Haunteds

Chapter 8

We've been talking for some time now and noticed no one else came to join us. "Is it just us?" I asked.

"I don't think anybody else is coming," Harmony said.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," she frowned. "They didn't open up so I thought I should just leave them alone."

"That's probably the best," Kent said. "Being forced to live with strangers for a month is not something you can just accept that easily. It's probably why they give us all this." He nodded at the food on our tables. "To help ease the transition."

"Seems like you're doing okay yourself," I said to Kent.

He went for another chip. "I guess I'm kind of used to these kinds of situations."

I can't help but frown at him. "How could you be used to this?"

"You know those volunteer doctors who live in remote villages over long periods?"

"You mean like Doctors Without Borders?" I know this because of this Youtube channel I subscribed to. They speedrun video games to raise money for charity, usually for Doctors Without Borders.

"That's my folks," he said with a proud smile.

"And they bring you along?" Leo asked.

He nodded. "I'm not complaining, though. But this is by far the best one I've been to. The secrecy, the isolation, the creepy Shade. It's like something from a horror movie."

"If you're okay with dying, sure," I said.

"Oh, come on. We're safe here. As long as we stayed inside."

"But don't you think security is a little bit too much?" Cana said.

To ease our minds, Major Coleman explained that if someone managed to sneak past the heavily-guarded wall around the mountain, the forest acts as a natural maze and camouflage from eyes on the skies, providing a second layer of defense. And if someone managed to find this place, pressure sensors that can differentiate human and animal footsteps are buried around the perimeter of the forest surrounding our dorm. The trees themselves are equipped with thermal sensors that trigger an alarm that initiates the lockdown protocol in place whenever a human heat signature is registered. And if all that fails, there's always the soldiers positioned at the rooftop authorized to use live ammunition. It's supposed to be protection from the superstitious citizens, to avoid a repeat of another Dark Year. But I'm sure the walls and the forest are enough for that job. I can't help but wonder if Major Coleman is hiding something.

"I don't think so," Eris said. "What if an escaped psycho found this place at night and we only have Mr. Donovan to protect us?"

We all stared at her, too stunned to speak.

"You watched too many Criminal Minds," Leo said which made us all laugh.

"It can happen okay!" Eris snapped at Leo, which made us laugh even more.

"Knock it off, guys," Harmony said, being considerate of Eris but she was giggling herself so she wasn't very convincing.

Eris checked her wrist watch. "Oh, it's almost 5:30. We should start cleaning up."

"Boo..." Kent groaned.

"Killjoy!" Leo said, hiding the word between fake coughs.

Eris cross her arms over her chest and gave them a glare you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of. "Did you say something?"

"I'll get the Karaoke," Leo said to Kent with a serious expression. "You take the plates."

"R-right!" Kent said with quivering lips. I could hear the panic in his voice. "Hey Vergil, you can't just sit there and do nothing! Here, take these bottles," he said, practically pushing them to me and dragged me out of the door. I waited till we were outside, in the visitor's lounge before I burst out laughing.