It has been a couple of hours. The darkness stretches over the environment like a suffocating shroud. Without the low hum of electricity, the silence is oppressive. However for a moment, the teens can show a sigh of relief, Mother isn't coming. No power...might mean no Mother...for now at least. They huddle together in the dim glow of emergency lights embedded faintly in the walls, their shadows flickering and blending as they try to make sense of the blackout.

Sam's voice cuts through the stillness, her tone firm and resolute. "We need to check the front door. If there's ever been a time to get out of here, it's now."

Austin nods, rolling his shoulder as if psyching himself up for the task. "Let's do it. If that door's been locked by whatever power Mother uses, maybe it's free now."

The hallway feels longer than usual as they make their way toward the sealed front door. The group moves as one, their footfalls soft on the cold floor. Maddie clutches Lynne's arm, her unease growing with every step. Henry lingers at the back, his fingers twitching as though reaching for a keyboard that isn't there.

When they reach the door, Austin steps forward without hesitation. He braces himself, plants his feet firmly, and slams his shoulder against the unyielding metal. The sound reverberates through the hall, sharp and jarring in the silence. He grunts, rubbing at his shoulder, and then tries again. The door doesn't so much as shudder.

"Austin, stop!" Lynne says, rushing to his side as he grimaces. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"It's fine..." He mutters, though the tightness in his voice betrays him. "I'll give it one more shot."

"No point," Sam interjects, placing a hand on his arm to stop him. Her fingers press just hard enough to make him pause. "If it didn't open with the blackout, it's not going to open. Whatever's keeping it sealed isn't tied to the power."

Maddie hugs herself, her dark eyes wide and glistening. "So we're still trapped? Even with no power?"

Henry steps forward, his brow raised in thought. "The door's probably controlled remotely. From the outside. We don't have the means to unlock it from in here."

Lynne exhales sharply, pacing in a small circle. "So what? We're stuck in the dark, freezing, waiting for the next horrible thing Mother throws at us? What if the heat goes out next? Or the water?"

"I doubt we going to hear anything from Mother." Henry ponders.

Austin leans against the door, massaging his sore right shoulder. "We're sitting ducks," he mutters. "Great."

"Like a cage...just now with no power." Maddie says.

Sam glances at the others, her jaw tightening. "We're not helpless. There's got to be another way. If we can't open this door, we focus on what we can do."

"And what's that?" Austin ponders.

As Sam hesitates to reply, Austin still trying to massage his sore right shoulder, gets some unexpected help from Lynne.

"You need some help." She says pressing her hands soft yet firm on his upper shoulder.

Austin stands a bit shocked yet relieved. "Thanks." He says in a sincere tone as he slowly smiles.

Lynne smirks back. Austin then looks back to the others and still ponders about the door as he veers behind, still confused why this metal piece of junk isn't moving their way.

"Still dumb that we can't open this by force from their end." Austin says discouraged.

"Like I said before," Henry deduces, "It has to be from the outside."

"What now?" Lynne asks as she still continues to assist rubbing Austin's shoulder. "Are we literally going to go out like this?"

"Yeah, death from darkness." Austin scoffs.

Lynne not taking that playfully smacks his still sore shoulder which Austin reacts a bit painful.

"That hurts!" He exclaims. "Just trying to cheer us up."

"Well, I know one thing that could cheer us up." Henry says but then realizes their current situation. "Shoot, I forgot! Along as there's no power, there's no way for me to get any updates from my "friend".

"Who is your so-called internet friend?" Austin ponders frustratedly.

Lynne looks to Henry. "Austin's right, Henry. Since the power is out, Mother isn't listening. The nation isn't watching. So this is probably the best time we will ever get."

"They're right." Sam concurs as she gets close to Henry. "Who is your friend?"

Henry feels stringent to talk but is reminded again, no one is listening. Better to speak the truth than hiding it...unless this is part of the larger ruse. A ruse perpetuated from Mother's creators, the people who are truly behind this nightmare. Henry has those same doubts though do believe that his friend is real. While Sam and Maddie get closer, Lynne and Austin step away from the front door to come nearer. Henry notices the others' impatient stares.

Finally as if there's nothing holding him back, Henry finally discloses.

"I have been contacting a seventeen-year-old, his real name is Elijah, a hacker who wants to help us escape. Elijah and I have been going by Star Trek codenames as a means of trust—with me being Data and Elijah as Spock."

