64 Hours

23+ H0urs

So sorry that this took longer than usual to update :C And also, tysm for all those votes! Oh and btw, as you can see there are many hours passing by occasionally in a few chapters, but that's how it's meant to be - you'll know why.

~the twenty-third hour~

"So we've had to up the ante, and now it's time for Phase Two. It's time for things to get difficult." -Rat Man, The Scorch Trials

There are lots of things that I hate in life, but one of the worst things is fakery. 

I hated the way we all sat down on the couch like a content, happy family. I hate how I laughed at every single bicker that Aria and Bella went through to ease the tension. I hate the way I flipped my cursed phone between my hands every minute like it was a bomb. I especially hated how I acted like nothing was wrong despite not wanting anyone to know. 

It was just like a repeat of the first hour before my clean slate. We sat lazily on the couches, me lying down with the arm of my chair under my head, Aria half-asleep on the right sofa, with Bella blankly eating popcorn with her mother's arm looped around her shoulders. Only this time we were watching a crazy thriller movie. 

I blinked at the dimmed screen as Gone Girl played on TV. I had my doubts about this movie, especially with Bella watching, but I wasn't in the mood to argue with her since my niece gets heavily offended when something 'isn't her age.' 

The movie began, starting with a narration.

"When I think of my wife, I always think of her head. I picture cracking her lovely skull, unspooling her brains, trying to get answers." 

I frowned absently at the disturbing image it created in my mind. 

"The primal questions of any marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What have we done to each other?" 

I glanced absently over to my sister. Was this really how her marriage went with her stupid excuse of a husband? I barely got anything out of her when I suspiciously asked about him and the divorce. Her only words were, "He mistreated me, we hated each other, and we both agreed that we weren't right. We both go by different paths, it's no more complicated than that. The end." 

Of course it wasn't enough. It was never the end. Just looking at Bella who's attention span was directed on the movie told me that she was either very good at hiding her feelings or didn't have any. And as usual, I couldn't tell which was worse. 

"Is this how your marriage with Drake went?" I half joked to Aria, who wasn't fully concentrating on anything. Her dark brown hair was coiled up on her head in a bun, and she was fumbling with the hem of her lacy t-shirt. Every few minutes or so she would drift off, but then jerk her head back as if she just woke up from a nightmare. 

Although Aria looked almost dead to me she must've heard my pathetic joke, because she shot me a glare that made the phrase if looks could kill run through my mind. 

Halfway through the movie I fell asleep at some stage, because it was getting extremely boring. But after just dozing off my phone vibrated in my calloused palm, making me flinch awake. My heartbeat didn't slow when I thought of another new surprise that Unknown must've texted me. 

But when I tapped the screen the notification was from Olivia, my ex-girlfriend. I tried to slow down my pulse as I read over the message. 

Olivia - 9:32: Hey...can you come over tomorrow so we can talk about things? You know, us? 

I actually smiled at the text, going through a mere possibility that Olivia would forgive me and things could go back to normal. But then I realized that there wasn't a normal, and my smile fell back to a frown. Besides, I would never be that lucky - resentment seemed to be on my side now. 

You - 9:33: Sure. I'll be there at 8 maybe? 

Olivia - 9:33: Kk. 

I breathed out slowly, slightly satisfied with the only okayish news so far ever since those ugly texts. 

I always kept on thinking about marching up to the police and telling them about the horror of being trapped in a room with thousands of horrifying clocks for an hour. But Bella was too precious to me just so I can go caterwauling to the police with only a slight chance that they would catch Unknown.

Calmed by the thought of seeing my girlfriend tomorrow, I fell asleep again, thriller music blasting on the TV.  

~the twenty-fourth hour~

Sleeping.

~the twenty fifth hour~

Sleeping.

~the twenty-sixth hour~ 

Sleeping.

~the twenty-seventh hour~

Sleeping.

~the twenty-eighth hour~

Sleeping.

~the twenty-ninth hour~

Sleeping. 

~the thirtieth hour~

Sleeping.

*I have no better way to represent the hours in which Adam sleeps in! ^-^*