Luxurious trips are a rarity in the Loud family. The prices are too damn high and the responsibilities are just as great, but once in a Blue Moon, the family manages enough money to visit everyone's favorite resort: The Royal Ruby Resort.
The resort is a fancy and very high-class place. Everything looks as if it's made of glass and gold, shiny things everywhere and brilliant colors crawling up the walls.
The services are godly and the recreational activities are actually relaxing and fun. The food is top notch and the music is amazing. The serene view of the giant buildings is intimidating and nauseating, and cool.
But forget all that for a minute, 'cuz the only things that the Loud children had their sights set on was the pool.
That's right, an endless stretch of clear water and warm sun. The pool had many large slides here and there that reached frightening heights. One side of the pool was decorated with Aztec temples and another side looked like Hawaii. The place looked like a complete water park.
Cheerful screams rang in the air, contagious laughter sang around and the sparkling waters splashed in the air. Water droplets looked like diamonds and the still waters looked like heaven.
Yeah, it was nice.
But the Loud kids already had their fun. A full hour in the pool didn't feel like enough, but their wrinkly finger said otherwise. Their parents called and said to meet back in their room… on the 25th floor. Probably to eat or something.
The older five reluctantly stayed behind. Lori and Leni were tanning and didn't want to be bothered. Luna, Luan, and Lynn were off somewhere doing their own things.
Lincoln was really ticked off. The plan was for all eleven of them to head to the pool, but something caught their attention and some branched off. Lily stayed with Mom and Dad, who turned back to the room after ten minutes of hot sun. Lincoln growled to himself. He really hated it when things didn't go according to plan.
Whatever. It's fine. Let the older idiots do whatever they want. Lincoln was responsible for his younger sisters and that's all that mattered.
"Alright, guys," Lincoln called. He adjusted his swimming trunks. "Time to head back."
The splashing sisters stopped their fun and whined simultaneously. Except for Lucy, she was just… floating.
"Just a bit longer, please," Lana begged.
"Sorry, guys." Lincoln smacked his naked chest. "I'm in charge and what I say goes."
The sisters whined again and Lincoln was about to mock them, but that would be unprofessional. He needed to be firm and bold, like a leader. That's how people get respect and he needed his sisters to respect him, even fear him. If no one has power then everyone has power. And that's dangerous.
But not today. Nope.
The kids marched out of the pool sulking and upset. Their heads were hung and the clouds hovered above. Whatever, Lincoln thought and shrugged.
"Come on," Lincoln ordered. They followed in a line, from oldest to youngest. They stayed close, like a family of ducks. The kid's heavy, wet clothes squelched with every step. It sounded kind of annoying, especially since there was five of them, but that's not what matters. Getting them to their room is what mattered.
The kids made their way through the lobby, leaving a track of water behind. Normally, this would upset someone but the employees were happy cleaning up the mess or looked happy at least.
Lincoln and his squad got to the elevator. He pressed the button once and waited.
The sound of echoing chatter filled the large lobby. All kinds of people swarmed in and out. Families with Hawaiian shirts and then rich folks walking around in their pricy suits and flaunting their big bills.
Lincoln sighed dreamily. He wished he was rich one day. Imagine all the things you can buy. Plasma TV, awesome cars, big mansion, a GameCube just for show, and cool clothes. And not cool as in popular sweaters, cool shoes, or an expensive hat.
No, no, no. Lincoln saw himself as a sharp dressed man. Suits, collars, blazers, shades, khakis, dress pants, and all.
Lincoln giggled at his little fantasy. A man can dream…
Fast, obnoxious clicking caught Lincoln's attention. He looked back and saw Lana's finger smashing the elevator button. She made it her mission to put all her effort in pressing that damn button and she was not slowing down.
"Lana," Lincoln called. The blonde girl stopped mid-press and turned to her older brother. "Stop," Lincoln said.
And she did without another word. Lincoln smiled and internally sighed.
Ahh, power and respect. What beautiful things. Something pinched Lincoln's brain. When did he become like Lori?
Sure he wasn't bossy or loud, but he was one step away from it. Lincoln only uses carefully selected traits while he's in charge. He's bold and assertive, but also cool and fun.
Lincoln would never scream at his sisters, even if they do try his patients.
No, he vowed to be nothing like Lori. She was aggressive and mad, but he saw himself as responsible and caring.
There was a soft ding and the elevator's door split open. No one inside? Nice!
The kids stepped inside and Lincoln pressed the button for the 25th floor. The doors slowly closed and the soft ding rang again. The elevator slightly shook and then began to ascend.
The quick speed stirred Lincoln's stomach like a rollercoaster, but he quickly adjusted. His legs felt like they were sinking into the floor. He couldn't see it, but Lincoln felt the floor grow fainter and fainter the higher they went.
