Escape the Night: Mannequins

A/N: Well.

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Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Escape the Night. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

CHAPTER TWO: KEY TO A SCARY ROOM PART ONE

Unaware that Tim and Sierra had snuck outside, the rest of the group was in the foyer, comparing the photo to the staircase that spiraled upward. Joey and Dawn were looking between the photo and the actual scene, and they both were positive that there was something different between the photo and the actual location.

"Can I see the picture real quick?" Matt asked, taking the photo from Joey to look at it.

Joey nodded distractedly and went to examine the stairs themselves, and Dawn moved forward to help. There was something off about the photo and the actual stairs that they'd been going up and down for weeks. "Maybe we can feel for, like, trapdoors or something…"

"It's so black," Lele remarked, staring at the photo, which was black, except that it seemed to have been blended with a shade of chestnut brown in order to create an almost chilling color. There was a painting on the wall, and the entire staircase looks like a spiral road to nowhere.

Oli stood next to Matt, trying to examine the room, but everything here seemed to be in order. Nothing struck him as particularly suspicious.

"I've been looking long and hard-" Matt began.

"Wait," said Joey, finding a piece of wood that was lodged in the bannister, which hadn't been there before, and he poked at it until it fell out to the floor, startling the others.

"Oh my gosh!" Eva exclaimed.

Dawn picked up the piece of wood and she pulled out a key. "Here's the key," she said, handing it to Joey, and they both headed back to the library.

Joey and Dawn returned to the library with the others following, and they went to the bookcase with the keyhole.

"I'm scared," Eva muttered, feeling uneasy as Joey got ready to use the key. "I don't want to do this."

Joey inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it. There was a clicking noise and a hidden door opened. Arthur pushed it open and the group hesitantly entered a secret dining room, where they gasped when they saw that it was dimly lit with both food and place settings on the table. And sitting around the table were four of the creepiest mannequins they'd ever seen.

"Ok, why is there a hidden room in this house?" Dawn wondered. "And I swear that if these are actually Autons, I'm outta here!"

This got some nervous chuckles out of the group and it was then that Matt realized that someone was missing from the group. "Where's Tim?"

'Uh oh,' Joey thought, realizing that Matt was right and Tim was missing. "Where'd he go?" he wondered.

"Tim," GloZell said hesitantly. "Tim is with that other chick. Sierra."

"Not again," Dawn groaned. "This isn't the best time to sneak off."

Tim and Sierra made their ways down the front stairs and made their way to the car. He was eager to get to the car and get out of there.

"I just feel like…maybe…"

Sierra stopped him. "Don't get too close," she warned. "It might explode!"

Tim wasn't so sure about that. "What if this is, like, the key to getting us home right now?" he wondered and went to the driver's side. He tried the door, but it was locked. "Crap."

"It's locked," said Sierra, who really wanted to go back inside the house and rejoin the group. "Are you kidding me?"

Tim examined the door and saw that one of the windows was busted, so he was able to reach inside and unlock the door. "Ok. Here we go."

"Open it! Open it!" Sierra cheered.

Tim beamed as he unlocked the door and opened it. "Ladies, first."

Sierra hesitated, glancing back at the house. "Do we get in?" she asked uneasily. "Like…We can't leave them!"

"Do you really like them?" Tim asked.

Sierra shrugged. "I like some of them!"

"We won't leave them," Tim promised. "Just get in."

Sighing, Sierra got into the car, bumping her tiara in the process. "Ow, my crown!"

Tim snickered as he climbed in after her. 'I won't leave the others here to die,' he thought, 'but if this car can get us out of here, then I'll do the driving once we have the car keys.'

A/N: R&R everyone!