Stuck

Hide and seek

The door is open.

I walk back up the stairs slowly and when I get to the 8th floor I start to run faster and faster once I reach the 11th floor I see Ryan and start to talk to him.

" The third-floor door is open! It's open! Something or someone is in here with us. Everyone we let in here knows not to keep the door open."

"Oh my god." Ryan raises his walkie talkie to his mouth quickly and radios to everyone "Tristan! Finn! Milan! Anyone you have to get down here! Bring flashlights! Something is in the mall. We didn't bring any supplies! Help! NOW."

Nobody answers and we hear an echo of the radio down the stair well. I look at Ryan and we head down a little and radio again

"Hello?" Ryan says into the radio. We both hear the radio echo. We look at each other and head back to the roof quickly. I grab onto Ryan's wrist and he holds my hand tightly so he doesn't lose me. I think we're both thinking the same thing, the monster is in the mall. Or there is an outsider that didn't get the memo about closing doors. Or maybe Milan stayed the night here...no freaking way. I'm slightly freaked out when we reach the roof.

"Help me over here!" Ryan shouts rolling over a barrel and brings it over. I grab the other barrel and roll it over and we start shoveling rocks into the barrels in front of the door to make it harder for whoever is inside. Ryan finishes his barrel first and his radio goes off. It starts to beep. He beeping indicates an SOS so everyone has to answer for a check in. I get my radio out of my backpack and say " Post 1" Ryan is the next to call in "post 2" next is Tristan than Finn and we wait for the next but realize that 5... Well, Kara is gone.

"Rest well 5" I hear on the radio and then Milan answers post 6. Ty used to be 7. But regardless there is only 5 of us left now.

"Okay, you're all here!" Milan says through the walkie talkie "Okay I'm on the first-floor of the building and I found an old janitor's closet filled with supplies and I think someone else has or has been living in the building with us..." he finishes off.

"How do you know this?" Ryan asks " And where did you go yesterday man? You can't just go off like that man."

"Well the room is not musty it's got new supplies like a cold drink that is almost full and warm food... Holy shit someone is coming. Don't say anything." he whispers panicking. I hear a slam and my heart races. Ryan looks at me and grabs his backpack and pulls out a gun.

"No supplies my ass..." a say staring at him.

" I don't have extra ammo." he says loading his gun with exactly 6 bullets.

He goes over to the rooftop and over to the bungee cords that propel us to the ground and clips himself on and jumps off the roof. I'm in shock, my heart still racing. I'm alone and I don't have any weapons. I run to the side of the roof to where Ryan jumped and see him struggling to get his harness off. I pull out my walkie talkie and attempt to give him directions but before I can a gust of wind throws me off balance and my walkie talkie falls out of my hand and I almost fall off the side. My life flashes before my eyes and I see the ground. I find my balance by grabbing onto the bungee cord rack next to me. I hold myself. I'm still on the roof and I pull myself back up and close my eyes. Thank god. My walkie talkie is on the ground probably smashed into pieces. It just fell like 12 floors down onto the cement. Ryan grabs my walkie and shakes his head putting it in his bag as he waits for me to scale the building.

I hold on the rope and attach my harness. With little hesitation: I jump off the roof, get about halfway down and I see Ryan has approached the door and is going in without me. I loosen the grigri and propel myself down faster and land with my feet causing pain all up my legs. I forget the pain and run toward the building to meet up with Ryan and Milan and see who or what has been living the cost or to even just help Ryan get Milan out of the closet.

Milan often does well on his own, I mean we found him on his own. Ryan has just been so good to every one of us especially Milan because he's the youngest of us all. He's like a baby. Well, an angry teen baby. Most of us are 17 but Milan is 14 and Ryan is 18, and so was my brother. I guess Ryan thinks he's in charge of us now that Ty is gone. Probably thinks that he has to make sure we're all safe all and accounted for.

When I get to the door I can hear Ryan yelling to Milan and Milan screaming. I open the door and see Ryan against a wall holding his gun.

"Open the door Milan! right now!"

The screams continue and he shoots the lock. I run to Ryan's and lower his gun. I grab his hand and my heart starts pounding. I put my hand on the center of the door and push it open. There he is.

Milan is on the floor with a huge claw mark across his chest and there is an extremely large hole in the wall. I walk in slowly and take off my flannel. I tear it into pieces and try to stop the bleeding.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have left. Ahhhh! fuck!" I dab the pieces of cloth into his deep wounds across his arm and chest. Ryan is looking at the giant hole in the wall as I tear up more of my flannel. It's big enough for the three of us to walk through at the same time. The deep hole that goes into the wall. into rooms that are lit by daylight. Dusty dimly lit rooms.

"What the hell happened in here? Has it always been like this? If anyone found this they could attack us whenever they wanted."

Milan drops his head and tears fill his eyes you can tell he doesn't want to talk about it.

"Ryan I think we should just carry him upstairs and get k--... someone to look at this."

Shit, Kara is gone. Who is going to look at Milan wounds? She was the one that was good at this.... Finn? Maybe she can help. I don't care if she's mad at me, Milan needs help. ASAP. I wrap a large piece of my flannel around his waist and tie his arm to prevent any more blood loss.

Ryan picks up Milan and I help him out by taking one of Milan's arms and putting it around my neck. We head to the staircase... maybe it's better to turn on the generator for the elevator.

I go to the front desk and flip the switch on. The generator clicks and grumbles. A snap sound is made and the elevator door opens and we rush to the door. We click the button for our floor and the doors close.

Milan moans in pain and my heart sinks. Poor guy. but hopefully, this will help us with knowing what the monster is like.

"Stay awake buddy, you'll be upstairs soon and you'll get treated. Just don't sleep okay?" Ryan says loudly and tapping his cheek to get him out of the daze he is in.

I sniffle and look at Milan. My eyes water and I have to look away before I cry. The elevator doors open with a ding and I take the lead to the apartment with Ryan in toe.