I'm so sorry it's been so long, I've just been having writer's block for this book, then I completely forgot about it and I've been busy with school, but I'm back! Anyway, enjoy!

~Jack

       "Mark?" I started running over to his unconscious form, but Ballora was faster. She danced fluidly over to him in a flash, spinning and twirling before grabbing Mark's arm and dragging him with her through the vent past the elevator doors. I chased after them yelling his name, but couldn't reach them before she closed the door in my face, nearly taking off my hand as I reached for Mark's, my fingers barely brushing against his. "COME BACK YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, beating my fists on the door before collapsing against it, too tired for tears, instead feeling a vast empty loneliness take hold. Blood dripped from my knuckles onto the floor, forming a small puddle of red around my hands. I was alone in this hell hole. I curled my knees closer to my chest while breathing heavily, trying to think of a way to open the door. My thoughts were interrupted when the male AI voice I heard before returned. "If you would like to exit, please press the bright red and obvious red button located by the keypad. But first, please input your name in the keypad beside you." A letter keypad extended out of the wall, the glowing green screen glitching wildly. As soon as I managed to press the letter J, the screen read error. "It seems you had some difficulty with the keypad. I see what you were trying to type and I will auto correct it for you. One moment....Welcome Eggs Benedict." The screen displayed the name, then folded back into the wall. I couldn't help but snort in amusement despite the circumstances as I pressed the red button, slightly irritated at myself for not pressing it sooner. The door slowly slid open with a high pitched squeak, revealing yellow tape that read "Danger", covering the vent that Ballora and Mark went through moments ago. I started crawling though the vent on my hands and knees, carefully moving the tape out of the way. "Motion detector triggered. Circus Gallery vent." A female AI voice stated. I sucked in a breath through gritted teeth and froze, my hands and knees aching as the blood to wounds from my knuckles finally slowed to a trickle. Nothing happened to my relief after a few tense moments of waiting. I winced as I hit my head yet again on the low metal ceiling, continuing my tedious crawl, unaware that I was near the end until I fell out of the vent with a sharp gasp of surprise, landing in a room dimly lit by emerald green lights. To my left was a mirror with a control panel close by that had two buttons. One was a sky blue with what looked like a snowflake, and the other was red with a lightning bolt. One the right was the same kind of mirror and control panel. Various odd looking masks hung on the dull metal gray walls. Farther ahead was another vent that led to who knows where. Wherever it led, I didn't trust it. However, since I couldn't see any other way to go, I begrudgingly crawled through the vent. When I emerged, the AI began speaking much to my annoyance. "Please stand by while I reboot the power system." With a boom, everything went dark, causing me to tense, eyes darting back and forth. "Why?" I whispered to myself. "Motion trigger, entry way vent....Funtime auditorium maintenance vent opened....Ballora gallery maintenance vent opened." The female AI listed. "I don't recognize you." There was another female voice, but she sounded...different. Almost not automated. "You are new." She observed. "I remember this...scenario." She continued. "However, it's a strange thing to want to do, to come here. I'm curious to what events would lead a person to want to spend their nights, in a place like this." She sounded bitter towards the end. "I don't." I mumbled quietly, although I knew she probably couldn't hear me. "There is a space under the desk. Someone before you crafted it into a hiding place, and it worked for him. I recommend that you hurry though. You will be safe there. Just try not to make eye contact. It will be over soon, they will lose interest." "Who?" I blurted sharply. As I expected, I got no reply. "There's a desk?" I examined my surroundings, seeing nothing that even remotely looked like a desk. Suddenly from behind, someone, or something, grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me off of my feet before I could even make a sound. When I looked around, I was surprised to see that I was under the desk, but what surprised me more was the familiar face I saw.