The classical music that was playing was very soft and slow, like a lullaby. Other than that there was nothing special. Just a regular elevator.
Lincoln was in the middle, the twins on his side, and Lucy and Lisa on the other. The kids were stiff and completely silent. You can hear the running cords outside the elevator. It sounded like a sizzling fire. Lincoln looked up and saw the red glowing number above the elevator doors.
9
The number blinked and glowed brightly. They were nine stories high already. Lincoln sighed. He looked back down and waited. After a couple minutes, Lincoln was starting the enjoy the classical music. It reminded him of Luna, how she played the violin when they were young. She played it all the time; from the moment she woke up to the last second when she went to sleep.
The sounds were beautiful and smooth. The heavenly symphony poured through his ears and out the other. His heart fluttered and the world around him fell with radiating warmth. Yeah, he loved Luna's violin, but then she got interested in other things.
She played the drums, electric guitar and piano. The piano wasn't even good. It played some kind of retro sound that was ear shattering. Her drums sounded like monkeys banging rocks together and don't even let me get started with the guitar.
Ugh, it sounded like two robots fucking each other, in a car crash, in hell. Luna replaced her amazing violin for that damn axe.
Whatever, Lincoln didn't care.
The elevator came to a rough stop. Lincoln's knees bent and he almost fell to the ground. He heard his little sisters grunt and gasp. Lincoln could have sworn he felt the elevator swing side to side like a pendulum. He quickly looked up at the number: 20
What?
Maybe someone was calling from another floor. They waited for the doors to open, but nothing happened. Hell, the elevator wasn't even moving. The doors keep shut like they were budged.
"Umm, why aren't we moving?" Lola asked.
"I don't know." Lincoln was flabbergasted. He looked up at the number, still on the 20th floor. He reached over and pressed the button for the 25th floor.
Nothing.
Lincoln pressed it again and still nothing. He pressed the button with swift speed and sudden concern filling in his head.
"Lincoln" Lisa said, "I think the elevator's stuck."
Lincoln growled. Really? Thanks a lot, Sherlock.
"What do we do then?" Lincoln asked.
"Try the emergency button," Lana said.
Oh, right. Lincoln almost forgot that button existed. He's never been stuck in an elevator before and this was the first time he's ever had to press the emergency button. Before then, his parents always warned him "Oh, don't touch that, don't touch that. It's for emergencies only."
Lincoln smacked the button and waited. He expected the elevator to start moving or something, but no. There was no phone either so that accomplished nothing. They were as much as stuck now as they were a minute ago. Eh, at least help is on the way, so that's nice.
"What now?" Lana curiously asked.
"Now we wait." Lucy pitched in. Her voice sounded as monotone as ever, but Lincoln couldn't help but sense some ominous vibes from her words.
A cold breeze slithered up his back. A frosty shiver ran down his spine and in that moment Lincoln finally noticed that he was shirtless. His trunks were dripping wet and there was a tiny puddle of water beneath him. The random breeze pushed on and on. Lincoln was numb to the cold now and his curiosity rose.
Where is that breeze coming from?
Probably from outside. They were pretty high up, so the winds were stronger and colder. Lincoln could almost see through the walls as if it was glass. The sky was blue and the horizon was far. Down below, hundreds of feet below, he could see the pool. It was a small dot of blue.
Lincoln's heart jumped and he shook his head. The image left his head and he looked down at the puddle. He shivered with fear. Lincoln wasn't good with heights, he figured that out a long time ago.
When he was young, Lynn challenged him to climb the large tree in the backyard. Lincoln remembered refusing, but after she… shared some choice words with Lincoln, the boy angrily agreed.
The challenge was that if Lincoln could reach the top of the tree before she could, then she'd toss a twenty his way. If Lincoln lost, then he'd have to play sports with her or some shit like that.
Lynn blew a whistle she stole from her coach and they both darted up the tree. After minutes of rough climbing and hundreds of splinters later, Lincoln paused and sat on a thicc branch. He was out of breath, his heart was beating in his ears and lungs were aching.
Lincoln, without a second thought, looked down and noticed Lynn a couple feet behind. She was making haste and was climbing up the tree like a bear. He looked past Lynn and noticed the grassy earth far below. His eyes widened and heart lept out of his chest. Lincoln got light-headed and was dangerously swaying back and forth. He caught his senses and hugged the tree.
He wrapped his arms around the bark with an iron clasp and shivered intensely. He shut his eyes and begged for help.
"Lynn!" Lincoln yelled. "Lynn!"
After a couple seconds, Lynn climbed and hung on the branch he sat on.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Lynn, I wanna get down." He stated.
