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I wasn’t sure what itto follow the direction ofto open with so me into certain death? Was the man in my dreaht quickly, this was a dreae

I sed hard and walked over to the door I listened I couldn’t hear a thing frorabbed the knob and tried to turn it

It wouldn’t turn It was stuck

I yanked on the door, panic rising fro, ht true I was locked inside So, had lockedon the door "Please, someone, anyone, let me out, please! Pleeeeeease!" I screaI could do

I screah it opened froainst it but I didn’t care I had to get out I put both hands on the knob and pulled untilon the hard floor A pain shot out fromturned black The light outside the door disappeared and the door outline faded into the abyss

The hairs on the back ofwas on the other side of the door waiting, listening

I lay on the floor watching breathlessly, id and braced for action

The door creaked open, slowly

At any ure appear in the doorway, make its way over to me, and smother me with its nebulous face

I waited The terror was indescribable

But nothing happened

I took a few seconds trying toup blank

And so, propelled more by instinct then consciousness, I leaped to o and took off like a shot

I ran through the door without casting a glance around me I ran down the stairs until I slipped on the turn and was launched against the slirossness I regained round floor

I wheeled towards the open door and burst through

BLAM!

I collided into soain

I let out a blood-curdling screaht have had an out-of-body experience at that moment I never knew I could screa back at oing to wait to find out

I scraoo underreached out and steadied me

"Perry!" I heard it say

How did it know my name? My head reeled, my heart pounded, and all instincts still told me to run for my life

I was about to when it shook me

"Perry! It’s me!"

Me? Dex?

No

In the light of the waning moon, Matt thrust his face in front of mine

"Holy fuck, you scared the hell out of

"Matt?" I asked incredulously "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What a here?"

"Matt?" I could hear Tony’s voice calling from upstairs "Is that her?"

I turned and saw Tony coe industrial-looking spotlight in the other He saw h of relief

"Perry, thank God, I almost called dad"

Matt put his hand onin here?"

I had a hard tihts and ave myself a moment

The twins stared at me, more curious than concerned

"What were you screa about?" Tony asked

"Did you leave this?" I noring Tony’s question

He nodded "Yeah I put it there so Tony could find his way back downstairs If he used that spotlight in here it would blind us all This thing is pretty intense"

"Huh," I mused, not sure what to ht was?"