Jessica and I walked cautiously down a hall. I recognized many of the stores that were locked up down this way. I heard a crash nearby and flashed my light on it. It was only a mouse. I shivered with relief and let a terrified Jessica down farther.

The farther we went into the mall the darker and colder it became. It was like climbing Mount Everest very high. Somehow I stayed calm through the whole process. I kept thinking about finding evidence, finding Olivia's killer, and finding Olivia. It made me slightly delighted.

"Trace...I-i'm scared. It smells horrible and it's so c-cold." I looked over at Jessica to see her shaking violently. With her PTSD, Jessica was probably having a breakdown of both hallucinations and fear.

I held Jessica closer and gave her a jacket I tied around my waist. "I know. I am too but we can do this."

Jessica nodded her head up and down and stayed by my side. Finally after a while of walking we both took a rest. I had brought some food so me and Jessica started eating.

I was looking at a wall with kid scribbles in a store named Camilia’s that somehow was open a crack when I spotted a large square cut in a wall. It looked like it shouldn't be there. I hesitated slightly before walking over to Camilia’s, sliding under the shelter doors, and into the store. It was much lighter in here as the lights in this store were on.

I walked over to the hole and looked inside. It smelled of blood and dust. 

"Jessica!" I called. 

Jessica ducked into the store and came over to me. "What is that?" she stared at the hole which was shaped like a square. 

"I don't know." I said. "But I'm gonna check it out. Wanna come with me?" I locked eyes with her, which were filled with unease and fear.

"N-no." Jessica stuttered. "I can't. I can't. I can't." She covered her eyes with her hands and curled onto the floor. "Trace, I can't."

"Okay. Why don't you find Jase? I don't want you to be alone." I ducked into the hole again, ready to crawl into what seemed like a cannal.

"But I can't. I don't want to be with Jase. Everytime I am with him I just think of Olivia since that is all he's ever loved." Jessica uncovered her eyes, which were wide and unfocused. "No, Trace."

I sighed and stuck my head back into the store. "Do you want to be by yourself, alone and vulnerable, or do you want to be with Jase?" I made her sit in a sitting position.

Jessica looked at her hands which were shaking. "I guess I will go find Jase." she got up onto her feet, stumbling. "Bye, Trace. Be careful." She made her way out of the shop and onto the other side of the doors. "Love you." she murmured and then she vanished.

"Love you." I whispered to no one. 

I turned toward the hole again and went inside of it. I was in some kind of  wooden tunnel. I began crawling steadily through the canal, careful not to get hurt by the sharp nails sticking out all over.

The more farther I went the more darker it became and that was a problem.  I didn’t have my flashlight since it’s batteries ran out of energy. When I was younger I got stuck inside of a closet and couldn’t get out. I was stuck in the closet for hours on end before my mother found me and got me out. Ever since then I was very claustrophobic but I wouldn’t tell anyone, afraid they would pick on me. 

I breathed calmly, trying not to puke at the smell of the air around me. Then I closed my eyes. I figured if I didn’t see the place around me I would be less scared. It worked for a while as I felt around my surroundings at the wooden walls which caused splinters to go into my hands. I knew that I couldn’t scream though. I had to fight through the pain and at least make it until the end of this tunnel, if it led anywhere.

My blood ran instantly cold.

What if there truly was no ending to this tunnel? What if it didn’t end or it was some kind of trap? It couldn’t be a trap possibly. 

I felt the tunnel moving around me and I held myself, waiting for impact. No. The tunnel wasn’t shaking or moving. It was me. My body was shaking. I opened my eyes and breathed hard, trying to calm myself some more. 

I am not scared. I am brave and courageous.

But no matter how much I tried to convince myself this it came out wrong. I wasn’t brave or courageous. I was human. 

I closed my eyes again and slowed my breathing, trying only to concentrate on my surroundings and getting out of here. Once again I started crawling down the tunnel again, making sure not to hit a dead end. 

Then suddenly shining light glistened through my eyes. I opened them and found myself in some sort of cavern-like place. It was a large space made out of wood walls like the rest of the tunnel. It was filled with some blankets here and there and some bandages with dried blood on them. 

Olivia must’ve been here, or at least someone with a wound.

I navigated my way around piles of dirty bandages and to a small wooden table with papers messed up all over it. I looked at each page carefully and was surprised to find nothing except scribbled notes and letters. They seemed to be addressed to the person who wrote them, as if he was trying to remind himself of something. But one of the papers stood out above the rest. It was the color of sand and was scribbled neatly with numbers and words. I gasped with fright as I saw one of the groups of words and numbers.

1954 Bayview drive

But that was it. The rest of the address was not readable. I recognize some of the address as it is as familiar as my own.

It is Olivia’s.