Getting Back To You (Book 2 of Under The Floorboards)

Chapter 4: Mark

The sky is dark and calm, the stars twinkle above me. The cold winds are keeping me awake. I can't get myself to fall asleep, the snow bites at my skin. I finally force my eyes shut, only seconds from sleep when someone gasps. I jolt forward, sitting up as I scan the area in alarm. Chase is covered in sweat, his eyes bulge with confusion. "What? What is it?" I ask, scrambling over to him. Nothing ever happens anymore, especially nothing like this. I'm desperate for anything but the usual.

"They're coming. They're all coming," Chase blurts out, his throat is dry and croaky.

"Who?" I ask too loudly, reminding myself that everyone else is asleep.

"Nina, Kendall, Alaska, Damon, and Zane. They are getting closer, I can feel it," Chase pushes himself to his feet, laughing wickedly.

"Bro, shut up! You're talking like you're crazy, you're gonna wake everyone up," I yell-whisper to him.

"I'm not lying, you have to believe me. I can feel it, I can feel Nina getting closer. She's telling me she's coming," Chase's eyes flicker as he speaks, sending chills down my spine. He has gone mad.

"Okay, dude. Let's just take a break, let's just think about what you're saying just a little bit," I motion for him to sit down, carefully choosing my words.

"I'm not crazy. Nina and I, we have this connection thing. It's hard to explain, but it's not like telepathy or anything. It's like a sixth sense, we've always had it. It doesn't come in words, we can just feel each others presence. I know it sounds crazy, but I wouldn't make something like this up. Listen to me, Mark. I swear on my life that what I'm telling you is legit," Chase uses his fingers to trace an ex on his chest, "Cross my heart," He adds. I hesitate, debating if I should believe him or not. It seems crazy, impossible even, but I believe him. Something about the way he spoke, it gives me hope.

"I believe you," I stare at him blankly.

"Wait, what? You do?" Chase's jaw drops with surprise.

"Yep. I believe you. So what do we do?" I ask as calmly as possible, wrapping my brain around what's happening.

"We should leave soon. It's getting cold, we should find shelter. Once we find shelter, we can look for a way out of this piece of shit place. We can find them, there has to be a way to get back. We can't be just stuck here forever. Think about it, it's just too simple. The house has been playing games with us since the second we got here, this place has to be more complicated than just a separate dimension just for us to live our days until we die. No, it's more well thought-out than that. There's a way in and there's a way out. I think we can find a way out," Chase lowers his voice, shaking snowflakes from his blond hair. He still has a cut on his lip from his time in the house. We all have bruises and scars here and there, marks that just aren't healing as fast as the rest.  I can still feel a small gash on my cheekbone, the same as it was when I first got it. I don't even remember when it happened. When I died in the house, I forgot a lot of things. But I also remember other things in great detail, things I wish I could forget. I'm sure we all do.

"I think so too. I've been thinking of venturing into the woods more and more recently. I've been dreaming of the possibilities, even. I know there has to be a way out, we can't survive like this. Barely eating and drinking, without any shelter to shield us from the snow. If we don't act soon, we're going to die out here," I nod my head as I finish speaking, Lazaro sits up from his slumber.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you," Chase looks at him guiltily while Lazaro blinks tiresome.

"You're planning on trying to escape?" Lazaro speaks for the first time in months. Chase and I look at each other with surprise, a smile plasters  onto my face.

"You... you're finally talking?" I ask him, taken back by how familiar his voice is. It hasn't changed a bit.

"So what's the plan?" Lazaro avoids the question.

"You're in?" Chase asks in disbelief.

"Aren't we all? We all want the hell out of here, it's freezing and I miss home. I miss the rest of our friends, my family... my life. We all want out, we all want to survive," Lazaro shivers, swallowing hard. Goosebumps rise, the snow falls quicker.

"We leave tomorrow morning, then. As soon as everyone is awake. We don't have a second to waste," I decide aloud.

"Good," Chase grins eagerly.

Chase and Lazaro end up falling back asleep. But I just can't do it, I'm too ready to leave this place. I can already feel the warm air of my heated house, the fresh cinnamon scent coming from the kitchen while I imagine myself waking up. I'd walk downstairs from my bedroom, and there she is. There is Kendall, smirking as she hands me a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. My mouth waters as I imagine the sweet cinnamon and frosting. My stomach growls, pleading for food. My skin is reddened from the cold, taking me back to memories back at home. When it snowed in Pennsylvania, everyone wore large furry coats, snow boots, warm hats and gloves; things shielding them from the hard biting cold. We don't have that here, all we have are our tattered summer clothes we had worn to the house. To distract myself from the burning across my skin, I imagine sitting by a fireplace. I can feel the heat radiating from the flames onto me, causing the snow to melt away. I feel myself melting away with it while I drift to sleep.

The second time I wake up, the sun is shining. Clouds swiftly make their way across the sky, dropping calm and steady snowflakes onto the ground. I am thankful that the weather is nicer today, making things a lot easier than last night. Hazel and Ivy are already standing close together, conserving body heat. They are both humming along to a song I have never heard. Lazaro and Chase are picking the last of the apples and gently setting them into a makeshift basket Yvoni has created out of sticks and leaves. Yvoni sits in the snow, curled in a ball with her knees to her chest as her teeth chatter uncontrollably. Arizona is already on her way back with the last container we had from our backpacks we had brought to the house, filled with water from the stream. Thankfully, the stream hasn't turned to ice yet. Cole is pacing back and forth, shaking every time a calm breeze runs by.

After Lazaro, Chase, and I convinced everyone that we couldn't stay in the clearing any longer, we all came in for a huddle. Eventually it was decided that we'd set out west where the sun always went down. We begin our walk, grouping close together for warmth as we trudge our way through the two inches of snow.

Every step is harder than the last, my bones feel weak and tired from the lack of nutrients and warmth I need. Eventually, I go numb from the chilliness of the air. My whole body feels like I'm a walking fire, the cold is unbearable. The only thing that keeps us going is the little glimmer of hope on the horizon that maybe, just maybe... there is a way out of here, a chance to find our friends again. A chance to finally make it home, make it home alive. It feels so close, I can almost see it.