Page 22 of The Wishing Game

You've been invited.

I frown at the familiar words.

Just two more blocks.

The words change again.

101 W 54th St.

The invite! It's the same address as the invite!

Dare to take the leap!

I maintain my stride, but one glance backward and I can see that the police are getting closer and closer to me.

As I round the corner to 54th street, in a moment of complete madness, I decide to go to that address, hoping it could at least help me elude the police for some time.

A neon flashing light with a flickering 101 W 54th street is above the entrance to a historical building. And that solidifies the decision for me.

I dash to the door and knock, waiting anxiously for someone to open and counting down the seconds until the police spot me.

The door creeps open, but there's only darkness inside. I can't spot anything. Slowly, a figure appears in the doorway. His face is covered by a red mask, his eyes barely visible in the dim lighting.

"Invite," he demands.

"I lost it." I give him an apprehensive smile. "Can I come in?"

"No invite, no come in," he states in a resolute tone before he slams the door in my face.

What...

I don't even have time to ponder my rejection as the police sirens get louder and louder. Stepping into the street, my heart begins to race as I deliberate what else I can do. No matter which way I go, I'll be caught and...

As my right arm brushes against my side, I feel a pricking sensation. Frowning, I touch my hip, noting a pocket in the dress and something that pokes through the material. To my utter surprise, as I remove the item from my pocket, it's the invite.

The same invite I'd thrown away.

But it might be the invite that saves me in this moment.

Twirling, I knock once more on the door. Just like before, it opens and the same gruff voice demands an invite. I shove it into his face, my gaze on the end of the block as I spot one of the officers rounding the corner.

I only hear a grunt of approval before I find myself inside, the door closing with a thud behind me.

"Go to the end of the hallway and down the steps," the man tells me before turning his back to me.

My lashes flutter in confusion.

I'm still not entirely sure what I got myself into or what type of establishment this might be, but as long as it provides me with some cover to escape the police, I'm willing to keep an open mind.

I walk slowly to the end of the tunnel, and as I come across the stairs leading down to the basement, I stop, somehow waiting for the police to come barging in at any moment. My body is tense, my heart in my throat as I can already envision myself behind bars, wasting away before I'll have the chance to get justice for Nikki.

No... That's out of the question!

I take another step as my conviction strengthens.

A gust of wind brushes against my right side, blowing my hair in my face. I raise my hand to tuck the stray strands behind my ear, but I stop midair as I feel the slightest touch against my face and a gentle blow of warm air on my cheek. Goosebumps spread all over my skin and a light tremor goes down my back.

I shake my head, hurrying to pull my hair back. It's just a current of air. It's not the time to give in to my overactive imagination.

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