The Protective Entity (A Buzzfeed Unsolved AU)

14 - Shane POV

The only sound I could hear was our shoes rubbing against the matted carpet. The blandly colored walls and cracked ceiling lights were the only thing I could see. It felt warmer, but I still had goosebumps running up my arms.
I looked upwards and noticed tiny specks of paint on the ceiling tiles. I looked at my feet and noticed the difference of color in each carpet fiber.
I counted each different color I spotted.
Yellow, brown, grey, lighter gray, brown, black... My mind went blank after a few minutes of that.
I slowed down my pace and sighed.
"If only there was a way to see where the actual hell we were going." I mumbled.
Sara turned around and walked backwards.
"Buck up, buttercup. I can't detect any energy right now. We're gonna be walking for a while. So get used to it." she said.
I huffed out of my nose and picked up my feet.
I crossed my arms and stayed a little distanced from Sara. When she's concentrating it's best not to get in her way.
Then, as we approached a certain point, we saw another opening that led to another hallway.
Sara walked in and tried to focus and find any pattern.
"Nope. This ones a dud." she said.
"Are you sure? We've avoided 4 halls. One of them has to guide us in the right direction." I replied.
"I am this close to slapping you." she said, "I'm damn sure."
I threw up my hands, "Geez, sorry. I'm just eager for a change of scenery."
"Well, belittling my power isn't gonna do it." she stated.
"I wasn't belittling you - come on, I would never..."
"I can't believe you would doubt me."
"No, I just..."
"If you think you could do better, give it a try."
"Come on now, I don't..."
Sara waved her hands as a way to cut me off. She inhaled through her nose and out her mouth.
"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry for getting worked up. I know you're tired. Just...trust me. Okay?" she said.
"I'm sorry too. I trust you, forever and always." I promised. I put my arm around her and gave her a reassuring hug.
She gasped and pulled out of the embrace.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked.
She didn't answer. She put her head down and cupped her hands together. I heard her whispering to herself.
I felt my chest turn tighter by the second. I gazed down the hall with caution.
One of the lights flickered. It started out periodic, then eventually turned into flat-out strobing. Then, a second light did the same thing, but with different timing.
More lights followed in a consecutive pace, and then I felt the room grow warmer.
I held onto Sara's arm.
"We gotta get out of here." I told her.
She wouldn't look at me. She continued to stare at the ground with her hands folded.
I took her by the shoulders, "Sara!" I shouted, "Snap out of it!"
Sara blinked and shoved me back. I slammed into the wall behind me.
"What the hell?" I groaned.
"S-Sorry! I thought...nevermind...w-w-we need to go!" she sputtered.
"I'm right behind you!" I said, ready to book it.
I felt the ground tilt underneath me, the lights flashing at the same time. The walls started to close in on us and the floor was pulled out from under us. I fell flat on my face and I watched Sara fall through the floor.
"Sara?!" I yelled, and before I knew it, I was falling, too.
I landed on my back on a hard linoleum floor.
I sat up and found myself in a large room, dimly lit with cracked fluorescent lights above me. The room was marked evenly with large pillars like a grid. The floor was decorated with neatly colored tiles.
My vision was blurred from hitting my head. I noticed my nose was bleeding a little. I sat up, trying to stay with it.
Sara was already up and walking around.