Chapter 56: Chapter 56

HIDE AWAY

Hide Away

Kitee, North Karelia, Finland

Flynn stepped into the house behind Annabel, not knowing what really to expect. Would Hunters emerge from all areas and kill them? He looked around. There were plenty of ways for Hunters to hide.

"Ze komt naar je ziel en je allemaal te doden," Annabel whispered. Her eyes were gazed over.

Tarja gave Annabel a look. "What?"

Annabel shook her head and her eyes returned to normal. "Huh?"

"You just something," Tarja said.

Annabel shrugged. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Tarja looked at Flynn, who shrugged. He really had no idea what was going on.

Floor stepped out of the front room. "I see you went hunting without me," she said to Tarja.

Tarja shrugged. "You were busy."

Flynn eyed Floor. Did the others know about her and Kaidan? He would say something to the others, but Floor kind of scared him.

Floor nodded toward the room. "He's in there." Tarja nodded. "What about Mikko?"

"He claims that he doesn't remember a thing," Floor said. "I don't really believe him, but it's up to you to decide."

Tarja nodded.

Floor eyed Flynn and Annabel. "Are you sure it's wise bringing them here?"

"We didn't have any other choice," Tarja snapped.

Floor nodded toward Tarja's gun. "Yes, you did." Flynn gulped.

Tarja's eyes narrowed. "That not how we do it. You know that."

Floor shrugged. "He ran away from you once, Tarja. Who says he's not going to do it again?"

Tarja looked at Flynn. "Because he hasn't done so yet."

Floor just smiled. "It's your death wish."

!

The door broke open, leaving Floor with no choice but to run. She kept her eyes trained on the creature, which seemed to be coming at her with everything it had, running and hissing.

"Go, go, go!" Floor screamed at Lydia.

Floor kept moving backwards, not even bothering to see where Lydia was. The creature was getting closer and she could have sworn that it actually seemed to be getting bigger. In the corner of her eye, she could see the Rogue actually creeping up on her, crouched down in a hunter's position.

Floor swore as she fired at the creature, which did not do one bit of good. It seemed to only make it angry.

Lydia dug her nails into Floor's back. "Floor-"

Floor fired again. "Not now."

"Floor-"

"In case you haven't realized, this is not the best time." Floor fired again. The bullets seemed to be bouncing off its armour. The only thing she could think was that maybe one of the bullets would actually hit the Rouge.

Lydia kept digging in her nails into Floor's back. "I really do think you want to see this."

"Fine!" Floor hissed as she turned. "What is so important!" She really didn't want to turn her back on the monsters; it went against everything she had ever been taught. You never turned your back on what you were hunting.

There seemed to be some kind of a hole in the ground…Wait…No, there was actually a hole in the ground. It seemed to be getting bigger with each passing second. What started out as something about the same size as a person.

Lydia smiled. "What do we have to lose?"

Floor turned back to the creature, which was even closer-almost so close that she could feel its hot breath. "Why not?" She fired one round.

Lydia darted down the tunnel, with Floor right on her heels. The steps creaked the moment they entered.

Floor looked up just in time to see the hole close around the creature, leaving it to scream and growl in complete disappointment. Gasping, she ran after Lydia down the steps. Who knew when that crazy thing was going to open again?

The air seemed to be cooler, but not unbearable. The chill seemed to be more focused along the edge of the tunnel.

Floor and Lydia fell in step next to each other, both of them keeping their eyes and ears open to anything strange.

"Where do you think this goes?" Lydia asked, her voice coming out somewhat shaky.

"I don't know. It does seem to be going upwards." Floor's gaze shifted to the front of them. "I just hope it doesn't double back around to where the creature and the Rogue are."

"I don't either." Lydia paused. "Do you feel some kind of a breeze?"

Floor stopped. Now that Lydia did mention it, there was a breeze and it seemed be driving them toward a general direction. "Should we keep following it?"

"Do we really have any other choice?"

Lydia was probably right on that one. They really didn't have a choice. Floor reloaded her gun as they started forward again.

There was for sure a breeze, pulling them. Whenever they came to a fork, the breeze pointed them down a certain route. So far they really hadn't seen anything of too great of a danger. The ground was getting pretty slick, but that was about it. They did run into a few places where it was kind of difficult to keep themselves upright.

