I grip tight. “I’m going.”

“Thought you’d say that. So stubborn.”

We walk through the clothes room into the place where we were told all about this little house of horrors. Black and white squares dance over the TV screen. They’ve left that on, but it seems about as accidental as leaving the doors open.

They’re trying to ratchet up our fear.

It’s working. My heart pounds, but I keep my face emotionless. They’ll be watching this for sure.

Theo and I move farther into the room and head for the next open door. We’re almost back to the long corridor. What if the door to their man cave is open? That’s the only thing stopping us now. Their room has large windows; we have escape options there. It’ll be so much easier to get out.

“Theo?” I whisper as we approach the door. “Should we have woken the others?”

“Whatever they have planned here isn’t going to be fun or easy, Piper.”

“But what if that’s the test? What if they want to see if the first people awake, always you and me, will go and leave the others behind?”

He stops near the threshold. “This isn’t our escape, Piper.”

I lower my voice again. “They’re obviously not letting us go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

His dark brown eyes look conflicted. He wants to share my optimism, but he doesn’t believe it could be this easy.

I don’t think it will be this easy, either.

I turn away and walk along the corridor. The door at the end is open.

Rooms zero to five are on either side of us. My skin prickles with heat as I recall what I’ve endured in room two. I breathe heavier, trying to inflate my lungs to stop my body from curling up when faced with the memories.

I hate this corridor. It holds nothing but pain and despair.

“Piper, look!” Theo says. I whip my head around just in time to see him run past.

My feet move faster, rushing to him as he runs through the door into their game room. “The front door is open!” he shouts back.

“Theo, wait!” I call, pushing myself as fast as him, straight for fresh air.

This is too easy!

The soles of my feet thud against the hardwood floor as I dash past their pool table and arcade games. Theo doesn’t wait even for a second; he launches himself through the open door, and he’s out.

I hesitate, slowing for a second, but then I’m outside. The thick, dry air is unforgiving, clawing at my throat with every breath.

“We’re out,” he says, his dark eyes wide.

“I can’t believe it. But we need to get the others.” I look around. “Where are those guys? Why have they let us go? This isn’t the end, Theo.”