I Know What You're Afraid Of

Chapter 2

   The group of teens all shared the same confused look on their faces. Ricky was the first to move, leaving the kitchen and starting up the stairs. The rest followed close behind him. Marianne could feel her stomach flood with nerves as she came to a sudden stop on the stairs, surprising Miles who was walking up the steps behind her. "I don't like this. Why am we here? What game?" 

Miles studied her with a blank expression. The others had already made it all the way up the stairs and around the corner. "Would you rather we wait around until someone dies?" Marianne's eyes widened at the thought of someone dying. This was real and serious. She nodded and continued up the stairs, trying to remember a time when she apparently made a deal with the devil. 

    Something about Miles made her uncomfortable. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head as they turned the corner. He stopped close behind her, so close, he was practically breathing down her neck. Instead of asking him to back away – meaning she would have to face him again – she went to stand beside Syd who was closest to her. Syd didn't acknowledge her presence because she was too distracted by the line of doors in front of them.

    Each of the doors had, what Marianne assumed was their initials. S.N, B.L, R.B, G.P, M.F, M.F. Marianne glanced at Miles. He looked unfazed, maybe even less than that. His eyes were blank as he stared at the letters on one of the doors. That's why he made her so uncomfortable. He didn't show emotions, not even a smile when he had introduced himself, just a mischievous smirk. He was always blank.

   One by one, they entered their rooms, leaving Marianne and Miles alone in the hall. Marianne didn't know which was hers, but she didn't want to stand there alone with him any longer. So, she decided on the last room and walked in.    

 The room was a good size. The walls were all white, and the furniture and bedding were a light shade of grey. Next to the door was a vanity with a mirror and a few drawers. The bed was placed against the far wall, in the center of the room. On the other side of the room, was a beautiful bay window with white lace curtains. There was a bathroom on the wall to her left, next to the door, and a closet next to the bed.

   Curious, Marianne walked over to the closet, and pulled the white doors open. Inside, there was an empty rack of hangers, and a few shelves below it. Something caught her eye. On the top shelf, lay a black backpack with M.F stitched in white. Marianne reached for the bag and carefully took it down. It felt almost empty. She cautiously opened the first compartment and stuck her hand inside. She dug around until she felt something furry. The object began to crawl up her hand. She quickly pulled her hand out of the bag and found a giant, black spider sitting in her palm.

    This is not my room.