“You can’t escape Joey!” the monster said in disgust.
“I can and I will!” Joey said with tears pouring down her cheeks. The more she pulled they stronger the grip became on her arms. Finally as she realized that her fighting was in vain she turned, growing closer to the “thing” and looked into what she thought was the thing's eyes.
“I know you aren’t real, and I know that it doesn’t matter what you do you can’t hurt me, and I know this because if you could harm me you wouldn’t be holding on so tight! If you could harm me and you knew that no matter what I did I couldn’t get away you wouldn’t be holding me at all. You would let me loose and let me fight to get back to Pacey, I think your mind is twisted enough you would enjoy that!” Joey finished hoping that her plan was working.
It was. The monster let her arm go and she ran towards the “wall” and as she stood there looking at Pacey she lifted the chess King and with the edge began to carefully run the tip of it on the “wall” making a “hole” large enough for her to get through. She didn’t really know what she was doing but she tried the only thing she knew to do. She was hoping that the tip of pawn she was using was diamond tipped which she hopped would cut through the wall like it would if it was glass.
Pacey watched her his face showing his confusion on his face. Joey was so desperate she could barely think straight but now she knew that if she wanted to get out of this she would have to think like the game. . .she brought out a putty knife that was in her bag put the edge of it on the line she had made with the pawn and gave it a hard smack. It moved! She went all around it, tears of joy flowing. She got it lose and gave it a hard shove and it fell. Pacey was there in seconds and pulled her threw. She fell into his arms gladly and as she let her tears fall the beast disappeared and the wall no longer stood.
“Pacey I don’t like this I want out NOW!” she said anger rising in her with every breath she took in.
“Baby I would do anything to get us out of here but I don’t know how!” Pacey said shaking. Joey closed her eyes biting her lip. She slowly nodded her head in agreement and they started towards the end of the hallway.
They reached the end and there they found the table with the chess board. Pacey looked at it, breathing in deep breath and carefully took the king and placed it in it’s place. He stepped back and nothing happened. They waited for a few seconds and again nothing happened. Then without warning the a little drawer popped open and in that little drawer laid a little piece of paper. Joey picked it up and read,
“You have finished your challenge and now your clue lay in the one place you would never think to look for one.” The note ended.
“The flags!” Pacey said and he and Joey placed a flag on the chess board. Pacey and Joey were silent in utter confusion.
“That’s it? How and hell are we supposed to find the clue with a clue like that!” Pacey said enraged. Joey was still silent, she was lost in thought.
“Pacey, the one spot you would never look for a clue would be where you have all ready looked and where you know you wouldn’t find one. . .Where have we been? The hallway, the center room, The stairs, Dawson’s room. Now think. What made you look twice at it but never really stop and think about so you just dismissed it?” she asked a thoughtful look on her face.
“The paintings in the front hall one of them was a painting of the stairs and main hall! I didn’t think about it at first because we hadn’t seen the room yet or the stairs!” Pacey said and they were again on the run.
They ran into the hall, the entrance at the end still blocked. They reached the painting and they stared, mouths agape. There in the painting it was an exact replica of the center room and the stairs but what made them shiver was the likeness of them on the floor blood all around them... They appeared dead. Joey shuttered and found some comfort in the arms of Pacey. Pacey was disturbed but didn’t show it. He carefully lifted down the painting and flipped it over. On the back was a miniature version of a boats steering wheel. Pacey took it off the back and carefully put it in his bag.
“Okay, now what?” Joey whispered. Their answer came in the form of . . .