Cotter Woods

Part 10

 I felt like I was running for hours. Each turn I took I imagined Emily Whites standing in front of me again. I'll kill you. Her voice ran through my head. I blinked rapidly, it was almost pitch black in the hallways now, there was no source of light. I fell to my knees and buried my face in my hands. I didn't want to be scared, I wanted to get out... but tears began to fill my eyes. I thought I had no hope. She would find me again. Emily Whites will find me and kill me.

"No!" I shouted. I immediately covered my mouth, fearfully. What was I thinking?! She probably heard that! Someone had to at least, it echoed for a more than a few seconds. 

"Summer?" Someone called back. I looked up from my hands. "Summer, was that you?!" It was Camila!

"Yes! I'm here!" I yelled, wiping my eyes and standing up. "W-where are you?!"

"Follow my voice!" I heard her again, then she said something quietly. She must have told the whole group to start making noise, because suddenly their voices flooded the halls. I smiled and began running again. It only took a few seconds before I realized they led me to the ballroom. I could see their faces, illuminated by the single round window, where the moon was framed perfectly. I ran to them and collapsed in their arms. "Are you alright? What did she do?" Camila asked me. 

"She told me to find her friends in the woods... or she'd kill me. She said she'd kill me." I told them all. 

"Well she won't. Not over my dead body." I heard Avery say. Finally I got up from the group hug and faced Diego. 

"Summer... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept running." He said, looking at the ground. 

"Diego, I don't blame you at all. The only thing that matters is that I'm not dead, right?" I smiled and nodded. "Anyways, let's find a way out before-"

"Please help me!" It was her. It was Emily again. She was standing at the entrance to the ballroom, with her fists clenched as usual. 

"Stay the hell away from us!" Dallas yelled at her.

"Summer! I'm sorry for threatening you!" Emily took a step forward.

"How do you know my name?!" I screamed at her again. 

"I told you! The asylum-" She tried to say.

"You're insane! Walls don't talk!" I stood in front of the group and took a few steps back.

"Will you, please? Please just let me explain!" Silence filled the hospital. Without an answer, she began, "In the year 1994, I went in the woods with my best friends. Something took them. Something powerful, but it didn't take me. It left me alone, so I could warn anyone else of it who dared enter the woods, it's ground. It will always leave one person unharmed," She took another step forward. "I can still hear them. My friends. They told me not to leave this asylum, how could I betray their trust? After what they went through. All because of my dare! I dared Layla to go in the woods! I did!" Emily began to cry a little. "I can't leave this place. But you can, you seven. I just want to see them again, to apologize. To tell them I didn't mean any harm. I was just a dumb kid! I just need to see them again!"

"W-what if Layla would let you leave... why don't you find them yourself?" Aiden asked, boldly.

"Oh, I tried. Opened a window, hopped out. Went out there, out of here. I had no success. The minute I stepped out I heard her. 'Go back inside!' She told me I deserved to be alone. I tried so hard to make her happy, to make her forgive me. I couldn't climb into the window quick enough, but she kept yelling! She kept telling me to get back inside! 'You deserve loneliness!' she'd say. I cut my feet open trying to get back in, scraping the skin against the cement walls. I climbed back into the window and decided never to leave again," Just then I realized they were her footprints we saw earlier, and that we used the same window she did to get in the place. "Summer," I got chills. "The asylum did tell me your name. The walls said you would find them for me. You and your friends, would bring them to me. Just so I can beg for their forgiveness. Please, Summer, find them. With the help of your friends. I need you to find them!" Insanity filled her voice, but I could tell we all felt bad for her. 

"And what if I don't? I don't find them for you?" I asked her daringly.

"Please," She whispered. I'm surprised she didn't threaten to kill me again. "I just need you to find them. Please."