The Haunted Orphanage

Chapter 71

Mark's POV

As I ran alongside Felix, I began to get the feeling that I'd been in the house before.

Really, 'house' wasn't the right term. The building seemed more like a hotel.

"Are you sure this place is a house?" I asked as Felix opened a door to reveal a staircase.

He stopped once we walked to the stairs and the door closed. "Didn't you notice?"

I stared back at him blankly. "Notice what?"

Felix grinned. "The building looks like a house from the outside. Just a normal, one floored house, right? Once you enter, though, you'll find that there's enough rooms for everyone here."

"Does that mean a room appeared for me?" I inquired.

"That's the weird thing about it!" Felix exclaimed. "All the rooms are filled and no new ones appeared, but here you are! It's as if you weren't supposed to come here in the first place!"

"Then why am I here?"

He smiled. "You might've come in here to save all of us. Maybe you didn't know your memories would be erased."

I thought for a minute. "Maybe, but how would I have even gotten here in the first place?"

Felix shrugged. "You said your head hurt when you first woke up. Mine hurt, too. Maybe something happened to our heads?"

Before I could reply, Felix grabbed my arm and dragged me up the stairs. I ran after him, trying not to trip, while he yelled, "Finish asking questions when you can ask them to Cry! I honestly have no clue what's going on, but he seems to have a theory at least."

I nodded as we stopped on a platform and he opened the door. Once it was open, we darted through it and started down a hallway. Doors with names on them lined both sides.

A few doors had dog doors, urging me to ask, "Are there dogs here?"

"Yeah!" Felix called over his shoulder. "There's two pugs! Some people are allergic or just don't want dogs walking in and out of their room, so they don't have dog doors, but other people absolutely love them!"

Felix came to a stop in front of a door with a dog door. The label on the door read, 'Cry'.

Felix knocked on the door three times. He motioned for me to be quiet while he listened. After a moment, a meek voice called, "What?"

"It's me!" Felix cheered, seeming happy that he got a reply.

"Felix?" The person, who I assumed was Cry, asked.

Felix smiled. "Yeah, someone showed up. We need to talk to you!"

Immediately, the door swung open. A person wearing a mask stood in the doorway. "What do you mean someone showed up?"

Felix's grin spread across his face. "Cry! You opened the door!"

Cry put a hand up to his head. "Of course I did? You said someone appeared! That never happens, but I think it might work with my theory." He paused to look in my direction. "I'm assuming you're the person who 'showed up'?"

I nodded. "I guess. My name's Mark."

"Cry," he replied before adding, "the two of you better come in my room. You never know who's watching."

Felix led me into the room and as we took a seat on the floor, I whispered, "He seems paranoid. Are you sure he's alright?"