It was Ethan’s voice, muffled and distant, but unmistakable.

I grabbed Lauren’s hand and pulled her behind the heavy vinyl chair.

“Stay down,” I whispered to her.

The sound of footsteps scrambled outside, followed by the heavy crash of a fire door swinging shut.

Then, silence returned to the third floor.

I looked toward the open doorway, the dark hallway yawning like an open mouth.

Paul was gone.

He had slipped out into the darkness while the lights were out.

I was alone in the room with Lauren and Mary, the monitor still ticking away in the dark.

My hand found the small metal flashlight in my coat pocket.

I clicked it on, the thin beam of light cutting through the shadows.

The flashlight beam caught something on the floor near the doorway.

It was a single gold pen, its metallic surface reflecting the light.

I walked over and picked it up, the metal cold against my fingers.

Ethan’s pen.

He must have dropped it during the struggle.

I tucked it into my pocket and looked back at Lauren.

“We have to go,” I whispered.