Chapter 3: The Locked Room
The door opened only three inches.
But it felt like enough.
Enough for danger to enter.
Enough for everything we feared to become real.
I grabbed the nearest object I could find.
A metal coffee pot.
It wasn’t much.
But I held it tightly.
“Who’s there?”” I shouted.
No answer.
Only the sound of rain hitting the windows.
Then a voice came from the darkness.
“Sarah?””
My heart stopped.
It was Rick.
The flashlight beam moved toward him.
He was standing near the storage hallway.
His face looked terrified.
Not angry.
Not guilty.
Terrified.
“Where were you?”” I demanded.
Rick looked toward the door.
“He cut the power.””
I stared at him.
“You expect me to believe that?””
Rick stepped closer.
“I was trying to reset the breaker.””
The girl immediately shook her head.
She signed something.
I watched.
“He’s lying.””
I looked at Rick.
“She says you’re lying.””
Rick’s expression hardened.
“Of course she does.””
The door creaked again.
The man outside pushed harder.
The lock held.
For now.
Rick lowered his voice.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with.””
“Then tell me.””
He looked at the girl.
His face changed.
For a second, I saw guilt.
Real guilt.
“I knew her mother.””
The girl stepped back.
Rick continued.
“She came here three nights ago.””
My eyes narrowed.
“Why?””
“She was scared.””
The room went silent.
“What happened?””
Rick swallowed.
“She said her boyfriend was dangerous.””
The girl started crying.
I looked at her.
“You knew?””
Rick looked down.
“I tried to help.””
“But you let him come here.””
“I didn’t have a choice.””
The door shook.
Everyone jumped.
The man outside laughed.
“Rick,” he called.
“You always were terrible under pressure.””
Rick closed his eyes.
Like hearing that voice brought back something painful.
I stepped closer.
“Who is he?””
Rick didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“His name is Daniel Cross.””
The girl froze.
I noticed.
“You know that name?””
She nodded.
Her hands moved.
“He killed someone.””
My stomach dropped.
“Who?””
The girl looked toward the parking lot.
Then she signed one word.
“Before.””
Before what?
Before her mother?
Before tonight?
The sound of sirens suddenly appeared in the distance.
Relief washed over me.
But it disappeared quickly.
Because Daniel heard them too.
His smile vanished.
He stepped away from the door.
For a moment, I thought he was leaving.
Then he reached into his jacket.
And pulled something out.
Rick saw it.
His face went pale.
“No…”
“What?”” I asked.
Rick whispered:
“He has a key.””
The girl started shaking.
“How would he have a key?””
Rick looked at me.
Then at the storage hallway.
Then he said the words that made my blood turn cold.
“Because someone inside gave it to him.””
I slowly looked around the diner.
The customers.
The dark corners.
The broken lights.
Everyone suddenly felt like a stranger.
Then my phone buzzed.
A new message appeared.
Unknown number.
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
*“Ask the girl what she saw in the blue car before she ran.””*
I looked up.
The little girl was staring at me.
And when I showed her the message, she covered her mouth.
Then she signed four words.
May you like
Four words that changed everything.
“Your sister was there.””
