XX.XX.XXXX?
One hour into the ride and Carmen was still asleep, looking peacefully. His sleeping position had changed; now he was turned more sideways and leaning against the window, his legs bent but reaching into the little space between Alex's and Ethan's seat.
Alex still hadn't fully let go of Carmen—one arm remained wrapped around his chest, steadying him in case they slipped on the icy road again. But a part of Alex just wanted to keep holding him. To run his fingers through Carmen's hair, tangling the strands the way he imagined their souls might one day tangle together like a delicate, invisible rope.
He watched Carmen sleep with amazement. And then he realized was watching Carmen sleep with amazement. That guy is not an ugly sleeper, he thought. He got so embarrassed by his own ponders that he adjusted his glasses, pushing them back up the bridge of his nose as if he wasn't obvious enough staring in the same spot for minutes straight.
"Alex. You're so fucking obvious staring at him like that," Ethan claimed.
"Well—" Alex's own words trailed away. "Water is cold."
"Inspiring," Velvette repeatedly shook her head up and down, her voice filled with amusement.
"And sometimes water is warm," Alex continued.
Now, Ethan and Velvette just stared at him as he took a deep breath to speak more nonsense.
"And sometimes water is boiling hot but I hate hot water."
"Is there any actual meaning behind this?" Victor looked back.
"Not yet," Alex said as he stretched his legs over at the central console between the seats.
Elodie moved his legs away, resting her arm in the same space. "If you figure out an actual good meaning, I'll give you a kiss."
"Uhm. No," Alex responded.
"Aw, this one actually admits that he likes men himself!" Velvette chortled as she took off her coat because the temperature in the car started getting warmer.
"I'm done here," Alex shook his head.
"How's Carmen still asleep? We're practically screaming at this point," Victor glanced over at him.
"Maybe Alex's warmth is blocking out the noise for him," Velvette speculated.
"And you tell me that me talking about water didn't make sense?" Alex frowned.
"How are we the 'smart' children that didn't get murdered just because we were so clever?" Victor said and the space immediately buzzed with laughter.
At that moment, Carmen opened his eyes. He looked around the space, noticing the position he was in, his heart flattering. The laughter cut him off from his focus and he finally spoke, "What have I missed?"
"Good morning," Velvette's laughter eased, though still clear in her voice. "You missed the best quote I've ever heard."
"Did I?"
"Yes," Velvette approved, clearing out her throat. "Water is cold. And sometimes warm. And sometimes it's boiling hot but I don't drink hot water, by...," she trailed off, looking at Alex. "What's your full name?"
"Alessandro Vaughn."
"Why the fuck can't yout name be Alexandre, like any other Alex?" Elodie asked.
"Theo's name's also not 'Theodore' but 'Theodor'," Ethan joined in. "His mother had to be different."
"Their mother," Carmen corrected. "His and Alex's."
"You know what? You can explain later," Ethan said.
"No. I wanna know," Vevette stated. "Why does the woman who always gave us all christmas gifts have another gay child out there."
Carmen shrugged.
"Alright," Velvette said, about to return to the previous conversation. "The quete's by I forgot your name."
Alex wanted to speak but Carmen spoke first. "Wow, Alex! A bit racist but yeah."
"It's not racist! Who drinks hot water?" Alex refuted.
"Yeah, that's why it doesn't make sense, smartass," Victor said. "How's this guy capable of inventing a cure for something even professionals could."
No one answered.
Alex wanted to, though Carmen put his index finger on his mouth to shut him. "Just keep silent." He tried to make it sound like a joke yet the words would come out sounding like he was mad. In an attempt to show what he really meant, he snatched Alex's glasses in a humorous manner. He tried them on, glancing around the space but not quite meeting Alex's gaze. "This made me remember why I hate glasses. I look shitty."
"You literally can't even see how you look," Velvette mentioned.
"I can feel it," Carmen responded, taking them off. "You look like a mole without them though."
Victor turned back to see. "He looks the exact same."
"You act like you haven't seen me without them when we slept together, Carmen" Alex said, his words almost interjecting with Victor's.
The space fell silent for a split second. Then, Velvette snorted, trying to hold back laughter, but failed, Victor howling in surprise.
"Aren't you two just friends?" Elodie asked, still focusing on the road ahead. They were now going up a hill, very slowly, the car troubled with the snowy path.
Alex shrugged casually. "We are. Friends who've made some... questionable choices."
Carmen knew he was making it all up but only smirked and chose to go with the flow. "You say 'questionable,' I say fun."
"I am kicking the two of you out of the car," Elodie warned sarcastically. "You two don't need a room, you need your own planet.
"Planet?" Victor chuckled. "Nah. They need their own universe."
"In my defense, his mother paid me," Carmen admitted, enjoying his lies being trustworthy enough.
"His mother has been dead for good five years," Ethan broke it for him.
"Okay, you got me there, I lied." Carmen observed the expressions of others before continuing. "Will y'all believe me when I say that we in fact never slept together?"
