Previously on Bottle of the Ocean #4, Kayla has finally managed to get out of her cell. The shadows have Kayla’s mom trapped in a cell. She has met another shadow and doesn’t want it to kill her. What will happen next? Will the shadow kill her? Will Kayla find her mom? Read Bottle of the Ocean #5 to find out...
“SHHHHHHHHHHHH!” The shadow yelled, making me stop mid-scream. I steadied my heartbeat and moved my body slowly around the other side of the vent. I stopped for a couple of seconds, breathing heavily. I forced myself to peek around the side once more. The shadow was lying on the floor. I didn’t know what to do; it looked so miserable, but I knew I couldn’t help it. It was on the bad side, the evil side, the mean side and I couldn’t help that little shadow.
I turned on my heels, despite what my heart cried. I started to walk back the way I came, feeling desperately out of hope.
“STOP! Please!” The shadow yelled in a gravelly voice. I knew that she was on their side. But why was The Order of Horror keeping her locked up? I decided that she was maybe going to tell me something important. Maybe why the Order of Horror captured me and my mom? Or maybe what she’s doing here all locked down? At that moment, my heart pulled my body back to the vent and I peeked through.
“Don’t go!” Her voice sounded so sad, so lonely. She was still a part of The Order Of Horror though….
“What do you want?” I snapped back at her, rage filling my throat. All I could think about was how they had imprisoned me. Shadows, just like her. How they had also imprisoned my mother. How they planned to kill her. My heart overcame my brain once more. Maybe we can do a trade? Maybe she can save my mom! Although, then my brain regained power and created a voice of its own. SHE IS GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU CAN’T LISTEN TO HER!
“Please, I know you think I am evil, but I have been captured and turned into a slave to work for these shadows. They dressed me in rags and I am really a person like you!” The shadow’s voice cracked as she spoke. Probably false sadness.
“How do I know that I can trust you?” I asked. My hard stare was on, and I could feel my heart and my brain fighting. I totally had a soft spot for saddened people. So annoying...
“Please, you have to trust me. I can promise you I’m not bad or evil. I am completely human and they have injected black goo into me to make me look like them.” She said.
“You are probably just tricking me! You all are! And then you are going to kill me and my mother!” My heart was starting to get into my brain. I feel so bad for her, all alone, down here by herself, I have to help her. NO! I can’t, she is on the bad side. She is just tricking me, and I can’t fall for it. It’s probably just a trap anyways.
“No, please believe me.” She pleaded.
“I can’t,” I said, turning back the way I had come.
“You know that they are really good tricksters, right? The Order Of Horror is going to kill you. Go ahead, lead yourself to death. Your decision.” The shadow’s voice was so sorrowful, I couldn’t bear it.
This stopped me in my tracks. Once more, I turned around.
“Why would you even care to tell me this?” I asked. A hint of anger could be identified.
“Because I know what it feels like to lose someone you love. They took me, but they also took my mom. They blamed her for what I did, they killed my mom and I was put right in front of her to watch them stab her. I was so scared after that, I thought I was going to die. Instead, they put me in prison and made me their slave. I never should have done what I did. Now my mother is dead because of me.” The shadow explained.
I stayed silent for a moment, processing everything. “But… What could you have done that is so bad?” I asked, my voice quavering.
“It’s not important.” The shadow turned her gaze toward the wall.
“Well… Ummm… What should I call you then?” I asked.
“You should call me Alaina. That was my name before they called me Ashes because I am their slave.”
“Well… Ummm… I guess I will just stick to Alaina. My name is Kayla,” I said. Alaina smiled.
“But I can’t reach you! You are stuck on the other side.” Alaina said.
“Well, I have some experience with vents. I was able to break the one in my cell to escape. I’m sure we can figure something out.
“ASHES!” A voice yelled. “Get over here, there’s something we need you to do for us. HURRY UP NOW OR YOU’LL BE THE NEXT ONE TO DIE.”
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I could hear them getting closer and closer. What did they want Alaina to do?
“Uh, Yes, Sir!” The look on Alaina’s face had turned to absolute horror. “Hide!” Her whisper was urgent. The footsteps were getting louder and louder, faster and faster. I needed to hide somewhere. I looked around, not one single hiding spot. Think! You need to hide! Hurry and find a hiding spot!
I scrambled away from the vent and pressed my back on the cold, hard stone wall. If whoever this was, peeked inside the vent, I would be dead meat. My breathing had once again grown heavy and I (once again) began to sweat.
I could hear stumbling, and I assumed that Alaina was moving. Maybe she was covering for me? I heard the footsteps finally come through the cell doors and heard the keys jangling to open Alaina’s cell. I prepared myself for anything that could happen. What if Alaina really was evil and was using her magic powers to hypnotize me into believing her? No, stop magic powers aren’t real. She’s going to help you.
“GET OUT HERE NOW! WE NEED YOU TO GET THAT BRATTY LITTLE GIRL! FIND HER- VALINA’S ORDERS! YOU BETTER BE BACK HERE WITH HER IN TEN MINUTES!” The scratchy voice yelled and then the footsteps retreated.
“Yes, Sir!” Alaina replied. I could hear the fear in her voice. I heard some more movement and then her face appeared through the bars of the vent.
“Stay here!” She whispered. “We can’t let them find you!”
“But you will get in trouble!” I argued.
“No, you can’t risk it. You need to get your mom and you out of here now!” Alaina replied back. Why was she being so nice? Was she really a nice person, or was she one of those evil Order of Horror people.
“But what about you?” I asked. “You need to get out, too! Come with us!” I couldn’t believe that I had said those words to a shadow. Never before had I imagined that I would talk to one in the first place!
“I’ll be fine. Stay here. I will be back!” Alaina burst out of the door.
“But…” I started, but Alaina had disappeared. I slumped back in against the vent wall and waited what seemed like hours. I almost fell asleep, but a scream disrupted my thoughts. My body bolted upward and smashed into the roof of the vent.
“OW!” I yelled, throwing my hand over my mouth. That sounded like a familiar voice. What was that?
My hands flew to the vent and started ripping at the bars. They didn’t budge! Curse high-tech security! My brain whirred- No screwdrivers? Well, something to rip it… Hair tie! I ripped the ribbon out of my hair. I tucked it around the edge and pulled. Surprisingly, the bar snapped, and I ran out. I guess they hadn’t thought about all the ways to break out of the vent.
“Help!” Alaina stumbled into the room, holding her shoulder. I jumped to the ground in alarm.
“WHAT HAPPENED?”