“I can’t believe we’re staying here!” Casi  smiles when we reach the mansion.
    “Yeah!” I grin back, “It’s going to be awesome!” We walk up to the door and walk in.
    “Our rooms are all on the same floor right?” Ali asks as we reach the stair case.
    “Yeah.” Tray nods.

    We hurry up two flights of stair to the third floor, where all of our rooms are. We all quickly pick our rooms and unpack.
    
    “Were going to explore the mansion, wanna come?” Collin knocks on my door.
    “Not yet, I‘m gonna take a nap,” I open the door, “I’ll catch up to you.”
    “Okay, we’re starting at the top floor and working our way down.” Reed tells me as he, Collin and Tray walk to the stairs. I lay down on the old bed and fall asleep.

    “Claire!” I’m woken to banging on my door. I jump out of bed and open it.
    “What?!” I ask startled.
    “Did you scream?” Addie asks nervous.
    “No, I didn’t even hear a scream.” I tell them confused.
    “One of the guys must of done it…” Casi  frowns.
    “They’re probably just trying to scare us.” I roll my eyes.
    “Let’s check on them just in case.” Ali tells us.

    We head down the stairs. 

    “Ali and I will check this floor,” Addie tells us, “You guys check the first floor.”
    “Okay.” Hazel nods. We walk down the next flight of stairs.
    “Let’s just check different rooms that way we’ll de done quicker.” Casi  tells us.
    “Okay, I guess.” I frown, not happy to be by myself in the house, “I’ll look in the library first.” I head down the hall to a large door.

    The library’s huge, rows and rows of shelves, with not a book out of place. There’s one book though, that doesn’t fit on the selves, and is laid on top of a row of books. It turns out to be a journal, but what catches me as odd is it has two owners and more lines for more names. I open it up to the first page.

    It thinks it’s a game. I don’t know how many more times I can do this. How many more times I can go through watching everyone die. This wasn’t the deal, the deal was It had to kill me first.

There are several entries like that one, but eventually I come to the last on in the same hand writing.

    I give up. It wins. I can’t save everyone. 
    A new writer start after that, but instead of journal entries it has what looks like tips.
    
    Keep the doors locked. Don’t go out alone.
    Get the sword above the fire place in the third room on the second floor.
    Don’t be loud in the halls.
    Secret room in the third room on the second floor-safe. 

    “God…” I mutter a bit frightened. I decide to hand onto the book, just in case. 

    Then I hear another scream. I run out to the halls.
    
    “Hazel?! Casi ?!” I shout, they appear farther down the hall.
    “It came from the second floor!” Hazel says, I can tell she’s shaken up too. We hear another scream and we run up the stairs.
    
    We’re greeted with a horrific sight. A human shaped thing stands blocking us from the others. Even with it’s back facing us, it’s terrifying. It may be shaped like a human, but that’s were similarities end. It’s body is a swirl of red and black and looks scared badly.

    I hear another scream, I know it comes from one of the three of us, but I can’t tell who. The thing turns and looks at us.

    Pure terror is the only way to describe it. I can’t tell if it’s hollow sockets where the eyes are supposed to be, or if it’s eyes are that black with no white. It’s mouth is ripped open in a sadistic smile and pointed teeth drip red.

    It looks at me and it’s smile widens when it sees the journal. The others take the chance and run past it to us, not a second after they reach us the thing comes towards me.

    I freeze.

    “Claire! Come on!” Hazel yells, Collin and Tray grab my arms and pull me back towards the stairs. We run down them to the front door, but it won’t open.

    “Just pull harder!” Casi  shouts.
    “It won’t open!” Reed shouts back and pulls one last time, it doesn’t work.
    “Guys! It’s almost down the steps!” Addie shouts. 
    
    Then I remember the tips, I open the journal and flip through the second person’s pages.

    Bathrooms located on every floor have a lock- safe
    *Must lock door

    “Guys! Where’s the bathroom on this floor?!” I ask panicked. “It has a lock!”
    “This way!” Ali shouts and runs down the hall we follow. As soon as everyone’s in I lock the door. 
    “Claire, are you alright?” Collin asks. Then I see my reflection.

    I don’t look alright. Tears run down my face, my eyes are red from crying, and I’ve lost what little color I had in my face. I look the worst out of everyone. 

    Then there’s a loud banging on the door. I can’t breath and my tears increase. I feel my friends hug me.

    “It’ll be okay.” Addie tells me, “We’re going to get out of here.”
    “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Tray promises me.

    After about five minutes the banging stops.

