I opened the hallway, and glanced down towards the cafeteria, it was empty. Charles came forward, and slipped out, heading in the opposite direction. We passed the doorway, and I glanced back again, hoping luck would stay with us.

Charles seemed completely calm, and was taking steady strides. I, on the other hand, was almost a wreak. I couldn't handle the deaths of living people on my shoulders, but it was for living. I took shallow breaths as we continued down that hall, and then stopped at a door with no lock on it.

"This is the electrical room. I'll pull some cords, and you get the others." He seemed sure of his actions, and I nodded in agreement.

I watched him open the door, and he glanced back at me. "What are you standing there for? We need to leave as fast as we can. GO!" He said frustratingly.

I jumped to action, and hastily walked down the hallway to where Jackson, and Rose where at. I knocked on the door, and glanced down the hallway. It was clear, but I didn't want to be standing here in the open with a bag full of clothes. No noise came from inside, and I knocked once more.

Still nothing, and footsteps started to come from the hallway. I pulled out my keycard, and looked at the lock.

Please work.

I slid it into the reader, and waited for the light to blink red, or green. Finally, after a few seconds of worry, the light turned green, and I slid the door to the side. I turned around immediately, and closed it as soft as I could. I didn't know if they were Charles footsteps, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

Once the door closed completely I was enveloped by darkness, and a rank smell came from everywhere. It perforated my nostrils, and I brought my hand to my face. I gagged violently as I frantically felt for the light switch. The smell seemed to only get worse as I moved closer to the middle of the room.

The wall stopped, and I stopped moving as well. I felt the edge, and scooted back to find the door. The smooth metal surface greeted my hands, and I let out a small breath of relief that I quickly regretted. When I took a breath my body suddenly convulsed into a coughing fit, and I fell over something that went spinning off into the darkness. It smacked against something else, and I spread my arms out to feel my surroundings.

My fingertips found nothing, but when I reached above me I felt a sticky substance. I didn't know what it was, but was suddenly scared.

Don't be dead. Please don't be dead.

I held my breath as I stood up slowly, and reached back for the wall. I touched it, and felt the light switch underneath my fingers.

What luck...

The thought was dry in my head as I flipped it on. The overhead lights casted eerie glows as they slowly warmed up. Some of them sparked, and went out, completely useless. I saw that I was in the kitchen area, and acknowledged the  small waste basket laying next to the coach in the living room.

That's what I tripped over.

I glanced back at the floor, and found the floor covered with a red substance of some sort. I bent down, and touched it with my hand, it set off all sorts of alarms into head as I stood back up. I found Jackson in pajama bottoms standing overtop of me with the same trash can I had tripped over moments ago.

He lowered it when he saw it was me. "Ohh, Ethan. Why didn't you knock first?" He spoke slightly embarrassed.

"I did. Nice pajamas, but why the rainbows?" I said with amusement at his slight discomfort.

"They didn't have any others, and... wait, why are you here?" He tracked off before reminding myself what I was supposed to be doing.

"Oh yeah... we need to leave now. Charles is going to shut off the power soon, and we have a way out. Where's Rose?" I started to speak fast, and was soon short if breath.

"Well, there is her cooking disaster on the floor she hasn't cleaned up yet, and I'm not sure. Haven't seen her all day." He was confused at my sudden urge to leave.

"Jackson. We are leaving, now. I'm going with, or without you, and Rose. Please come on." I pleaded with him. I hated to do it, but I didn't want to be alone with Charles every day; things might get out of hand.

He seemed torn at the thought of leaving Rose. "Ethan, I'm not so sure.." the lights shut off, and the ventilation stopped blowing. Charles had cut the power. Jackson began again. "Fine, were going. I hope Rose will understand."

I sighed with relief, but realized again that we were in complete darkness. "Find the door, and pry it open with something."

I heard him start tapping the wall, and he quickly said. "Found it. I'll get it open real quick."

