The House

Chapter 20 The Plan

Moth, Cindy, and I froze. We payed close attention to the noise coming from the speakers as if our lives depended on it... but the noise slowly faded away without the Creep Guy saying a word.

And I started thinking. This is his game, he's been playing with me, with all of us, for all this time. Who knows when this is going to end? Will it ever end? I'm tired of having to follow his rules, of letting him torture me and do with me as he pleases.

The mysterious noise gave me an idea.

After my conversation with Moth and Cindy, I asked them to help me call everyone to my room. Ronald, August, Christ, Moth, Cindy, Valerye and our parents. Everybody is here, sitting on the floor and chairs they brought from the Dining Room. All eyes are on me.

This is the first time my parents and I are in the same room since I saw their video. I'm still having a bad time thanks to it, and it's painful to look at them so I just try to ignore them as much as I can.

"What's going on, Isabelle?" asked Ronald.

I take a deep breath. This is not the time to think about my parents. "We're getting out of here. I've been thinking about a plan to leave this place once and for all and I think we can finally make it happen."

As if waiting for someone to say something, everybody looked at someone. Finally, Valerye spoke, "Isabelle, we can leave whenever we want. I'm worried about you, the Creep Guy may find you again."

"Not if I die."

From the corner of my eye I saw my parents' faces go pale. My friends were shocked.

"What are you talking about?!" yelled Moth. "You didn't mention any of this!"

"Because it wasn't part of the plan," I said. "I just thought of it, now listen-"

"You're crazy Isabelle!" yelled August. "We won't do this!"

"Can you just shut up and listen?!" At this point I knew I should've phrased my idea better. "I won't die. We will only make the Creep Guy think I died in a car accident."

"How? Don't you think he'll find out it was a lie?" asked Christ.

"I don't think he'll have the time to," I say. "Listen, I noticed that every night he's gone, just gone. He's not watching the camera's or anything." I look at Valerye. "When we rescued Luka, he didn't say anything until the day after and even then he didn't really know what happened. Plus, there are blind spots all over the house and he hasn't made any comments about them either."

"So you're saying we'll do this during the night?" asked August.

"Yeah, probably in a night or two. I'm thinking maybe we can wait until I find someone else and use the car that'll take them home. We're going to need one more car so we can all escape."

"And what then?" asked Cindy.

"You'll get everything ready while I'm on the test, but we'll have to wait until midnight to make our move. Cindy, Moth, you'll get in my parent's car. Valerye, you and your parents leave with Christ. August, Ronald, we'll get on the new car with whoever I rescue, got it?"

"Who's driving?" asked Ronald.

"There should a chofer," I said. "but that's too risky so I'm counting on you, August."

August smiled at me. "Oh yes."

"An when do you die?" asked Valerye.

I looked at Ronald and August. "We'll have to crash the car."

"What?!" said both of them.

"We'll crash the car, I'll be seated at the front with August and I'll cut myself or something so my blood gets everywhere. We'll smash the windshield to make it look like I went through it."

"I don't think that'll work." says Valerye.

"It will," I continued. "On our way here I noticed a hospital. We just gotta make sure we're close enough so August and Ronald can take me there. That's when Peter comes in."

"Me?" Peter said.

"You'll wait for us at the hospital. Actually, we'll all meet at the hospital. Peter, you have your doctors ID, right?"

"Yeah."

"You'll go inside  and act as if you work there. When you see the three of us come in you'll have to take care of the situation and make sure you say you'll call my parents." Even though I didn't want to, I looked at my parents. "Some time later you'll come in and act as the caring parents about to lose their daughter. Finally, Peter will tell you I died."

"But why is this plan so complicated? Why don't we just leave?" asked Jasmine.

"Because," I explained. "If the Creep Guy investigates he will come up with nothing. He will just find out that we tried to escape and I died trying. If he goes to the hospital there will be no records of Peter ever being there, just that some doctor called my time of death. There will be a record on the morgue and a note saying my parents claimed the body. After that, we'll be off the radar and we'll have to be very careful with what we do."

"This sounds like you're running away," said Christ. "What about the others? Won't you find them?"

The computer in the secret room came to my mind, but there's people in this room that I wouldn't trust with that sort of information. "I think I'll be able to find them on my own after I... find some answers."

There was a long pause.

My mom spoke for the first time. "Do you really think this will work? You won't be living, Isabelle, You'll be forever hiding from him."

"Then I'll hide," I said. "I'm tired... If I'm honest, I don't think I can win. If we do this and I'm able to still save the others, and all of you, then that's enough for me."

No one said a word. I know I'm giving up. I know I'm running away, but do I really have another choice? What tells me I'll be free after I find everybody? I know this plan is crazy, but it's the only thing that's keeping me going right now.

"If this doesn't work," said Moth. "What will you do?"

"It has to work," I say. "It has to."

Moth sighed. "If everyone is willing to try, I think we actually have a chance, but the consequences might be... high."

"I don't care." I say.

"Well, you heard her," said August. "Guess we're killing her."