Jack In The Box

Riley

“Here are the rules of this game.” Ezra declared. “I’m going to let you run and hide. You can try and escape from the hospital if you want. If you get down to the ground floor and tell anyone, games over and Maddy’s throat will be cut.”

“No! Please!” I shrieked.

“If you manage to get out of the hospital, you win. If I find you, well, you loose. And you’ll do exactly as I tell you to. I think that’s fair game.”

“We can get you the help you need, Ezra.” I said. “Please don’t hurt anyone.”

“Run as fast as you can, Riley,” Ezra said. “I’ll give you a two minute head-start.”

He was standing in the passageway in a relaxed manner. The chain that he was restrained with earlier was dangling on the floor. Blood dripping down his arm. The lights above had almost gone out, leaving only a dim light on that left a silver shadow on his face.

It was a scary image.

I climbed to my feet and took off in the opposite direction I ran all the way to the end of the floor. The howls and cheers of the other patients rang as I jabbed the elevator buttons.

“Come on, come on!”

Deciding against taking the elevator, I pushed through the Emergency exit stairs.

I could hear Ezra calling out teasingly. “Three...two...one. Here I come!”

I heard the eerie sound of the chains dragging against the floor. Ezra surely didn’t know about the old abandoned wing that only staff used. I ran to the farthest end of the floor, entered a room and shut the door behind me.

I heard the sound of the chains dragging inside. Fear cut deep inside me like a sharp razor. I hadn’t experienced fear in such a way before.

Jack had never engraved fear inside me the way Ezra was doing. With Jack I knew what to expect, with Ezra I didn’t. I could die here and no one would find out until they saw me hanging somewhere like a piece of meat in a meat farm.

I shuddered at the thought. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to fight until I drew my last breath. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and pressed Aaron’s number. It rang for an eternity. I tried his phone a few more times but he didn’t answer. Next I called Agent Flint, and the call went straight to voice mail.

“This is Agent Flint Knight. Leave a message after the beep...”

“Agent Flint! Please help me...it’s Ezra. I...I think he’s going to kill me and frame Jackson for it. You’ve got to inform the authorities.” I said on the phone.

My hands were shaking as I called nine-one-one next but my phone ran out of battery. I could sit here in the abandoned wing for an eternity and wait until someone realizes I was missing and not answering my phone. The chances of Ezra finding me before the police or the hospital staff were higher. At this time, I could just be sitting ducks.

I opened the door and walked out into the darkness, feeling wary and anxious about ever shadow and sound. I walked into the main wing, heading straight to the administration office. There had to be at least one person working there. Before I could open the door, I saw a tall figure walk by. Ezra was prowling around on the same floor. I hid behind a wall and waited. When the sound of the chains vanished, I opened the door of the office and went inside.

sound of footsteps were closing in. I hid under the

you.” I heard him say. “It’s a promise. Cross my heart

I won’t hurt you.

on the wall as he prowled around the room far from my hidden space. He couldn’t see

to find the other kids. Grown ups even.” He chuckled softly, the same masculine voice with a boyish charm that I’d fallen in love with, but

emergency lights, pulling the room in pitch black darkness. He

smashed camera one, followed by camera two and three. “That should solve the problem,

I wondered what would happen if I were caught. A few minutes later, I heard the door open and close. I waited for a few seconds, listening to any other sound in the room but all I could hear were

was out of the room, I’d make a run

switched off. I’d seen a number of slasher movies, and had always laughed at the victims for being too gullible or stupid,

life was no better than

to walk quietly but the sounds of my canvas shoes echoed through the empty hallway. I heard soft footsteps behind me so

was spinning and a total blackout

everything started coming back to me in flashes. Me walking into Ezra’s room to give him food. Ezra getting

lungful of breath

don’t

snapped towards the man of the voice. “Did you drug me?”

doing this Ezra?!” I asked. “Do you understand that people are going to find me missing and they are going

I’d think it was genuine and

can you be so

He’d changed out of the patients outfit into a plain white t-shirt and

did he get those clothes

chair closer and sat on it. “I

not getting any information from me!” I

brother Jackson?” He

and that was the truth. The hell I knew where Jack went after he

a week; you surely know where he buried the victims or in another case, tossed the body parts in

told you. I don’t know! And Jack never killed anyone.” I said. “You did it and you’re

my brother is, I won’t hurt you and if you don’t tell me, well,

sighed. “If you take off the restraints,

our roles are reversed in a matter of a

these and I’ll tell you

away before my fist before it could connect to his face. I didn’t know how he saw it coming. He was smart to dodge it. “Don’t you go using old antiques

didn’t even try to stop me when I ran to the office door and opened it. I rubbed my wrist where I’d been restraint. Red welts were going to appear there. I’d