Escape the Night

Lost Motivation

Cristina's P.O.V

We were just sitting there when the body hit the floor. Kristen was the first to see it, as she was facing the big glass doors that lead to the patio, and the blood-curdling scream that she unleashed was only followed by more. My hands flew to my mouth whilst I tried to process what was happening, and cries of horror and shock arose around me.

A split-second later a large grey stone smashed into the concrete mere centimetres away from her with ground-shaking impact.

Once the group had finally calmed down enough for me to hear my own thoughts, Alex had started edging forward towards the handle. I stuck to Nathan as he followed the blond outside keeping a firm grip on his sleeve, able to feel the muscular arm hidden away. Briefly--very briefly--it made me feel a little better. Safer.

The night breeze nipped at my exposed face and arms as we stepped closer to our deceased teammate. Blood was beginning to pool under her head of dark locks, her equally dark eyes now zoned out and lifeless and her glasses cracked. I gagged at the gory sight and diverted my eyes elsewhere: first landing on the broken egg that lay at my feet and then to the large stone that had created a crater-like dent in the patio slabs. Directly above it, in the corner of the balcony the railings had crumbled away, with the majority of it now here with us.

From the other floor that jutted out from the building, Adi's agonised face stared down. It wasn't raining but, unless I'm mistaken, I could've sworn I felt a drop land lightly on my cheek.

*****

"It should've been me. I was the one who fucked up." We were all crowded around the latest survivor who now sat in the centre of a pearly white sofa. "I shouldn't be here."

I put my hand on his shoulder tentatively, unsure of what to say.

Instead I let the silence draw out longer, and longer, the ticking of the clock being the only source of noise aside from my heartbeat in my ears. What could he have done? I thought, a lump forming in my throat. In the end the only three people will walk out of here, so for now the rest of us will have to get used to the guilt of living whilst others do not. It's sad, but true.

Finally Azzy came forward with a note, the paper identical to those that had fallen from the lamp earlier. She held it out to Alex who shook his head slightly to her, and so she took it into her own hands. "A necessary sacrifice for freedom, but time for your...mourning is small," she read, pausing momentarily, glancing up towards Adi before continuing. "The next challenge awaits in the study..."

No one spoke until Liza sighed. "Where's the study, Azzy?"

"On the top floor."

The shortest member of the group padded out into the foyer, followed by Scott, Kristen, and after creaks from the stairs reached us, Adi, Alex and Nate too. I traversed as far as the double doors and then waited until I saw the guys' faces disappear from view. I turned.

"Azzy?" I said softly, and she looked at me, the fainted hint of fear behind her eyes. Try as I might, what I needed to say caught in my throat, and with no words I just held out my hand. She shifted forward and gently placed the paper there before retracting her hand and passed by to follow the rest. My eyes skimmed over to the word she hadn't recited.

Pathetic. 

*****

Scott's P.O.V

We waited at the top of the stairs, glancing around at the eerie, thin corridors that stretched away both left and right from us, as the maid and Nate's fiancée tagged onto the back of the group.