    “Do you think it’s gone?” Casi  asks.
    “Wait a few minutes, please.” I plead before they open the door.
    “I’ll check,” Reed volunteers, “Shut the door as soon as I get out. Don’t unlock it no matter what unless I say it’s safe.” He opens the door and disappears. Collin slams the door and locks it.
    “No…” I whisper still in tears.
    “He’ll be fine.” Hazel assures me. A few minutes later we hear Reed shout.
    “It’s safe!” eventually we all make it back into the halls.
    “What are we going to do?” Ali asks.
    “We need to search for a key.” I frown. They look at me weird. “It’s locked from the inside, there was a key hole, so there’s gotta be a key.” I explain.
    “Alright, we’ll split up.” Casi  frowns, “Addie Ali, you look together, Hazel and Tray, Collin and Claire, and me and Reed.”
    “Okay.” everyone besides me nods. Soon everyone goes off leaving me and the boy who used to be my best friend.
    “You okay?” He asks I nod, “We’re going to make it out of here.”
    “Okay.” I nod again. “Let’s search the top floor, in games that’s always where the key is.”
    “That’s in games Claire.” he frowns, but agrees. 

    We search all the rooms except one top to bottom, nothing.

    “Last room.” I mumble, nervous It will come back. 

    We enter the room, it’s very terrifying. A huge two written in red is on the wall and a large mirror shows our reflection. Or some cruel version of our reflection. I look soaked with red splattered on my cheek, and I look like I’m on the verge of a mental break down.
    Collin, on the other hand, is mortifying. His eyes stare at nothing and red soaks his clothes, his eyes are sunk in and the skin that’s showing is covered with bruises and cuts.

    “It’s just a trick.” Collin tells me. We search the room and right as we’re about to give up, I find a key under the couch.
    “Let’s go get the others!” I smile but as soon as we step out of the room It’s there.
    “Run!” Collin screams at me, but I freeze. It comes at me, but Collin steps in the way. It’s not long until Collin looks like his reflection.
    “Run…” He tells me as he falls. I’m shaking but manage to do as I’m told this time.
    “Guys!” I yell, tears running down my face as I reach the third floor, I hurry looking for Addie and Ali who were looking on this floor. I open one of the unused bedrooms to find Addie laying blooded on the bed, Ali sitting next to her, not looking much better.
    “Come on I got the key!” I tell them. Ali just shakes her head.
    “It’s to late for us… You go on ahead.” She gives me a small smile.
    “No, you guys need to come too!”
    “Addie’s not going anywhere…” tears well up in her eyes. “It can here and attacked us… she’s gone… I’m not to far behind her… I want to stay with her for my last few minutes… she’s my sister.” she starts crying, “You can still make it though. Go Destiny!”
    I nod, “I’ll lock the door behind me, so it can’t get in.” my vision blurs.
    “Thank you.” she tells me as I shut the locked door behind me. When I reach the second floor Casi  and Reed lay feet apart, with red surrounding them.
    “Guys?” I ask, no respond after a few moments I can see they’re not breathing.
    “Claire come on!” Hazel and Tray yell at me from the stair case. I hurry towards them, “You have the key?” Hazel asks.
    “Yeah.” I nod, “Collin, he died… and Addie did too, But Ali was still alive when I left, though just barely…” I start sobbing, “But Casi  and Reed, they we’re breathing, but maybe they’re…”
    “Shh, you’ll be okay.” Tray reasures me. As we run down the stairs to the first floor. But then It appears behind us. And Hazel trips.
    “Hazel!” I go to stop, but Tray pulls me forwards.
    “Keep going! I’ll catch up!” she gives me a small smile I turn and run harder. We almost make it to the door, when It appears again.
    “Keep going Claire, open the door and get out!” Tray shouts as It comes towards me. But Tray steps in the way. “Go! I promised you that you’d make it now go!” He cries out I fumble with the key but eventually manage to open the door. I hurry out into the rain as Tray hits the floor. I keep running until I reach the gate. It follows me, but stops halfway to me.

    “Give them back!” I shout infuriated, “Give me back my friends!” it just smiles. “This is all just a game to you isn’t it?! Well guess what! I won! I made it out! Now give them back!… Please…” I sob, “You can manipulate time right? That what it says in this book at least, take me back! Try to get me first… that is if you can catch me!” I shout.

    Then all of a sudden I’m back at the front door, with everyone and the journal.

