Page 25 of Hell's Fear

“Someone give me instructions,” Bobby retorted.

As a group, we started calling out instructions for Bobby to get the figure out of the maze. It was more difficult than we expected. The figure got stuck on corners and several times Bobby moved the magnet too fast for it and it got left behind. Then he had to get it around miniatures of beds and gurneys and other hospital equipment.

We finally managed to move it to the open slot, and it dropped into Sallie’s waiting hands. She checked it over, grinned, and twisted it in half, revealing a key.

“Cool,” she said as she opened the door.

We stepped onto a platform and paused.

“Um, I’m getting the feeling the theme of this suite is medical,” Trip drawled as we gazed around.

We stood in a beige painted room with the same style of lights above us. There was a hospital bed that was stripped of bedding and a torn armchair. Cupboards lined one wall, and there wereshelves with bottles and jars on it. The room was jam-packed with items. There were even x-ray screens on a wall and a picture on another.

“Over here,” Dana called, waving at a table.

A replica of the room met my gaze. I pursed my lips as I scanned for a clue, but nothing flashed up.

“Better start searching,” Shee said.

“The panel needs a code, five digits,” Ezra stated.

London was studying the house as we searched when he asked, “The shelves near Trip’s head, do they have a skull on?”

Trip checked as we all paused. “Yes.”

“This replica doesn’t. Pick the skull up,” London called. Trip reached out and grabbed it. He lifted it off the shelf, and an x-ray screen flickered on with the number six. It was the middle screen of the five.

“So, we hunt the missing items that are in the room and not in the house?” Dana asked.

“Looks that way,” London replied.

It took us forty minutes to discover the other four items: a scalpel, file, a bottle, and the hardest was a plug to a machine.

The door opened, and we entered the third room. We had just over two hours left. The entire room was in darkness. A table off to the side holding food and drinks was lit by a dull bulb, which illuminated nothing further than the food.

After ten minutes of eating and drinking, I moved forward, and the room lit up.

Then I stopped abruptly.

“Uh oh, I don’t like the look of this,” Sallie muttered.

In front of us was a hexagonal floor and on the far wall was a flashing screen—the rest of the room was dark. A platform was on the left for someone to stand on.

“There’s a start, the hexagon,” Bobby said, pointing to it.

We all looked at each other, and I snorted when we realised nobody wanted to step on it.

“Prospect, get on it,” Shee ordered.

I sent Shee a dirty look and stepped on it.

The screen opposite switched on.

“The sacrifice must take its place,” Ezra read.

“That other stand?” Trip asked, pointing.

“Well, Shee, you were quick enough putting Fanatic on the hotspot, up you go,” Ezra taunted.

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