The Lanfield Diaries: Seeking the Truth

𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕠𝕟𝕖

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My first sense to come to life was smell. It was faint but it felt like a newly cleaned kitchen mixed with something familiar, something I couldn't put my finger on. I wondered at first if I had fallen asleep in Chlo's kitchen until my body started to wake up too, surrounded by a thick comforter. 

Behind my closed eyes, I could tell it was still dark which surprised me. Although I usually woke early, every night out with my best friend meant waking up at 10am minimum so I blinked my eyes open. It took a few moments for my sight to adjust to the darkness but dread was quick to settle. I didn't know where I was. All of my surroundings, nothing I recognised. Scrambling, I pushed myself up and against the corner of the walls next to the bed I was in. Who's bed is this?

I could feel myself starting to get hot so I kicked the comforter off of me before wrapping my arms around my knees. Never had I been so irresponsible that I couldn't remember the night before but I felt it slipping away from me the harder I tried to remember. My head was pounding but I had never experienced a hangover. What did I drink last night? Where AM I?

Panic was starting to run through me as it was getting harder to breathe. I could feel my chest tightening, shaking as I failed to process everything. Tears started to escape silently as I desperately tried to calm myself down. This was a dream, a nightmare. This was a strange, irrational situation that's popped unnecessarily into my head to make me worry. This. Is. Not. Happening.

I wasn't sure how long it took me to calm down, to blink the blurriness away, running out of tears. Still gasping slightly, I looked around again. The bed had pure white covers, the walls a slight off white but bare. A desk was set up with two writing pads and a pen pot with biros in between two doors. A shag rug lay on top of the wooden floor and at the first proper sweep around the room it looked normal but something was off. It didn't feel right. The bare walls made me uneasy, the lack of furniture confirmed this wasn't just someone else's room. I hadn't gone home with anyone, a minuscule relief in the chaos.

Static sounded from above me causing me to whip my head up to stare at the ceiling. A speaker stuck out of the stark white along with a round black bowl. A camera? My mouth hung open as I watched it.

A few moments passed until "Good Morning Lanfield Residents, it's nine am on the 5th of April,"

Startled, I turned to face the speaker fully. I had gone out on the 1st. I had been out of it for four days! My heart was racing even faster as it continued.

"The temperature today is averaged at 15 degrees Celsius and breakfast starts in approximately fifteen minutes. Have a good day."

A good day? Suddenly I was fuming at the unknown voice. I stood, only partially shocked at the black shorts and tee that I definitely didn't own, before trying the door closest to me. Locked. Gritting my teeth, I tried the other with more force and almost fell into the room. Looking around, I found a bathroom that was pristine and connected the smell from when I first woke.

Another door led me to a closet filled with clothes and shoes, all in neutral colours, all nothing I owned. I picked up a pair of black trainers confirming my suspicions that they would be in my size.

A clang came from back in the room, followed by a small creak. I held my breath as I peeked around the corner and back into the room. Nothing. Slowly, I stepped out to find the previously locked door wide open. Looking down, I slipped the trainers on, wondering why on earth someone would put socks on me, before stepping through the door frame.

It hit me that someone had to have dressed me, a shudder flying down my spine as I turned to watch the door behind me shut. Cursive writing on the door showed my name 'Emma Shorwood' with the words 'Unknown' stamped next to the number one.

No where else to go, I turned again on the heel of my foot, a very short corridor leading to another door. Curiously, I approached to open it, taking note that the doorways were all a lot taller than my average frame. I peaked around this door too watching as doors all along the wall to my right started to open too.

"Hello?" A male voice echoed off the empty room ahead and gasping, I stepped backwards. The door didn't fall closed itself so I could tell the heavy footsteps growing louder were coming towards me. I wanted to smash my eyes closed, run back to my room, anything but I was paralysed.

A large frame of a man entered my view out of the doorway. First, he passed and I heard a bang before he came back, facing me directly. As he did, I could see from his features he was not happy and I was definitely about to suffer to his wrath.

"Who the fuck are you and where the hell am I?" He spat though he didn't come any closer. Standing my ground, I fired the question back.

"Who are you and where am I?" I crossed my arms, hoping my facial features didn't expose how scared I truly was. For a moment he pondered my response before whirling to face his left.

"What about you huh?" Some of his anger had dissipated so I braved the steps forward to see who he was speaking to now. 

Outside my door was a large rectangular room that was also stark white. To my right, I could see a line of doors that all matched mine, some open and some not. The man was stood in front of one of them, staring down a hallway. 

"Would you calm down and stop Hulking?" A voice called out. From another door came a shorter man with a friendly smile on his face. In other circumstances, I would have giggled at his Marvel reference.

"Am I the only one worried about what the hell is going on?" The angry man threw his arms up in the air in exasperation before moving to the middle of the room and plopping himself down on the few sofas there.

"No." I spoke up, feeling a little more confident now there were more people around. The angry one stared at me, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance before sighing and looking towards the ceiling.

"Not at all, but your angry isn't helping the situation." The calm guy walked towards me as a few other people poked their hands out of their doors to watch. "I'm Sebastian, nice to meet you."

I took a step forward, holding out my own hand. "Emma." I said curtly. Just because he could smile, didn't mean I wanted to trust him. This whole situation was completely bonkers.

As I introduced myself, another crackling sound started. "Lanfield Residents, please meet by the lounge sofas to formally introduce yourselves." The robotic voice called out. Sebastian bowed slightly, signalling for me to lead the way so I did, sitting myself as far away as possible from the angry one.

Slowly, four others came to join us. A beautiful blonde sat next to me, her eyes wide in fright. A guy with tattoos down both his arms sat down with another male, both looked calm but their legs were shaking and hands tapping in anxiousness. Finally, a girl came and sat near the angry one - seemingly oblivious to the feelings radiating off of him.

We did not belong together and we definitely didn't belong wherever we were.