Archives of Despair by Caleb Finn

Author:Caleb Finn [Finn, Caleb]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760149178
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

The elevator doors opened, leaving me back at the warehouse. It was strangely comforting to be in its cold, dark embrace, but anywhere felt safer than that concrete hell. I tore out, running as fast as I could in the direction of the department store.

The dim ceiling lights lit my way – thankfully it was a straight line back. I heard the elevator grinding as it sank back down to the basement.

They’re still after me.

Fear propelled my legs forward, and I pictured Mum in my head as I sprinted as fast as I could towards safety. The mannequin storage slowly came into view. Halfway there.

I was nearly back.

I didn’t care if the man in the glass window noticed me as I dashed past, there was no way he could catch me anyway. Nothing was going to stop me.

I could see the double doors leading to the department store. The familiar perfume of the sterile floors became more noticeable.

I’d done it. I was about to get my normal life back. In a matter of minutes, I was going to be back with Mum. It was only a few steps away.

The doors began to whir, and slid open, letting in a blinding light I had come to miss. Someone had pressed the button to open it.

Someone had come to save me, and I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity.

‘Help! Help, please!’ I screamed with every fibre of my being. A silhouette of a man stood out against the bright light shining through the door.

‘Hello, is anyone in here?’ the man called out.

Please, help me! They’re after me!

The man shone his torch directly at me. I wanted to hug him as hard as I could. He had no idea that he had just saved my life.

‘Hello?’ the man called out again.

Huh? I’m standing right in front of you! Help me!

Wait.

Why aren’t I moving?

My body had completely frozen. I couldn’t move an inch. I jerked in all directions, but it refused to listen.

I was stuck.

The man walked closer to me, shining his light in my face. I screamed with all my might, but no words came out. My scream was trapped inside my body.

The man inspected me, looking closely at my hands.

‘Ah, jeez, not another one,’ he muttered. ‘I swear, you guys fall apart quicker every year.’

The man picked me up with ease, sliding me under his arm and carrying me back towards the warehouse.

Wait, where are you taking me?! Where are we going? Take me back to the store!

‘Why’d they put the elevator all the way at the back? Guess this is my workout for the day,’ he continued, humming a song.

The elevator? No . . . no, don’t take me back down there! I’m real! Please, anywhere but down there!

I cried as loudly as I could all the way back through the warehouse. My voice never grew hoarse since he couldn’t hear me. I was paralysed in this body. There was no way to communicate with him.

Quinn was right, you can’t move when they see you.

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