"How much further?" Lydia asked, her voice almost coming out as a whine.

"I don't know." The air was colder. Floor's heavy coat really did not keep the cold out. "We surely must be getting close to the end."

Lydia bit her lip. "You would think we were." She looked nervously around as the wind urged them forward. "I don't know. Maybe we should just stop and think about it."

Floor sighed. "What is there to think about? If we go back, we will be killed or get lost in this maze." She really didn't mean to sound so hard, but it was the truth, even if Lydia didn't want to hear it.

"I know, I know," Lydia muttered as she kept looking around. "What do want me to do?"

Floor really didn't know what she wanted Lydia to do. "Let's just keep going and decide from there."

Lydia nodded. "Okay."

Floor took the lead. The breeze seemed to be turning more into a cool wind now. She pulled her clothes closer to her, but the wind just kept making them flap even more, making it next to impossible for her to keep them in place.

Ducking her head, she kept pushing forward; the wind was so powerful that it almost knocked her right off her feet. She could feel her entire body slowly growing numb. To turn back would be far worse than going forward; the wind seemed to be all that much more heavier from the behind. Each step was like lifting a ton of bricks up; each breath was so painful, but oh so relieving.

"Steps!" Lydia screamed, pointing forward.

Floor looked straight ahead and there did seem to be steps. They looked so old and so unused that Floor feared they would hold up. The wind pushed them toward the steps, leaving them really no other choice.

Floor mounted the bottom step. To her surprise, it didn't give. Now that she was actually on top of it, she could see that the steps were actually made of stone. They were cracked, but they actually seemed to be in pretty good shape. She looked behind her as Lydia was blown onto the steps.

"Well, this is nice," Lydia muttered.

The wind had died down the moment they stepped onto the steps. Floor stared up them as they started to climb. There seemed to be no end to them. Up and up they went, leaving the howling wind behind them.

Floor gasped as she nearly slid off the side of them. She had not noticed water and they didn't appear to be any coming from anywhere. She looked carefully down at the steps. There was actually a fine layer of ice on them, not a lot, but enough to make walking very difficult.

Lydia stopped a step or two behind Floor. "What?"

"Just be careful. There's some ice up here." Floor kept going, keeping on hand on the wall. If she was going to go down that would at least help keep her upwards.

"Okay," Lydia muttered behind her.

The steps were making a slow upwards increase. However, there still was no light or no end in sight. Sighing, Floor kept putting one foot in front of the other. This madness had to have an end. That was all there was to it. There just had to be a way out.

This was still better than being eaten alive by the creature.

The steps kept going up and up. It was getting to the point where Floor could actually feel the back of her legs start to burn. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt in so long and she didn't actually miss it.

Lydia was actually gasping for air. "How much further?"

Floor just shrugged. "I really don't know."

Lydia sighed. "I just hope it's pretty soon." She actually seemed to be pouting, which kind of made Floor was to laugh out laugh.

Floor kept going, sliding pretty close to the edge. She could actually feel her breath leave her airways, her heart was almost in her throat. The steps kept going up and up. It was getting to the point where Floor could actually feel the back of her legs start to burn. It was a feeling that she hadn't felt in so long and she didn't actually miss it.

Lydia was actually gasping for air. "How much further?"

Floor just shrugged. "I really don't know."

Lydia sighed. "I just hope it's pretty soon." She actually seemed to be pouting, which kind of made Floor was to laugh out laugh.

Floor kept going, sliding pretty close to the edge. She could actually feel her breath leave her airways, her heart was almost in her throat. "Well, that was close."

Lydia looked over at her. "What was close?"

Floor just smiled. "Let's just say I successfully avoided dying."

"Well, that's always a good thing."

They kept going, until Floor was sure that she could see something ahead of them. It was a soft glow, surrounded by a light humming sound. It almost sounded liked like a gentle motor or small watercraft. It really did seem to be calling to them, wanting them to come closer and enjoy its warmth.

Lydia grabbed onto Floor. "Should we follow it?" Her voice was nothing more than a whisper, so low that it almost blended into the humming.

Floor shook her off. "What choice do we really have?"

Lydia just shrugged.

Floor carefully approached the light. It did actually seem to be leading them outside. So close they were to finding a way out.

"It seems to be snowing," Floor said as she crept out through the opening. "I mean, it is really coming down."