Once I’m back in my room, I leave the door open, then turn on the light. I’m no longer tired. I feel awake and uncomfortably alive, the way I used to when the last kill didn’t give me the high I needed to sustain me until the next one.
I rummage around in the back of my closet, looking for something appropriate to wear. Seems stupid, to be worrying about clothing when Kayla might be in danger, but if I’m about to go traipsing all over the island looking for her, I can’t very well do that in my usual three piece suit. But it’s virtually all I wear.
At the back of the closet I find the gym bag I sometimes use, and pull out my workout gear.
It reminds me of the day in the pool. When everyone was forced to confront their demons but me. I don’t have any demons. No skeletons in my closet. Nothing haunting me.
Or so I thought.
Watching Kayla battle with the water, and knowing I couldn’t help her, nearly drove me insane. Like now. The possibility that she could be hurt, or gone…that’s my demon. The force of my feelings for her.
I can’t lose her. Iwon’tlose her.
I step into my black sweatpants, pull on my black T-shirt, slip my feet into black trainers, and don a black hoodie. I’m just zipping it up when my phone beeps with a message and again, my heart soars, thinking it might be Kayla.
That’s what I mean about demons. Caring for someone. It fucks you up. Iknowher phone is on her bedside table, but I still hoped it could be her.
I exit the closet, grab my phone to check the message. It’s from Hatchet:Want me to search the woods?
I type back a quick message:Yes. Please. I’ll speak to the others first and we’ll hunt in here.
Snow chooses that moment to pop his head through my partially opened door.
“What’s going on?” he asks, running his hand through his hair.
“Kayla’s gone. She’s not in her room. She’s not with one of us, and she’s not here,” I tell him with a calm, matter-of-factness that I’m definitely not feeling on the inside.
Snow’s eyes widen and then his face contorts into a mask of frustration. “Shit, man.”
“I know. Hatchet is hunting for her outside but we need to search the facility. If there’s no sign of her we’ll go to Seytan.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.”
“Keep your phone on you, and text me if you find anything!” I call out, as Snow turns and starts running around the corner towards the common room.
I take a moment to compose myself, and then I leave my room.
Moving quickly, I run down the hallway to the next room, and then the next, checking each one of our bedrooms. There’s no sign of her
Did someone take her? I’m running out of options.
I come to the dining hall and find it unlocked, which immediately sets me on edge. Even more than I already was.
Several steps of footsteps enter behind me and I whirl around. But it’s only the others. One by one, they enter the dining space, their faces etched with confusion and concern.
We’re all psychopaths, until now only bound together by our shared darkness and the asylum that contains us. But not anymore. Now we’re bound together byher.
“What’s going on?” Honey asks, his usual smiling expression gone, replaced by a pale face, gaunt with worry. “Ghost said Kayla’s missing?”
“Kayla’s gone,” I reply, my fear transforming into anger. “She went out with Hatchet earlier but he brought her back and saw her to her door. There’s no sign of her. He’s gone back outside to search for her.”
“Okay. Where do you need us, outside too?” Honey offers.
Snow, with his penchant for being a dick who only cares for himself, growls. “Let’s tear this place apart.”
I shake my head. “The dining room wasn’t locked, so now we need to check every floor, every room to see which doors have been left unlocked and to try and find her. We need to split up.”
“I’ll check the roof,” Snow offers.
