Chapter 18 - Going Under.

As the door closed behind her, all Carson wanted to do was scream at the top of her lungs, punch something, breakdown the walls, anything that would make the huge fire in her chest cease once and for all.

Slumping down on the bed, she looked up at Caleb, who was trying his best to get the door open.

"Dad?" He called, his voice slightly panicked. "Dad!"

"Dad!"

"Caleb," the girl said, gaining both Caleb's and Bradley's attention.

"It's locked. Calling out for him isn't going to help."

Bradley got up from his place next to her, getting about a meter away from the door before ramming into it. He tried again and again, each hit harder than the last, until he finally had enough and stared kicking the bed out of anger and frustration. This was insane.

"Let me try," Carson said, making his kicking cease.

She got up, steadily walking to the door and taking her hands out of her hoodie's pocket. The blonde kneeled in front of the door, bringing her small hands to the lock.

"What are you doing?" Caleb's voice rung through the room, but Carson ignored him, instead getting up and heading towards the bed whose mattress had been stored away somewhere.

Inspecting the springs of the bed, she carefully, gently, ripped one out.

Heading back to the door, Carson started bending the spring so that one of the sharp ends was facing forwards, and, to Bradley, the girl looked like she was ready to stab someone's eye out. Knowing her, she easily could.

Kneeling in front of the door again, she grabbed her coat from its place on the floor, taking the hooded part and flattening it out before slipping it under the door, letting the beige peek on the other side.

The two boys looked carefully as the girl slowly inserted the spring into the keyhole, twisting it around a bit.

Bradley found himself staring at her as she bit her lip in concentration, her eyes completely focused on the lock.

After what felt like minutes, there was a light thump from outside the door, and Carson frowned as she grabbed her coat, slipping it back inside the room, the key neatly sitting on the hood.

Caleb's eyes widened.

"How did you do that?" He asked as the girl got off the floor, looking at him.

"Are you two actually surprised that I can pick locks?"

The two looked at each other holding different expressions.

Caleb was amazed, looking as if he'd just seen snow falling in August, whereas Bradley looked impressed as he studied the blonde, not really knowing what to say.

Carson put the key in the lock and twisted the doorknob, pushing it. The door didn't budge.

"Son of a–" she trailed off, throwing the key to the floor and sending a punch to the door.

"Why won't it open?" Caleb asked, panic rising up his throat yet again.

"He knows I can pick locks. Of course he knows, that's why the mattress is missing. He must've placed it on the other side of the door along with god knows what and he knows. He fucking knows I– UGH!"

The more she spoke, the more her tone grew louder and frustration seeped into her voice, making her punch the door again before leaning her back against it, slowly getting to the floor with her knees to her chest.

There was a minute of silence before one of the boys spoke again.

"Hey," Caleb said, "we could smash the windows."

"It's too loud," Bradley replied, putting his head in his hands. "He'd hear it."

Carson closed her eyes, listening as Caleb shuffled around the room.

She was exhausted. She was tired, hurt, and the cut on her neck was still bleeding. She hadn't thought about it since Elliot had ever so nicely escorted them back to the cabin. Bringing her pale hands up to the wound, wincing slightly at the contact. It wasn't as deep as she'd thought, but the blade had still left a nasty mark, and Elliot had been able to find a sensitive spot.

"We could– we could build a bonfire," Caleb said again, ideas popping out of nowhere in his head.

"Maybe a helicopter will come find us."

"This isn't a game, Caleb," Carson snapped, keeping her eyes shut but feeling both boys staring at her.

"No helicopter is going to come save us. Breaking out would make too much noise, and there's no way of building a bonfire without us burning alive. Whatever is keeping the door shut is heavy enough to not let us knock it down, and we can't break the floor boards without breaking our bones. We're stuck here, and that's that. I'm done trying. I'm just done."

The room was quiet for a minute, only filled with the silent breathing of the three.

"Carson."

The girl's eyes stayed closed.

"Carson, look at me."

When she finally did, Bradley was kneeling in front of her, his cheeks flushed from the cold and his hair slightly messy from the beanie he'd been wearing.

"We're going to get out of here." His eyes held so much sincerity and determination, she nearly believed it. Nearly.

"Whatever, Brad," she said, her words tasting empty and bitter in her mouth. "Whatever."

Hours passed, and the little light that had been seeping through the windows was now completely gone, replaced by the dim silver dots splattered across the night sky.

Carson had curled up on the floor, her back to the boys and her golden eyes staring at the wall, as if if she looked hard enough a hole would appear and they would finally be able to get out of this nightmare.

Bradley was sitting on the bed, sometimes glancing towards the girl before averting his eyes back to the floor, thinking about what he'd do when Elliot came back.

Caleb was trying his hardest not to cry, laying on his side on the bed, staring out the window as he mourned over his father's dead soul, grasping onto the memory of who he used to be.

The blonde was the first to break the deafening silence.

"You know," Carson spoke, still facing the wall.

"I always knew I'd end up in hell. I just didn't think it would be small, brown, and fucking freezing. Do you have any idea how many scorching hot showers I took to prepare to burn in flames? And here we are, surrounded by fucking snow with a madman. The bloody devil would have been easier to cope with than him."

The Baker boys stared at the girl's back with wide eyes, both completely shocked that she'd spoken at all, but, at the same time, they were relieved. Relieved about the fact that the sarcastic, snarky Carson they'd met was back; and neither of them was going to let her leave so easily this time.

"Did you just say 'bloody'?"

Carson smiled at Bradley's voice, hearing the grin in his tone.

"I worked for a British family for a few months. I tend to use expressions the minute I hear them."

Before the brown haired boy could respond, Caleb spoke.

"Guys."

The older kids turned towards him, noticing how he was now standing by the window, a confused expression on his face.

"What– where's he going?"

As Carson and Bradley made their way to the window, they both noticed a figure walking in the snow.

"Dunno," the girl said with a flat tone. "Don't care. If he's out it means it's our chance to leave. Come on." She turned on her heals, heading back to the coat that had been left on the floor, picking it up and slipping it on.

"What happened to 'We're stuck here, and that's that'?" Caleb asked, smiling as he realised that they might actually be able to leave.

Carson looked at him, and spoke without missing a beat. "What, never seen a teenage girl have a mini mental breakdown before?"

Caleb let out a laugh, because the whole situation was so serious and concerning it was almost funny.

Bradley turned as well, walking towards Carson. He had only made it two steps before the blonde held up a hand, signalling for him to stop.

"Wh–"

"Shut up," the girl snapped, her eyes boring into the floorboard under Bradley's feet.

"Take a step back," she ordered, and the boy did as he was told, trying to piece together whatever Carson might be thinking.

"Take a step forward," she said again.

"Why do I–"

"Brad, just shut up and do it."

Bradley sighed, slowly walking forwards. And then he heard it. The floorboard creaked under his snow boots, shifting slightly under his weight.

"Buckle up, boys," Carson said. "We're going under."

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HIIIIIIIIIIIIII

soooo news flash, school's shit. I gotta get my grades back up, so I'm not going to be updating Hellbound, Blood, or TDSOTM for a bit...

obviously i'm gonna try (duh) but i can't make any promises.

ALSOOOOOOOO THE BOOK'S ALMOST OVERRRR ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFTTTTTTT

so here's the thing.... I don't know if I should divide the final part into two chapter and then post the epilogue, or if to just do one big chapter and then the epilogue...

suggestions?

aight well enjoy this shit byeeeeeee