"Wait?!" Austin delivers an almost mocking cold laugh, "You're serious?! Star Trek codenames?" He shakes his head, not trying to believe it.

"Well it works for both of us, you don't have to be a douche about it." Henry says in an almost frustrated tone.

While Austin tries not to take it seriously, Sam and the other girls think differently.

"So how is this Elijah going to help us along as we have this blackout?" Maddie questions.

Henry points to that too, "Well the power has temporarily shut down the watchers just as it crippled me from communicating with Elijah."

Lynne ponders, "So you're saying, to communicate with Elijah again, we need the power back on...the very same power that could turn Mother back on...to fuel those monsters watching us."

Sam looks as the others discuss.

"Monsters?" Maddie questions.

"Those watchers." Lynne replies back with a loathed criticizing timbre. "The so-called audience who likes seeing us in pain, they can all rot for all I care."

Austin hears that with a surprised look, "Love that it's coming from you."

"I'm not wrong though." Lynne whispers, folding her arms still showing a despised glare.

"Couldn't say another better word." Sam finally joins. "I detest them a lot. They are tasteless and heartless. They don't want to help us, they are just as evil as the people who put us here."

As the others slowly agree with the shared revulsion for the audience—the monsters they want to label them as, Sam soon tries to quell down their disgust and attempt to motivate them.

"We have what it takes, we need to fight for control." Sam preaches, "Our control is our power, being together is our power. Along as we have that, we can get through."

"How can we?" Maddie questions concernedly, "We can't even open the front door."

Sam stays quiet for one moment, "There's a way. We just got to—"

A low, rattling sound interrupts her, sending a shiver down her spine. It's faint but distinct, a whispery metallic grinding that seems to echo from deep within the house.

"What the hell is that?" Austin straightens, his bravado slipping for a moment. "Tell me someone else heard that."

"The Forbidden Room," Maddie whispers, her voice jittering. "It's coming from there again."

The group turns toward the enigmatic door. The sound grows louder as they approach closer, each step heavy with dread. As they reach just enough, they try to answer what could be causing this strange, disturbing noise.

Lynne's hand moves to her mouth as she spots something unusual. "Look. At the bottom."

Sam crouches, squinting at the thin strip of light that seeps through the door's lower seam. The glimmer is faint but unmistakable, pulsating softly like a heartbeat. She leans down, trying to catch a glimpse of what might be on the other side.

Henry crouches beside her. "See anything?"

"Not yet," Sam murmurs, her breath fogging the cold air as she tilts her head for a better angle. Her fingers graze the floor, feeling for any vibrations. "But something's definitely in there. Moving."

"Let's break it down," Austin suggests, his voice more determined than confident.

Sam straightens, giving him a sharp look. "And do what? Let out whatever's inside?"

Lynne backs away, shaking her head fervently. "No. No way. That room's locked for a reason. Whoever put us here doesn't want us going in there. That alone should be enough to keep us away."

"Or it means there's something in there that could help us," Austin counters, his jaw set stubbornly. "I say we open it."

"With what?" Sam retorts, folding her arms. "Your bare hands?"

The grinding noise swells abruptly, louder and more menacing. They all flinch, their arguments forgotten as they fixate on the door. The pulsating light beneath it flares brighter, casting unsettling shadows on the floor.

"Okay, this is officially creeping me out," Maddie says, her voice shaking as she steps closer to Lynne, her hands gripping her friend's arm tightly. "Can we just go back to the Central Room? Please?"

Sam hesitates, her instincts warring with her curiosity. The grinding sound tapers off, leaving a heavy silence in its wake. She glances at the others, reading the fear etched on their faces. "Fine. But we're coming back here later. We can't just ignore this."

"Can we?" Lynne suggests.

Reluctantly, the group retreats to the Central Room. As they get closer, Sam's eyes immediately dart to the large screen above the couch. She freezes unable to speak.

"No way!" Henry breathes, his voice tinged with disbelief as he notices it as well.

The familiar red glow of Mother's camera lens is slowly brightening up. It's active, casting a direful light over the room. For the first time since the blackout, the camera swivels slightly, its mechanical whir slicing through the tense silence.

"Impossible!" Lynne mutters alarmed. "There's no power. How is she back on?"

The camera's lens adjusts, focusing directly on them. Then, the voice they've come to abhor crackles to life, dripping with haughtiness and malice.

"Ahh, my children!" Mother purrs, her tone sickeningly sweet. "It's far from over."