The Secret Life of Lisa Johnson

Out

Madi ran as fast as she could in the pitch dark room.

The banging grew more frantic.

"ALEX!" Madi yelled, "Alex open the door! Remember how?"

The banging kept going. She banged back.

Suddenly she heard the door creak a little. She pushed on it, throwing all her weight into opening the door.

After 3 times there was a  crack large enough for a hand to go through.

"Alex?"

No answer.

"Alex!"

Nothing.

"ALEX!"

"What? Where's Lisa? What happened?" Alex came running to the crack in the door.

"Where were you?"

"Where's Lisa?"

"I found her. She's out cold." Madi replied, "Get this door open."

"The lever broke." Alex informed Madi.

"Then find another way." Madi said ready to be out.

Alex took a look at the door. He slid his arm through so it was on Madi's side of the door. He pushed until there was enough room for both of them to push the door.

When the door was finally opened, Madi said, "We need to make sure it stays open this time."

"Got it." Alex said grabbing a large metal cart from beside the door and setting it between the door and the wall.

"Help me get Lisa." Madi called as she started walking into the dark.

Alex ran to catch up to her. "You're sure she's okay?"

"No way to tell for sure in here, but I believe she is. Whatever put her here bandaged her hand."

"That's good right?"

Madi didn't answer. She paused and held out a hand to stop Alex. Alex looked at her confused. Madi held a finger to her lips. Something was off. She didn't know what, but something was definitely not right.

Madi crept slowly forward to where she left Lisa and motioned for Alex to do the same. They slowly made their way to Lisa.

But when they got there, Lisa was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd she go?!" Madi asked.

"Right here.."

Madi and Alex both jumped as they whipped their heads to where the voice came from.

"Oh thank god you're okay!" Madi breathed relieved.

"Yeah. Are you sure you're okay Lisa?" Alex asked.

"Yeah.. I think so. What happened? Where are we?" Lisa answered.

"We're still in the house, but we found this secret room," Madi stated, "If you're up, we should get going."

"Where are we going to go?" Alex asked.

"We're going to continue with the original plans."

The three started walking out of the secret room. Just then, Madi remembered the glowing orb she had found.

"Wait!" Madi yelled and turned around running to where the box was.

Alex and Lisa looked at each other. A few minutes later, Madi returned with the orb and the note that came with it. She put it gently in her already full bag and continued like nothing happened.

"I wonder...," Madi started as she walked to the front door of the house trying to see out of the grungy windows.

"Alex, I don't think Madi's quite right. It seems like something's off," Lisa whispered.

"Yeah I realized that too. What ever happened in that room must've messed her up."

The two decided to keep an eye on her.

"Hey Madi, what are you doing?" Lisa asked.

"Trying to see if I know where we are," Madi said as if everyone could've figured it out.

A few minutes later, Madi announced, "We're close. We need to go a little farther."

The three finally left the abandoned house.

While they were walking to a bus stop, Alex looked at Lisa relieved that she was okay.

"So Lisa, how's your hand?"

Lisa looked at him for a moment then answered, "It hurts a little, but other than that I think it's okay. I don't really know, we'd have to take off the bandage."

"Well, let's not do that now," Madi interrupted.

Alex, Lisa, and Madi waited for a bus to come so they wouldn't have to walk so far. It was after noon, so it wasn't cold, but the bus would definitely be warmer than walking.

As they waited, two young men walked up to the bus stop and stood, also waiting.

When the bus finally arrived and everyone had boarded, the bus left.

For some reason, the two men that had boarded after Alex, Lisa, and Madi stuck close to them.

Lisa felt again that something was off. Something just wasn't right.

Then,  she saw one of them reach into their bag and the next thing she knew, the bus was still moving and everyone was coughing.

Just when she realized that they had released a gas, and tried to cover her nose and mouth, she was out. Again.

The last thing Lisa remembered was leaning on Alex like she was going to fall asleep. Then there was a quick prick on her arm. She couldn't move.