Encryption ➵ Sally face

1...2...3

"Whoa Liz you can't just assume that," Larry laughed as Sal and I both sat on the edge of his bed, completely out of breath.

"No no no Larry, you know how Mrs. Sanderson and Charley collected those fuckin glitter ponies or whatever? Well one of hers is missing, and who else would want to steal it!" I smiled proudly looking at the two, Sal nodded.

"Actually when I went to go introduce myself to Charley he said he just got some 'new rare collectable' so 'don't touch it because my collections are like my family', or some bullshit," Sal and I looked at Larry and he nodded, obviously convinced.

"I think you two may be right," he thought out loud, letting out a small chuckle. "Good work guys, what else did you see,"

"Not much, just what you would expect at a crime scene I guess," Sal shrugged and let out a small laugh when he saw our expressions.

"I mean like on TV dorks," his cheekbones raised from behind his mask as he smiled, punching us both playfully on the arm.

"Haha, well I better get back home to make myself dinner," I laughed sadly then looked at the two.

"Sure you don't want to eat here? My mom doesn't mind," Larry shrugged and gave me a small smile while Sal stayed silent, his eyes fixed on me.

"I'd love to but I haven't been home all day and she'll get pissed if I'm not there soon," I sighed and put my walkie talkie back into my hoodie pocket.

"Yeah I should probably go too, my dad needs help unpacking and I haven't been much of a help," Sal laughed a bit then looked to me, "Ready when you are,"

I nodded then turned to Larry who had a small smirk on his face.

"Well it was nice meeting you Sally Face," Larry smiled to the mysterious boy we now called our friend.

"You too Larry," Sal chuckled a bit then turned to me standing in the doorway.

"See ya loser," I smiled and waved a bit to Larry.

"See ya," he grinned.

***

(Sals POV)

I shut Larrys apartment door behind me and turned to see Liz smirking at me.

"What's that face for," I chuckled as we began walking towards the elevators.

"I'm not really going home dumbass, one thing you should know about me is that I'm hardly ever home,"

"Well then why did you say you had to go," I smirked at her but wasn't sure if she could see as we stood in the unmoving elevator.

"Well, Larry isn't really into that whole "creepy scene" and it seems like you are so, why don't we go to the fifth floor," she smiled as she pressed the button with the number 5 on it before I could even say anything.

"What's so special about the fifth floor," I leaned against the wall of the elevator as I felt it begin to move up.

She turned and smiled a bit, "Well, why don't you see for yourself,"

As she said that the elevator doors opened to a floor looking completely different from any I had ever seen before.

The once orange stripped walls were replaced by an old brown peeling wallpaper and rotting wood to line them, while the floor was littered with old curled up paint pieces and green carpet in random patches.

"What happened here...?" We stepped out onto of the elevator and the old floor creaked beneath us.

"Well this place has been "under renovation" for about three years now," she spoke as she walked down the hallway.

"But no one has ever come up here to fix it, I've never seen any decorators or a construction team, nothing," she continued on as we walked to the end of the hall to the left.

"I think it may just be cause Mr. Addison doesn't want to come out and actually socialize face to face with them but thats just my guess," she shrugged and looked up to see what my face read, but instead she only saw a blank mask.

"That sounds like him," I scoffed and walked over to her, "so why are we up here exactly?"

"I know that there's more to this place then it seems, there has to be. I've been looking around since I moved here but I haven't found anything, I even asked Lisa for the apartment keys for this floor and she said they never even gave her any when she started working here,"

"Why not try to break the handle off one of the doors?"

As I said this she looked up so our faces were only inches apart and smiled.

"Well, it just so happens that I got room 504's handle broken off but I haven't had anyone to go in with yet so... Would you want too," her blue eyes stared into mine and a small blush rose from behind my mask.

"I would love too! Let's go check it out," I smiled at her as she stepped in front of apartment 504 who's handle had been smashed off.

"How'd you get this off?" I said while bending down to pick up the broken handle.

"Just brought up a hammer from my place, this one was oddly weak so it basically just flew right off, " she shrugged and I grinned behind my prosthetic, she still only saw the same expression from the outside.

"Ready?" She looked at me excitedly with her hand on the door, "On three," she smiled as I put my hand on the door as well.

"1... 2 ... 3!"

***

(Elizabeths POV)

The door creaked open to reveal a pitch black room while a horrible stench wafted out from the darkness.

"Oh my god what is that smell," I covered my mouth and nose with my sleeve and looked over to see Sal trying not to laugh, there's no way he could smell it through his mask.

"I hate you did you know that," I smiled behind my sleeve and saw him grin at me.

"Sure you do," I saw his blue eyes roll behind his mask and a small blush came to my face.

Slowly we walked in and I drew myself closer to Sal, even though I loved this creepy stuff it was nice to have someone to actually protect me if shit got out of hand.

Slowly a figure appeared through the shadows as our eyes adjusted to the darkness for the second time that day, it was a man with a large beard rocking back and forth on a pile of old newspapers. The smell was coming from the door behind him, the bedroom.

"Oh.. I- I'm sorry I didn't think anyone lived up here," Sal said to the man, looking at me and motioning to back up. I did so.

"You shouldn't have come here... This building ... Dark place..." the man muttered under his breath as I looked up to Sal for reassurance but his mask lay still.

"Sir... A-are you okay?" I stepped a bit closer to him but Sal pulled me back to him once again.

Just as he did so a small knock came from behind us, we both turned only to see the bathroom door and the entrance, which was wide open.

Sal and I looked at each other and turned back to the man only to see he had vanished.

"What the hell..." I started backing out of the room with Sal following not far behind me, once the both of us were out I slammed the door shut.

"Who was that..." Sal looked to me nervously.

My face stood still and I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

"Liz it's okay," Sal rushed over to embrace me in a hug and I smiled a bit as he did so.

"Just breathe in and out okay? 1... 2... 3,"