2: Second Loop: Don't Tell

    “I can’t believe we’re staying here!” Casi  smiles as we reach the mansion.
    “Guys! Your back!” I hug everyone, “I thought you were gone!” tears well in my eyes.
    “Jez Claire, you followed us here.” Caleb frowns at me.
    “She’s probably just tired, come on you can get some rest.” Addie pulls me into the mansion along with everyone else then shuts the door.
    “No!” My heart shatters. Not again. I hurry to the door to try and open it, but it’s locked. “The door won’t open!” I shout panicked.
    “Don’t be stupid.” Reed rolls his eyes as he tries to open it, it doesn’t budge. “That’s weird…” he mumbles.
    “It’s coming…” I whimper… “It’s going to get me…”
    “We’ll just find another way out.” Hazel assures me, “There’s a back door, I seen it when we drove around the house.” I nod and we follow her.
    “What are you so scared of anyway?” Ali asks.
    “There’s a monster in here… it’s gonna try and kill us.” I shake at the thought.
    “Relax, there’s no such thing as monsters.” Casi  laughs, “We’ll be fine.
    
    She was wrong.

    It was waiting for us. 

    “Stay away! You’re not getting them!” I shout, but I’m to terrified to do anything as it attacks us. 

    It looks at me with a twisted smile, I fall to my knees holing my head in fear.

    “Claire!” Tray yells as he steps in the way of a clawed hang coming at me.
    “No!” I cry, “Run! It only wants me, go find the key!”

    But no one listens. Even now they don’t take me serious.

    I do the only thing I can. I run. I run to the room with the mirror and grab the key. 

    There’s a large one written in red next to the two I seen before. The mirror shows my hands bloodied and with a tear streaked face.

    “Please let them be okay…” I whisper over and over again as I run back down stairs.
    It’s gone.

    But everyone else is still there. But my worst fear came true.

    “Claire?” Addie’s voice is horse, her eyes closed but she hold out her red hand to me.
    “Addie!” I grab her hand, “I’m so sorry! I wanted to save everyone! But I’m to much of a coward! Please, please don’t leave! I’m sorry! Forgive me!”
    “Run…” her hand goes limp, and her chest no longer falls up and down.
    
    “No! We were supposed to get out this time!” I cry, “Wake up! Please! I’ll do anything! I’ll be braver! Please don’t leave me!” I hold the journal I’ve managed to hang onto this whole time tight to my chest. “Give me another chance I whisper.” I hang my head, “I know now. They can’t know. This is my burden. I won’t tell them about anything. I’ll make sure they’ll get out… Even if I don’t. Please… Please… Let me save them.”

    Once again, I’m in the sunlight. 

3: Loop 23: Promise

“I can’t believe we’re staying here!” Casi  smiles when we reach the mansion.
    “Yeah, It’s gonna be awesome!” I agree as we walk in the front door, “Right Claire?” I turn to see her hesitate to come in, but she does.
    “Yeah! Of course it will be!” she smiles, but it’s forced I doubt the other’s can tell.
    “What room are the floors again?” Ali asks, “The third right?”
    “Yeah.” Tray nods, “We’re all on the same floor too.”
    “Um, I talked to the owner…” Claire starts, “They said that it might be better if we stay in the third room on the second floor, it’s got a special door that leads to room for all of us to sleep.”
    “Really?” I ask surprised, Claire normally would have insisted on separate rooms.
    “Yeah.” She nods and we head up the stairs. We get to the room, but it only has one bed.
    “Claire are you sure this is right?” Addie asks.
    “Yeah…” Claire doesn’t look at us, “There’s a secret door…” she walks over to a book shelf, “Help me move this.” Tray and Reed look at each other and shrug, but help her move it anyway. There’s a door behind it.
    “Whoa, that’s pretty cool.” I smirk as we walk into the new room. It’s got ten beds, more than enough for us, a kitchen with food stocked, and bathrooms with stall connected to it.
    “Why would it be set up like this?” Casi wonders out loud.
    “The last people who stayed here built it.” Claire tells us.
    “Really? How do you know?” Addie asks.
    “I read about it.” Claire shrugs walking away to one of the beds, she sets down her bag. It’s then I notice something.
    “You got a new journal?” I ask.
    “Yeah…” she looks away, “So I won’t forget what happens.”
    “Don’t be sad!” I laugh, “We have the whole week before you head out of the country and us to different states! We’ll still see each other afterwards on holidays and stuff!”
    “Yeah! Your right!” she gives me the same smile as before.
    “I have to admit, this is pretty cool.” Hazel smirks, “Look there’s swords and stuff.”
    “Really?!” I notice everyone’s surprised, except Claire.
    “I’m going to talk a walk.” Claire stand up.
    “Here I’ll come with you.” Reed offers, but she shakes her head.
    “No, It’s okay,” she smiles, “I just want to check it out by myself, if that’s alright?”
    “Sure, we’ll be here when you get back.” I smile as she leaves.

