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"No?" he asked, sounding surprised

I looked behind at hi me "Are you serious? Of course, no"

The bea of his shoulders "It would be "

"This isn’t supposed to be entertaining," I said

Dex was silent for aat the foot of the staircase was not the place to have this conversation I couldn’t believe he was concerned with "

"It’s scary," I admitted

"It’s supposed to be scary That’s e are here For the show Remember?"

"Yeah, but you said ere meant to come here"

"Yes To film the show Get out of that little head of yours and think about the big picture here"

I glared at him in the dark "Well, I’m scared, OK?"

"So what? We need you to be scared"

So what? What did he ave him the stink eye and with as much bitterness as I could muster said, "Why do I have to be? How come you aren’t afraid?"

"Because I find life to be scarier than death," he replied matter-of-factly

And with that, I heard the sound of a door creaking open from the second floor

I froze and listened harder, heart pounding in my chest Dex remained still too, his breath sucked in

The sound continued a lot longer than seees with no door fra the staircase blindly

The creaking sound eventually ca more than ever to see if he held any fear in his eyes, but as usual, I only saw his light

I bit o upstairs as planned but I didn’t know if I could, especially now I stood staunchly, my face firm, and refused to htly so my foot had to land on the first step to stabilize myself I shook ed o to the second step

Again, the h o up the bell tohile an obsessed Jimmy Stewart forced my every step What would Dex do ere at the top? Would I fall out theto my death?

I was suddenly afraid Rather, I was suddenly afraid of Dex Earlier he see o up the staircase to the source of a sound that was obviously caused by so with us Soet the hell out of there But if I wanted to run, would he let me?

Maybe his handsoain, with ency this time, that I didn’t know Dex at all Beneath those deep eyes and high cheekbones he could be a complete psychopath Actually, I was sure he was at least a partial psychopath And an admitted liar to boot

Would he stop ht madly I had no doubt he would at least try I cursedthis irl he had just met I had always seen the uncertainty stretched beneath his hooded lids; I had chosen to ignore this

I guess while thinking this, I was staring hiht came off of my scrunched face and Dex reached out to put his hand on htly fros to be scared of and I knew at least one of them was able to hurt me

"Hey," he whispered "Come with me"

He squeezed pastHe aiht forith one hand and reached for h I felt no corasp this ti o li me to the top, step by step?

I followed reluctantly, not about to start dragging my feet The blackness and unknown nipped at my heels I needed to feel the lack of fear that Dex seeot to the second floor to find both doors closed From the sound we heard, and the fact we never heard a click of closure, I expected at least one of the doors to be wide open

This was better somehow Perhaps what I heard earlier was all in ed the sound tocrazy I kind of preferred that idea

We stood there as the light bounced between both of the doors I kneas expecting me to choose a room to enter I also kneould make that decision in the end

He aiet into last week I took the key out of ht and reveling in as known and real This simple key was of this world What it openedHe aiting I could be stubborn and refuse Fro for that

I stepped toward the door and quickly inserted the key and turned the lock I looked behind ain