A few seconds went by in the utter darkness with only the grunts of his body breaking the silence every few moments. Again, the smell became even worse with the A.C. being shut off, and I was relieved when I heard the small grinding of joints, and then a sudden cry followed by a thud.

"You alright?" I whispered this into the darkness.

Shuffled noises filled my ears in the silent hallway. "Yeah... I'm fine."

I breathed a sigh of release, but then held my breath when a light turned on from ahead. It blinded us both, and I could finally make out Jackson in his full glory. Rainbow pajama's, slippers, and a white T-shirt.

I brought my hand up to my face, and blinked away the spots from my vision as the light approached us.

"There you guys are! I was waiting ages for you. Let's go. I grabbed Rose a little bit ago." Charles' voice came from behind the light, and I let out a laugh.

"God, you had me worried that you left us." I said this with regret.

Charles turned around, and I could make out his form. He ran down the hallway, and other voices were carrying throughout the area.

"Half of the guards were eating ok the Cafeteria. The other ones were somewhere else." He said loudly over the banging coming from the cafeteria door.

He came to the door, and knocked on it twice, waited, and then entered when Rose opened it up. I looked at her to see that she was dressed in Levi jeans, and a gray long sleeve shirt. I had never in my life seen someone wear a long sleeve shirt in Fall, especially a Kansan.

I passed by here, and saw out of my eye that Jackson was hugging her tightly. Rose had closed the door, and Charles wasn't stopping for any of us.

"Hey, love birds. The exits this way." I smiled as they were obviously embarrassed.

I followed the fleeting image of light up ahead, and soon heard the pounding feet of two others behind me. We came down stairs to the door, and Charles was standing next to it.

"I decided to wait for you guys. I didn't want to leave alone." He spoke it in general, but looked at me when he said it.

We all nodded, and Rose opened up the door for us. She was startled momentarily by the dead body, and jumped a little.

"Did you two do this?" She asked with worry.

"Yes, it's okay." Charles said.

"No. It's not okay." She said. "They'll know that we left this way."

I shrugged at her well put together statement.

"Where should we take him then?" I said.

"Just leave him there. We need to leave while the power is still out." Jackson finally spoke up in the argument.

"Okay. Okay. Let's just go then." Said Charles.

Jackson passed Rose who was standing next to the body. Charles walked by, and I waited for her to go. She was looking at the puddle of blood that she had stepped in.

"They will know we weren't taken." She whispered to me.

"I'll deal with it. Go on ahead. I'm right behind you." I said to reassure her.

She nodded, and stepped past the body, her black running shoes now accompanied with a red film of blood in the soles of the shoes.

I reached down, and grabbed the body, both arms were covered in blood, and his shirt was soaked. I grabbed the shirt to get a better grip, and tugged at his body, pulling him across the foot prints in the blood. I dragged him over to another corner, and then dropped him down.

I looked at the body, and noted how it seemed to twitch every few seconds.

It's dead. Your imagining it.

I stood up, and walked into the tunnel as the last light of the flashlight vanished, and ran to catch up to them. I found them at the edge of the tunnel glancing down at the grass.

"What are you waiting for? We need to leave." I was done with staying put.

"There's.... a. There's a trip wire about a hairs length in front of us. I didn't see it when we showed up before Ethan, I swear. R... Rose stepped on it, and she still is. It must be pressured on the release."

I glanced down at Rose's foot who was planted tightly into the tunnels floor, and had to bend down to see the wire.

"I felt it through the blood, it squeaked when I stepped on it. That's when I stopped walking. My shoe didn't squeak any other time." She was rambling off about stepping on it.

Tears slipped down her face as I glanced at her. Jackson was backing away slowly towards the exit, but Charles was blocking his departure.

We should have left sooner.

=======

Looks like things are taking a turn for the worse.

What will happen?!?

I don't even know, or do I? (Yes)

Enjoy, and find out what happens in the next chapter.