Under the Floorboards

Chapter 9: Heights

It is as if the room has changed its own shape, stretching and expanding to an unbelievably large space. I didn't even notice it change, though at this point I believe anything is possible.

Once I turn around, my eyes meet with Yvoni. She stands on a ledge as high as anyone could imagine, her body is nervously pressed against the wall to keep her from falling. Her eyes are clenched shut, her lower lip quivers.

"Don't look down. Just concentrate on my voice," Cole remains calm, talking her through each step.

"I'm gonna fall!" Yvoni cries out.

"No. No you won't. Just stay calm, you will be fine," Cole speaks steadily.

"I don't know..." Yvoni trails off.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Ivy breaks off into a box-like shape, raising her up higher in the room. She is now on a ledge, just like Yvoni.

"Oh, god,"  Ivy gasps once she realizes she is in the air. Sweat beads form on my forehead, my eyes fill with worry. I am panicking, unsure of what to do.

"Mark! Take my hand," I run over to him, lacing my fingers into his with force. He clenches my hand in return, his eyes call for mine. "It's okay. Stick together," I whisper to him. The ground beneath us rises, both of us on the same ledge. I feel a little bit of relief, knowing I'll be with him. But I'm wrong.

As soon as we get at least a hundred feet high, the ledge we stand on splits in two, pulling us away from each other. I watch in fright as our fingers unlock from each other. A shot of pain hits my chest, my heart skips a beat as one of his feet gives way. A scream escapes my throat, my eyes shut quickly. Once I finally open them, Mark has regained his balance and is now leaned against the wall.

"I'm okay. It's okay, I'm fine," He assures me quickly. I swallow hard, unable to answer.

Eventually all of us are on a ledge, towering at least half a mile above the floor. Yvoni is breathing heavily, her legs wobble. "I can't do this. I can't do this," she repeats quickly.

"Yes, you can. You can. Stop, don't say that," Zane scolds her.

Each of the ledges begin to shake, as if they are about to give out. Yvoni squeals, scrambling to grab onto the wall. There's nothing for her to grab. I breath steadily, focusing on keeping balance. It won't give way, the house won't just kill us without giving us a way to escape. Yvoni doesn't realize this, though. The fear begins taking over as she scrambles around the ledge. Just like that, her feet come from beneath her, her arms flail in the air as she flies off of the edge. Her fingers latch onto the edge, she's now dangling off of the side. Ivy lunges to help her, but they are too far apart. Ivy slips as well, only this time she doesn't grab the ledge quick enough. The warm tears stream down my cheeks as I clench my eyes shut. I hear her hit the ground, my breaths are heavier than before. Yvoni screams as she desperately tries pulling herself back onto the ledge.

"Hold on!" Nina screams through her cries. Tears swell in Zane's eyes as he mourns Ivy's death.

"She even conquered her own fear..." I trail off through my whines. Lazaro shuts his eyes and leans back, shaking his head with remorse. Cole stares at the ground, pain is painted across his face. Damon's face is splotchy, his lip quivers. The pain distracts me from the height we are from the ground, all of my concentration is focused on Yvoni. "Hold on, Yvoni. You will be okay, just hold on. It will be over soon," I call to her. Hazel cover/ her face, tears fall down her cheeks.

Yvoni's fingers now white from pressure, she begins losing her grip. "No, Yvoni!" Lazaro screams with terror.

"If I give in, you guys will survive another round. There's no other way," She calls to us in pain just before her fingers let go of the ledge. Screams break out as her body hits the ground. My head spins as the ledges are lowered back to the ground.

The room is now back to its original shape, Yvoni and Ivy fade away into the air. I wrap my arms around Mark, my eyes shut as I breath into his neck. I'm not the same person I was when I first got here, I'm not a weak little girl. I'm a strong woman who can handle anything this house has to throw at me. I dry my tears off on Mark's shoulders, finally opening my eyes. Nina watches us from afar, pain in her eyes. I know what she is thinking. She is remembering Chase, how they used to hold each other tight and help each other through times like this. But here she is, alone with nobody to help her through it.

I rub Mark's back, sniffing as my face hardens. I imagine my heart doing the same, a hard shield forming over it as I let go of him. "Are you okay?" he asks me with concern.

"I'm okay. I just need a moment," I assure him with a forced smile. He nods as I make my way over to Nina.

She looks into my eyes, hers screaming at mine that she's in pain. "You aren't okay, are you?" I whisper with concern.

"I'm not at all. I need him here, every bone in my body is screaming for him but he isn't here. I feel him here, I feel a pull but he isn't here. I know he isn't here, I watched him pass myself. But I just have this feeling, you know? Like he isn't gone... I don't know, its stupid. I just need him," she trembles between her words, her face is blotchy and red. I bring her in for a hug.

"He will always be here with you," I assure her.

"I know, but it's more than that," she explains through her tears.

"What do you mean?" I ask her curiously.

"It's hard to explain. When him and I first met, I had this pull to him. Like he was a magnet designed just for me. The pull is still there, it's like he's right next to me. I think that they aren't dead. Not entirely anyway, I think the house still has them. What if they're trapped here? What if they're stuck watching us? I feel him here, I just can't see him. It makes no sense to me. You get what I am saying?" Nina explains urgently.

"I understand completely," shock shows on my face. It makes perfect sense, of course. The house won't let them pass on entirely, it keeps them.

"If I make it out, I'm going back to that hellhole of a place and I'm going to find him. I can't just leave him here stuck, there has to be a way. There's always a way, we always find a way. I feel his magnetism screaming for me, calling for me to help him," Nina sighs with exhaustion.

"If you go back, I'm going with you. I want to help them, too," I agree with a nod.

"I don't know if I'm right, or if this house is making me go crazy but I have to be sure. I feel him here," she shakes her head, looking for words.

"I know what you mean, I understand. I feel an energy as well, it could be our friends," I agree as the pieces of the puzzle form in my head.

"We have to make it through this," she nods to me, wiping her tears.

"We will," I nod in return just before heading back to Mark.

I don't tell him, I'm unsure of whether I want to include him in the plan or keep him safe from it. If I make a safe enough plan with Nina, then maybe I'll tell him. I can't put his life in any more danger than it already is in.

I scan the surroundings as I wait for the next thing the house has in store for us. Suddenly, a weird feeling washes over me. The color of the room changes to multiple colors, as if a rainbow filter has been placed over my eyes. I raise my eyebrows with confusion as I try focusing on what is going on. The house is playing with me. It's playing with all of us.