Houses
I was sitting in the back of the car, my knees drawn up to my chest and my eyes glued to the window. The rain pattered rhythmically against the glass, creating a mesmerizing dance of droplets that distorted the trees outside. The road ahead was a blur of dirt and grass. The driver, a man named Jamie, occasionally glanced at me in the mirror.
The only other person in the car was Aaron. Neither of them spoke. Not even to each other. They were both wearing black suits. I was only wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. My hoodie was next to the bag I brought, which only had a blanket, pillow, and clothes inside.
We passed two houses, both red and cylinder-shaped. We weren't going there yet. We had to go to the grey house. It had five floors. Six if you counted the basement. It had a flat roof like the cylinder houses, but it was square instead of round. The grey house looked cold and uninviting, but I didn't know what to expect from the people inside.
The car pulled up to the house, and the engine cut off. The silence outside was eerie after the steady hum of the journey. Jamie and Aaron led me into the house. It wasn't like a normal house. It felt like some sort of cross between a school and a hotel. It felt cozy, but I had a weird feeling. They walked away and left me to explore.
The first floor had a giant living room with a TV on the wall that was bigger than any one I'd ever seen. The couch was huge and super comfy. There was a kitchen with fancy appliances I'd never seen before. It was like walking into a magazine photo. I couldn't believe people actually lived here.
There was a woman in the kitchen. She had short black hair and was also dressed in casual clothes. She looked surprised to see me but offered a small smile. "Hi, I'm Yvette. What's your name?" she asked.
"Ellie," I replied.
Her smile grew wider, "It's nice to meet you, Ellie. Are you exploring?"
I nodded, "Yeah, I just got here."
"Well, I won't keep you from it," she said. "Make yourself at home. There's snacks in the pantry if you're hungry."
I thanked her and continued up the stairs. The second floor had an arcade, a library, and a playroom with a ball pit, tubes, and other stuff. It was like a mini amusement park. I felt like I was in a dream. Or a trap. I couldn't decide which.
On the third floor, I found the bedrooms. They were all unique, like each one had been designed by a different person. One was full of plants and had a skylight, another was decorated with comic book characters, and one had a floor-to-ceiling aquarium with neon fish swimming around. It was like a hotel, but way cooler.
The fourth floor had more bedrooms just like the other ones. But the fifth floor was strange. It was like my school gym. There was a big, open space, some bleachers, and a ramp in the back. The ramp led to a little room with some rolled-up mats in it. They were taller than I was and almost reached to the ceiling. And there was a ton of them.
The fourth floor had a room with my name on it, so I went down there and looked around. It was painted a soft blue, and there was a big bed with a comfy-looking mattress. There was a desk and chair, a bookshelf with books that looked like they'd been picked just for me, and a TV on a stand. The door to the bathroom was open, and it was cleaner than any I'd ever seen. There weren't any windows, though. But it was fine. It wasn't like I was going anywhere.
I walked back to the second floor. There were six people in the playroom. Two women who looked like twins, another woman who looked a little older than them, two men who looked around the same age, and a man who looked around 28.
"Hey there!" said one of the twins. "I'm Selena and this is my twin sister Sierra." She pointed to the other girl.
The slightly older woman walked over to me with a smile. "I'm Gabrielle," she said. "Those two over there are Alex and Owen," She pointed to the older men. "And that's Sam!" She pointed to the younger man. They were all smiling except Sam, who was on his phone, sitting in a chair. He didn't even look up when they talked to him.
"What's with the fifth floor?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"It's just where we go sometimes," said Gabrielle. Her voice was light, but her eyes held a hint of something I couldn't quite place. "It's like our little gym. Nothing too fancy, just a space to get some exercise."
Selena and Sierra exchanged a look that was anything but casual. It was as if they were silently communicating something, their smiles frozen in place. They nodded almost imperceptibly before Selena spoke up. "You should totally check it out later," she said.
Sam put his phone down and stood up. "Who wants to play a game?" he said.
