Took the Dare

Chapter 3

Now am feeling awful. I am the reason that we are stuck, because of the sleepover at my house. I hate myself for this. Why couldn't I had been alone in my house.
There are no windows beside the main door to break and get out.
'Okay um no need to panic. We will search for something or even maybe someone who might help us to get out'.
'You think someone might be living in here', Jess's loud angry voice echoes.
'We have no other choice and our phones are back in the house. There's no network here anyway', he replies taking out his flashlight from the bag and Rohan does the same.
'Ughhhh', Jess groans.
Even though I know deep down nobody's gonna be here but Miles words do ease my annoyance. I mean obviously we can't get out if we stood here wondering.
'Yup let's just stay together and investigate the mystery behind this freaking Mansion', I try to lighten the mood by doing a little mimicking at the end. Everybody nods.
'Hope the mystery isn't too mysterious though', Jess adds.
I look around...like really look around and grasp every little details around us, like if anybody has been here it wouldn't be this spooky and I gotta say the broad staircase in the middle of the hall takes a lot of attention because it is so strange and yet magnificent and they lead to the corridor on either side as we reach the top. The grotesque faces as a finial on the newel posts is so intriguing.
'Riley', Sarah yells as they enter the big library under the staircase, stretched horizontally. I go there as well.
Miles is lighting the candelabras that are attached high on every library stand with the lighter he got. I even put lighter in the bag, wow but good job!
And the library good god I could sit here all day and never get bored. There's plenty of genres here, fiction section is the most vast one at the higher shelf. Even though it's eerie am starting to like this place. The dim light radiating from the candles are so beautiful, without the flashlights it's mesmerising.
'It is so boring here that I won't need a ghost, to be found dead in the morning', Jess tells in a dreary voice.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head.
'Then I'll surely won't forget to lock you in here before going', this time Jess rolls her eyes hearing to Rohan's words.
'I'll remind you', Sarah rubs her hand on Rohan's lower back.
'And because of you all, this doesn't seem like we're on a lookout for a sign of ghostly behaviour in here', Miles states. We know it's true as we all laugh.
This isn't so bad I guess, we are together and we will find a way out definitely.
Suddenly we hear a loud noise from above us in one of the room and we all look at each other faces.
'Okay, guys I think it's better to split up and search. Let's get upstairs first', Miles says.
They all agree.
'We'll meet at the stairs later', Rohan says.
If we got separated won't it be a problem to find each other again. Why am I so pessimistic?
As we leave the library I look back at the lonely book under a glass dome in the middle of the table and something is carved on the book cover but I can't see it clear. So I went to see and it says HM, it's carved by hand I can say it by the way it's messy.
I turn around to call them but there's no one. Where are they?
'Heyyy! Where are you all hiding? It's not a good time to play you know', I scream hard. But no response. If I find out they were playing me I'd kill Sarah. Only she can be funny in these circumstances.
I look around for them and then something caught my eye. There was someone sitting on a chair covered in blanket in the corridor. My heart is thumping as I climb the stairs, hoping it would be Sarah or any one of my friends.
I don't whisper a thing, just try to remove the thin white blanket which isn't even dirty. Boom there's no one, not even a strand of hair. I feel like my heart's stopped beating, felt like there's no oxygen left. Am shivering, body's too cold to resist the wind blowing out of nowhere. I can't stand, not anymore. As am about to fall on the ground, I feel someone's hand sliding on my back holding me. He's calling my name and I want to respond so bad but can't, my mouth is too dry and my eyes are blurry. Am I dead? Oh shit!
His other hand is shaking my shoulder and my face. He lets me down slowly, opening something from his backpack. He calls my name again and I can see him clearly now, drenched in sweat and relieved as I blink my eyes and grab the bottle from his hand.
'Hey, it's okay. It's me Miles, drink some water'.
I nod as I open the water bottle and gulp the water. His voice was so soft, his hand is still behind my back. I feel so calm right now.
Miles is now looking at someone behind me.
'What are you guys doing?', It's Sarah.
'Miles are you and...', she was interrupted as I spit the water all over his face. My eyes go wide.
'Am so sorry', I try to look for my hanky in my fanny pack. I give a glare at Sarah as she laughs.
I give hanky to Miles, for a second he stares at me. Is he waiting for me to wipe his face. No way, I don't think he...
Interrupting my thoughts he takes the hanky and wipes his face.
'I guess we're even now', he says with a smirk.
No that's not even at all. This was my fault.
'Why do y'll leave me alone?', Jess appears from one of the room wiping her sweaty face. Why does everyone seem sweaty including me. Did they had a nightmare too? Was it a nightmare though?
'You all left me alone in the library and you're the one saying that Jess', I shout back.
'You weren't with us?', Rohan questions.
'No!'
'And Miles you said you'll come with me to search in that room but you did not', Jess points at the room she came from.
'Wow you guys forgot I existed', I don't even know what else to say.
'I thought you went with Miles and Jess. Since only three of us have flashlight', Sarah's twisted expression makes me believe her words.
Something isn't quite right. Are they hiding something from me? Miles didn't go with Jess.
'Are you guys hiding anything?'.
They all look at each other faces before shaking their heads. I would have believed but the terrified nervous look says otherwise. They ain't gonna confess until I do.
'Well......', I take a deep breath.
'I had a terrible experience or nightmare I don't know. I thought I saw someone but as I got close the person j...just vanished. I couldn't breathe, Miles saw me thank god.'
'So you guys don't have anything to say?', I change the attention away from me.
'No'
'Nope'
'Oh come on already, I know you got a shit experience to explain too', am beyond annoyed now. Am not even sure myself but...
'Miles why the hell did you leave me alone? I didn't even had a flashlight', Jess exclaims.
Before he can explain Jess starts again, 'And Sarah this is your fault', she grits through her teeth.
'It's not her fault, you both didn't even think about Riley. On the stairs we decided to separate in two groups, didn't we?', Rohan points towards me before turning to Jess.
'She came up with the dare'.
'But we all agreed Jess', I don't like that she's blaming Sarah. I know it was her idea first but we agreed too. It's not fair to blame everything on her. She didn't know it would end up like this. We just have to put the pieces of this puzzle together to get out of here. Is this even a puzzle?
Or even wait till morning for someone to come help, my subconscious tells me. That's frightening. We need to get out.
'Care to explain in detail', I cross my arms. And they all nod their heads.
We all were innocent, the only thing wrong was this Mansion. Right?