Until morning comes

[22]

Nick and Ashlie sprinted towards the exit, pulling down the lever and nervously looking around for any sign of the hag.

Nick sighed in relief when the metal gate doors opened and he and Ashlie walked out into the short hallway.

"Wait nick." Nick turns towards his sister. "What?"

"We should wait for the others." Her face was full of concern. Nick thought for a moment before nodding and kneeling done in front of the gate.

"Do you think they're alright?" Nick questions, asking himself more than his sister.

"They'll be fine, Cory and uni are strong when together and tommy is usually fine on his own. I'm not sure about Jon though." Ashlie presses her lips together tightly, trying to hold in a uncalled for whimper for the boy. They had just meant him, hopefully he'll be fine, he better be fine.

________

Tommy somehow managed to stumble his way towards one of the exits. Except no one was there. Tommy knew that they were probably at the other exist and if he didn't want to risk losing his friends he would have to go meet them at said exit. But tommy wondered how he'd explain to them what happened to Jon, to be honest tommy wasn't even sure what had happened himself. His mind was fuzzy and hazy and he just could think straight. He was incoherently muttering words under his breath that he didn't even understand what he was saying.

He was a reck. He blamed himself so hard for being so broken about jons death and he didn't even realize it.

Tommy wondered if he went through this exit while the others went through the other, if he could start over in this world and go back to how it was before the group. Would they miss him? Would they forget about him?

Tommy slowly turned back around. They deserved to know what happened to their new friend, and tommy was the only one who was there when It had happened. So he'd have to be the one to man up and confess. They were already confused enough, if he leaves they would think he's dead, go back in here To try to prove it and inevitably end up dieing the same way Jon did.

He wasn't about to take that chance.

He stumbled back, stopping a few times to catch his breath. Tommy was exhausted.

Finally his foggy eyes meant with the open gate, two people stood there looking around. Tommy could only guess it was Ashlie and nick, because of how far away he was from them and that his eyes were still blurry from crying. Wait, when was he crying?

Tommy bet his eyes were red and puffy, and once the two would lay their eyes on him they'd immediately know that they had lost yet another companion.

Tommy kept his head down as he continued to stumble towards the exit.

Just as he arrives uni and Cory come barreling through and into the hallway of the exit.

"Great! You guys made it." Ashlie sighs in relief. Nick Looks around the group before his eyes stop on tommy.

"Where Jon?" Tommy almost chokes at the thought of Jon.

'He's dead' he said in his mind, but he knew he wouldn't want to reveal it now, he wanted to wait till they were out of harms way.

"You guys go ahead, I'll wait for him." Uni and Cory looked at eachother before shrugging and running out, disappearing within the dense fog.

Ashlie looked skeptical. "Are you sure?" Tommy nodded his head, ushering them to go. With much hesitation the two run out, trying to catch up to Cory and uni.

Tommy stands in front of the gate, his head down. He slowly turns back towards the buildings.

"We'll all miss you, Jon." He than runs out into the fog.