Snippet #2093534

She followed him silently up the staircase, their footsteps echoing eerily in the empty space. A nervous tingle started at the base of her neck, and she tilted her head to the side, trying to release all the tension she could feel. The hallway did nothing to ease her worries. That open door...she waited outside the door after Adrian went in, smelling a faint, repulsive smell she couldn't quite place. She was starting to worry, fidgeting as long seconds ticked by, when Adrian came out, looking, if it was possible, even worse than he had only a few minutes ago. "Are you okay?" Her eyes were huge with fear as she bent over him, leaning against the counter. "What is it? What's wrong?" Face even paler than usual, she turned her head away, something tickling the back of her mind. She frowned, concentrating, listening. There was Adrian's breath, harsh and uneven, even as he dragged on his cigarette. That thumping- what was it? SHe glanced at the man out of the corner of her eye- it was coming from him. It was a steady pattern, one she knew well...was it? Could it be- his heartbeat? Something is seriously wrong with you if you think you can hear that guy's heartbeat, part of her whispered, but she knew that she was right. She ignored it for now, what she wanted wasn't here. Up, then, above them.

Footsteps. And heartbeats. One stood out- fast and quieter than the others. A scared child? It was possible. "Adrian. There are people upstairs. You can hear their footsteps." She didn't mention their heartbeats, knowing he wouldn't believe her. She crept towards the stairs, quiet as a cat, intent on finding that lone heartbeat.