Chapter 2: Maura
Maura''s eyes slowly opened; her tongue touched the roof of her mouth before repositioning itself in its rightful place. "Jane!"
Her voice came out raspy, deeper than normal, "Jane!" She found it unusually hard to keep her panic level at a reasonable state.
"Keep screaming like that and they'll come running over to you."
"Who is that?" Maura scooted until she found the hard wall behind her. It was cold on her skin, but it didn't matter. It felt comforting. "Who are you? Why are we here?"
"I don't know, I don't- You just need to stop talking."
Maura ran her hands along the wall behind her before standing and continuing her task. "Where's the light switch?"
"There is none."
"There's always one."
Her hand touched the plastic square and shakily lifted the small protuberance. The lights slowly flickered on. The woman standing behind her looked to be about 21 with black hair. She wore seeing glasses and her clothes were tattered. Maura looked around but couldn't make sense of her surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked.
"All I know is that we're in a-"
A chilling sound suddenly roared through the halls. "What's happening?!" shouted Maura. People's screams echo throughout the halls. The first person comes through, a mother along with her two children, "HEY! HELP ME GET OUT OF HERE PLEASE!" Maura screamed and banged on the bars that kept her in, but no one listened. "Why are they ignoring me?! Can they not see me?"
"They aren't ignoring you, they all think its part of the act."
"Well it's not an act. Please help me get out of here!"
"You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?"
"Where we are. What this place is."
"Should I?"
"Well look around you what do you see?"
"A clown, plastic human remains, coffins, and large amounts of false blood."
"Exactly! And when you put all those things together what do you get?"
"A morbid obsession?"
"No, a haunted house!" said the woman in frustration.
Maura continued to try and get people's attention but nothing seemed to work. She began to think of little Casey and how she might never get to see him or Jane again. She began to feel a roller coaster of emotions; most of which she didn't understand. Tears started to roll down her face. She tried to keep them hidden from the other woman for as long as she could but she didn't have anywhere to go.
"What's wrong?" asked the woman.
"My nephew, Casey, and my best friend Jane. I can't get them out of my head." answered Maura.
"How old is he?"
"He just turned six. I'm afraid I will never see him again."
"Don't give up ho-"
"I have to get to Jane. I need to find a way to communicate and tell her where I am."
Maura began to search her pockets frantically. Nothing; whoever had brought her there had taken everything. "A gum wrapper!" she stretched.
"You will never be able to reach that." Said the woman. Maura stretched as far as she could and finally touched the wrapper with her fingertip; now all she needed was something to write with.