Emotional Killer

Hide and Seek

*Amber POV*

The new hotel made it very easy to hide. There were so many choices, I decided on a kitchen cabinet. I heave myself onto the counter and open the cabinet. It's full of seasonings and spices.

I move it all aside and slip in. Closing the door let the darkness swallow up the light. It reminds me of last night. I wonder why Momma didn't allow Leatherface to play. Was it because Brother and Leatherface's family got in a fight, maybe because I left?

My thoughts are interrupted by Brother calling my name, "Ambi Bambi, where are you? Come on, I promised Momma we wouldn't cause any trouble. She'll chew me out if anything happens." I can hear him shuffling around, searching for me. I barely stifle a giggle.

Brother had walked too slow. He told me that we were going to explore the new area. But he didn't tell it was going to be at a snail's pace! If he wanted to continue our adventure, he would have to find me.

A creak in the board told me he's near. "I know your here, Sweetheart. Come on out now, or the monster is gonna get you. I heard he's getting mighty hungry. It might just take a finger or two, maybe even some toes," Brother warned.

That trick wouldn't work twice. I'll show him who's the fiercest monster here! A slam echoes through the room. He opened a cabinet very close to me. A few more quiet ones follow. I hear him mumble something under his breath.

After a bit more noise from outside my cabinet, he seemingly shuffles away. I should wait a while longer. I don't know what foul tricks the Tickle Monster has up his sleeves.

Once I'm sure he left, I scurry out of the cabinet. Making sure I put the spices and seasonings back as best I can.

Running back to the lobby, I halt. Momma and the rest are probably still in there. And she tends to pick sides with the Tickle Monster. I will need to find another path to my dragon's skin.

I wander through the halls, until something peculiar catches my eye. It's a doll! I quickly run up to it and investigate further. It looks to be a boy, or well that's what I think it is. The head is all messed up. Like it's been destroyed and then put back together.

The owner of this doll must be a lifesaver! I must meet this talented person! That shall be my quest... or, well my side quest? I still need to get to my dragon's skin. Whichever I find first. Maybe they will help me vanquish the Tickle Monster!

Carefully, I pick up the doll off it's chair. I start to shuffle down the hall in search for it's owner.

A click resonates through the hall. I turn around just in time to meet a man's eyes. "What are you doing with him?!" the man growls at me. He walks to me, stiff and red surrounding him. I start to shuffle backwards, keeping a firm grasp on the doll. Terrified if I don't I'll drop it.

"I-I um, I'm looking for the owner of this doll," I stammer out. His anger didn't leave him, if anything, he got angrier. His walking got quicker, so did my breathing. The smoke went into my lungs. It's hard to see, so much red.

Coughing racks through my lungs, echoing into the hallway. I can' tell where I'm going. I'm scared. Ice straps to my body, I don't like it. It's suddenly really cold, I'm inhaling cold air. It stings my lungs, I feel light headed.

The grip on the doll doesn't feel like mine anymore. I feel something on my shoulders, something rough. The man emerges from the smoke with a frozen face. It doesn't shift, it doesn't match his anger. I only see his eyes move, darting around. One of his eyes are tinted red.

Feeling the doll tear from my grasp, I feel relieved. My hands shoot to my arms, hoping for some warmth. Their cold too. Everything feels cold.

I hit a wall and stumble to the ground. Sitting against the wall, I bring my knees to my chest. I look around. The red smoke clatters across the halls. It's getting faint, but it still leaves a red wisp. The man clings to the doll, like it will save him from the smoke.

His own coughs ring through the air. Ragged breathing and coughing fills the silence. The smoke filters away, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. It leaves us both. I just sat there, taking in clean air. The man just stood, towering over me. How did I make him angry? What did I do to upset him?

My limbs don't feel as cold, I don't feel them at all. The hall full of breathing, full of tense waiting. I don't want to talk, he'll get angry at me. He doesn't seem like a life saver to me, not anymore. Is he going to hurt me?

Something hits my knees. It's a little drop of water. I touch my face, its flushed in comparison to my hands. I savor the warmth of it. I feel the water cascade over my hands. Tears.

The room is no longer full of smoke, but wispy breath. White clouds enter the air and disappear within seconds. The man puts his hands on his arms too. The room is staying at a frosty temperature. After longs minutes the rooms temperature starts to rise.

I hear thumping from far away, getting closer and closer. The footsteps are quick, so is my heart beat. A fresh stream of tears slip down my face. The noise pounds itself into my head as I listen. Coldness seeps through my clothes again. I curl into a ball, wanting warmth and to hide.

The steps are so close, I feel the thump through the ground. Heavy and noisy, it's coming. I see the man moving in front of me, looking down the corridor. His emotionless face staring down whatever has entered the hall. He's crouching and it doesn't seem to be in a friendly manner. Shifting my head high enough, I see who's entered the fray. Leatherface.

The two of them held an empty stare, neither of them letting up. Eventually, Leatherface lets his gaze wander to me. Even though his face is behind a mask, I can tell his face contorts. He snaps his stare back to the man. Red smoke starts to spew out into the air, coming from nowhere. It's lurching body speeds down the hall to engulf us again.

"NO!" my scream is heard by both, as their heads jerk to face me. I don't want there to be smoke. I don't want there to be pain. I want to be back home, a quiet home. The smoke settles to the ground while turning a dull green.

They both are wary, but less fierce. Staring down each other and taking glances at me. I start sobbing. I want Big Brother and Momma. I feel vibrations through the floor. Glancing up I see Leatherface coming towards me, keeping his eyes on the man.

Bolting up I run towards him. I let myself slam into him and wrapping my arms around him. Clinging to him, I try to stop my crying. I feel his arms wrap around me, giving me a sense of comfort.