Mezzanine

| 6 |

"Come on!" Lola shouted.

She pulled at my hand, and finally, my feet responded. We made our way up the last few steps in a blur. When we reached the mezzanine, I looked over my shoulder. The mass of figures drew closer. My heart raced.

"Don't look back!" She tugged again.

"What the fuck? What the fuck?" I yelled as I broke into a run along with her.

When we reached the door, I pulled it open, letting Lola go first.

The cult poured onto the grating behind us, feet thundering across the metal as they raced forward. Their leader stretched a hand towards me, and before I could get through the door, he grabbed me by the wrist.

"Get off!" I yelled. The thick, silvery ring he wore cut into my skin as his grip tightened. With my free hand, I clawed at his fingers, pressing my nails into his flesh. His grip loosened for a second, and I yanked free.

He stretched to grab me again, but I swatted his hand back. I leapt through the door and slammed it shut behind me. I felt the thump through the wall as he collided with it on the other side.

"Let's go!" Lola yelled as she rushed up the stairs. She reached the top and shone her phone light back at me. I squinted when it hit me directly in the eyes.

I took the steps two by two, reaching her just as the sound of the door opening at the bottom echoed through the tiny stairwell. Red light bled out from the pit as the cloaked figures came through.

Perhaps I can use both of you, the sinister thought barreled towards me. The leader's empty eyes caught mine, flashing like lightning in the beam from Lola's phone.

"It's stuck," Lola muttered as she pulled and twisted the handle of the door at the top of the stairs.

"Let me try." I put all of my weight into turning the knob, and it gave beneath me with a crack of rust breaking. "Shit, I think I broke it."

I didn't have any time to lose. I slammed my shoulder into the door. A shudder of pain ricocheted up my arm, but the door gave an inch. I pushed it open the rest of the way as a hand grazed the back of my arm. Fingers clawed at my skin.

"Get off!" I shoved the cloaked figure back. He fell a few steps down the stairs, but the mass of others caught him like a crowd catching a stage diver. They continued to crawl up the stairs.

"Let's go!" Lola yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me through the door.

I slammed it behind us, but it stopped, uneven and ajar, in the busted frame. My heart pounded against the back of my ribs. That wouldn't hold them for even a second. We had no time to lose.

Lola's phone illuminated the corridor around us as we ran. My feet skidded across the dusty floor, and with each step, pain flared through my shin where I'd sliced it open, but I ignored it. I didn't dare look back over my shoulder and see if the cult was drawing closer.

Finally, the beam lit up the front door of the factory. I pushed myself to a full sprint, nearly skidding into it when we reached it. After Lola shoved it open, I dove out behind her into the cold night air.

As we rushed away from the building, my head went light, and dark splotches spotted my vision. Like a distant siren wailing through a tunnel, the haunting voice of the girl I'd heard screaming echoed through my mind.

Come back. Please. Don't let him do this to me.

I held my breath, closing my eyes as the thoughts rushed over me.

I'm still here...

"Keep running!" Lola's voice tore me back to the frigid night as she darted across the tall, bramble filled grass and out to the street.