Ryder

    "Come on, you have wake up before they come back," a male voice said in Ryder's ear. The male voice shook Ryder, trying to wake him up.

    Ryder groaned and slowly opened his eyes to see a man in front of him.

    The man had straight black hair that hung over his eyes. He was also very muscular like Ryder. The man wore a clean white short sleeve shirt underneath an opened black button down shirt. The man wore tan jeans with an expensive looking brown belt.

    "Oh good, you are awake now. We have to leave before those things come back," the man said, getting up and putting a hand out for Ryder to grab.

    "What happened?" Ryder asked as he grabbed the man's hand.

    The man lifted him up and said, "I heard a loud boom when I was upstairs and I came to see what had made the sound. That is when I found you lying on the floor."

    Ryder said, "Thanks for helping me. I don't know what would've happened to me if you didn't help." Ryder suddenly realized the man's height. "Wow! You are tall! You must be 6'6!"

    The man laughed and smiled. Ryder couldn't help smiling back. "We should probably go before they come back."

    Ryder nodded but as he took a step forward, he fell to the floor. The man helped him up and asked, "Are you ok?"

    Ryder shook his head. "My side really hurts. I think I must've broken a rib when the Devil threw me into the wall."

    "The Devil?" The man asked.

    "There's this gigantic creature in this house that looks like the Devil, so I call it that. I call the other monsters demons," Ryder explained.

    The man nodded and said, "Let me take a look at where you got hurt."

    Ryder lifted his shirt for the man to see. The man knelt down and said, "There is a big, purple bruise on your ribcage. I am going to put pressure on different spots around the bruise. Tell me where it hurts most."

    The man used his hand to put pressure near the big bruised area. He began to put pressure outside the bruised area then slowly moved inside. Once the man's hand was close to the bruised area on Ryder's side, he winced.

    The man continued to move closer to the center and it hurt Ryder more and more each time. Before the man could fully make it to the center, Ryder yelled and cursed.

    The man got up and said, "You must have broken a rib or two. Do you think you'll be able to walk if I help you?"

    "I can try," Ryder said.

    The man put Ryder's right arm on his shoulder and put a hand around his torso. The man slowly walked forward as Ryder limped next to him.

    "I just realized I haven't asked for your name," Ryder said.

    "I am, uhh... I am Luci," the man stammered.

    Why was it so hard for him to say his name? Ryder thought. "Luci?" Ryder asked. "Not to be mean or anything, but isn't that a name for a girl?"

    "That is just a nickname people use for me," Luci quickly said. "How about you? What is your name?" Luci asked, trying to change the subject.

    "Ryder. So, where are we going, Luci?"

    "We are going to go where I have been staying ever since I have been in this house," Luci said.

    "Ok. How long have you been in this house?" Ryder asked.

    "I am not sure. Maybe a year or so," he replied. Ryder stopped walking and turned his face to look at Luci. "What is it?"

    "You've been in this house for so long and no one has reported you missing?" Ryder asked.

    Luci looked at Ryder for a moment then answered, "It is because I have no family here."

    "How about friends? Or coworkers? Someone must've noticed you were missing."

    Luci shook his head and said, "I have no one here."

    "I'm so sorry to hear that. But we can get out of this place together." Ryder suddenly remembered Saanvi and said, "Have you seen a girl with long black hair? She was wearing a blue and white tie dye sweater and black leggings."

    "I am afraid I have not. I am sorry," Luci said.

    "It's alright. But I need to find her before we leave the mansion."

    "Leave?"

    "Yeah. We can't stay here," Ryder said. "This place is too dangerous. We need to leave as soon as we can... Haven't you tried to leave yet?"

    Luci didn't answer for a moment as if he was thinking what he should say next. After a few moments of silence, he finally replied, "Of course I have. Let me take you to were I have been staying and then I will help you look for whoever you are looking for."

    Ryder and Luci walked toward the stairs and Ryder asked, "Wait. We're going to go upstairs?"

    Luci nodded. "I have a room up there. If you can not walk up them, I will carry you."

    Ryder nodded and they slowly approached the stairs. Luci went behind Ryder, ready to catch him if he fell back. Ryder clutched the railing as he walked up the first step. Pain shot throughout his body but he didn't let that stop him.

    Ryder continued to slowly walk up the extreamely long staircase. Ryder paused halfway up for a break. "Give me a second," Ryder said, gasping from the pain.

    "Would you want me to carry you for the rest of the way?" Luci offered.

    "I'm ok. I can do it," Ryder said, taking deep breaths.

    "Ok. But you might want to hurry up. I do not know how much longer we can be lucky and not run into my demons," Luci said.

    Ryder was about to nod when he realized what Luci had said. "What do you mean by your demons?"

    "Uhh... I-I didn't say my demons. I said the demons... You must've misheard," Luci said, not looking at Ryder.

    Ryder stared at Luci and said, "Ok. Whatever you say. I'm ready to continue going up. Let's go."

    Luci nodded, still not looking at Ryder.

    As Ryder walked up the stairs, he thought to himself, Luci's a little suspicious. But why am I suspicious of someone that saved me? Whatever, that doesn't matter. What matters is that I find Saanvi and get out of the mansion. I hope she's ok.