Bloodlust

Escape

Huff...Huff...Huff...

Me and Phoebe have been running for what felt like 5 minutes. We ran through a suprisingly long hallway. When we felt that we were far away enough from the disaster, we plopped down on the floor, catching our breaths.

I don't know what really happened back there. Everything happened so fast, it was hard to keep track of everything at once. In less than a minute, three of our best friends, three friends we have spent the last five weeks with at this summer camp in joy and in punishment from the landlady, dead. And the two ghosts are still out to get us, so there is no time to mourn our losses.

The scrap of paper Arnold gave me is still in my sweaty hand. I slowly pulled out the paper and uncrumpled it. I flattened it on the ground, trying to fix the creases. I just noticed I dropped the pipe somewhere back there. Once the paper was readable, I illuminated it with my phone.

It was in terrible condition. The sweat of my palms has bblurred any words thaat would have bee written her, as evidence from the dark smudges. But on the opposite side was a very basic map of the school written in blood. There was one circle on the side, one very long rectangle connected to it, and a small box at the end, saying exit.

Arnold told me it was the exit, but wasn't it a little too convenient.

I slowly stood up and folded the map. It's got to be a trap, but there does not seem to be an end to this hall, nor any other pathways that could appear at any moment. 

I wanted to ask Phoebe about her opinion on the paper but stopped short.

Phoebe was hunched, back to the wall, knees in her face. She was crying.

"H-hey..." I tapped her shoulder, but she brushed me away.

"A-Are you ok?" I asked.

She lifted her face to me, about to say something, but went back to her original position. "Stay away from me."

"Why?" I asked. "If we are getting out of here, it will be together or none at all. There's a ex-"

"NO!" She cried out. "I-I'm bad luck. E-everyone who comes near me...I-I mean..." She was sniffling. "When I'm with someone.... t-they a-al-always end up dead. And I-I don't..." she buried her face again and cried again.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey" I tried my best to condole her. "Crying won't solve anything. All it will do is..." I wnted to say ruin that pretty face, but it got stuck in my throat "...make things worse." Seriously, you're going to hit on her in this place?

She wiped her tears, but it does not look like she has stopped crying yet. "B-but, just... to be safe..."

"Hey!." I grabbed Phoebe's hands and pulled her up. She was shocked. "I'm still alive, right?"

Phoebe slowly nodded. "B-but..."

"But nothing. I am still alive right now, and will still be once we get out of here."

She wiped her tears and nose with her hands. "Promise?"

Out of some weird instinct, I removed my jacket and offered it to her, just so she could wipe her face. I didn't have and handkerchief or anything like that, so thiss was the best I could do. And I insisted that she use my jacket.

"Promise." I told her. "Besides, I have a charm."

She used my sleeve to wipe her nose. Gross, but cute. "Really?"

"Yeah. My grandmother gave it to me before this whole tour started. She said it will protect me from ghosts and stuff."

"Cool." When she tried to return the jacket to me, I told her to leave it, since it slows me down anyway. And I bought a new red jacket last Sunday anyway. When she was ready, we continued down the hall.