I stepped back almost scared,
"Who are you?"
"Come child. Come sit." The lady motioned to the rug in front of her.
She seemed the refuse to answer.
"Who are you?" I asked again, wanting a answer.
"That is nothing you need to worry about dear. Come sit and have a cookie."
I was about to protest when the smell of the chocolate chips traced up to my nose.
"Okay." Without thinking I walked up so that I was in front of the lady and sat down.
She held out the plate of cookies and I took one. It smelled so good! I bit into it and the lady smiled, "Goodnight my child."
"Goodnight?" I repeated but drifted off to sleep.
I woke up in a little kid's room. Where was I? I pushed away the covers and stared out the little window. It looked out into a black void.
"Hello?" I called out.
There was no door in sight and worry creased me. I was trapped. Again. Why did I listen to that stupid lady with her stupidly awesome cookies?! I looked around for another window. There wasn't anything. I checked my belt. Did I still have my stuff?! With a sigh of relief I felt my bundle and . . . I paused, my dagger was gone! I hoped the others were doing okay . . . wait. My ear cuff! I pressed my finger to it and it did the little buzz.
"Hello?" I said.
Silence. Was it not working?
I waited a moment longer, "Is anyone there?"
"Thomas?" A crackly voice on the other end answered.
"Yes! Yes it's me!" I cried out happily.
"Oh thank God you're okay!" It was Elijah.
"Same with you! Where are you?"
"I'm in the hallway." Elijah paused, "When you left and your door went away a new one came. Liam raced through it but it wasn't the same one. It slammed shut behind him. Same with Mason. I haven't dared open the next door."
"Did you see where theirs led to?"
"Um . . . Liam's looked like it was on a beach and Mason's was on . . . a sort of candyland? I'm not totally sure. I've tried to contact them, but it hasn't worked. Where are you?"
"Honestly? I have no clue." I glanced around, "I was in a snowy pine forest, then I went through a door to a old lady's house and she gave me a cookie that knocked me out. Then I woke up in a little kid's room. Which is where I am now. There is a window but it leads out to a void."
"Is there a door?" Elijah asked.
"Nope. Also, the lady took my dagger."
"Do you have everything else?"
"Yeah I think so." I opened the bundle and looked through.
Everything else was still there.
"Yep. I have everything."
"That's good . . ." A pause, "I don't know what to do."
"What's in your bundle?"
"Um . . . potions for healing, food, water, and pocket knife." I heard him sigh, "None of it is helpful when I'm alone though."
"Why don't you try going through the door?" I offered.
"What?! No! I don't even know what's past there!"
"Just open the door and look."
I heard shuffling, "Okay." Elijah said.
A creaking noise of a old door being opened filled my ears.
"Woah." Elijah said then he screamed.
A wooshing sound came and then my ear cuff buzzed in an annoying way.
"Elijah? Elijah?!" I called out but there was no answer.
He must have been sucked through. Now I couldn't contact anyone.
The kids room had a small bed, a bedside table, a dresser, a rug, and weird paintings of the same little girl. I sat on the bed, fiddling with the ear cuff. I couldn't tell if it just stopped working on my end or on Elijah's. I wonder if it fell when he was pushed through? I sighed and set the ear cuff down beside me. My eyes wandered to the bedside table. It had drawers. I opened it up and looked through. Little kid toys, random pieces of plastic, paintbrushes, paints, a cup. What was this stuff? And knitting needles. Knitting needles? Like the ones the lady was using? I pulled out the pieces of plastic, the paintbrushes and paint, the cup and the knitting needles. I didn't want the little kid toys. I put it all in my bundle. Soon I wouldn't be able to fit anymore in it.
I sat up when a door appeared next to the dresser. It opened and the old lady stepped through.
"Come along dear." She motioned for me to follow her.
I grabbed my ear cuff, put it back on and followed her.
The old lady was giving me the creeps. First she's all nice, then she gives me a cookie that knocks me out, then she traps me in a little kid's room with little kid toys that surrounded by a void, then she comes and gets me and expects me to TRUST her?! Well I wasn't falling for her trick this time. I would just have to play this game with her.
We walked down a hallway and into a kitchen. On the table was beautifully made chicken and a ceaser salad. Fizzing water was in cups. Wants me to be a little kid that can be pampered huh? Why don't I be a bad kid.
"Come sit and eat."
I followed her directions.
I used my hands to grab the salad. Ranch oozed between by fingers as I set it down on the plate. I grabbed at the chicken, getting ranch all over it.
"Oops. Sorry." I say in a sarcastic matter. I waited for her to yell at me but she just laughed.
"Oh not to worry!" She smiled, "I do quite like ranch on my chicken!" She carefully took some and put it on her plate.
I groaned in my mind but smiled on the outside. Why wasn't she getting mad?! I ate with my hand and took some of the water. I spit it out and dropped the glass,
"What is this?!" I gagged.
She looked startled but didn't get mad, "I'm so sorry! Do you not like it?" She cleaned up the mess.
I suddenly realized something. I was acting like a little kid trying to get my way. This is what she wanted.
"No. I'm sorry." I helped her clean up, "May I head to bed? I'm quite tired."
The lady nodded with happiness. I smiled and headed to the room. I sat on the bed. I really was tired. So tired. I wanted to sleep so badly. I laid down. Maybe if I just . . . Close my eyes for a bit. It'll be okay. Right?
