Looking back, I saw that Sienna's face was clouded-she was battling an attack.
"Sienna."
She snapped out of it.
"This way," I said, in a whisper. I was moving toward a staircase. Of course we'd have to climb a flight of rickety stairs.
The building looked to be an old apartment. Gingerly, I took the first stair. My shoe left a print in the dust of the step. Another. This one creaked. Another. Silence. Another. I realized that I couldn't hear Sienna behind me Quickly, I turned, and nearly bumped into her. She was right behind me.
"Sorry," I mumbled. This place made me on edge-and for good reason, if my heart told me anything.
I turned around and began to climb the steps again. The flight seemed to be never-ending.
Suddenly, the sickening sound of rotten boards splitting came from Sienna's position behind me. I heard my friend yelp.
I whirled around. The stair had fallen under Sienna's weight, and she was attempting to get her leg free from where it had fallen through where the step had been.
We both knew that if she moved too much, the step she was leaning on could break through too.
Warily, I leaned forward, offering her my hand. She took it, gripping it with fingers strengthened by terror.
I closed my eyes and began to heave her up. The stairs groaned painfully. I wondered whose would fall through first-hers or mine. Then she was through, and we took off up the stairs, no longer having the nerve to be tentative.
Somehow, we arrived at the top safely. We stopped to catch our breath. Sienna was trembling all over, and her forehead glistened-as if she had exerted herself far more than just climbing a flight of stairs-no matter how perilous.
"It's harder to resist the attacks here, isn't it?" I asked her, feeling sick.
She only nodded.
"I'll be here." I took her shaking hand.
I knew that we had to go down the hall on our left, but it was dark as-as an old room in an abandoned apartment should be. And I knew that, somewhere, at the end of that hall, was the Thing. Whatever it was that we were searching for.
I began to tremble now. I took a step forward, then paused.
"Sienna, whatever happens to us-I'm not angry at you anymore. I understand."
Sienna almost smiled. "I know. Thank you."
We turned to face the darkness.
-Silvie
