Make It Out Alive

Chapter 18 : Dead And Buried

Austin's P. O. V.
I shine my flashlight around the room. There's no windows. My light stops at a coffin shaped hole in the ground. I jump down into the hole. Its not six feet deep like a regular coffin should be. I think its about 3 or 4 ft deep. The whole box is covered in dirt. I dust it off. The box is one of those where you slide the side of the door open and go inside. I remember that Emily had said that her friend Violet had the same fear and that her bones should be in the room. I shine my light around the room. I don't see any bones or clothes. I think aloud and say, " if being buried alive was also Violet's fear then she must have at least faced it". I walk over to the box and get down on my knees, my flashlight still in hand. I feel the side of the box and start to slide it open. I get on my knees and crawl inside it. I lay down on the bottom. I let out a breath. I turn on my side and close the side door. I click the flashlight on. I realize that the box I'm in is almost an exact replica like the one from my nightmare. I take a deep breath then slowly let it out. I hear a creak! and shine the flashlight at the base of my feet. The bottom where my feet are resting has opened and the dirt from the hole is starting to fill the box. Rapidly. It keeps on going until I'm covered in dirt from the base of my neck to my feet. I keep my breathing calm and even. I talk aloud to myself, "ok Austin, your doing a good job so far. Just an hour, you can do this". I close my eyes to calm down some more. I hear a squeak. I don't think anything of it. I hear another squeak, and another. Its a small sound, kind of like a sound a mouse or a rat. would. make. No. No no no. I open my eyes and I am looking straight into the eyes or a rat. Not just one rat. Eight. That are climbing on my body. I try to swing my arm up only to find that I can't move my arms. The dirt is so heavy that its weighing my arms down. I am actually grateful for the sand because they're so much sand that I can't feel the rats moving on top of me. I turn my head to the side....and I almost scream. A skeleton is in the box with me. I can only see its skull and its neck. The rest must be buried underneath the sand with my body. It takes me a minute but I realize that the skeleton is Violet. I guess she must have faced her fear after all....and failed. I squint my eyes while I'm examining her. I can't help but wonder what she went through. Hesitant, I tear my gaze away from the skull. Its been some time since I've entered this box, I wonder if an hour has passed already. I'm surprised that I haven't freaked out. Suddenly I hear the same creak! I heard before. But instead of the bottom opening, the side door that I came through earlier is sliding open sideways. The sand falls out the box along with the rats. I roll out of the box. I can feel myself on the verge of hyperventilating. I close my eyes and ball my hands into fist. I take three deep breaths and calm down. Once I'm calm I open my eyes and get up. With my flashlight in hand I turn to where the box should be...only to find that its gone and only Violet's remains are in place of the box. I know that I can get out of hole just how can I bring the bones up there with me?. I shine the light onto the bones. A faded blue t shirt and brown shorts are clinging to the bones. The clothes have holes in them. The rats must have had them for lunch. I look for her shoes, they're an inch away from her feet. The gym shoes have holes in them to. I get an image of the rats eating the clothes and shoes while Violet's still in them. I quickly shake that image out of my head. The bones look to be intact. I turn away from her body and shine the flashlight upwards. I turn back to the body....only to find it, the clothes and the shoes gone. I remember Emily saying that once I leave the room the bones will stay here until we all face our fears. I guess that means I can leave this room now, since I've faced my fear. With my flashlight clenched tightly in my left hand, I start to climb out of the hole. I reach the top and climb out. I walk to the door, I place my hand on the doorknob and twist it open. Almost the second I step out of the room and into the hallway. The whole group is waiting in the hallway for me. Alex is the first one to speak. She says, "did you find Violet's body". I nod and say, "yeah, but it disappeared.  I guess when we've all faced our fears, all the bodies  come together. Alex, you're up. Remember its only an hour".  A cold gust of air fills the room and words appear on the door- Alex, you have my friend Mikaela Sienna Avery. Remember, you have an hour. Alex nods and says, "I know. Wish me luck". She walks to the door, places her hand on the doorknob and enters the room. The door locking shut behind her with one click!.