InsaniKey

With an air of insanity, overconfidence and the desperate will to escape this nightmare, all five of us remained next to the burning hole in the giant clear wall.

Ashley worked on the fire and deconstruction part.

Jake constantly calculated the best time, angle and method to successfully guide his makeshift tunnel through the wall.

Jinxx, Andy and I pushed all of our body weight against wooden boards attached to the sharp sheet metal edge of the tunnel. Things were working well, too well.

Everybody howled triumphantly into the air as the smoke suddenly began to clear out of the other side of the wall, we were moments away from freedom but severely low on oxygen.

I watched Andy fall to his knees, resting his hands on his thighs and gasping for air.

Ashley stood, blowtorch in hand, staring at a metal rod as it slowly melted down the wall toward the metal tunnel.

Jinxx stared at the hotel in horror.

Jake had been watching me closely. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” He nodded.

“I’m not going through first this time.” Ashley said.

Andy laughed. “Neither is CC!” He pushed my shoulder and dropped to the ground, crawling through the tunnel.

Jinxx looked at me, confused. “I lost a bet last time.” I waved at the tunnel as though inviting him to go before me.

“You’re the one that wakes up and gets us going every time.” Jinxx said. “I think you should get the hell out of here or we’re all screwed.”

“GUYS!” Andy yelled through the tunnel. All of us crouched down to look at him. “Hurry the fuck up.” He grinned.

Jake and Jinxx made it through without problems as I waited with Ashley.

“You think there’s another way out of this?” He asked.

I looked up into his eyes. “Yeah.” I admitted. “There’s probably an easy way out.”

“At least this one worked.” He sighed, ducking down. “Come on.” He waved back to me as he went through the tunnel.

I stood looking at the hotel hesitantly. Did we really get to escape?

“HOLY FUCK CC!” Andy yelled.

I peered into the tunnel.

“DON’T MAKE ME GO BACK THERE!” He added, his voice echoing through the metal.
He remained crouched on the other end as I crawled through the tunnel, holding a hand out to me.

When I made it to the other side I saw Jake, Jinxx and Ashley sitting on the ground looking weak. Everything started to fade into blackness. “NO!” I heard myself screaming.

“Relax.” I felt my legs go weak, I started to fall. “I got you.” Andy said, his arms sliding up my rib cage and holding me up as I fell. “Your breathing has to adjust for a minute.”

I opened my eyes and saw his smiling face looking patiently at me. “You’re okay.” He reassured.

I sat down, still feeling faint and having to tell myself how and when to breathe. Inhale, chest expanding. Exhale, stomach tightening. Inhale….

“CC, whoa.” Andy said. His hand began to lightly tap on my cheek. “Stay with me man.”

I opened my eyes and looked at his face in confusion. “Andy?” I heard myself say.

My eyes forced closed. Everything started to go black.

No, don’t fall asleep again.

Fuck, don’t fall asleep.

“Watch him!” Ashley yelled.

One by one my senses began to change. I couldn’t feel Andy’s hands on my arms holding the muscle of my arms to keep me from falling over. I couldn’t feel my hands pressed on the cold pavement. My eyes wouldn’t open, all I could see was a bright yellow colour everywhere, then a bright white, then the stars in the blackened night sky above us. I lost all sense of where I was and what I was doing.

“CC!” Andy yelled, his voice fading as though he were a million miles away.

I focused on the stars in the sky, the cool night air. Time stopped mattering. I felt nothing.

Notes

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