chapter 13

~nolan~

       Every step I take is met with my heart beginning to beat at a faster speed. I hate being alone in a place I don't know, especially when I don't know how to get out of here. The lights are very dim, there are no doors, no windows, nothing that can lead me out of here.

       I tried using my cell phone to get a hold of Jerome, but there's no service down here. I didn't even care if he wouldn't have been able to tell me where he is. I just wanted to hear his voice.

       Not only is my heart beating very fast, I start to feel as if I can't breathe. I try my best to ignore it, to just find my way out of here or even find somewhere else, but I can't move anymore. I lean against the wall, trying to catch my breath. I can't.

       I slide down against the wall, pulling my knees up to my chest and resting my head on top of them. Part of me thinks I'm probably going to be stuck here forever. I can't go on my own. I can barely breathe. I don't want to be here.

       I don't know how long I sit like this panicking, but I soon hear footsteps coming close to me. I can't even lift my head to see who it is. I try to, but I can't. 

       "Nolan?" I hear Reno say, now crouching down beside me. "Are you okay?"

       I shake my head. Reno must have figured out that it's a panic attack I'm having because he's able to help me through it. He knows exactly what to say to help calm me down, almost as if he's had his own experiences with it.

       When I feel like I can finally breathe again, I lift my head off of my knees and take a deep breath. I rest the back of my head on the wall behind me, trying to get my breathing steady again. Once I do, I say, "Thanks," as I wipe away the tears that formed around my eyes.

       "It's no problem," Reno says, sitting down beside me. "I've been there before."

       "That's why you knew how to calm me down," I say.

       Reno nods. "Believe me, I've come close to having one too. I guess it helped finally finding another person. I just didn't want to be alone anymore." He sighs heavily. "Seriously, what is up with this place? How can everyone else just disappear and we end up at a different place in the passageway?"

       "How can we not be able to get out of Hayside, even by walking out."

       "Fair point. You think you're okay to walk again?"

       "Yeah." I stand up, so Reno does as well. I don't remember the direction I was walking in earlier before my panic attack struck, so I just let Reno choose the way for us to go.

       Despite me not knowing Reno all too well since we only met two days ago, I feel a bit more comfortable being in this passageway. We've gotten along well, so that helps as well. Besides, I'd rather be with someone than to be on my own.

       We've been walking for a few minutes, but have yet to come across any sign of an exit. It's just a bunch of long hallways, turns, and then more hallways.

       Eventually, we come across a door. Reno and I look at each other. "You think it's an exit?"

       I shake my head. "Probably not. It just looks like it's a room or something. Should we go in?"

       "I mean, it could lead us out of here." Reno opens the, thankfully, unlocked door. It does lead to a room like I though; it seems like a study of some sort. Bookshelves are stacked with dusty books, a sign that no one has been in here for a while. A chair sits in the corner, nothing but a lamp being near it.

       The two of us decide to check out the room anyway despite there not really being any sign of an exit. Then again, there can be another hidden door like there was in the escape room.

       We look around, but don't really see anything that can lead us out of here. Then one thing catches my attention. A painting. At first, I thought that maybe, it could be hiding a button like one did in the escape room.

       Then I get a closer look at the painting.

       "Hey, Reno," I say. "Come look at this."

       Reno walks over and looks at the painting, but he doesn't seem to realize exactly why I find it intriguing. "A painting? I don't get it."

       "That's the exact same horse drawn carriage we saw moving through the streets the first night we were stuck here," I say. "The same horses, the same carriage, and the same footman."

       "How do you know it's the exact same?" Reno asks.

       "I have an eye for detail. And my parents own a vet clinic I help out in from time to time. I've come to be able to recognize subtle differences in animals. All of that is undoubtedly the same horse drawn carriage we saw."

       "You think this is the footman's study or something?"

       I take a closer look at the painting, more specifically at the footman. Then it hits me. "Wait. Jerome said the escape room worker looked familiar to him, but I thought he was joking since he says it about everyone. But take a closer look at the footman."

       Reno does and figures out what I'm getting at. "Holy shit. The footman looks the exact same as the worker."

       "S-So... The worker is either a descendant of the footman or..."

       "Or he's a ghost. We're standing in a ghost's study."

       "Yeah, we should probably leave the room."

       The two of us leave the study, closing the door behind us. We maybe could have searched it more, not for an exit but for answers this time, but I would rather not be in there just in case that worker or footman, whatever he is, comes inside.

       Because right now, I'm more confused and scared than ever.

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so i put the six of them in groups of two but right as i was writing nolan and reno leaving the study, i realized that reno's pov is next so we would just see this pair again lmao. i'm probably going to switch things up and give it to weisz so we'll see other groups (even though i love nolan and would solely write just about him if i could lol oops)