Chapter 25: Entering a Monster's Den

**Knock Knock Knock**

Here goes nothing. I knocked firmly on his door three times and waited for a response. The response I got was complete silence. Is he asleep…or did something bad happen to him?

I bit my lower lip as I knocked again on his door, this time harder and louder than before. Once again, all I heard was silence. There was no response or any sounds of movement on the other side of the door.

Hayden…are you ok?

I felt like time had frozen and everything was happening in slow motion as I reached out my hand grasp the doorknob. I took in a deep breath and held it before slowly turning it. It turned, the room was unlocked.

Hayden is on the other side of this door.

Slowly and quietly, I opened the door a crack, just wide enough so that I could see inside.

“Hayden!”