THE LOCKED ROOM
Chapter 11: The Locked Room
The wind carried the dry scent of old grass and dust as Lucas scanned the open field. There was nothing here—no structures, no landmarks—just a stretch of empty land that matched the X on their map.
"We're sure this is it?" Caleb asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Because I'm looking around, and all I see is a whole lot of nothing."
Lucas bit the inside of his cheek. He was sure this was the right place. But if there was something here, it wasn't visible.
Tessa groaned. "You dragged us out here for this?" She threw her hands up. "I knew it! I knew this was gonna be a dead end, but did anyone listen to me? No."
"We just have to look," Lucas said, ignoring her tone.
"For what? Air?" She scoffed.
Ryan, who had been quiet, exhaled. "Look, we're already here. We might as well check."
And so they searched.
For over an hour, they scoured the ground, tapping their feet on the dirt, checking for anything out of place. Lucas felt his frustration growing. Tessa's earlier words rang in his head. What if this really is a waste of time?
Eventually, she sat down on the grass, sighing loudly. "I'm done."
Lucas clenched his fists. "We haven't finished searching."
She scoffed. "We've been looking for hours. There's nothing here, Lucas. I'm not about to waste my whole night playing treasure hunt for ghosts."
Lucas gritted his teeth. "Then leave."
Tessa snapped her head toward him. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he said, stepping toward her. "If you're so convinced this is pointless, then leave."
Her face twisted in anger as she stood. "You think you're some kind of leader just because you found that stupid book?"
"This isn't about me," Lucas shot back. "It's about all of us. But if you'd rather sit there and do nothing, go ahead. Just don't drag us down with you."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said mockingly. "I forgot you were the only one who mattered here."
"Guys," Caleb muttered, shifting uncomfortably.
But Lucas wasn't backing down. He was tired—tired of Tessa always questioning everything, always acting like she didn't care.
"If you don't want to help, then stop wasting our time and just leave."
Her jaw tightened. "Fine."
She turned and stormed off toward the abandoned barn.
Lucas exhaled sharply, turning back to Caleb and Ryan. "Let's just keep looking."
Ryan hesitated, glancing between him and Tessa. "I'm gonna check around the back of the barn," he said, walking off.
Lucas rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Caleb gave him a look. "Did you really have to push her like that?"
"She doesn't listen," Lucas muttered. "She never listens."
Caleb sighed. "Yeah, well, now she's pissed."
Before Lucas could respond, a sharp crack split the air.
Then a thud.
A loud groan followed.
Lucas's stomach dropped. "Ryan?"
He spun around just in time to see Caleb running toward the barn. Tessa had stopped, too, her anger replaced with confusion.
Then Ryan's voice echoed from below. "I think I just broke something."
Lucas rushed over. Near the back of the barn, a jagged hole gaped open in the ground. Dust swirled in the air where the old wooden boards had collapsed.
Ryan groaned again. "Not me, by the way. The floor. I fell."
Lucas peered down. It was dark, but he could see the faint outline of a room below.
Caleb's voice was sharp. "Are you okay?"
"Define okay," Ryan muttered. "I just dropped into a freaking horror movie."
Lucas exhaled. "I'm coming down."
He climbed down carefully, stepping onto the rickety staircase leading into the underground space. The air was thick with dust and something old, like rotting wood. Ryan had turned on his flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom.
Lucas's breath caught.
The walls.
They were covered in names.
Hundreds of them, scrawled in different handwriting, some scratched into the wood, others written on yellowed paper.
Caleb and Tessa climbed down after them, and the moment Tessa saw the walls, she paled. "What… what is this?"
Lucas didn't answer. He was staring at something else entirely.
His own name.
Written in red.
His stomach clenched.
"Lucas…" Caleb's voice was uneasy.
Lucas swallowed hard. "This means… I shouldn't be here."
Ryan pointed at the names in yellow. "Uh. Guys?"
Caleb, Tessa, and Ryan.
Their names were among them.
Tessa shook her head, stepping back. "No."
Lucas turned to her. "Tessa—"
"No, Lucas, this is wrong. I don't understand any of this." She pressed a hand against her forehead. "Why us? Why our names?"
Caleb rubbed the back of his head. "This list has been here for a long time. Look at the dates. These people disappeared years ago."
Ryan moved to a nearby table, where old papers were scattered. "These dates match the ones from that book Eli had."
Tessa's breathing was uneven. "So what? We just sit here and wait for our turn to disappear?"
"No," Lucas said firmly. "We find out why."
Ryan reached under the table and pulled out something taped beneath it—a crumpled letter.
Tessa took it and unfolded it with shaky hands.
She read aloud.
Here's the revised version with your requested changes:
Ryan doesn't suggest the place is underground; he just falls through by accident while checking behind the barn.
A heated argument happens between Lucas, Caleb, and Tessa.
Tessa doesn't say she's 35—her reaction is changed to something else.
---
Chapter 10: The Locked Room
The wind carried the dry scent of old grass and dust as Lucas scanned the open field. There was nothing here—no structures, no landmarks—just a stretch of empty land that matched the X on their map.
