Pop: Chapter 18a

    Pete and Will return just as Addie joins the others in the stairwell.

    "Back so soon?"

    "Yeah, well.  Most of the doors were locked.  If we couldn't get in, no one else could either." Pete answers.

    "They probably went downstairs," Will says.

    "Come on.  We'll take the main staircase in the front so that we aren't running over everyone else going down the back stairs."

    We take off back down the hall to the front of the building and the main stairs.  Technically, there are two staircases, one on each side of the front.  We take the one on the right, usually reserved for those going up, just because it is a little closer.

    The large windows by the stairs are dark.  The sun should just be starting to set this time of year.  Instead, it's dark enough for the street lights to start turning on outside.  Black clouds are sweeping across the sky.  Flashes of lightning arc in the distance, maybe ten, twelve miles away.  I might hear the faintest rumble of thunder through the outer walls.  It must be bad if I can hear even that.

    On the second floor, we start the search over, with the same results.  While there are many large rooms, capable of being partitioned off into smaller units, almost every door is locked.  I guess with a place this big, management doesn't want people to be running around without any constraints.  The few lights left on flicker again, and again.

    We take off for the bottom floor just as a huge rumble of thunder rolls through building.

    "What was that?!" Rick exclaims.  "I didn't think it was that close yet."

    "I've been hearing thunder for awhile now, but it was always faint.  If we can hear it now, the storm is practically here."

    I look out the front doors as we reach the main floor. Lightning is coming every few seconds now.  The thunder is just compounding on itself.  The lights, both inside and out, are off more than they are on.  The wind is  blowing small pieces of litter throughout the parking lot.  It hasn't started raining, yet, but I can see a grayness hovering over the buildings a few streets over.

    Suddenly, a strike of lightning strikes a nearby building.  The lights go off, and they don't come back on.

    "Okay, we're going to the basement.  Now!" Pete shouts.  "It's too dark to search anymore anyway."

    "Let me just take a quick look outside to see if Jim's out there.  We need to bring him inside where..."

    "What's wrong, Will?"

    He's desperately pushing on the multiple doors, going back and forth in the shadows.

    "They're locked.  All of them.  Why are they locked?"  Will asks.  "How were we supposed to leave if the doors are locked. Maybe Jim's still here.  We could take a quick run and ..."

    "No!  Basement level.  Now!" Pete yells.

    "We can't.  This door's locked too." Rick calls back from down the dark hall.