Chapter 4

Anna was the first to speak.

"Wow," she said, plastering on a sweet smile as if she were genuinely thrilled for me. "Ellie, you are so lucky. You actually hit the nail on the head just by guessing."

Then, Ethan snorted. "Since you know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, try not to cause any more trouble."

"It wasn't a guess," I countered. "When I was knocked down earlier, I saw fluorescent numbers under the cabinet."

Logan let out a low whistle. "Looks like you really lucked out." He played it off with a laugh. "Hey, the code worked, so let's just move on."

Jack didn't move. He stood his ground, staring at me for a moment before he finally spoke. "Maybe Ellie is onto something. A child's puzzle should be looked at from a child's perspective."

*****

In the center of the next room sat a life-sized teddy bear. The moment we stepped inside, the lights cut out, leaving nothing but a few streaks of dim, crimson light.

The bear on the floor slowly began to stand up in the red glow.

Anna shrieked and buried herself in Ethan's chest. Standing nearby, I heard him pull her close, whispering, "Don't be scared. I've got you."

My heart felt like it had been pierced by a tiny needle.

Logan, the gaming streamer, was the fastest to react. He darted straight into a tent tucked away in the corner. "Everyone, get in a tent!"

There were three small tents of different shapes in the room. To avoid being left out in the open, we had to double up.

Ethan, still holding Anna, vanished into the nearest blue tent. He tucked her safely inside and used his own back to block the entrance.

Gritting my teeth, I dashed toward the red tent where Jack was.

The space was incredibly cramped. I tried my best to keep some distance, but even at the furthest edge, we were barely four inches apart.

Anna's voice floated over from the tent next door. "Ethan, is it going to come over here?"

"No," he whispered, his voice soothing as if he were talking to a toddler. "I'm blocking the way."

I dug my nails into my palms.

The bear's footsteps eventually grew faint.

I cautiously poked my head out, only to find a fuzzy, grotesque bear face illuminated by the red light right in front of me. I gasped and recoiled instinctively.

Behind me, Jack had also leaned out to check the situation and swung a fist instinctively. His fist landed square on the bear's face.

The bear paused for a split second, let out a piteous wail, and bolted into the darkness clutching its head.

The walkie-talkie crackled, and the director's voice came through, sounding absolutely livid. "No punching the staff!"

Jack cleared his throat and apologized into the walkie-talkie. "Sorry, it was just a reflex. I'll make sure to apologize to Mr. Bear in person after we finish filming."

A cold snort came through the walkie-talkie. "The key is on 'Mr. Bear.' Now, go find it and apologize. This is a solo mission. Only one person goes."

I felt Jack stiffen beside me. He went quiet for a few seconds, his voice sounding raspy when he finally spoke. "Can I get a minute to... psych myself up?"

"How about I go?" I volunteered. "The bear seemed pretty friendly to me."

The voice on the walkie-talkie chimed back in immediately, sounding like they were enjoying the drama a little too much. "Fine, you can go as a pair.

"But you have to keep your fingers interlocked the entire time. If you let go, the mission fails and you'll face a penalty."

I instinctively looked over at Ethan. In the darkness, he was staring at Jack and me, our shoulders nearly touching. His face was shadowed and unreadable under the red light.

Anna spoke up immediately, her voice sweet and soft. "Ethan and I will go. We've known each other for ages; holding hands is no big deal."

As she spoke, she shot a fleeting look my way, her smile brimming with smug satisfaction.