Whispers in the Dark

School's Out

Thinking quickly, Nikita started taking the sweatshirt off. She emptied the sleeves, then started to crouch down, letting the mummy help take the shirt off. She felt its fingers brush against her hair just as she went under, and the sweatshirt came off.

Not hesitating, she ran into the pool room, then started running around it, looking at the bottom. There was a steel box down there; She would have to get wet.

The mummy crashed into the room, releasing its horrible sound again, then started walking towards her.

It walked straight into the pool, then began thrashing.

That's when Nikita understood how the thing functioned. It was completely and utterly blind. It must've been relying on scent or hearing to make its way around.

Still, having to dive into the pool while the mummy was there was not going to be fun. The box was right next to it.

Nikita tested one of her theories by screaming.

The mummy did not react.

Scent it was.

Still, if that was the case, why didn't it find them earlier? The world they were in functioned similarly to the physical one; Kol's missing eye was proof of that. Then why did the thing stay on its course? It must've been able to smell them the entire time.

It really was like a video game. A sick, twisted, scary video game.

Nikita put her thumb into her mouth, then bit down hard. It hurt like a bitch, but she kept at it, trying to tear her hand away as her teeth sank in. Her hand hurt, and her finger hurt, and her jaw hurt. Still, she kept at it, and eventually, after much struggling, tore some of the skin off, and let blood flow. She was covered in sweat, both from the running and the adrenaline, and was just about done with this game. She approached the pool, then put her hand into it. Blood flowed more freely, and the mummy visibly reacted. It was down on the bottom of the pool, and began to walk toward her, smelling the blood. It was moving very, very slowly, the water getting in its way. When it got close, she pulled her hand out, then watched it brush its hands through the blood, its fingers poking out through the surface.

Nikita ran toward the other end of the pool, then jumped in and dived. The mummy turned around as she did, but the box was already in her hands. It was heavy, and she struggled to lift it. She got it up to her torso, then pushed upwards with all her might. The mummy got closer and closer.

She was gonna fail. The box was too heavy for her to swim, and she was too short to put it on the side of the pool. She was getting tired, and the mummy was getting closer. The undead, skeletal thing reached for her neck, and Nikita knew she was done for.

Then someone grabbed her hand and pulled hard. She was dragged out of the pool in one swift move, out of the mummy's reach.

Nikita began gasping, grateful for the oxygen.

"You okay?" Luke asked. "I heard you scream, then ran here." He looked at the pool, and saw the mummy's fingers poking out. It wasn't getting out unless it learned to swim.

Nikita nodded, but she was far from okay. The two headed toward the yard together, deciding not to separate again. Luke tried to open the box as they walked, but it wouldn't budge.

"The key is probably with the bees."

Nikita was one with the game. She slammed the box on the ground, then approached the fire extinguished on one of the walls. She took it, walked over to the box, then started slamming down in it hard. Nothing happened during the first few hits, and she was growing frustrated.

She only stopped after Luke caught her. "Hey, hey. That's enough." He held her wrist with one hand, and took the extinguisher with the other. "You're alright. The thing's gone now. You're safe." Hollow words, and they both knew it.

Nikita sat down against a wall and began to cry. She was frustrated - more frustrated than she had ever been before. All of this happened because one nasty witch decided to move into town. Why her? Why her town? Why her life? Why her uncle?

She had managed to keep her emotions in check when she saw Oliver, but now it was all coming out. The dam was broken, and everything she'd been holding back was flowing out.

Luke took over for her, and began to try to open the box. He was at least five times stronger, and it showed. The box began to cave in. Los would no doubt have been capable of repairing it, but his attention was elsewhere. The world they were in was stuck the way it was by default, since its creator was paying no attention. Finally, the box broke, and Luke took the piece of paper inside of it, then read.

"The final trial; The final word.

They key is where you will be heard.

Find it and you win the game.

The keeper will no longer stay the same."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, they heard the mummy screech. Nikita began to panic, but Luke pulled her up, and they started running.

The door of the pool room slammed open, and they knew the thing was free. Luke hadn't figured the riddle out yet, but staying alive came first.

"The room with the mic you use for the intercom," Nikita practically mumbled. They had no idea where that was, and judging by the footsteps behind them, they might not have enough time to reach the blueprints.

Luckily, they ran across a corridor that seemed to be decorated better than the rest. It had a dark blue carpet, and there were potted plants along the walls. If an important room was anywhere, this was it. The two started opening the rooms one by one. Office after office, but no intercom room.

"Why don't any of them have labels!?" Luke yelled.

Then they heard the screech, and turned around.

The mummy was staring at them. It was a bit bigger than before, and had razor sharp claws this time. It took one step into the corridor, then another. The two hurried in their attempts, and kept opening door after door. Nikita finally found the room, then went inside.

"Get in here!" she screamed. "We can lock ourselves in!"

"It'll just break down the door!" Luke yelled back, then crouched down and grabbed a hold of the carpet. With one hard, quick move, he pulled it out from under the mummy's feet, and the skeleton was sent sprawling across the floor. Its left arm went flying from its body, and its knees bent at an unnatural angle. Luke thought that was in, but then the hand started crawling toward him.

"Fuck this." He ran into the room with Nikita, then slammed it shut. The two began to look around, but couldn't find the key anywhere. They pulled all the drawers open, emptying them of their contents, but it was nowhere to be found.

The hand pierced the door with its claws, then started tearing a hole open, making an entrance for itself.

Frustrated, Nikita grabbed the mic and yelled.

"Give us the damn key!"

That was it.

That was the answer.

The school vanished from sight, and the two were back at Half-Dead Wonderland, sweaty and tired and scared.

Nikita was holding the key. She looked at it, smiled, then passed out.