Page 24 of Pushed

Chapter Six

Imperial

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Machi looked over hisshoulder at me as he held the doorknob in his hand. “Remember, no talking.” His brows arched up as his lips thinned. “Understand?”

Nodding yes, I let my eyes settle on his before allowing them to drift to the floor. It felt like time had stopped, like everything around me went into slow motion as his hand twisted against the warn handle.

I could feel the air filling my lungs as I took in long breaths, I could hear the hinges creak before the door even crossed the threshold. Every movement was that much more intense than the last.

Things that weren't even visible seemed to scream against my eardrums; from the tension in Machi's muscles to the heat in his veins, to the dense air blanketing my skin and holding me down.

Silent walls screamed at me, they pressed angrily on my chest, begging to be burned, to be freed from all the years of evolution that morphed it from plain wood into walls, from watching happy faces travel in and out, to what it was now. . . A place meant for destruction, bleeding with sins it could never speak out loud.

I stood stoic, waiting for Machi to open the door. My heart began to race as I watched light break between the crack as he removed the only barrier between me and the truth.

But inside I wanted to disappear, I wanted to click my ruby heels three times and wake up at home. I wanted to pinch myself and be rid of this horrible nightmare.

I wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse to be so in tune with my surroundings, and right then, all I wanted was to hug the blackness, allowing it to keep me safe and whole.

Slowly, Machi pulled the handle, stepping through the portal that had opened. The muscle in his bicep flexed as he pulled me behind him, the hard curves and dips in his back tensed up and fell smooth as he shifted his shoulders with each heel forward.

I kept closing my eyes and opening them back up again as a war inside my head exploded. Fear and need were fighting, both wanting to protect me against what was coming. I was afraid to see outside the walls that had held me, I was afraid to know exactly what was going to happen me.

You need to find a way out! Take it in, see whatever you can.

Cheap perfume filled the hall, mixed with sweat and stagnant cologne. A cough tickled the back of my throat as the sheer stench that surrounded me crawled into my lungs. But I didn't let it out, I held it in, refusing to let one sound escape my lips.

For the moment, I would keep my word. I would stay quiet and just observe, marking any weak spots that might show themselves. All the windows that we might pass, all the doors that could possibly lead to an escape, I wanted to make a mental map of it all.

I wasn't staying in this dreaded shit-hole, I wasn't going to let him hold the key to my freedom. I was in charge of me—no one else. And when the time was right, I was gone.

Keeping my eyes down, I noticed it was the same worn oak creating the floor that was in my room. Remnants of a rug skittered down the baseboards, its frayed and torn threads still scratched like talons out from under the wall. Large cracks opened up between the planks, splintering wide like trenches, threatening to suck me inside.

If only I could turn into paper and slip away. . .

My eyes followed the cracks, imagining what it would feel like to glide through them, to transform into a one dimensional being just to escape.

Machi tugged me along, his pace slightly ahead of mine. Keeping his back straight and firm, he walked with confidence, holding a stride that read importance. He might not be the man in charge, but he certainly didn't hold himself like he was below anyone else.

I knew I wasn't supposed to look up, but the temptation to learn all I could drove me to explore with my eyes.

Taking quick glances, I noticed the walls were dirty and bare, riddled with stains and smears of hands and fingers, streaking down like they wanted out just as much as I did.

There were multiple different doors on either side, all with small labels sitting by the handles. Squinting to read the small letters, all the rooms were given a name of color; Blue, Yellow, Green. . .My room was White. Does that mean something?

Reaching a set of elevator doors, Machi pressed the button, joggling his shoulders straight as he waited for them to open.

I tried so hard to ignore the sounds around me and not question what they were, but there was no denying that they weren't playful. They weren't families enjoying a trip to the coast or college kids partying after finishing exams.

Moans and muffled screams came in from every direction, melting with laughter in deep tones, yelps and quiet sobs.

What the hell is this place?

The elevator dinged and the doors opened wide. Machi started to step in, but I stood frozen, just listening. The tones were high and low, falling out with force. They came from someplace that was too dark to comprehend, floating through the air on sadness and despair.

It wasn't right, there were no amount of words to help me process what was happening.

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