“I remember the second story being pretty high up,” said Bree. “And after everything else, I really don’t feel like breaking my ankle today.”
Neil shrugged. Glancing back down the stairwell, he said, “Well, there’s our other option.” The darkness seemed to swell near the bottom steps like black floodwater rising steadily.
“You’re right,” said Bree. “There’s no way —”
“Shh,” said Wesley. “Listen.”
Then Neil heard it too. From back toward the youth ward, sharp footsteps echoed toward them. Clip-clip-clip-clip-clip.
“Eric?” Wesley whispered.
“Eric’s wearing sneakers,” said Bree. “Isn’t he?”
“It’s gotta be somebody else,” said Neil. The legend said Nurse Janet’s heavy heels could be heard throughout Graylock Hall. And judging from the sound, she was getting closer.
THEY RAN, TRIPPING, COLLIDING WITH ONE ANOTHER. The hallway expanded, seemed to grow. They didn’t know where they were headed, but they didn’t care, as long as it was away from the sound of the approaching footsteps. Their own footfalls now bounced off the walls. The squeaking of their rubber soles on the cracked linoleum sounded like an old-fashioned drag race, cars skidding on a wet track. For a moment, Neil imagined that was exactly what they were doing — racing. And if they lost …
Ghosts can’t hurt you, he thought. But Neil’s bruised nose continued to throb. His lips still tasted of blood. What if Wesley hadn’t been here to open that door? Would Neil and Bree have spent the night here in Graylock Hall? How long would it have taken for someone to come looking for them and how much longer to find them in that obscure upstairs hallway?
Neil sprinted, pumping his arms faster, determined to reach the door that was just ahead, to slam it shut and barricade it from whatever was chasing them.
Bree and Wesley kept up. They all careened through the doorway and found themselves in what at first appeared to be a dead end. Another large room; high-beamed ceilings; an expansive, scratched-up wooden floor. A wide, stone mantel was set deep into the far wall. A fireplace blackened with soot opened like a howl beneath it. This room had once been used for entertaining — rotting leather couches and wide circular tables were pushed against the wall in front of a wall of built-in bookcases. An enormous Persian rug had been rolled up and shoved underneath the row of windows that looked out over the lake.
A loud ruckus erupted from a far corner of the room. Turning, the trio watched in horror as a massive black entity expanded, pulsating and shivery, all the way up to the ceiling.
Wesley screamed.
Moments later, he covered his mouth, attempting to contain his nervous laughter. It was only birds. Several large crows circled overhead, cawing, taunting them, before settling back down near the fireplace mantel.
A strong breeze came in through the cracked windows, where the birds had found entry. Below the windows, beside the carpet, the floor looked as though it was sagging.
Judging by the view of the pines outside, Neil imagined that the gymnasium might be directly below them now. He wiped the remaining blood from his face and stepped farther into the room to get a better look. If they’d entered the hospital just outside, they could easily find their way back to the small bridge and the chain-link fence. They’d only have to wait for Eric to —
Neil swayed forward as the floor dipped. He shouted. The wood gave way and sharp splinters gouged his shin. Panic. Pain. Bree and Wesley rushed forward, but he called out, “Stay back!” They obeyed. He breathed through the stabbing sensations that ran up and down his leg. “The entire floor could give out.”
“Then, you get away from there too!” Bree cried.
The floor began to creak. Neil imagined a wide wooden mouth opening up and swallowing him. It would be a long drop to the gymnasium floor below.
Neil carefully sat and pulled his leg from the sharp edges of the small hole. As soon as he’d gotten himself out, he plucked several long splinters from the raw wound. He tried to brush away some of the dust and dirt from his skin, but already the pain had begun to magnify. His skin had split deeply in several places. It was tender. Starting to swell and bead with blood. He felt hands on his shoulders. Looking up, he saw Bree. She slowly pulled him away from the weak patch of flooring.
“Are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” The room was spinning. Neil wanted to puke. But he also felt like laughing. Strange. He knew that nothing about this was funny. They’d made a huge mistake coming here. And the question now was: How would they get out?
The birds on the mantel mocked them. CAW. CAW. CAW. CAW.
“Oh, shut up,” said Wesley, throwing the birds a nasty look. “Can you walk, Neil?”
Neil struggled but managed to stand up. He groaned as the pain seemed to burst his leg into tiny pieces. “I don’t know,” he said, gasping. “I hope so.” Bree stood on one side of him and Wesley on the other. He put his arms around their shoulders. Together, they managed to move toward the possibility of safety near the bookcases.
“What now?” said Bree. “We’re going to have to go back to that staircase down the hallway, aren’t we?”
“What if Nurse Janet is out there waiting for us?” Wesley asked.
Footsteps echoed near the wall directly behind them. When they turned, one of the tall shelves seemed to shake back and forth. The three were all too surprised to move, to speak. The shelves crept forward, hinged on one side. It was a hidden door. A stone passage appeared. Inside, darkness wheezed at them.
But no … it was not a wheezing sound. Something walked. Shoes against stone. Coming toward them.
A HUMAN SHAPE MATERIALIZED. When it stumbled into the dimming light of the ballroom, it let out a choking sound, as if it hadn’t taken a breath in years. Seconds later, when their eyes adjusted and their brains caught up to their imaginations, Bree, Wesley, and Neil realized that this was no mysterious figure.
This was Wesley’s brother.
“Eric?” said Wesley. “What are you doing in there?”
Eric glanced up at the group. Taking in the scene of minor carnage — the blood now dripping down Neil’s leg, the hole in the middle of the floor, the crows tapping curious claws on the mantelpiece, and the looks of horror on the trio’s faces — Eric shook his head in astonishment. “Sheesh. I keep missing all the good stuff,” he said.
Bree scoffed. “Good stuff? Where have you been?”
He told them. Upstairs, he’d gone farther down the dark hallway, past room 13, twisting and turning through several wings of the hospital, as if in a daze, until he realized he was entirely lost. He’d ended up in an administrative office and stumbled across a dark crack in one of the stone walls. Upon examination, he discovered what appeared to be a clandestine and very dusty stairwell spiraling downward like a castle turret. At a certain point during his descent, he’d heard what sounded like familiar voices. He pushed his weight against a wooden panel and found his brother and his new friends staring at him.
“We need to go,” said Bree, barely able to look at him. “Now. Neil is seriously hurt.”
“Not seriously —” Neil started, but when she threw him a sharp look, he shut his mouth.