"How about we take this conversation to one of the rooms?" I offered. "Since we'll be together for a while, let's at least get to know each other better…" they all seem to think about it and nodded in agreement.
"How about mine? I have a room all to my self anyway." Ethan offered awkwardly, and we agreed. I assessed the hallway we walked down in that didn't seem to end until we stopped in front of Ethan's door that matched his card key, room 208. The door was made of metal like all the doors in the facility as far as I know.
Ethan swiped the card and the door automatically opened. "Cool." I heard him say under his breath. "Ladies first." he motioned us to enter. The room looked like a bunker, the two beds were made of metal but had a soft and thick foam. The room was tidy, clean, obviously unused but maintained. The only noticeable furniture were the two beds, closet, a coffee table with two chairs, and a side table with a lamp on both beds.
"This screams military bunker no matter how I look at it." Angela said, almost reading my mind.
"It's still a room, and considering that he's the only person staying here, it looks kinda spacious." said Thea but it still looks like a prison to me. A small space and calling it a "room" when its still a cell.
"Well, shall we?" I asked. Grabbing the blankets on his bed and rummaging inside the closet for other blankets and spreading it on the floor to make it more comfortable. "Now kids, gather around for your campfire stories." I said jokingly as they sat down. It kinda did feel like a bonfire, as all of us sat down in a circle to tell the story of our adventures to get here.
"I'll go first!" said Thea, as she raised her hand like a pre-school wanting to answer the question on the board. We laughed a bit at her enthusiasm. "So it was like this, I'm a curator at an art museum called the Galeria Artesian. So the usual, I was making my rounds circling the halls looking at the art pieces of some local and international artists. I stopped to look at one of mine, and I'm also a painter by the way." she paused shyly but I found it amazing how she's an accomplished artist.
"Anyway, I stopped to look at one of my paintings, a piece I drew from another one of my dreams per usual when I man approached me. He said it was a fascinating piece, he said so to me probably not knowing I was the one who painted it. I won't elaborate the conversation we had but to cut things short he asked if I wanted to get some coffee with me." I saw the blush creeping on her cheeks and ears, she looked so innocent which made me chuckle a little.
"Go on," I told her and she nodded her head still blushing.
"I agreed for coffee because I thought he was genuinely fascinated and intrigued with my work but it turns out he was just getting a way to kidnap me without any struggle. When we got to the parking lot and in his car he immediately drugged me and when I woke up Ange was with me equally surprised and confused." she looked at Ange with a look that says it all--assurance.
I looked at Ley with the same assurance and she put her head on my shoulder and grabbed my hand, squeezing it for support. "Oh, before I forgot, the guy named Alexander was the one who kidnapped both of us. That's why we were so mad at him earlier, in case you're wondering." she added. I nodded in understanding, and we turned to look at Ethan who looked shy and wouldn't stop playing with his hair and glasses.
He turned to look at up at us as we stared at him to go on, "Well this is embarrassing but here goes nothing I suppose." he cleared his throat and sat properly as if preparing to admit to a secret during an interrogation. "So I work at an IT company and this might not be a good time to say but the company I work for is called Core Tech which is basically run by that guy they were talking about earlier." this piqued my interest, if that were true he should've said so.
Before I could ask he continued, "Well I think that chick Nicole already knew because now here's the embarrassing part. I got out of the company to get some lunch when I saw this girl in the parking lot having a problem with her car so I walked to her and asked her if there was anything I could do. And obviously it was a lure so one minute she was acting all demure and shy and the next thing I know I was being drugged." he scratched the back of his head like a shy guy asking his crush out on a date. It was cute.
"When I came to like you guys I was already here. How bout you? I noticed that out of all of us you were the only one that actually had the chance to bring stuff with you." he asked motioning to my incredibly bulky and heavy duffel bag on the floor. Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed.
"Oh, that mine is actually a pretty long story." and so I elaborated to them everything that has happened to me in just a span of hours. From the moment I met doctor Harrington up to the moment I arrived minus the part where I literally had to sit on Charles' lap the whole ride here. "And so that's what happened." I looked at Ley who just looked worried sick. She hugged me tightly and sighed heavily.
"It's a good thing nothing happened to you. That must've been so scary to handle all alone, I'm sorry you felt as if you had no one else to confide to but yourself." she whispered in my ear the words I've been wanting to hear.
We held each other for a good minute before letting go, "And you? How are you holding up?" I asked. She knew what I meant, I mean it's the exact epitome of shock when you suddenly recognize a man as your father despite not having a memory of him all your life.
She shrugged, "To be honest I don't know how to feel. There's this sudden rush of recognition when I saw him, doctor Harrington on the screen earlier. Then there was like a whisper or just gut feeling that told me exactly who that man was with so much confidence like it was a fact of who he was to me. It was strange, I've known my father to be Calvin Grant a physician, I mean they were both doctors but I mean how?" I can't exactly say I know the same kind of confusion she has right now so I just held her hand in mine.
"Look, we are all as confused and shock as you are so I know it's not in my place to say this but I hope we can at least get along well. Let's make a pact," I put my hand in the middle like it was during a game in camp where we put our hands on top of each other and yell "Team!" afterwards. "That as long as we're all in this together then we'll help each other get through whatever it is we are going through right now. No secrets and let's communicate. Say aye if you agree." I kept my hand in the middle and even though they shook their heads at my childishness and silliness they still said I one by one and put their hands in.