    “You guys notice how strange Claire’s acting?” I ask the others.
    “She’s leaving the country in a little over a week, she’s probably just nervous.” Addie tells me.
    “Yeah, I mean Addie and I are going to the same collage, you, Casi and Hazel are all going to the same one, and Tray and Reed are both joining the military together, she’s the odd one out really.” Ali reminds us.
    “Your probably right.” I laugh and walk over to the beds, I pick one next to Claire’s. “What time is it?”
    Tray pulls out his phone, “I don’t know, my phones not working…”
    “Mine either.” Hazel frowns, “It must be because of how old this house is, the walls are really thick and we don’t get service.” she shrugs, “Claire has a watch we can just ask her when she gets back.” I nod, for once Claire’s windup watch will be good for something.
    The door opens startling us all and Claire walks in. Her eyes are red and she looks like she was crying.
    “That was a short trip.” I frown, she laughs.
    “I only checked out the fourth floor.” she laughs.
    “So where we going tomorrow?” Tray asks, “A museum or what?”
    “It’s up to you guys.” Clair gives a small smile. 
    “Come on this was your idea to come here.” Casi tells her, “You we’re really excited about the Natural History Museum, it’s only a few hours away. We’ll go there first.”
    “Okay.” She smiles, “I’m gonna go shower then head to bed, it’s pretty late.”
    “Oh yeah, our phones aren’t working, what’s the time?” I ask.
    “It’s 10.” She tells me, “We’ve been here longer than it seems.” and with that she walks into the bathroom with her bag.

    One by one we all shower and go to bed, Clair’s the first one up in the morning, and she’s already dressed.

    “Already up?” Hazel asks, “Jeez.” she laughs.
    “I’m excited!” She smiles, but her eyes look scared.

    We all hurry and get dressed, we agree to stop on the way rather than spend time cooking, soon we’re all headed out into the halls.
    “Collin?” Claire is still standing in the door way, I walk back to her.
    “Yeah?” I ask, she hands me an old key.
    “It’s the key to the front door, it’s going to be locked…” she frowns looking away.
    “What’s wrong?” I ask.
    “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t act like this…” she mumbles to herself, “It’s for the best.”
    “Claire?”
    “It’s nothing.” she gives me the same fake smile as before, “Just no matter what promise me you’ll go out the door when I tell you too.”
    “What?” I ask.
    “And that you’ll make everyone else do the same, Promise.”
    “Okay?” I reply creeped out.
    “Thank you.” She smiles for real this time, “We should catch up to the others.” and with that we run back to the group.
    Claire asks scared as we walk down the halls, and I notice she has her journal with her, but I’ve seen her talk books on road trips before so this is nothing new. The closer we get to the door, the more nervous and skittish she gets.
    “You okay?” Casi notices too. Claire just nods. Finally we see the door. I don’t notice Claire’s stopped until we’re at the door.
    “Claire?” I yell at her.
    “Unlock the door go!” she yells, I hear the panic in her voice. “You promised!” I unlock the door and push it open, Claire starts walking towards us, but as soon as she passes the room between us it opens and a sick creature comes out and throws her against the wall.
    “Claire!” I yell getting ready to run back to her.
    “Run!” She yells back sobbing, “You promised! This is the only way… I’m sorry.” the creature attacks her again, she screams.
    “Get back!” I yell and run to the beast punching it, the other’s quickly follow me. After a few minutes of us hitting it, it just disappears.
    “Claire!” I run to my old friends side and grab her hand.
    “Why didn’t you run?” tears streak her face. 
    “Why didn’t you just come with us?” I ask. And then I realized. The monster was waiting on her. It didn’t attack when we walked past the room. Claire knew it wanted her.
    “I had to protect you guys this time… after all the times you’ve protected me.” She gives us a sad smile, “Just go before it comes back, please.”
    “Your coming with us.” Hazel tells her, “Your going to be okay.” Clair just shakes her head.
    “No.” tears roll down her face, which I just realized is splattered red. “I’m not.” she pulls up her shirt to show her stomach, which is badly cut in several places, “It got my back and chest too.” she gives a small smile, “But you guys are fine, leave me here. Just promise me that you’ll destroy this place, once you get out.”
    “Claire…” I choke, the others are crying too.
    “Thank you so much for everything guys…” her breathing is coming in gasps, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it out with you, goodbye.” her hand falls limp in my hand.
    “No. No. No.” I cry, “Come back!” It’s then I notice the journal laying open.

    It comes after me first, I can’t believe it took me 23 times to figure it out. I can distract it while the others get out. One more time, I’ll go back in time one more time.

    “Go back in time?” I wonder out loud, “That means we can save her.” I grab the journal and close my eyes, “Please, work, she shouldn’t have to die. Please.”

    When I open my eyes we’re back outside the mansion, all of us, including Claire who has the journal tucked under her arm looking sad. 

    “I’ll help you, Claire.” I mutter where no one can hear me. “We’ll all make it out.”