"No," everyone said almost simultaneously.
—
During the ride, Alex kept playing with Carmen's hair but Carmen didn't mind. Was that a historical moment? Alex thought.
The ride itself continued swiftly when the steep hills leveled out, the snow remaining a cold blanket over the roads. Over one road. There was only one road up to the orphanage—laboratory in this world. One way in and out, no one ever found it strange how isolated the place actually was.
Not so long after, the ride finally came to an end. Despite being here not even a day ago, the place brought back memories of taking the first breath in this place and overall getting used to the atmosphere instead. The events from hours ago were so sudden that it didn't even count as something that actually happened. The car likely waiting for an eternity stopped waiting because Team D was the last one to ever ride it again. And hopefully, the last team to be ever sent out to this world, too. But nothing except for that changed, the enormous main entrance still mirroring red veins, reality blurred from this side, yet clear like a mountain river on the other. The snow actually changed a lot, the whole place appeared less eerie. Or perhaps more. Why did the snowflakes begin to fall in the first place?
Fortunately—more like unfortunately, Agnes was there to welcome everyone upon their arrival with a response.
Just as everyone got out of the parked car, standing only a distance close enough to hear the entrance soft hum, Agnes walked out of reality—she must have seen them coming even through the blur viewed on the other side.
Her steps left a mark in the snow as she moved closer. But she stopped when she was assured they'd hear her, a mischievous smirk forming on her lips as her hair swayed back—unusual, her hair was always tied in the low bun. She almost looked like her sister.
And Ethan had to squint his eyes a little to make sure she really wasn't.
"Do you like the snow?"
Her question left everyone in confusion, exchanging glances.
"It's my doing."
No one responded.
Agnes proceeded a few steps further, the others taking a step back, unaware of what her intentions were.
"This world used to be covered in snow," she stepped further but no one stepped back this time. "I figured out that it'd be bad for my research, so I managed to change the atmosphere. Though, the remnants of creatures left a big part of it covered in dark matter, which came from them."
No one knew where she was going with this.
"I wanted the snow back, hoping that it'd slow you all down but I see you arrived sooner than I expected."
She took a deep breath as if she inhaled her soul along with it.
"I can change the fate of this world. But I can't change your fate. How do the poets say it? It's already written in stars. Yes, that. I won't change the fact that you all are dying tonight."
Creatures emerged from behind her before anyone could process the information. But something felt off. A woman with the power of killing them in literally every way possible but she'd let some monsters rip their skin off? That was no fun, she did that all the time.
At that moment the creatures emerged, Agnes stepped back, and they passed her as if recognizing her as their ruler.
"Velvette, Victor, go after her!" Alex instructed and received a nod response.
While the twins departed, the others fired at the creatures. But these creatures weren't just creatures formed from each other. These were creatures carrying the most mysterious part of the human body; the soul. Each of them used to have a family, friends, goals to accomplish if they didn't die of old age they had so much waiting upon them. Though these creatures didn't die of old age because they wouldn't be in Agnes' hold, they would create their own way to this world, far from here. These could be innocent people they were fighting. Or literal children.
Ethan swallowed hard at the thought that the creature he just killed could be Eileen. Most likely, it wasn't. It could be far worse. She could've died suffering, some experiment draining every part of her, like a desperate rat. That's the right word to describe how Agnes viewed people. Like rats.
He stopped shooting, the thoughts clouding his mind. He would start to tremble if Carmen didn't appear next to him, there to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and ask if he was okay. He wasn't. But honestly, was anyone experiencing the horrors of the orphanage okay?
Despite that, he pushed away his thoughts and offered Carmen an affiliative smile, hoping that his eyes didn't display his thoughts like on a movie screen.
The amount of creatures decreased rapidly as they shot, though, just as rapidly, the amount of ammo began to lower. They were going to be out of ammo with the remaining creatures defeated.
Meanwhile, the twins captured Agnes, each of them holding one of her arms tight while fighting against creatures. They were also gonna be out of ammo soon.
Mrs. Agnes did not move or protested against the hold. She enjoyed the show instead, her blue eyes cold like this world itself contrasting with the smirk that probably haven't left her face since her arrival.
When they defeated the last creature, no one seemed to have any ammo left. No one. As if it was a part of some plan that would leave them with nothing. That couldn't be a coincidence.
No creatures were a threat anymore, for now, what was left from them sinking into the snow and staining the snow in the black, dark matter resembling blood. But they were still stuck with Agnes. It was a unanimous choice that she had to die. Her steps couldn't leave a trail on any world, that had to stop.
"I'm out of ammo," Alex mentioned.
Carmen beside him said, "Me too."
The twins were out of ammo either.
The only person left was Elodie.
"I have one bullet left," she said.
"Shoot that bitch," Alex claimed.
"Oh Alex, you wouldn't kill your dear aunt like that, would you?" Agnes spoke, an evil grin playing on her lips, showing her perfect teeth. Perfect like every external part of her. If only she was that perfect on the inside, too.