"Also, let's make rules or something." I was surprised when Ange suggested it, she seemed the most calm and mature out of all of us which I totally understand, "While we're at it, let's set up some ground rules like no one goes anywhere alone. No secrets about anything and since we're on the topic of getting to know each other better, I'm a Psychologist by profession. Please, call me Ange." she smiled. I heard Thea chuckle which made us look at her.
She shook her head, "It's nothing,"she hesitated, "she's uhh also my Psychiatrist…" she continued. No wonder Ange was able to keep her emotions in check, she's like the support system to Thea's fragile feelings. "I told you how I paint my dreams right? At first I was weirded out myself, it started out when I was young. I would dream of these weird scenes that I just couldn't understand so it was like my brain found a way for me to cope up with it and it was through painting what it is I've dreamt about." she played with a piece of hair on the side of her face. The other hand held Ange's in a tight lock.
"Ange was my friend from way before she became a psychiatrist but I confided in her and she helped me feel like I'm normal. She's the one who encouraged me to be an artist." it reminded me of my relationship with Ley. We weren't as close as we are today, when we met it was as if there's a current that's pushing me towards her and seeing as how Angela and Thea knew each other to how Ley and I know each other has got to have some slight connection to how we're all here. Together.
We sat there quietly pondering what to do next when someone banged on the door. It was a bit loud so all of our attention was suddenly at the door, I stood up and volunteered to open it. Charles' face was the first thing that came to view when I opened the door, he looked a bit troubled. "You looked stressed." I said which made him immediately role his eyes.
"I came to check your quarters and no one was answering so I opened it to see no one was inside. I checked the rest and they were also empty, I got worried but it seems all of you have gotten close." he said while peering inside to see our pseudo sleep-over on the floor. "Get some rest, tomorrow will be a new challenge, I'm telling you this now be prepared. Mentally and physically. Goodnight, I'll be in room 206 if you need anything." I nodded and he turned around then left.
"Quick question," said Thea. I shut the door and went back to my seat next to Ley. I motioned for Thea to go on, "You and Charles, how's that going on?" my eyes widened. If I was drinking a beverage I'd probably be a coughing mess right about now.
"What do you mean by that?" she probably just thinks we fight a lot or something. Hopefully.
"I mean, there's a lot of tension between the two of you and you did tell us that he was the one who took you here so there must be more than you're letting on." Busted…I looked around and even Ethan seemed intrigued.
I mean, "There's nothing really worth mentioning other than the obvious fact of how we hate each other. I ask too many questions and he's a sarcastic bastard who refuses to answer them. Period." and I shrugged. These people are too noisy but no secrets I suppose.
Thea chuckled and Ange had her eyebrow raised, "Alright, whatever helps you sleep at night." said Ange shaking her head and a slight smirk. "Speaking of which, we need to rest. Time to hit the hay, Thea and I will be staying in room 209." stated Ange then showed us their card key. We stood up and gathered the blankets and pillows we set up and put them back.
"Lillian and I will be staying in separate rooms, I'll be in room 207 and Ley will be in room 204." I looked at Ley and asked her if she'll be fine to sleep alone. "You can stay in my room if you want?" I asked but she just shook her head and gave me a small smile.
"I'll be fine Liz, I'm a grown adult. Besides, I think I need some time alone for now. I'll call you when I need anything." I nodded in understanding and hugged her before we all went out of the room to go to our own. I picked up my bag and damn was it heavy, Ethan must've noticed my struggle so he went in and took the bag from me.
"Thanks." I said a bit awkwardly. He nodded and motioned for me to show the way to my room. We all went to our own respective rooms and Ethan followed me to mine, helping me with my stuff.
"I'm kinda jealous you got to bring some stuff with you." he said as we walked. I stopped in front of my door and opened it with the key card and it automatically opened like Ethan's.
I chuckled, "Yeah, but let's just hope I even grabbed a decent pair of clothes. I just randomly grabbed whatever I could on my closet then shoved it in." he entered and put my bag inside next to my bed. "Thanks again for helping." I smiled.
He smiled back and patted his left shoulder, "You can count on me, anytime." then I walked him out, as soon as he got out the door next to mine opened and it revealed a newly showered Charles in sweatpants, white shirt and boots. He stood there looking at us, his gaze was moving back and forth from Ethan to me.
They nodded at each other before Ethan went and left waving one last time before walking away, leaving me with Charles the sarcastic bastard. "Going to sleep?" he asked, leaning on the wall next to my door.
I nodded, "After everything that happened I'll probably wake up tomorrow wondering if this is all just a dream and I'm still asleep. It has been a long day." I said, the exhaustion evident from my voice. I yawned.
"Then, I won't keep you." He stood properly and passed a hand through his still wet hair before putting his hands inside the pockets of his sweatpants. "I hope you settle well, the state of the rooms are temporary. You can ask tomorrow for anything you need to add inside since--I'm telling you as early as now--you won't be leaving anytime soon." he said before turning around to leave.
I dunno exactly what came over me but the words just came out, "Goodnight." that made him stop and he turned around to face me.
He smiled a little before replying, "Goodnight." then left. I stood there for a few more seconds before going back inside. I scanned the room and it was pretty much like Ethan's but smaller somehow with only one bed but the bed was also a bit bigger.
I took my shoes off and laid down on the bed. It was a bit uncomfortable since the linger of unfamiliarity was still evident and I was missing my old bed in my apartment. That seems like ages ago but just this morning I woke up on apartment floor and now I'm sleeping on an unfamiliar bed in a unfamiliar place inside a mountain. I've cranked it up.
It wasn't even a few minutes since I've been lying down when I fell asleep. What could the next day have in store for us this time?