Master Of Time

The way the ropes bind their wrists and ankles is very different from mine .

I know of this when I tried to free Susan .

Even though I don"t like her very much, she did help me get out of my binding . And Mr . Maxwell always tells me to try and help those who has helped me because it is a nice thing to do .

Mr . Maxwell tells me a lot of things . He tends to talk a lot when he checks up on his daughter and me during his work breaks or when he is making us some snacks .

I like the food he made for me because it is very delicious .

Mr . Maxwell is lonely ever since his wife had died, I think . There are no pictures of his wife in his house, but I have seen him a lot at the cemetery, standing there in front of his wife"s gravestone and looking into the distance .

When Mr . Maxwell is there, visiting his wife with Antigone, he always mumbles something to himself and calling someone named Selene .

I don"t know who Selene is since I have never saw him with anyone else in the house . I don"t think he is talking to his wife since his wife"s name is Margaret Maxwell . I have never asked him who Selene is since I don"t want him to know that I have spied on him .

It is rude to spy on adults .

Mum tells me repeatedly when she is with one of my dad"s friends . Mum and dad"s friend keep making weird noises when they are in a room together . They also swear a lot when they are in there together, but I guess adults can swears and it is okay .

Mum also prays to Jesus and telling him that she is coming, I think . She screams her prayers repeatedly, so that is weird . But at least she is sorry for all the swearing she did from before . The man who is with her also shouts that he is coming near the end to G.o.d, usually after mum did .

I thought the man always initiate the prayers .

Dad always did when we have a meal together .

Mr . Maxwell laughs when I tell him about it since he promises not to tell anyone . I don"t want mummy to find out that I have tell another person since she is scary when she is mad .

It takes a lot of time and effort to remove Susan"s binding . My fingers are hurting now .

"Thanks… Step… Stephanie . "

Susan sniffles when she is free of her bindings . Her eyes are still red and watery . Her wrists and ankles are bruised since she has struggled a lot harder than I did when I was tied up . They look very painful .

Seeing Susan like that, I am unable to cry even though I am very afraid .

I help the other girls get out of their bindings as well after removing their gags and their blindfolds .

I don"t know why I want to save them . I think I feel sorry for them being tied up like that . Also, it is less fearful when we are all together .

"Hic… thank… hic… you… hic… Step… Susan…"

The other three girls thank when Susan and I are trying to free their bindings .

Susan manages to free Becky after I have freed Anna and Daisy . Both of our hands are now sc.r.a.pped and scratched as the result .

The rope is very tight .

Those bad men probably don"t want any of us to break free from our binding when they are gone .

Does that mean they will come back to check up on us again?

I hope they are gone forever . I don"t want them to come back and tie us all up again .

I still don"t know why my binding is different . Maybe one of the bad men tied me up wrong .

"What do we do now, Step?"

"Why did they take us?"

"Do you know where we are?"

The three girls ask me as if I am their leader .

I cast a glance at their actual leader, Becky .

Becky didn"t speak up . It is as if she didn"t even hear what the other girls are saying . She is still rubbing her bruised wrists and ankles while sobbing . Her binding is the tightest and hardest to remove as if those men intentionally wishes to hurt her .

I think Becky deserves it .

Just because her dad is the Principle, she thinks she can get away with anything . I don"t know why she bullies me so much . I didn"t do anything to her .

"I don"t know, but I think those bad men are gone . I think we should try to run away before they come back . "

I answer and slowly approach the door only door in the room again .

I slowly open the door and look out into the hallway .

The hallway is very dark and chilly . I can hear faint whispering sounds echoing in the darkness . Those sounds are like someone groaning and moaning, and it is very scary .

I quickly close the door again and look at the other four girls .

They have also heard the ghostly noises, and they are as terrified as I am .

Anna starting to cry again while the others are sniffling, on the verge of tears .

I rub my eyes, finding myself crying .

"I will go and check . You stay here . "

I speak up after I stop crying .

If we stayed here, the bad men will come back eventually and tie us up again before someone come to save us . I think one of us must head out and try to call for help .

I don"t want to go by myself, but I think I am the odd one out since those four girls are friends .

