As I'm wrapping up Great Movie Adventure… I thought of this…

Hello, new multichip. O.o

A bit Alternate Universe, maybe.

Amanda

The footsteps faded down the hall.

"GO!" Finn whispered in my ear. We sprung out of the custodial closet, creeping as silent as we could down the hallway.

We held tight to the wall on our way, as it was too dark to see much. It was damp and moldy in the abandoned building, making it altogether more unpleasant. My stomach churned; from the smell? From the nerves? Or was I getting sick? I can't afford to be sick.

My hand brushed against something slimy on the wall- don't think about it- and I kept going. Just like Philby had said. After the third left, make a right. Keep going straight. Turn left again. There should be a door. A door. Picture the door, Amanda. Picture the door.

Can't screw up.

My breath became ragged; worried gasps for air. Finn merely shushed me. No 'its gonna be okay'. Nothing.

"Stop." Finn whispered, and I stopped moving, deadly silent. Shaking.

Life or death.

Don't blow this.

Please.

I heard nothing. The absence of footsteps left silence enough to hear the water dripping form the pipes. Louder. Every time.

Drip

Drip

DRIP.

DRIP!

I gasped, trying to focus on anything else. But the water droplets began to sound like a clock. A ticking clock. No time. Running out of time- faster! We need to go faster!

Calm down, Amanda.

I whimpered. Finn nudged me, and we kept on going. One more turn. Okay. Straight. On the left.

The door- the door- I feel it- the cool frame… this is it- this is the door. The right door.

"Manda. On the count of three."

I bit my lip. I was anxious.

Apparently, Finn was, too.

"Three!"

We burst through the doors, the dim light showing me two figures, sitting in chairs- yes, yes- we did it. I ran to the light-haired figure, slouched against the restraints of a chair they were tied to. The person's head hung down, their long, matted hair falling, covering their face. They sat, unmoving.

"Char." I whispered, with a small smile. I gently placed a hand on either side of her face, and picked her head up so she was looking at me. Or would be, had her eyes been open. My smile faded almost immediately. I looked her over; her face was covered in cuts and blood, bruises swelling it up to be almost unrecognizable. "Charlie." I tried again, but it came out as a croak.

I hastily started at the duct tape and zip-ties holding her arms down.

I heard a whimper, and looked up. She blinked-an action that looked absolutely agonizing-and looked up at me, tears in her eyes.

"M-Manda?" she whispered, groggily blinking.

"Hey, kid. Guess who came to get you." I laughed.

"Manda!" her eyes flooded with tears, and she cringed. "Y-You gotta get me out of here! Please- p-please, Manda, g-get me out!"

I felt like I was going to puke. She was terrified.

"Shh, Char. We're working on it; we're gonna get you out. Hey… deep breath..." I rubbed her arm as I went back to her restraints.

Faintly, I heard footsteps in the hall.

"Manda!" Finn whispered from behind me. He stood in front of a beat-up Maybeck.

"I know." I looked around. "Supply closet."

"Got it." Finn said, running to the closet. Maybeck cringed, putting his head back in defeat.

"Char, I'll be right back-"

"N-no! No, Manda, please- don't- please don't leave me- please, I- M-"

"Char, no one can know I'm here, okay?"

"Manda!" she whimpered.

"I'll be right back. I promise."

The footsteps were dangerously close, now.

I squeezed her hand and backed away, despite Charlie's blubbering, crying, nonsense, and slipped into the closet next to Finn.

Charlie had now started sobbing. I bit my lip.

"They must've done something terrible to them." Finn breathed in my ear.

I nodded, my vision blurring with tears.

The door clicked open.

"Shut up." A deep voice yelled at Charlie.

She immediately silenced her sobs down to whimpers.

"There are two intruders." The voice barked. "Who are they!"

My heart dropped into my stomach, and I froze.

"Intruders, Sir?" Maybeck croaked.

"Yes. You know them, don't you?"

"N-No, sir, I don't believe so, sir."

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of a fist hitting skin and bone rang through the air like a gunshot. Maybeck groaned.

"Nonsense! Lawrence Whitman and Amanda Lockhart! You know them!"

"I don't know anyone named Lawrence."

The man roared with rage.

"Then how about you, little girl!"

"I d-.. I dunno, sir."

A crash was heard, and Charlie's whimpers of pain grew louder. I buried my face in Finn's chest, and he hugged me tighter.

"Tell me!"

"I SWEAR! I SW-SWEAR! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOMEONE GETTING IN!"

There was a long pause.

"If we find out you're lying… There will be consequences."

The door slammed. We waited until the footsteps were inaudible for minutes- minutes that seemed like hours- before we finally opened the door.

"Finn! Amanda! Get us the hell out of here!" Maybeck's voice hissed, laced with pain.

Charlie's chair had been knocked over, and she lay sideways on the floor.

"Char-" I whispered, kneeling next to her. I cut the duct tape off and sawed through the zip-ties with a pocket knife. I then tossed it to Finn. "Come on- up you go."

I grabbed her under the armpits, dragging her to her feet. I pulled her into a hug once she was up, and she buried her face in my shoulder, sobbing and shaking.

"Manda…" she cried. She was hyperventilating and sputtering.

"Shh, Charlie, you have to be quiet."

She nodded, hiding her face in me. I hugged her, trying to get her to calm down.

"Get me out… Get me out, please, Manda." She whispered.

"Okay, Char."

Finn helped Maybeck up, pulling one of his arms around his shoulder to help him walk.

"Come on." Finn muttered, and I followed him out the door. I shut the door behind us, practically dragging Char with me down the dark hallway.

…

O.O

A NEW MULTICHAP.

WHOAH.

YEAH. THE IDEA HIT ME SUDDENLY.

REVIEW? What do you think?