"We're sure this is it?" Caleb asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Because I'm looking around, and all I see is a whole lot of nothing."
Lucas bit the inside of his cheek. He was sure this was the right place. But if there was something here, it wasn't visible.
Tessa groaned. "You dragged us out here for this?" She threw her hands up. "I knew it! I knew this was gonna be a dead end, but did anyone listen to me? No."
"We just have to look," Lucas said, ignoring her tone.
"For what? Air?" She scoffed.
Ryan, who had been quiet, exhaled. "Look, we're already here. We might as well check."
And so they searched.
For over an hour, they scoured the ground, tapping their feet on the dirt, checking for anything out of place. Lucas felt his frustration growing. Tessa's earlier words rang in his head. What if this really is a waste of time?
Eventually, she sat down on the grass, sighing loudly. "I'm done."
Lucas clenched his fists. "We haven't finished searching."
She scoffed. "We've been looking for hours. There's nothing here, Lucas. I'm not about to waste my whole night playing treasure hunt for ghosts."
Lucas gritted his teeth. "Then leave."
Tessa snapped her head toward him. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he said, stepping toward her. "If you're so convinced this is pointless, then leave."
Her face twisted in anger as she stood. "You think you're some kind of leader just because you found that stupid book?"
"This isn't about me," Lucas shot back. "It's about all of us. But if you'd rather sit there and do nothing, go ahead. Just don't drag us down with you."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said mockingly. "I forgot you were the only one who mattered here."
"Guys," Caleb muttered, shifting uncomfortably.
But Lucas wasn't backing down. He was tired—tired of Tessa always questioning everything, always acting like she didn't care.
"If you don't want to help, then stop wasting our time and just leave."
Her jaw tightened. "Fine."
She turned and stormed off toward the abandoned barn.
Lucas exhaled sharply, turning back to Caleb and Ryan. "Let's just keep looking."
Ryan hesitated, glancing between him and Tessa. "I'm gonna check around the back of the barn," he said, walking off.
Lucas rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Caleb gave him a look. "Did you really have to push her like that?"
"She doesn't listen," Lucas muttered. "She never listens."
Caleb sighed. "Yeah, well, now she's pissed."
Before Lucas could respond, a sharp crack split the air.
Then a thud.
A loud groan followed.
Lucas's stomach dropped. "Ryan?"
He spun around just in time to see Caleb running toward the barn. Tessa had stopped, too, her anger replaced with confusion.
Then Ryan's voice echoed from below. "I think I just broke something."
Lucas rushed over. Near the back of the barn, a jagged hole gaped open in the ground. Dust swirled in the air where the old wooden boards had collapsed.
Ryan groaned again. "Not me, by the way. The floor. I fell."
Lucas peered down. It was dark, but he could see the faint outline of a room below.
Caleb's voice was sharp. "Are you okay?"
"Define okay," Ryan muttered. "I just dropped into a freaking horror movie."
Lucas exhaled. "I'm coming down."
He climbed down carefully, stepping onto the rickety staircase leading into the underground space. The air was thick with dust and something old, like rotting wood. Ryan had turned on his flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom.
Lucas's breath caught.
The walls.
They were covered in names.
Hundreds of them, scrawled in different handwriting, some scratched into the wood, others written on yellowed paper.
Caleb and Tessa climbed down after them, and the moment Tessa saw the walls, she paled. "What… what is this?"
Lucas didn't answer. He was staring at something else entirely.
His own name.
Written in red.
His stomach clenched.
"Lucas…" Caleb's voice was uneasy.
Lucas swallowed hard. "This means… I shouldn't be here."
Ryan pointed at the names in yellow. "Uh. Guys?"
Caleb, Tessa, and Ryan.
Their names were among them.
Tessa shook her head, stepping back. "No."
Lucas turned to her. "Tessa—"
"No, Lucas, this is wrong. I don't understand any of this." She pressed a hand against her forehead. "Why us? Why our names?"
Caleb rubbed the back of his head. "This list has been here for a long time. Look at the dates. These people disappeared years ago."
Ryan moved to a nearby table, where old papers were scattered. "These dates match the ones from that book Eli had."
Tessa's breathing was uneven. "So what? We just sit here and wait for our turn to disappear?"
"No," Lucas said firmly. "We find out why."
Ryan reached under the table and pulled out something taped beneath it—a crumpled letter.
Tessa took it and unfolded it with shaky hands.
She read aloud.
> My name is Eli Evanove. I moved here when I was a kid. And that was a very long time ago.
When I was young, the town believed in sacrifices. The people of the church hated that practice. My mother was with Riverside—they believed in sacrificing people to the gods of the river. The church members left, abandoning their buildings, but I stayed behind. I couldn't leave my mother.
The last time they sacrificed someone, she laid a curse on the land. A curse meant to last for eternity, trapping every generation that followed.
I don't know how to break it. But I know someone will come searching for the truth. If you find this letter, know that you are closer than anyone else has ever been.
I have to go now. If they find me, I will be erased again. If I learn how to end this, I will write it down. If I don't…
Then I guess I was too late.