Gabrielle knelt down to my level. "He loves playing hide-and-seek," she said. "But if he finds you..." Her voice trailed off. It couldn't be that bad.
He was looking right at me now. "You can hide anywhere," he said with a wink. The others nodded eagerly, and suddenly, I felt like I was the only one who knew something was off. But the excitement in their eyes was contagious, and I couldn't help but agree to play.
Sam started counting. The others started running to their rooms, but I went to the fifth floor. The mats looked like a perfect hiding spot. I climbed up the ramp and arranged the mats around me. They were surprisingly light. The room was smaller than I thought.
When Sam reached fifty, the silence was shattered by his footsteps. He was heading straight for the gym. I held my breath as he flung open the door and his eyes scanned the space. The others had already been found and I heard their footsteps going down to the first floor. Sam looked behind him, told the girls he'd be downstairs in a little bit, and walked right towards the mat wall. It's like they knew he'd be gone for any amount of time.
My heart raced as he approached. I pushed the mats closer together, hoping he wouldn't see the tiny space between them. His eyes narrowed and he reached out to touch one of the mats. My heart raced as he slowly pushed it to one side. My chest tightened, and I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead.
He stepped into the space I was in. He found me. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to stay perfectly still. He stepped closer to me. "I found you," he said softly. He pushed the mats back in place, but he was still there, talking to me.
I stood there, watching him step closer and closer until he was almost touching me. I gripped the edges of my hoodie sleeves as he reached for my hand. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, just like me. The only differences were that his pants were darker and his hoodie was entirely black.
"You're the new one, right?" Sam said, his eyes searching mine.
"Yeah," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.
His hand was gripping mine harder now, and it felt like the rolled-up mats surrounding us were getting closer. "Good," he said, stepping closer.
His other hand was gripping my other hand now. I knew he wasn't pulling me out. He was keeping me in. I could feel his breath on my face. He was that close to me. But he wasn't talking. He was just looking at me, his eyes searching for something in mine. It felt like he was trying to read my soul.
I would have taken a step back, but I was right against the wall. Sam's hands were traveling up my arms to my shoulders now. It felt like he was trying to make sure I didn't escape. I didn't know why he was doing this. Maybe it was part of the game. But it didn't feel like a game anymore.
"The other ones never know how long I stay up here," he finally said. "So I can stay here for as long as I want."
Suddenly, a voice came from downstairs. "The cylinder house people are here!" It was Jamie, and his words sent a chill down my spine. Sam's grip on my shoulders tightened for a second before he let go and took a step back. The door to the gym room flew open, and Yvette's head peeked in. She looked surprised to see us, but she didn't say anything about the game. Instead, she said, "You should come downstairs, Ellie."
Her voice was firm, and there was something in her tone that told me not to argue. So, I followed her down the stairs, feeling Sam's eyes on my back the whole way. There were 2 cylinder houses, and each one had 3 residents. That meant there would be 6 people from those houses. Plus Jamie, Aaron, Yvette, and the others from the grey house. That was a lot of people.
When I reached the first floor, everyone was already in the living room. The two from the first cylinder house were Jacob and Zoe. They looked nervous. The third one was Umbra, and she looked bored. They were all a bit older than me, but not by much. Zoe and Umbra were in their early 20s, and Jacob was 35.
The second cylinder house residents were on the couch. They were Patricia, William, and Rachel. Patricia was 18, Rachel was 20, and William was 42. Patricia was sitting next to William, while Rachel was on the other side of the couch. They all had their heads down, avoiding eye contact. The atmosphere was tense, like everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Jacob looked up as I entered the room. "Hey, you're the new girl," he said, his voice a little too loud. Zoe nudged him, and he flushed, looking away.
"Hi," I mumbled, feeling all their eyes on me.
Yvette took my hand and led me to the couch. "Everyone, this is Ellie," she announced. "Ellie, this is everyone."
