And Matt had refused to leave without Trinity, and Ruth Anne wouldn’t have left without any of them.

They’re not your friends, Amy told herself. You don’t have to do this. They’re not your responsibility. She closed her eyes and felt the throbbing bruises and cuts from the tranquilizing chair laddered up and down her body. Sitting in the driver’s seat reminded her of being back in the chair, and she felt heavy and warm. It was safe with her eyes closed. Her car jerked forward and stalled as her foot slipped off the brake. Amy’s eyes flew open. Before she could nod off again, she bit down on the tip of the finger that had lost its nail.

Pain screamed down her arm and woke her up completely. Here was the other option: the tranquilizing chair. It was always waiting for her. It always wanted her back. It always wanted her to quit again, to sit down and never get back up.

In the end, Amy thought, everything always comes down to those two choices: stay down or stand up.

She cut the wheel hard, drove back to the main entrance, and parked on a yellow-striped patch marked NO STOPPING OR STANDING. She walked to the main entrance and found that the doors had closed and dead-bolted themselves. Of course they had. Amy cupped her hands and peered up through the glass at the Showroom floor. She could see the shadows coiling around in the darkness, skittering through the aisles, dripping down the walls. The Creepy Crawlies wanted to be left alone with Ruth Anne, Matt, Trinity, and Basil. Amy had gotten away. They didn’t want her back.

But hadn’t Basil said that the door to the partners’ entrance was still broken? She jogged around the side of the building and yanked on the door. It swung open easily, and in the orange light from the parking lot she could see the time clock on the opposite wall frozen at 3:15 a.m. Just looking into the store again was enough to make her heart race. This was her last chance to turn back. This was her last chance to act like a smart person. She could smell the sour, swampy stink of the store, and the air pouring out the door was cold and stagnant. Before she could change her mind, she stepped inside.

Her first stop would be the break area. That was where they’d all promised to regroup. Even if no one was there, she could find flashlights, first-aid kits, useful things. Holding up Basil’s cell phone to light her way, she turned it to the left and saw the base of the stairs leading up to the second floor. Amy forced herself to head toward them and then jumped when the door behind her slammed shut, sealing her inside.