The Others

Chapter Nine

I turned right to the 'El Chico' restaurant next to me. I stopped at the door and read the sign 'Closed for maintenance,' the door had been boarded up but left ajar. I took a deep breath in and steadied myself before I pushed the door open. I wondered how Chuckie was keeping Yona contained in the room, but I knew I had no time to stop and think. Chuckie would be waiting for me. I had to hurry. I pushed the door open and was greeted by a dimly lit flickering light which hung from the ceiling.

"Hello?" I bellowed into the almost darkness, "Joan?"

No reply.

"Joan, if you can hear me speak. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help you," I tried once more, but still no response.

I wandered further into the room. The room was covered in white wallpaper that was ripping from all corners and graffiti covered the ceiling and the floor. I looked to my right to an adjoining room. In this room, there were tables and chairs with a big white sheet draped over them. It looked like a restaurant. I continued further into the room and saw a chandelier dangling from the ceiling with electrical wires hanging out. In the next adjoining room was a kitchen, with broken plates and bits of glass sprawled across the dirty floor. The floor itself was a grey carpet, with bits of black and white spotted around it. I heard a noise coming from further inside the kitchen. I carefully made my way around the bits of debris. The noise seemed to get louder the more further in I got. I noticed a dusty bit of carpet by the rusty fridge and as I walked toward it, the noise seemed to be unbearable. I knelt slowly and pushed the carpet aside revealing a small chamber secured tightly by rope.

"Joan?" I shouted untying the barrage of ropes.

"S..Savannah?" her voice crackled as she spoke.

"Don't worry Joan, I'll get you out of here, hold tight!" I bellowed as I unknotted the last of the rope.

I quickly pushed the door open and saw it was boarded up with planks of wood, with little gaps of space in between. In the centre of the planks there was a small electronic pin-pad.

That is when it hit me.

The note Chuckie had given me.

He knew about the others. The codes were on the back of the note he gave me. All I had to do was punch in one of the codes and I could save her.

"He...he..lp me Sav," her voice cracked.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm here now... everything is going to be fine," I said in my most comforting voice.

I could save her.

All I needed was the code.

"Almost there," I called out through one of the gaps.

I shuffled around my pocket trying to find the piece of paper Chuckie had given me earlier.

My pockets were empty.

I searched once more, ensuring I checked all my pockets, but still I couldn't find the note.

Fuck.

***

"Savannah, get me out of here please!" Joan was almost whimpering now.

I peered into one of the little gaps and saw her. She had auburn hair and her face was filled with cuts and bruises.

I sat with my head in my hands.

I couldn't tell her that I didn't have the code to get her out.

There was only one option.

I had to leave her and go find Chuckie.

"Savannah?" Joan spoke more softly.

"Joan, I gotta go. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can. Just hold tight," I spoke trying to hold back my tears.

"Wait! Savannah, wait! Come back please...please!," I heard Joan cry as I pushed the door close and placed the ropes loosely on top before placing the carpet back over.

Yona couldn't find out about me being here.

I ran as fast as I could out the dark door and closed it behind me.

I couldn't let anyone find her.

***

I reached back at Salsasita a few minutes later.

I took a deep breath before I opened the door.

I pushed the door handle cautious that Yona and Chuckie could still be in there. To my surprise, all the lights had been switched off, and I didn't hear any noise. I creeped in further and fumbled my way to the light switch which I had only admired from a distance for all those months. The room illuminated slowly, the lights dim.

No one was here.

I pulled out the note I did have in my pocket, reading over where Chuckie said he would be and I made my way to the front door, noticing the pin pad had been disabled. Just as I was about to leave, I turned around and took one final look around the now abandoned room and sighed.

I flicked the light switch and exited out the door.