Dead Beat (❌)

Chapter Ten

Johnie

My entire body is drenched in cold sweat. My breath refuses to settle itself, wanting to only come out in short gasps as the fear shoots straight down into my bones.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell me that we're in so much more danger than I realized.

"J-John," I hear my brother stutter beside me as he grips my arm with a trembling hand.

"I-It's okay. It's okay!" I try to reassure him, but my tone isn't much better. "We don't know for sure if that came from this way. Sound echos!"

Alfie groans in discomfort, clearly telling me how much he believes that.

Contracting my fingers anxiously, we both remain frozen in the middle of the passageway. The tension in the air is so thick that I could probably slice it with a knife, a weapon I'd definitely like to have right now.

Trying not to hyperventilate, I peer over my shoulder back the way we came. Fortunately, nothing is looming there, but that fact doesn't give me much relief.

"D-Do we go back? There's more than one way," Alfie suggests, trying to pull me backwards, but I stiffen my stance.

"Fuck that shit!" I exclaim quietly. "I'd rather follow Screaming Nancy than play tag with Crazy Man!"

I can't see his expression in the darkness, but I take his silence as an agreement.

"Just...stay behind me," I pant softly, preparing myself to take the first step forward.

"You're doing that thing again!"

"Well, I don't see you taking initiative!" I huff back at him, starting to feel unwillingly irritated.

"Fine! Then how about this?!"

I feel Alfie's hand leave my arm and I try to reach out for him, but my fingers only grasp empty space.

"Alfie!"

"You go down this way and I'll double back. I'll show you that I don't have to be protected all the damn time!" he huffs, clearly annoyed with me.

"Don't be such an idiot! You're doing exactly what you don't do in horror movies, dude!" I call back at him, hearing his footsteps start to travel back the way we came.

"Real life ain't a movie, John!" he calls back, his voice farther away now.

"Why are you being so reckless?!" I shout desperately at him, my words seeming to bounce off the cement around me.

My chest swells with panic and I have the urge to sprint after him, but I know it'll only start an argument.

"Fuck!" I snarl to myself, turning on my heel to stomp further down the passageway.

I know I probably shouldn't be making so much noise and I know I probably shouldn't let Alfie trek back alone, but at this point it doesn't matter.

I'm the one who got us into this mess, I might as well try to clean it up. The least I can do is trust that my brother knows what he's doing.

Deciding to accept my twin's proposal and check this way out myself, I quiet my steps and walk until I start to see light at the end of the tunnel.