last thing I see. We turn at the same time, but with different intentions. At the same time Thing lunges for Alan, he lunges for me.

I still have the rope in my hands. Alan pushes me out the window.

"RUN!!" The last thing I see is Alan getting tackled to the ground.