"What do you mean, I'm marked?" I asked with my arms crossed.

Erin stood up, "Well, I just know that it happens to every soul that drifts by here," her tone mellowed, "It means you have to leave soon."

"I'm leaving to where?" there was a pause, and I silenced a cry, "I want to go home."

Erin's gray eyes softened, "Sophie, we're friends, right?"

I looked at her, but this time I really examined her. The skin on her face and body seemed unhealthy, as if blood rarely reached it. Her hair was gray, but not because of hair dye because it was feeble. Each strand as thin as a string. Her eyes were like clouds, gray and soft, but there was no pupil in her eyes, just a fog staring back at me.

Then I remembered our time together. How gracefully she danced, and the laughter that squeezed my stomach as we performed together.  We had fun and she was kind. I remembered her inspiring words about the arts. She believed in me, even when I didn't.

"Yes, of course, we're friends," the words hesitantly spilled out of my mouth.

"Then you should stay here with me." Erin stepped closer to me.

I stepped back, I'm not afraid of her, but I stepped away. I grasped my bow-tie necklace. I don't know why.

"No, Erin, let's leave this place - together. I can go home and you can meet my family. I'm sure they'd like you."

Erin immediately twiddled her hands and shook her head 'no'.

I stepped towards her, now she stepped back, "Come on, why not? This place is creepy. We don't belong here."

Erin continued to shake her head, but now more violently, "No, I can't leave. I can't leave. I'm not supposed to leave," she muttered over and over again.

My breathing quickened, she was starting to scare me. Why is she acting like this? She should just join me and go back home. Why is she scared of leaving?

"Erin," I took a step closer and held out my hand.

Erin collapsed to the floor and hugged her knees, "Sophie, please stop. I can't leave. Just don't talk about it." Erin's voice trickled tears as she shouted, "Please, just stop! I. . . I can't go, just please, please!"

My hand clasped my bow-tie necklace.

Okay, breathe. Just breathe.

1, 2, 3, 4. . .

It's not working.

Just keep breathing.

Erin whimpered as I reached out my hand again to help her up.

She ignored it, shaking her head 'no' again. Back and forth. Back and forth.

"I can't leave!" Erin shouted.

That was when a low noise caught my attention. Erin sobbed into her knees, but she didn't hear what I was hearing.

A faint scream. No, two screams. No, three? Young voices. Old voices. Women. Men. Fear. Desperation. No words, just screams.

They gradually got louder and the hairs on the back of my neck tickled. I turned around - faces pressed against the wall, mouths screaming in fear. Hands reaching to grab something - anything.

Were they the others - the other souls Erin talked about?

"We need to get out of here, Erin!" I shouted, trying to shake her out of her trance.

That was when the butterfly room unfolded into complete darkness.

I was alone. No Erin. No souls. Just - darkness.

***