Is This Smart? (Under editing and revising)

Chapter 20

After being asleep for what seems like hours, I wake to a sound. Or lack of one that is. The howling winds and banging thunder have ceased. Either that or this room blocks them out. I can't see outside because there are no windows in here. I'm surrounded in darkness. I sit in the complete silence. My mind begins to wander. So many thoughts swirl through my head, it's begins to hurt.

Is this place really safe? Why did we agree to come here? What's going to happen? Will we all make it out of this, again? Then this thought leads to my friends and how I don't really deserve them. Eventually, I begin to think about how I really don't need to experience the same terror as last summer yet again. Can my body and mind even take it? Will I be damaged for the rest of my life? I think I am alone as the tears flood over my eyelids. I put my head in my hands and think out loud In a choking voice, "Why us? Why not someone else? Or, better yet, no one at all?!" I continue crying and, eventually, it turns into a sob with a wracking cough. Suddenly, I sound comes from the other side of the room, well, at least I think. I shrink away as a figure begins rising from the shadows.

"Chelsea? What's wrong?" Ann. I completely forgot. We are sharing a room. Slowly, I sit up and wipe away my tears before I answer in my shaky, scratchy voice, "Ann? I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" That's all I can get out before the tears stream down my face.

"For what Chelsea? None of this is your fault. I mean, come on. How would you make all this happen? First of all, you'd be too scared. And second, you could never keep this a secret from us. I know you couldn't and you know it too."

Breathing heavily, I answer, "Yeah. I know, I just, well, I don't know. This is so hard!"

Surprisingly, Ann reaches over and grasps my one of clammy hands, "I know it is, Chels. How about we go find the others? How long have we been sleeping, anyways?"

I answer with a shake of my head and a small, nearly invisible smile. She stands up and comes around the bed. I slide my arm over her shoulders and balance on one leg, still keeping all weight off my knee, as instructed by Jordan. Oh, Jordan. The fact that I just met him nearly three days ago doesn't alarm me as much as it should. He's proved himself to me multiple times over. Oh, I miss him. I want him here right now. I want him to carry my out of this room, out of these woods and back to somewhere that really is safe. Because nothing, not the slightest thing in this dim house, makes me feel safe and secure.

Before we leave, I nonchalantly slip my phone into my pocket. Hopefully this time it will work in case of an emergency! We, slowly, make our way to the room that Jennifer and Maggie were sharing.

"Wow." I think to myself, "They're sharing a room? Well, let's hope they haven't ignored each other to death!"

Ann pushes the door open and it's not nearly as dark as our room. It's nothing like ours either! Unlike the room where Ann and myself were sleeping, this room has a fire place, window, desk with a single drawer, and, after careful observation, I notice a chain hanging from the ceiling. It must be connected to a hatch or door of sorts. Ann patiently helps me over to an arm chair near the cold shadowy stone fire place. It is close to the bed as well. I can see from here that someone, or multiple people occupy the bed. I slide my phone out while Ann wakes up who ever is in that bed. Both of us suppose it's Jenn and Maggie.

I turn on my phone and open it. I check the time, it's 11:30 in the afternoon. I can't believe I slept that long. Eventually, I decide to clue Jordan in on what going on.

From: Chelsea
To: Jordan
Hey. So, we are at this house somewhere in the woods.
Not much has happened... We just slept alot.. Which is good...
But, I don't feel safe at all. I'm terrified of what my happen to me.
Just know, if I don't make it back to you,
I couldn't explain how grateful I am for you.
Nor could I begin to try and explain my feelings for you.
I love you. That's the simplest way to put it.
I never want to leave your side again.
I'll try to keep you posted.

After hitting send, I look up and Ann has Maggie sitting up and rubbing her eyes. But, something is totally off. I stay sitting here in this chair and Maggie eventually comes over. She plops down on the floor. Ann throws back the thick patterned quilt and the bed is empty.

Jennifer is gone. Not in the bed. Not in the room. Nowhere. She's gone. Frantically, I hope off the chair, completely forgetting about my injury. But, that doesn't matter now: all that matters at the moment is that we ind Jennifer before things go too wrong. Deep down inside, I know we are too late, that part 'things are going to go wrong' has already begun. I fly around the room, scrutinizing every inch of it for clues. When I look up at my friends, all I can see are the looks of shock and surprise. This is completely opposite of how I normally act. This is how Jenn acts. Well, sort of. Finding no clues as to where Jennifer could have gone, I plop down on the bed. My phone vibrates, sending a moment of fear, shooting through me. I check it, and it Jordan.

From: Jordan
To: Chelsea
Whoa, Chels.
For one, you WILL make it back to me.
And, two, if you don't want to leave my side again, well, that parts up to you.
I love you too. More than you know.
Okay... So, you all are alright, then?
What can I do?

Instantly, I type a reply.

From: Chelsea
To: Jordan
Jordan, I don't ever want to be without you. Ever again.
And, well, I thought we were all okay... But, well, Jennifer is gone.
She wasn't in the bedroom where we left her last.
I'm kinda scared! I mean, what if she's hurt, or... Or someone took her?!
What should I do?!?!?!

I send it and when I look up, Maggie and Ann are standing in front of me holding a sheet of paper. I can't read the emotion on their faces. It could be anything. A ransom note. Anything, really. I pop off the bed and accidentally jerk the notebook page from Ann's grasp. Slowly I recognize that the handwriting belongs to Jenn. My eyes skim over some of the words written in perfect square letter.

Maggie,
Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Seriously.
I'm just downstairs exploring a little.
Tell Ann and make sure Chelsea doesn't worry.
I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I'm not leaving the house.
I found something, well, interesting. I'll tell you all when I get back.
Love,
Jennifer.

My hands drop to my sides. I'm half relived and half shocked that I didn't suspect that. I know her, and how much she likes to explore and investigate. Suddenly, a shooting pain stabs up my leg. In the hustle to search for Jenn, I had completely forgotten about my bad knee and my instructions for Jordan.

I fall to the floor with a shout. Maggie and Ann lift me up onto the bed and help me get situated. Silent tears of pain slide down my cheeks, cutting through the thin layer of dirt and grim and remnants of old makeup from the last few days. Maggie holds my hand while Ann, the more doctor type of us all, checks out the damage I did to my knee. From what I can see, nothing looks different. Just as purple, swollen and messed up as ever. I grab my phone and I have no notifications. So, I just lay my head back and breathe.

We just sit in silence... That is until the door creaks opens and a shadow appears around the corner.