"What?" She looked up the tree. "We're not even at the top yet." Lincoln hugged the tree tighter. He kept his eyes closed and his grip tightened.
"I don't care," Lincoln said. "I wanna get down." The boy's breathing was coming out rugged and quick. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead and his legs were shaking.
"Oh, come on. We're almost to the top. Just go." She said. He didn't say anything. Lynn sighed, shook her head, and climbed up the branch he sat on. She placed her feet on the twig and it swung violently. She grabbed Lincoln by the back of his shirt and tugged.
"Stop being such a p(anzy)." She said.
Normally, her choice words would get him all mad, but now he was scared for his life. She tugged harder and Lincoln yelped.
"No, no!" He shouted. "Stop!" Lincoln tried to shake her hands off his shirt. He kept his hands off the tree for dear life. Lynn was shocked. She gave in to his desperate pleas.
"Fine, fine." She said. "I'll take you down.
It took a full hour, but both kids finally touched the grass. Lynn carefully helped him down, holding his hand the whole while. She said she'd pull him up with her beefy arm if he slipped and it seemed to comfort Lincoln.
When both kids were down, Lincoln ran inside crying. Mom and Dad figured out what happened, got mad and punished her.
Serves her right, Lincoln remembered thinking.
Now, in that elevator, there was no gentle way down. Lincoln looked at the puddle and past the floor. He could almost see the empty, dark abyss down below and imagined himself falling down hundreds of feet.
His heart skipped a beat. The metallic surroundings and cords swishing by as his body closely reached the ground. Lincoln's heart was racing and his breathing was quick. His muscles grew tense and his eyes darted around the floor like a madman. His chest was tight and his legs felt like twigs.
Down, down, get me down, Lincoln thought.
Lincoln starts breathing like he ran a mile. His heart was pounding against his chest and his lungs burned.
Lisa noticed and side-glanced at Lincoln. Heavy beads of sweat ran down Lincoln's forehead. His eyes looked hazy and distant. Lincoln placed his hand over his heart. He started wheezing now.
"Lincoln, are you okay?" Lisa asked, a brow raised and curiosity high.
Lincoln didn't respond. He hunched over and clenched his chest. His breathing was unnatural. Lisa's eyes grew wide.
Oh, God. He's hyperventilating.
Lisa looked at Lucy, she was just standing there, stoic as ever. She shot a glance at the twins. They gazed at Lincoln with the same raised brows.
Lisa leaned in close to her older brother. She placed a gentle hand on his lower back and grabbed his forearm.
"Lincoln," she called. "I need you to calm down."
Lincoln fell on his knees. He wheezed every time he took a heavy breath in. His grabbed at his chest with both hands, like he was having a heart attack.
"Lucy, press the emergency button again." And she did. The tiny genius looked down at her brother again. She patted his back and spoke calmly. "Breath through your nose, Lincoln. Nice and easy."
The boy was roughly breathing in his nose and out his mouth. His panic was slowly subsiding and crawling away.
"Get me out of here." Lincoln managed to say.
"Don't worry, help is on the way," Lisa stated.
"No, let me out now!" Lincoln was fidgeting and screaming. "I wanna get out now!" Lincoln got up and charged at the elevator doors. His shoulder ran into the metallic wall and a shock of pain ran up his neck. He slammed his hands on the doors.
"Help!" The boy shouted. "Someone help me! We're stuck in here."
The twins held each other close and shook with fear. They shimmied into the corner and made themselves as invisible as possible. Lincoln pressed his forehead against the cold metal and shut his eyes tight. He grits his teeth and calmed his breathing: Through the nose, out the mouth.
Lincoln looked to his right and straight at Lucy. She was standing near the buttons and when she noticed, she took a step back. Lincoln ran over to the buttons and began smashing all of them, hoping a miracle might happen.
"Lincoln, stop. That isn't helping." Lisa pleaded.
"I've got to get out of here, dammit." Lincoln kept his stance low and arms wide. He shot his head left and right in a frenzy, searching for something.
Lucy looked up. She lazily pointed at the removable panel up at the ceiling. "How about there?"
Everyone looked up. Lincoln's eyes widened and his heart soared. A silly smile stretched across his face. He ran over to the handrails. He placed his foot on the metal and lifted himself up with a grunt.
Lincoln reached up and nudged the panel. The loose piece of ceiling moved and revealed the complete height of the elevator. The strange cords and cold metals surrounded the walls of the elevator shaft. Inky, black darkness was cast all around. Lincoln greedily looked past the dark and noticed two dots of light at the far top.
Lincoln tried to get his hands around the opening, but something was weighing him down. He looked at his feet and saw Lisa clinging to his legs.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lisa yelled. Lincoln growled. He tried to shake her off but Lisa was stubborn.