"Wait, Stephanie, I"m going with you . "

Susan calls out .

"Are you crazy, Susan? There are ghosts out there! They will find you . It is safer here, waiting for my dad . He will come and save me . I know he will . "

Becky is the one who has said that .

Daisy agrees with her like she always does .

Anna is still crying, so I don"t think she will have any opinion .

After some more arguments back and forth, Susan shakes her head and grabs my hand to make her stance . Her hand feels very warm .

"I think I"m safer with Stephanie . If it wasn"t for her, we would all still be tied up . Please come with us, Daisy . Anna can stay here with Becky because her crying will get us caught . "

Daisy is unsure whether she should .

"No, I don"t want to stay here with Becky . She will yell at me . Please don"t leave me here . Let me come with you . I won"t cry anymore . I promise . "

Anna calls out in between her sobbing and sniffling . She tries to hold in her tears and snorts .

Daisy soon embraces Anna and pats her on the head, helping her towards the door to join us . It seems like Daisy has made her mind . She and Anna has always been friends . They are next door neighbours .

Becky pouts as she finds herself alone when we all head out of the door .

"Hey! Wait, I was joking . Please let me come . I don"t want to be here alone . "

Becky shouts and chases after us . We welcome her to join since it is better if we are all together .

The coldness from the hallway causes us all to s.h.i.+ver fearfully . For a moment, I want to run back inside the room and lock the door and stay put, but the warmness wrap around my hand stops me .

Susan smiles at me and tugs my hand to urge me to continue . She seems to trust in me .

I think I have finally made a friend .

I examine the green door that leads us to our room, noticing a huge triple scratch marks at the bottom of the door before heading off .

The five of us navigate the darkness in a straight line, holding hands .

I am in the lead then Susan then Anna then Daisy .

Beck is at the back, still pouting . She reluctantly holds hand with Daisy since she doesn"t want to get lost in the darkness .

It is not completely pitch black as there some light coming from the signs and symbols . I think they are painted with glow-in-the-dark paints . They help us see where we are going .

The howling sounds eventually go away, but the silence is even more scary .

Only our footsteps against cobblestone echo in the empty hallway .

I think we have pa.s.sed several rooms, but we didn"t open the door to look inside .

We just keep following the hallway .

I think if we keep walking, we will find the exit soon . We are walking in a straight line after all .

A plopping sound is then heard, accompanying our footsteps before Anna slips .

Anna screams and drags Susan as well as Daisy to the floor with her .

I manage to hold myself up despite Susan is trying to pull me down with her .

Becky has let go of Daisy then moment Anna slips, so she is completely fine .

"What happen?"

"Anna!?"

"Something is wet…"

Susan calls out as she looks at her hands .

In the faint glow of the corridor, we could see her arms and legs are coated with some red and sticky .

Anna is completely drenched .

"B…b…lo…od!"

Anna screams loudly before Daisy covers her mouth, trying to tell her to be quiet .

We don"t want anyone or anything to heard us .

The b.l.o.o.d.y liquid is oozing out of the small gap between the green door in front of us and the floor .

There is even a huge triple scratch marks on the door at the bottom, but it couldn"t be our room since we have walking for so long .

Becky immediately backs away from the door as it slowly opened inwardly .

Inside, we could see… we could see…

Susan, Daisy, Anna and Becky all screams at the dismembered bodies covered in blood, scattered on the floor .

I try to tell them to calm down, but my mouth won"t stop screaming .

Becky pushes me out of the way and run off into the darkness . Daisy follows Becky while Anna is crying loudly on the floor, covered in blood .

Susan is covering head and eyes, humming to herself .

I did as well, not wanting to see anymore .

Mummy! Daddy!

I"m scared! I"m scared!

Please come!

Mr . Maxwell! What do I do? Please tell me!

Tears ran down my face as my body trembles out of control .

I didn"t how long I remain like that until Becky trips over Anna and slid across the floor, covering herself in blood .

"Anna!? How did you get here?"

Becky has been running too fast, not watching her footsteps .

Daisy slows down and looks confused .

I am as well .

Didn"t Becky and Daisy run off ahead? Why are they coming from behind us?