Dennis was lost. The endless hallways and labyrinth of rooms would've been confusing in the daytime, let alone in the dark, when everything becomes a shadow and apparition. He would've deemed the task impossible if he didn't have Orange and Yellow by his side. Even now, as their precious time ticked away, failure seemed inevitable.
Dennis glanced at his friends. Orange wasn't panicking. He was stern, but even in the dark, hope was in his eyes. He really thought that they could find Chosen in time. Dennis felt a tinge of guilt. He wasn't nearly so optimistic. As much as he wanted to convince himself otherwise, he could only believe that this was going to end badly. He'd made a mistake, somewhere, and now, it was going to ruin him, and his newfound friends.
How could he forget The Chosen One? He was the catalyst that started this entire thing. He was also the only one who could save them should everything go awry. And at this point, it probably would. Even if they found Chosen right this minute, there was nowhere near enough time to sneak out. And that was the best-case scenario. It would probably take them an eternity and a half to check every room. They had… less than ten minutes.
It was a possibility that Dennis hated to consider, but was too important to ignore. Chosen might not have survived the torture. He might not be here at all, anymore. They could continue the search but to no avail. At what point would they call it quits? If they had all night – which they didn't – they still might not have enough time.
He couldn't pinpoint these fears, let alone voice them. Amidst all the chaos and uncertainties, the only thing he was sure of was that the burning feeling in his heart was dread.
Dennis looked down a familiar hallway and heard a crash. His heart went racing. Someone was here. They were going to get caught. And probably killed. They had to hide.
Dennis ducked into one of the offices, Yellow and Orange close behind. This was it. They had waited too long. They should've left while they could. A voice came from the hallway, loud and reckless.
"Security guard successfully incapacitated!"
Dennis heard the words but didn't understand them. Whatever their meaning, they sent Orange and Yellow into a frenzy. Sounds of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Dennis's muscles grew tense. He glanced back at his friends. The looks on their faces utterly confused him.
"Guys?!" Orange sprang from his hiding spot, unable to contain his excitement. Without a moment's delay, Yellow appeared beside him.
"Orange! Yellow!" A million voices spoke in unison.
Dennis couldn't believe what was happening. The friendly noises and crazy laughter sounded too good to be true. Once he recovered from surprise, he looked out into the hallway. His heart sang with joy.
Four stick figures stood with Yellow and Orange. They talked over each other and talked fast. They embraced the two ex-captives and asked questions. Dennis couldn't do anything but watch. They loved each other, more than life itself. In a strange way, it was beautiful.
"Dennis," Orange said, with a proud smile, "let me introduce you to my friends."
Dennis stepped forward. He was among heroes. He, on the other hand, was just a gray stick figure. He had no battle scars or stories to tell. The most adventurous thing he'd ever done was happening tonight, and Orange and Yellow had already served to recount the night's events several times over.
"Boys," Orange said, his voice rising clear above the chaos, "This is Dennis. He facilitated our escape. Dennis, these are my friends, Green, Red, Blue, and of course, Purple."
"Nice to meet you all," Dennis said, smiling. He had briefly forgotten his troubles, but now the sense of dread was coming back stronger than ever. "Don't we have to leave or something? We're totally going to get caught."
"Eh, we can take them," Red said offhandedly.
"Yeah," Green said, "And besides, we have work to do."
"What are you talking about? Dennis already broke Orange and Yellow out." Purple said, smiling incredulously.
"We've still got to find Chosen," Orange said.
"And the pencil," Yellow added.
"And then we'll burn this place to the ground!" Red joined in.
"No, we're not doing that," Blue said. The others all mumbled something to that effect. Dennis felt a new feeling within him. It was bright, and it was powerful. It was hope. With these valiant heroes by his side, nothing was out of reach.