Elsa ran down a short flight of five or six stairs to the back of the store to secure the lock on the door while Rosalie picked up the phone on the wall to phone the local police.
The lower level of the store was darker than the top, with mannequins scattered about wearing different styles of clothing, each covered with a layer of plastic to preserve the fabric and to keep the outfits and dresses from getting dusty. It never felt quite as eerie as it did at that moment.
Elsa locked her eyes on the door that stood only about thirty feet away. She then glanced to her left and right at the collection of mannequins before deciding she had to do the smart thing and lock the door.
She slowly walked her way down the sinister runway before picking up the pace and rushing the last few steps until she slammed against the glass in similar fashion to the way Rosalie had.
Elsa felt her heart rate pick up and her breaths left little circles of fog on the window with each exhale. She dropped the keys once and cursed silently to herself before going in for a second try.
Her hand shook, but finally the key slid into the lock and the bolt secured the door. Elsa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again she caught a glimpse of the dresses lined in rows in the reflection of the glass, and then she saw something different. At first she wasn't sure what to make of it, but when she saw the movement of a dark figure her whole body tensed and she turned around slowly to face it.
There was no time to try making a run for it. He was already too close, hovering over her like a mountain of black. The dark slicker the covered his face and body made him all the more terrifying. Elsa had no idea who the person was beneath the coat and oversized hat, but she was certain she knew what he was there for it.
He taunted her, not moving for a moment before raising a giant metal hook in front of her face.
Elsa knew what was about to happen and she let out a loud scream before he swiped the hook forcefully across her face.
Rosalie stood upstairs waiting for her sister and froze when she heard the scream. Her eyes traveled down the staircase, and all she could see was the shadow of the ceiling fan as it whipped around the dim lighting.
"Elsa?" she choked out, taking a few steps toward the stairs.
Rosalie felt her throat tighten. "Elsa? Where are you?"
The fan abruptly shut off and Rosalie stood at the top stair looking down. "Elsa!" She had to know where her sister was, and so she took off her heels, tossed them to the side and took the steps one by one.
The room was darker than it appeared from the top floor and Elsa's keys were a step away from the back door on the ground.
"Elsa..." Rosalie nearly whispered her sister's name now and looked around the vacant lower level. Her eyes glanced up and down the rows of plastic-covered mannequins and then she focused on one in the far corner. Her eyes locked with it and she didn't move.
Rosalie knew all the doors were locked and that getting out of the place was going to be a struggle if the man who'd been chasing her was inside. She could feel his presence and prayed that Elsa was somehow alright.
The dark covered mannequin in the shadows still stood out, and Rosalie let her gut decide that she was in immediate danger. A part of her wanted to take off running after the set of keys, but that meant she would be right next to the figure she couldn't take her eyes off of. How was she going to get out of the store?
Rosalie took a deep breath and looked to the side for just a moment before locking eyes with the menacing figure again. Without another moment's pause, the plastic crinkled slightly and Rosalie screamed as the figure emerged from the plastic and charged in her direction.
She screamed and began to run back up the short stairwell.
Where do I run? Rosalie thought. She knew the front door was locked, and looked to all sides before spotting the taller staircase that lead up into the inventory room above the store's main floor.
Her legs finally moved and she ran to the taller staircase, glancing over her shoulder as the fisherman emerged from the lowest level of the store.
Rosalie screamed again and kept going, rushing up into the dusty attic-like room where boxes were piled in all corner and the only light came from the windows that overlooked a back alley.
She looked around the small square of a room and knew she was trapped. There were no doors that led to any other part of the store and she knew he was coming for her.
Panic set in and Rosalie's head whipped around before deciding on the only option she had - the window. She hurried to the farthest one in the corner and heaved it open before draping one leg out that overlooked the lonely street.
"Help!" she shouted, knowing it would probably do no good. When she glanced back inside the fisherman began his taunting waltz in her direction and that's when she knew she had to make a decision. Staying perched in the half open window would surely lead to her imminent death. The jump down to the street didn't look pleasant, but a dumpster sat maybe ten feet below and she felt it was a better option that staying; it was a livable jump.
Rosalie mustered up all the courage she had and when she felt as if the man was in an arm's length she went for it and leapt out the open window, screaming once more as her voice echoed off the empty buildings that surround them.
With a heavy thud, she felt her body land hard against a mound of cardboard boxes. Though it shook her to the core, she felt her eyes flicker open after the shock of the impact wore off and she realized she was okay.
Rosalie wanted to smile, but she knew she wasn't out of the woods yet. The man could have been just behind her. He could be landing on top of her at any moment and that could be the end. Her body sprung to life and she sat up in the dumpster, looking up toward the open window. It was empty; there was no one there.
With that, Rosalie pushed herself up from the opening, emerging from the oversized bin of garbage before hurrying away from the store back toward the center of town where she hoped to find people partying the night away after the Croaker Queen Pageant.
She knew where the crowds would be. They would be dancing, eating and drinking down at Ollie's by the water. She had to get there; she had to get to the general population to get help.
Rosalie ran as fast as her legs would carry her through the streets. She had no idea where the fisherman was, or if he was following her. She stumbled around, knowing she probably would appear a crazy mess to anyone she came across but she didn't care.
She looked to all sides; the left, the right and behind her before focusing ahead again. The streets felt foreign that night, like she was in some kind of twisted maze that would never end.
Rosalie began to cry as she ran, feeling the frustration sink in.
A series of fireworks went off in the sky and it suddenly brought her back to life. She laughed madly amidst the tears and then suddenly found a sense of direction. She ran down a quiet street between two brick buildings. In the far distance she could barely make out the water.
Hope restored. She could even hear the thumping bass of the music that played.
Yes! she thought. I'm going to be okay.
Rosalie limped the rest of the way, beginning to feel a throbbing in her left leg but she fought it off and ignored it as her adrenaline guided her down the narrow street. She glanced to her left, noting a collection of used tires that were piled far higher than her own height. She then refocused on the fireworks and the music that played somewhere close by.
I'm going to make it. Rosalie smiled and stopped for a moment, turning to look back down the dark alley where she had come from. Where is he? She got lost in her thoughts for a second, and that was what cost her. When Rosalie turned back around he was there, appearing out of nowhere like a phantom of death.
Without warning, he grabbed her by the arm, wrestling her into the rows of tires as she screamed in terror trying to fight him off. When the hook made it's first mark Rosalie felt defeat sink in, and that was when she knew the fight was over. The fisherman had won. The last thought she had before it all went black was that she hoped Esme was still alive.