✓ | OVERNIGHT ( ORIGINAL )

xv. thinking too much

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

[ xv. thinking too much ]

LAYLA STARTED TO bite her nails. A bad habit that she once started when she was young, but later quit because she made herself to. However, she started to bite them again just out of anxiousness. She began to pace back and forth, thinking of the worst. I could be ripped to shreds, Layla thought silently to herself. I could even be gutted.

     She thought about all of her friends dying. She thought about the slim possibility of making it out alive. She thought about the horrific dangers of the basement (since Harriet made it out to be the most dangerous place on Earth). The dirty-blonde couldn't stop panicking.

    She stopped and turned to the others, who were trying to distract themselves. "I'm going to kill myself," Layla said sternly as her small Adam's apple bobbed up and down. They all turned to her, completely dumbfounded.

     "Why?" Scout asked with attitude. He didn't know it, but Ingrid rolled her eyes at his response. Layla shifted her weight uncomfortably and folded her arms.

     "Because, let's face facts. We aren't gonna make it out," Layla explained as her voice broke at the end. She stared up at the ceiling, unable to see due to the darkness. "We've lost Briar a-and Deyvn. Delancy, Caroline, M-Maura . . ." The four all knew she was right, but they didn't want to admit it. They still wanted to believe they would make it out alive; they're close, after all. "And if we make it, we sure as hell won't be able to live with it," Layla cried, dropping her hands to her side.

     "We can't kill ourselves," Ingrid stayed sternly as she got up off the ground. Layla clenched her jaw and let out a sob.

     "I-I watched my best friend get murdered! She didn't even have . . ." She shook her hand. Layla reached up and started to pull at her hair, trying to make sure this wasn't some evil nightmare.

     But it was real, unfortunately.

     Liam looked away when Layla mentioned Maura. Truth be told, he didn't know how he would live his life normally knowing he was a killer. His life was "perfect". He was popular, he was a sports star (even if he hated it), he had wealth; everything. Instead, he was left doing what he hated, a father who pushed him too hard, popularity he didn't like, and a sexuality that was stuck in his closet.

     "I can't do it, I can't," Layla whispered as her tears kept rolling down her reddened cheeks.

     "We'll be in this together," Ingrid reminded genuinely, doing her best to convince the girl. Harriet remained silent, siding secretly with Layla.

     "What will happen when I'm on my own? When I'm trapped in my own mind?!" Layla asked loudly. Her hand pointing to her chest. "I'll keep living this day over and over till the day I die and I'm not strong enough to do that."

     "You're not gonna kill yourself," Scout responded as he got off the wall he was leaning against with. "You have us and we won't be going anywhere." Before Layla could get a chance to make a comment, a high-pitched scream was heard upstairs. They all flinched and their eyes darted to the rickety stairs.

     "What the fuck?!" Liam shouted as he stood up from off the ground.

     "Do you think it's Delancy?" Harriet asked as her hand wandered to her tape recorder that was still in her pocket.

"This isn't very sicko mode of her," Scout breathed out, instantly receiving a smack on the arm because of it. He rubbed his arm with his mouth opened wide out of shock.

"Shut up, Scout," Ingrid sneered under her breath.

"Should we go upstairs and check?" Layla questioned as she wiped her tears using her shirt.

"Look where it got us . . ." Harriet added hesitantly, her eyes wandering to the ground. Layla paused as she took a moment to think. Thinking of the possibility of finding Delancy. Also, thinking of the possibility of dying. Without any second thoughts, her feet carried her to the direction of the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Liam asked as he watched the figure of her body walk towards the stairs. She turned around and looked back at them.

"I'm going to find Delancy," she simply said before turning back around. Liam grabbed his phone out of his pocket and dialed Jonah's number.

"Layla." Layla turned around at the sound of her name coming from Harriet's lips. "Wait up," Harriet said as she walked towards the stairs.

"Guys', we're about to get out of here," Ingrid informed once again as she pointed in the direction of the basement door.

"We need to see if Delancy is alive so we don't leave her here," Layla fired back as she clutched onto the railing (well, the railing that was still intact). Ingrid's posture stiffened at the tone of her voice. Harriet took out her flashlight and shined it up the stairs.

"Let's get this over with," Harriet sighed as shivers were sent down her spine. Layla nodded ever so slightly as she walked up the stairs, disappearing out of the three's view.

"Hello?" Jonah asked as he held his phone close to his ear. "Is everything okay?"

"Remember when Maura kept repeating Delancy's name?" Liam questioned as he ran his fingers through his hair. Jonah licked his lips as he stared at his computer in front of him.

"Yeah," Jonah trembled, not wanting to remember.

"Does it mean she's actually dead?" Liam slowly asked, looking over at Scout and Ingrid (who were listening meticulously). Jonah stayed silent as he tried to figure out the answer. He didn't know, he didn't learn that part of the paranormal.

"I don't know," the Kelly boy breathed out from the other line. Liam groaned and shut his eyes.

"We heard a scream upstairs and Harriet and Layla are going to look and see if it's Delancy," Liam frantically explained as he rubbed his eyes.

"And what if it's not her?" Scout gasped softly, looking over at Ingrid with widened eyes. Ingrid swallowed the lump in her throat from the glare.

"I don't wanna think about it."

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THIS IS JUST A FILLER. HARRIET AND LAYLA ARE NOW OFF ON THEIR OWN SO >:) AND CALUM AND MELINA ARE STILL MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE BASEMENT DOOR. YALL AINT READY FOR THE ENDING ITS SO SKDJSKSKS THIS IS UNEDITED.