"The same aunt who sent me here? Who killed the people I cared about, who destroyed what I worked so hard for in one night? Who let me suffer just by showing me all this while I worked for you, at fifteen?"
"Alex. Stop," Carmen hushed him, knowing this wasn't going to help them in any way.
"Actually, I've got one bullet," Elodie said, breaking the tension of the moment.
"Shoot that bitch, better, only hurt her. I want to hear her suffer like we all did," Alex said, wanting to say more but Carmen cut him off again.
"No. You wouldn't be any better than her doing that," he said.
Alex lowered his voice so only Carmen could hear him, turning to him. "Carmen, I know about everything she did. She raped people. Children. I know what she did to Ethan, too."
Carmen fell silent.
"Can you two shut up already. Go on, Elodie, kill me," Agnes practically begged at this point.
There's something cliché about this. Why would she give up so easily? Ethan thought, shifting his eyes to Elodie.
She was holding the gun, her fingers already on the trigger but not pressing it yet, targeting Agnes.
Agnes remained calm, accepting her fate. But was this really her fate?
"Elodie don't-" Ethan shouted but Elodie already pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow down, the bullet flying in the direction of... Agnes?
No.
Elodie shifted her targeting at Victor in the very last moment, he didn't expect it, he didn't move fast enough. He only felt the throbbing pain in his shoulder as the bullet hit him, his eyes widening with confusion as he cried out in pain.
Velvette immediately, out of reflex, released Agnes and went up to Victor, his blood already blemishing her white coat and the snow in red. More red each passing moment. The snow practically had turned into a painting.
"Fuck! Victor!" Velvette, still in shock, kneeled next to him.
Ethan followed after her, screaming just as he got there, "Elodie! What the fuck!"
"You guys never expected that, did you?" she began to reveal the truth.
Ethan meanwhile unzipped his hoodie and placed it into the snow—it was the hoodie Theo gave him when they were drunk, he wasn't letting it soak with blood. He lifted his shirt instead, revealing the scar on his stomach to Elodie. But there wasn't time to mention it.
"Of course I knew what Mrs. Agnes was doing. She told every team," Elodie continued. "Where do I even begin?"
"Well, I'd like to hear about the part where you switched to Agnes' side," Ethan haven't lowering his voice. As he waited for her reply, he wrapped his T-Shirt around Victor's shoulder, hoping that it would stop the bleeding at least a little, the cold wind stinging against his bare stomach, Victor's cry outs and heavily breathing cutting through the air.
Carmen was unable to speak, while Alex wanted to, but Carmen stopped him by whispering, "Don't."
He wanted to hear what reason Elodie had, not an argument. She had to have a good reason. Right?
Elodie's braids swung in the air, the red hue casting an eerie hue over her dark skin. She didn't remain silent for too long. "Do you guys want to hear the whole story?"
"Shorten it! Do you think we have time?" Ethan yelled, obviously talking about Victor's state.
"We've got plenty of time, actually," Agnes admitted, watching from a good distance. Her voice indicated that it was a threat to stay where they were.
"Mrs. Agnes wanted to kill me, I wasn't good enough, she locked me in a cage. But I escaped and then as she told me herself, she saw something in me," Elodie began.
"The only thing I see in you is a bicth," Alex commented.
"Keep the commentary," Agnes said, pointing her own gun at him.
They couldn't escape. They were trapped.
Elodie continued, "I worked for her for a while. But I didn't hurt anyone, I just researched this world along my team. And then, Ethan, Ethan, you got to this world by an accident and a plan was formed."
Ethan frowned.
"We had to kill the rest of our team. It was all my doing. No creature killed them. I still remember their screams of pain and their scared eyes. They looked like you guys actually," she paused before continuing. "Going into the 'reservation'. Oh my God, Alex, please give it a name,"
Alex didn't react.
"was the intention from the very beginning. Then destroying it, Team C came along to pass me a new transmitter, so I could communicate with Mrs. Agnes, and tell her about our plans in secret. The amount of the bullets we had so the creatures could be prepared based on that amount."
"And also each of them had already set who it was going to attack. My latest invention," Agnes joined in, her smirk still on her face. Wasn't her face hurting at this point?
"No one asked," Alex cut her off.
She pointed the gun at him again and he kept shut.
"Since y'all believed my lies, never suspected anything, you are now trapped, left with no bullets I—We simply won."
Elodie sounded so tough telling all that, but under all the toughness, a little girl, scared for her life, hid.
"Elodie I spent months with you. You were my friend," Ethan spoke, first calmly. "Have I ever mattered to you at all?" his voice raised.
"You did," she said, walking away to the entrance, Agnes following her.
"Why would you, why would you help Agnes!" Ethan screamed before she could get far.
She turned her gaze back at him, and shrugged. Shrugged.
Wow.
And then they all realized both Elodie and Agnes had left back and they could escape like that.
Except they couldn't.
Elodie was only a distraction so they wouldn't notice the people in hammock suits releasing something in the air. Sedatives.
They all blacked out.