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It’s dark

"Anna?"

I take two steps forward and grope for the light overhead My fingers find the bulb when so moves behind me Anna I turn Not Anna Kara I rush the door, rab the doorknob just as she gives it a sharp jerk toward her, and then it’s closed The lock clicks into place

"Kara, don’t--Kara!" She’s locked me in I pound on the door "Kara, I swear to God, let me out or I’ll--"

"Or you’ll what?"

"Kara"

"That’s what I thought," she says, laughing

Set up Set up by her again I kick the door as hard as I can, choking back a screa

"Somebody letEveryone’s in the cafeteria I’ll be stuck in here for at least thirty minutes before soo back to fue sends a dull glow around the immediate area but leaves most of the room to the shadows I wait and I wait, and when the lunch bell rings, I yell as loudly as I can, but no one coh I can hear the behind shelves of poster board with ainst the wall It’s been an hour Maybe two Every ti to be found It never happens I pick at o to the bathroo up on hour three when the door finally opens I scra sounds holdmyself

"Fuck off! Get the--"

"Get his cell phone"

"Get the fuck off me!"

"Easy Don’t make this harder than it has to be"

" Fuck off!"

I peer around the shelves Bruce gives Donnie a hard shove, sending hiround and his eyes are onme I can make out Josh in the doorway Henry

"Got his cell phone?" Bruce asks

Josh holds it up

"Okay, let’s go"

No Josh and Henry leave No Donnie tries to grope his way to his feet, but Bruce gives him a sharp kick in the ribs and he stays down They don’t know I’m here They can’t know I’m here That would be too fucked up, even for us

I stumble out froood," he says

Oh my God My heart sputters and dies "Don’t--Bruce--"

"Have fun, kids"

I lunge for him and trip over Donnie in the process I sprawl across the floor, led up in hiet to my feet and crawl to the door just as it closes Not this Not this I pressto catch ets to his feet

Not this

Bruce, Josh, and Henry laugh theainst the door His hand up

Not happening not happening not happening

"Are you ever going to turn around, Afton?"

I need to run I need to get up Get up Get up I grab the doorknob and pull myself to my feet I need out

"If you touch me, I’ll screae of the light A shadow falls across his face, adding a disturbing quality to his already gri an outcast Or maybe he just looks this bad because he’s sober

I hope

He moves in my direction I shudder, feel my throat hitch His hand up my skirt He was on o back to the door, pounding it with my fists until they hurt A voice inside my head tells me to scream, screa I a out of my mouth

His hand is on my arms He’s behind me Close I jerk away and I do it too easily, whichwithaway I put a shelf between us His footsteps are terrible and light, and I count theht I was good enough," he says Four Five Five footsteps "And you couldn’t just let h for her either, all the tile day"