Rules of Escape

Chapter 7 - Peter

Peter rolls away from Chantelle to answer the phone. "Hello?" he whispers, conscious of Chantelle sleeping peacefully beside him. Crawling carefully out of bed, he makes his way quietly into the hallway.

"Sorry to wake you, but we've had an incident and I need additional staff at the big house. I'm desperate!" Maria pleads.  

"Oh? What's happening?" Peter asks, groggily. 

The digital numbers on the kitchen clock blur together, his eyes still cloudy with sleep. The big house? Had he ever been to the big house? Then he remembers the house he was interviewed at, was referred to as the big house. Slowly, he recalls how he got to the house on the outskirts of town. A large house, that in it's glory days, had been a mansion. 

"I'm not too sure," Maria says, "I'm leaving now to go there. From what I understand, some of the residents stole the van and left."

"Geez... Ana again?"

"This time, no. She was medicated. Anyways, they didn't get far. The police were notified almost immediately and located the van where it had gone off the road, just a few houses down the street. The residents are all back at the house now and Gary's there trying to calm everyone down."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Peter quickly scratches a note to Chantelle and places it on her bedside table. 

Leaving the apartment building, his coat flies open and flaps behind him as he sprints to his car.  He squints his eyes, his hand an ineffective shield against the fierce rain pelting one side of his face.

Driving up to the big house, Peter sees light shining from every window. He parks quickly and runs up to the front door. Finding it locked, he rings the door bell and waits.

"It doesn't matter who's at fault!" Gary says with exasperation as he opens the door. "Hey Pete! Welcome to the madhouse!" Gary turns back to Diane. "Right now we have to stay calm and reassure the residents."

Sweat and tears glisten on Diane's puffy face. "I just don't understand why they resist. Why do they want to leave so badly?"

"Look Diane," Gary says, "if you can't pull yourself together, you'll have to go home."

"You're right. Ana needs me." Diane rubs her eyes and takes a deep breath. "I'll tidy up the kitchen and make tea."

"Sounds like a plan." Gary turns to Peter. "OK. I've got a couple of residents downstairs that no one's checked on for awhile - Evan and Kazuki.  They're pretty calm, but they shouldn't be alone. Can you check on them and report back to me?" 

A piercing scream rings through the house. "That'd be Eliza. Got to go," Gary says.

Peter watches Gary saunter up the stairs. He hadn't met Kazuki before and knew nothing about him. Preparing himself for the worst, he starts downstairs.

The basement consists of a storage room, a laundry room, and a large recreation room. Two makeshift cots have been set up near the entrance to the rec room for Evan and Kazuki. A ping pong table has been folded up and pushed against the far wall of the rec room along with a couple of craft tables. Boxes and totes are stacked under and beside the tables. A half completed puzzle lies scattered on one of the small tables. Posters are taped to the wall paneling, probably in an attempt to create a more inviting atmosphere in the room and green shag carpet tries to offer comfort despite being flattened over time against a concrete slab. 

Kazuki and Evan are sitting on their respective cots, facing each other. Their overnight bags and shoes are neatly stowed beneath their cots.

"Hey guys," Peter says.