The Hallway

Vladimir leads me out of the car, and escorts me up the five stairs to the house's porch. He knocks twice, waits five seconds, and rings the doorbell. A code, I understand it immediately.

The door opens. On the other side, a brown eyed, curly haired girl stands. She's too far from the door to have opened it herself, but she's the only one in the long, dark hallway. She's taller than me, but shorter than Vladimir, with hazel eyes, on a closer look. She's got brown highlights in her tightly curled hair, that actually look natural. And she's got tannish skin. Damn melanin. Damn me not having any. I had a friend in junior high that thought I was albino. I looked into it, and my black hair rules me out, but it didn't stop any uninformed people I knew from asking.

She looks at Vladimir, then looks at me. Wondering why I'm here.

"Vlad, who he hell is she? You know you can't..."

"I can't bring outsiders. She's not. Let us in." he finishes with an attitude I hadn't heard from him. Well of course I haven't. I've only known him for like, what? Two days?

She steps aside, giving me a look as I pass her. She then joins us, walking next to me.

"Hey." she says. "Sorry I acted like that, it's just we really can't let anybody know about this. Vlad's had a habit of bringing people. He brought his last girlfriend here, and she freaked. He's like my best and oldest friend, so I'm kind of protective, you know?"

I nod, showing her that I get it.

"I'm Delaina. I think you're in my math class, actually. I remember your name. Cameo something. I like it. Very cool."

I don't say anything. What can I say? Vlad stops, then bends down to tie his shoes. I lean against the wall.

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I zone out. The history pictures come, only now they're color. The whole house is spinning. Rising up from the ground. It wasn't anything at all like being inches from my nineties phone after school. This was...scary.

At the very center of the swirly pictures is a giant black hole. Like a real one. Gravity pull and everything. I learned enough about astronomy from my parents before they died to know what it was. I can do nothing as the hole threatens to suck in everything it can, including me. This is the single freakiest moment...

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"...ever." The word just falls out of my mouth as I find myself being pulled away from the wall by Vladimir. It takes me a bit longer to focus as I try to register where I am. I end up falling to the floor from dizziness, only to have him catch me. He, as gently as he can, lowers me to the floor, while Delaina gives me a bottle of water.

I'm not registering much, only Vladimir holding me, and Delaina trying to snap me out of it.

"And that, Delaina." I head him say, "is why I brought her here."

She looks at him, then down at me in amazement. I finally get my bearings back.

"Umm...what just happened?"

Neither Vladimir nor Delaina answer me. Delaina helps me up, then hands me a half empty bottle of water.

"Stay away from the walls." she says, with a tone I dare not disobey. I keep to the center of the hall, while Vladimir leads the way. Delaina has to jog to catch up to him.

"Vlad...if she's who you think she is..."
"I know."
"We could really use her."
"I know."
"Umm, guys?"

They turn around to look at me.

"What am I doing here? Where am I?"

Delaina comes back up to me and looks me in the eyes. "Cameo...Cameo, is it?" I nod.

"Well, Cameo, all I'm going to say now is that Vlad was right to bring you here."

"Why?"

By now, we've made it to the farthest door from the entrance as humanly possible before we have to tunnel out of the house. It's a big red door that has a sign on it that reads: THE INSIDE. Vlad opens the door as Delaina finishes her sentence.

"Because you aren't who you think you are." With that, I'm lead through the door.