Jacob gave me a half-wave, while Zoe offered a tentative smile. Rachel's eyes darted to me before looking away again. William was playing with a piece of his shirt, and Patricia's eyes remained glued to the floor. It felt odd, but I thought nothing of it.
The room grew quieter as the door opened again, and two men in black suits similar to Jamie and Aaron's entered. They introduced themselves as Lucas and Liam, the drivers from Car 2. "We have some more people," said Lucas.
Two girls I didn't recognize walked in. The shorter one had blonde hair and blue eyes, and the taller one had dark red hair and dark green eyes. "Hi," said the taller one, waving shyly. "I'm Quinley, and this is Tera."
Tera was wearing a bright pink t-shirt and black leggings. Quinley was wearing a dark purple sweater and dark blue jeans. They both looked around the room, taking in the surroundings and the people.
Yvette sat next to me, her hand still in mine. "You're safe here," she whispered. But the way she said it, the tightness in her grip, made me feel anything but.
Lucas and Liam walked out and let the girls get to their rooms. Quinley gave me a small nod as they left, and I felt a bit better knowing I wasn't the only newcomer here. Yvette's grip on my hand didn't loosen until we were all sitting in the living room, the adults watching us like we were some sort of zoo exhibit.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"There is no plan," said William. "We're just here."
I thought just being here was alright. They had food, a place to sleep, and even a playroom. But something didn't sit right with me. I brushed it off, telling myself I was just overreacting. That maybe the excitement of the new place was playing tricks on me. The adults talked quietly among themselves, their conversations a low murmur in the background. It was like they were trying to keep secrets from us.
"So, what are the rules?" I asked, trying to break the uneasy silence that had descended upon us.
Jacob looked over from his spot by the window, his gaze lingering on me for a second too long. "Rules? There aren't really any rules," he said with a forced smile. "You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't leave the houses alone."
That felt alright. I guess it was true that the only real rule was not to go outside by ourselves. It was a big house, so there was plenty to do. But the way Jacob said it made me feel like there was something he wasn't telling me. I decided to explore more.
I went up to the fifth floor. The mats were still rolled up and standing in the gym. Just like they were in the game. Only this time, no one was hiding. The room was eerily quiet. The only sounds were my footsteps echoing in the emptiness. I walked around the floor, looking for something, anything that would explain what was going on here.
Suddenly, I heard footsteps. They were light, almost tiptoeing, and grew closer. I froze, my heart racing as I tried to think of where to hide. I slipped behind the mats and closed the space in front of me the exact moment Sam walked in. He looked around the room, his eyes searching the corners as if expecting someone to jump out at him. He was wearing a backpack this time. I started to wonder what was inside, but my thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of mats moving.
Panic shot through me. "Hey there," he said, his voice echoing through the empty space. "Thought I'd find you here."
"What's going on?" I whispered, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.
Sam stepped closer, a sly smile playing on his lips. "It's time for you to see the real game," he said, reaching out to grab my arm. His grip was firm, but not painful. He pulled me out from my hiding spot and led me back downstairs to the first floor. The others looked up at us, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.
"What's going on?" Jacob asked, his eyes narrowed.
Sam's smile didn't waver as he addressed the room. "Ellie's ready for the next round," he said, his tone casual yet filled with something darker beneath the surface. The tension grew as the others nodded, understanding something I didn't.
The people who drove me to this house stood up and led me to the car outside. It was still raining, but now the drops looked less like a dance and more like a curtain hiding the world. We were the only ones in the car. Aaron and Jamie didn't say a word as we drove away from the grey house.
"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice.
"The cylinder houses," said Jamie. His voice was flat, giving nothing away. I swallowed hard, my eyes darting to Aaron, but he was staring straight ahead, his jaw set.
As we pulled up to the houses, the rain had turned into a storm. I was led inside, where everyone was waiting. The air was thick with anticipation. They didn't seem surprised to see Sam with me. In fact, they looked relieved. The twins, Selena and Sierra, were whispering to each other, occasionally glancing my way. The adults, including Yvette, had an eerie calm about them.