Tuesday, January 11, 2005

The Secret Room, 4th Chapter

"But Jimmy! How could you sleep right after hearing something like that?"
"Mmm..." he ignored him and sank deeper under the covers.
"Oh, come on! Stop pretending you're tired!"
Only loud snores replied Will, a clear indication that his roommate was done with talking for tonight.

"Hey, Jan," Will called out to the girl across him at breakfast the next morning. "Say, have you seen Jimmy anywhere around this morning? It's not like him to skip the most important meal of the day."
She gazed at the ceiling, a gesture he always found annoying for some reason. "He was somewhere around earlier today...upstairs, I think."
"Upstairs? What's he doing up-"
Will cut himself off mid-sentence, already guessing the answer. But Jimmy wouldn't do such a thing, would he? Hurriedly he gobbled up his bacon and dashed up the stairs.
The rest of the floors were deserted as they always were this time of the morning, save for some late get-uppers. But that wasn't the object of his concern now, for he was headed to...you guessed it, the fourth floor.
Will stepped into the corridor, rather out of breath. He thought of calling out for Jimmy, but decided otherwise for fear that Mrs. Banks or some of the nice ladies might be around. He was, after all, in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Sure enough, Jimmy was where he'd guessed: standing in front of the Secret Room. What was strange though was this focused expression he bore, studying intently the mechanisms of each lock and latch securing the door.
"I knew you would find me here," said Jimmy without looking at him.
"Yeah."
"Check this out," he pointed at the floor beneath the crack of the door. Will kneeled down to take a closer look.
"What the..." It was a tiny mark made by two fingers repeatedly clawing away at the cement, barely distinguishable to the unobservant eye.

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