[Wordsmiff]

CHAPTER 63



The teenagers sat together in the underground bedroom, some naked, some fully clothed, listening to the frantic clawing and scratching sounds on the other side of the door. The killer dolls, as Mark had decided to call them, were not going to give up.

What are we going to do?” Becky asked as she held onto Jon’s hand, tightly.

“Maybe there’s another way out,” Ian offered.

“Look around you,” Mark said, “Do you see another door?”

Ian shook his head. “Not really, he said, “Just the door to the shower and the one to the wardrobe.”

“Well, then,” Mark said, “Shut up and just pray that those Killer Dolls don’t get in here.”

“We’re finished, anyway,” Tim said. “I mean, no food, we’ll become weak and die eventually. Man cannot live on sex alone.”

“I don’t know,” Luke said, gazing into Rosie’s eyes, “I’d like to give it a go.” He giggled.

He was the only one giggling.

“Let’s look at this logically,” Mark said, “There’s no electricity down here, right?”

“Yeah,” someone said. “So?”

“So where’s the light coming from?” Mark asked.

“I think we established that it was probably fluorescent minerals in the walls or something like that,” Luke said.

“Or possibly a species of fluorescent algae that grows down here,” Amy offered, “They produce light in a similar way to fireflies and glow-worms, I think.”

“Maybe, we could...” Kirsty was cut off mid-sentence.

“Be quiet, Kirst,” Tim said, “We’re trying to think.”

“Okay,” Mark said, “How come we can breathe so easily? Where’s the air coming from? I see no ventilation shafts.”

Everyone looked round the room.

Kirsty tried again. ”I was just saying that...”

“Quiet,” Mark said, “We need to work this out logically.”

“And the water in the shower,” Mark added, “How is it heated?”

“Geothermal energy,” Amy said, “From further underground, like those hot geysers in places like Iceland.”

Kirsty took a deep breath. “It’s just that...”

“Look, Kirst,” Melanie said, “I know you’re trying to be useful but just let us nerds think.”

Mark shook his head. “There must be a way out of here.”

“Did someone mention the wardrobe?” Kirsty said.

“Yes,” Luke said, “If you want clothes, take a look. There might be something to fit you.”

Kirsty stood up and walked over to the wardrobe.

“Right,” Mark said, “Now that she’s gone, maybe we can think of something.”

“Is there anything in here we can use to fight those killer dolls with?” Liam suggested.

“Or maybe we could rush them,” Nigel said.

“Guys,” Kirsty called out, “Hello?”

Becky looked round. “If there’s clothes in there, Kirst, can you sort something for me too? Thanks.”

“I think you ought to know that the code’s the same,” Kirsty said.

“Code?” Mark said, “What code?”

“The one for the keypad behind the wardrobe,” Kirsty said, “It’s still zero-zero-zero-zero.”

Everyone looked at Kirsty.

“Fuck me!” Tim exclaimed.

“No thanks, Tim,” Kirsty said.

Mark joined Kirsty at the wardrobe. The clothes had been pushed to the end of the rail and there was an open panel behind them.

“I used a coat hanger to wedge the panel open,” Kirsty said. “Oh, and if anyone does need clothes, there are some here but mostly men’s clothes.”

Mark turned to the others. “Everyone line up,” he said.

“I need size thirty-two waist,” Liam said.

“No,” Mark said, “We’re not dishing out clothes, we’re going to see where this leads to.”

Mark and Amy led the teenagers through the portal, one at a time.

On the other side was a huge chamber, empty apart from a large central slab. The slab had chains and leather straps secured to it at the corners and mid-way along each side.

Mark approached it and studied it. There was a pentagram etched at one end.

“What is it?” Tim called.

“Looks like some sort of an altar,” Mark said.

“Fit for a sacrifice,” Tim said, creeping up behind Mark.

Mark turned a looked at Rosie and Lucy. “Fit for a virgin sacrifice.”

“No probs, then,” Luke said, as he took Rosie’s hand. “Rosie and Lucy are no longer virgins.”

“No,” Mark said, “None of us are... but... who’s missing?”

“Just Megan,” Becky said.

“Is Megan a virgin?” Mark asked.

“No,” Tammy said, “Edward fucked her and me shortly after we arrived here.”

“Well,” Mark said, “I think he’ll find his virgins somewhere and, if he’s this organised, he’ll have another altar somewhere.”

Everyone looked at Mark.

“If we don’t get out of here soon, Edward will find his virgins and we won’t be able to save them.”

“He tricked us here using a fake text message from Melanie,” Katie said. “If he’s got Megan’s phone, then he can do the same again.”

Mark sighed. “This looks like a dead end, too,” he said, looking around the chamber. “We’re no better off.”

“Let’s go back into the comfortable bedroom,” Becky suggested.

Mark nodded. “I need to know everything there is to know about this Edward.”

As the group went back through the portal, the Killer Dolls were still scratching at the door and the sound was getting louder.


To be continued...