Elizabeth Flair: hidden
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“That’s our only exit!” Enoch yelled over the panicked teens.
I quickly stood up so I would not be stomped on. I spun in a small circle. It had been forever since I was down here.
I remember hiding in the boxes, playing Hide-and-seek, and when I used to bury myself in the corner, reading for hours.
Suddenly, a thought came to me. “That’s not our only exit!” I screamed so everyone could hear me. “There’s a crawl space over here that opens into a cellar-type thing. My grandfather loved those things, and my mom hadn’t had time to get rid of it since he died. The cellar opens into the backyard!” I was practically jumping as I shoved boxes out of my way to the farthest wall.
“Here!” Glenn was already one step ahead of me. He opened the small door. The wooden door only stood up to his waist and creaked as he opened it.
The small door frame acted as if it were a portal into a dark world.
Josiah stuck his hand through the small opening and slowly pulled it back out, his hand now covered in cobwebs. “Yup. That seems safe.” He wiped his hand on his jeans. “I’ll go first!” Josiah got down on his hands and knees and began crawling into the darkness.
“Keep going straight until you reach the small room, then push above your head to open the doors!” I threw instructions after him as he disappeared.
More teens dropped down and followed him into the cellar.
“Run to the cars!” Enoch commanded the teens as he kept looking behind him to the stairs, preparing to protect us if the Defendant found its way downstairs.
The teens funneled as fast as they could through the small tunnel.
I stood at the door counting people as they went through to confirm we were not diminishing in numbers.
Hunter hesitated, next in line.
We locked eye contact.
I knew he was remembering the same memory I was, but neither of us smiled.
Hunter dropped down behind Thomas, leaving just Enoch and me.
“Go!” He motioned for me to follow the others. “I will be the last one to leave.”
I nodded then got down on my hands and knees, feeling the jagged edge of the cold concrete.
Ducking my head, I began to make my way through the familiar tunnel.
My eyes were unable to adjust to the darkness because absolutely no light found its way into the tunnel.
Using only my touch, I continued through, feeling the loose dirt begin to cake up on my hands.
My shoulder scrapped against a protruding rock, causing my reflexes to throw my body against the other wall.
My hand caught something smooth lying on the ground. Unable to identify what it was, I slipped the small object into my pocket, thinking one of the teens may have dropped it.
I began to see a little more as I came out of the tunnel and into the cellar.
The doors were opened, allowing a small amount of moonlight in.
David and Jack remained in the cellar, lifting people up into the backyard.
The teens were helped out one by one as they disappeared from sight, running as fast as they could to the safety of the vehicles.
“Foot here. Hands on our shoulders.” David motioned for me as Enoch emerged from the tunnel, crowding the small room.
With the help of the two teenage boys, I was out of the cellar in seconds, taking off around the house to the driveway.
Coming around the side, I ducked below the window so the Defendant could not spot me.
Byrant remained at the window, trying to peer inside.
“Byrant! Move! Follow Enoch’s orders!” I pushed him slightly, whispering.
“‘Follow Enoch’s orders,’” he mocked me in a high-pitched voice. “Calm down. I only wanted to see it.”
He turned and ran after the other junior high boys. I chased after him, hearing the older three boys right behind me.
Noel motioned me to the farthest vehicle.
I ran as fast as I could, crossing the front yard faster than I had ever thought possible.
With everyone situated in their seats, we all turned around, encouraging the three older boys to run faster.
“Come on!” I whispered more to myself than anyone else.
“Defend!” The Defendant emerged from the house, chasing after the boys.
I could hear a girl scream from her car as the three split up to their respective vehicles.
Jack jumped into the passenger seat of my car as James started the engine and threw it into drive.
Enoch pulled out in front of us as David’s car followed right behind ours.
We pulled out of the driveway and flew down the street, leaving the Defendant in our wake.
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