Goodbye, for now.
Silence.
Ryan broke it first. "Well. That's… horrifying."
Lucas scanned the letter again, his fingers tightening around the paper. Then he saw it. A faint note scribbled at the bottom.
> You are closer than anyone else. Do not stop now. But whatever you do… do not trust the ones who pretend to love you. They are not who they say they are.
Lucas felt something cold crawl up his spine.
Tessa whispered, "What does that mean?"
Lucas's mind flashed to his mother. To the way she smiled that morning. To the way she had spoken to him so kindly.
If she's part of the town…
His pulse quickened.
"We have to go," he said.
Caleb frowned. "Why?"
Lucas swallowed hard. "Because I think someone already knows we found this."
And then, as if the town had been listening—
The lights flickered.
And went out.
---
As soon as the lights flickered and went out, silence swallowed the room.
For a moment, nobody moved. Nobody even breathed.
Then—
A faint sound.
Footsteps.
Distant, unclear, but steady.
Lucas froze. His heart pounded against his ribs.
Ryan heard it too. "Tell me that's not—"
"Run," Lucas whispered.
Nobody
Lucas thought fast. They couldn't go back home. It was too dangerous now. The only safe place left was the abandoned church. Based on the curse, the people of Riverside couldn't enter it. That meant they'd be safe there.
But something didn't add up.
Lucas remembered the town's chief saying he had been inside the church.
That's impossible, he thought. He was lying.
Then another realization hit him.
"What's the chief's name?" Lucas suddenly asked.
Tessa, who lived next to him, froze. Her mind felt like it had been wiped clean. The chief had always been there, running the town, speaking at meetings. But... she couldn't remember his name.
Ryan did.
"Bryan Reign," Ryan said, his voice quiet.
The name felt unfamiliar, almost like it had no place in this town.
Lucas's pulse quickened. If Bryan Reign is human and not part of the curse, that means he tricked the people into believing he belongs here.
"We need to check the list again," Lucas said.
They hurried back down to the hidden basement, flipping through the names written on the walls. Red names—people who had disappeared. Yellow names—people who were next. Green names—people who were safe.
They scanned every inch of the list.
Bryan Reign wasn't on it.
A chill ran down Lucas's spine. He didn't belong in Riverside. He was the next clue.
The four of them stood together, exhausted and shaken, as the weight of their latest discovery pressed down on them like an invisible force.
"This doesn't make sense," Ryan muttered, pacing. "Why would the chief be the next clue?"
Lucas glanced around, scanning the open space around them. The Riverside people were still out there, searching. They couldn't risk being seen, not now. He lowered his voice. "We can't talk out here. We need to hide—go to the church."
No one argued. Their bodies were already heavy with exhaustion, but they dragged themselves through the streets, careful to stay out of sight. By the time they reached the church and slipped inside, their muscles ached, and their breathing was labored. Ryan dropped onto one of the pews with a groan, while Tessa leaned against the altar, rubbing her forehead.
Caleb slumped down on the steps, running a hand through his hair. "Alright," he exhaled. "Now talk."
Lucas took a slow breath. "The chief isn't just another clue. He's hiding something."
Tessa frowned. "He's always seemed like a decent guy. Strict, sure, but not… dangerous."
Caleb nodded. "Yeah, but he doesn't want us to know something. Specifically, something about Lucas."
That sent a chill down Lucas's spine. "I think you're right." He gathered his thoughts. "The night I moved to Riverside, the chief came to my house. He wasn't alone—he brought the sheriff and his son. I thought it was just a formality, but now, I think it was more than that. That night, I told him about the church. About what I saw when I stepped inside."
Ryan tilted his head. "And?"
Lucas hesitated. "And he told me he'd been there before."
Silence.
Tessa's arms tightened around her waist. "But that's not possible."
Lucas nodded grimly. "Exactly. We know now that the Riverside people can't enter the church. They can't even step through the doors." His voice dropped lower. "So why did the chief say he could?"
Ryan's brows furrowed. "Maybe he was lying."
"Or maybe he's different from the others," Caleb suggested.
Lucas shook his head. "He doesn't seem like a bad person. If anything, he's been the most reasonable person here."
Tessa exhaled. "Good people can still have secrets."
That was the unsettling part. The chief didn't act like someone trying to trap them. But he had deliberately kept something hidden about Lucas.
"We have to find him," Lucas said. "We need to figure out what he knows."
Ryan groaned. "And how exactly do we do that? Walk up to him and ask?"
"No," Caleb said. "We wait."
Tessa exhaled, looking up at the sky. The sun was still high, and the Riverside people were still out searching. "That means staying hungry till night."
Ryan ran a hand down his face. "Fantastic."
Lucas swallowed. "That means if the chief is good, we have another soul on our side." His voice turned grim. "But if he's not… that means our death."
No one said anything after that. The weight of the words settled between them like a heavy stone.
They didn't have another choice. They had to avoid the Riverside people at all costs—but they still had to meet the chief.
As they started moving again, the town's eerie silence stretched around them, like the calm before a storm. Whatever truth the chief was hiding, they were about to find out.