"Let go, Lisa," Lincoln warned.
"No." She stated. She had one arm around Lincoln's legs and another hand gripped the handrail. Her hands burned and her teeth grit.
The tiny genius looked to her side and noticed Lucy standing there. The goth was doing nothing, just watching the struggle.
"Lucy," Lisa called, "help me, dammit."
The goth jumped and ran over the Lincoln. She grabbed his legs too and held onto the handrail.
"Pull, pull," Lisa called.
"Let go," Lincoln shouted. He tried desperately to pull himself up, but his noodles arms proved too weak. He could see the other elevator doors above the elevator shaft. It was just a couple inches away or was it a couple feet. It didn't matter, he just needed to leave.
In a quick second, Lincoln's sweaty hands slipped off the rims of the opening. His body tilted and fell. His back slammed into the floor with a painful thud.
The elevator shook with a drastic force. The twins started screaming and everyone else waited in breathless silence. The nauseating swaying of the elevator made everyone feel sick and dizzy.
The elevator quickly stopped moving, but Lincoln felt a slight shift now and then. The boy curled up and closed his eyes. He hugged himself and tried not to cry. A soft ringing swirled around Lincoln's head. The boy mumbled to himself and breathed slowly. It wasn't helping.
The silence was, though.
Lisa was huffing and puffing. Lisa managed to get up and came over to her brother. She tried to meet his face but his hands were in the way. She leaned close and placed a gentle hand on his shaky arm.
Her voice was soft and distant, like an angel. The colors around pulled and stretched into a hazy cloud. Lincoln's eyes were hazy and wet.
Breath, Lisa said. Lie down and relax. Lisa sat down next to Lincoln. She stroked his snowy hair and smoothly hushed.
A shower of bliss ran over Lincoln's body. His breathing was still hasty, but the foul pressure in his chest dwindled.
Silence again. In Lincoln's mind, no one existed. He was trapped and alone. He knew that sounded selfish. His younger sisters were with him and he needed to be strong for them, but he couldn't. His concern and worry were overcast by an anxious fear.
His naked back brushed against the soft carpet floor. He felt a tiny breeze run up his arm and he jumped. His heart and mind were stomping on him. He was defenseless and weak.
The pain was starting to register. He felt his side start aching. He stirred restlessly and tried to get up. Lisa was talking but it was all gibberish.
Lincoln, with his flimsy arms, lifted himself up and got on his hands and knees. At that moment, he was plugged into complete darkness. He couldn't see his hands, but he could feel the cozy carpet beneath him.
The lights went out.
His head swirled and spun. His body stretched apart and his balance was gone. Lincoln barked out a curse. His outstretched arms scavenged from side to side, looking for anything to hold.
Lincoln found something warm and smooth. He wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed. An ear-splitting shriek tore through the air. Lincoln yelled and crab-walked away. There was screaming from somewhere else, and another was an amalgamation of godless, horrifying shouting.
Lincoln crawled away from the crying howls and bumped into something soft. He moaned out a soft whimper and wrapped his arms around whatever it was. He felt a radiating heat and squishiness. He buried his face in the warmth and squeezed tighter. He shook and whined like a fool.
The lights miraculously flickered back on. The room was drenched in a glow of orange-brown. The lights were broken too.
The screaming came to a halt instantly. The painful silence gave clarity an opportunity. Lincoln turned his head and found his sisters on edge. Lisa pressed herself tightly against the wall. Her tilted glasses, unkempt hair, and ruffled clothes spoke of the horrid moment. She breathed heavily, her chest quickly rising and falling. Her eyes were wide and her heart ran.
At the corner, the twins were curled up and held each other close. They pressed their heads together and shielded themselves with their arms. Their eyes were closed shut, Lola was crying. They were shaking in fear.
Lucy was gone, but Lincoln turned back around and there she was. His face was pressed against her stomach. His arms were wrapped around the small of her back. His nose touched her belly and his eyes ran up her chest. Her face was as stoic as ever.
Unlike everyone, Lucy was unnaturally calm.
Lincoln opened his mouth to speak, but the elevator jolted around. A low humming noise filled the air and the elevator began to rise. Everyone gasped, their hearts in their throats. After a second it stopped again.
A pregnant silence. Then the brutal sound of metal scratching metal.
"Step away from the doors," a muffled, firm voice stated, but everyone was too shaken up to listen.
The elevator doors slowly opened and the light of day shined through. The bright light was majestic and heavenly. A gust of cool wind rushed in and pressed against Lincoln.
The overlapping sound of people talking greeted Lincoln's ears.
His heart burst with joy.
He got up, roughly pushed Lucy aside and ran out the elevator.