The organization marched forward in terrible quiet, tiredness visible on every face as they navigated the tortuous streets. The sky turned a dreary gray, with dense clouds obscuring any trace of brightness and a foreboding kick back into the air. Caleb led the route, his gaze darting over each shadow and nook, ensuring their safety.
Mara grasped the strap of her bag, the magazine's weight a constant reminder of its cryptic warnings. The entry about betrayal stayed in her head, unsettling her. Now she could feel a prickling discomfort in the air, as if something heavy was whispering in the solitude.
They arrived at an abandoned faculty, its home windows damaged and the doors somewhat sagging on their hinges. Weeds entwined around the doorway and crept over the fractured pavement, as if nature was attempting to reclaim what had been misplaced. Caleb paused and turned to face the institution.
"We'll stay here for the night," he explained. "Preserve low and silent. "I'll take the first watch."
Everyone nodded, too exhausted out to disagree. They slipped into the dark building, their footfall echoing on the chipped tile flooring. The air became stale and bloodless, with a slight musty odor that hinted at the years of solitude this location had experienced. Mara shivered, felt a kick back settle over her that had nothing to do with being bloodless.
They spread out, everyone claiming a space to rest. June got to work arranging the little scientific materials they'd left, her countenance tired but determined. Leo disappeared down a hallway without saying anything, his quiet being louder than his usual sarcastic remarks. Caleb remained close to the doorway, his stance alert and his eyes sharp even in the dark lighting.
Mara sat in a nook, reaching for the journal with a mix of dread and interest. She knew it would have something fresh for her; it always did, when she needed it the most and least wanted to pay attention to it.
The familiar leather-based felt cold on her fingers as she opened it and flipped to the current web page. Her breath froze as she studied the words scrawled across the middle, the ink smudged as if written in a hurry: watch out for people who hide in plain sight.
A shiver ran up her backbone. She gazed around at the others, her attention fixed on each of them. She was aware of everyone's secrets and strategies. However, the magazine's warnings always carried weight and usually hinted at something hiding just beyond the surface.
June's nickname, "Mara," broke her mind. "Come help me with the supplies."
Mara slipped the notebook aside and headed to where June was laying bandages and antiseptics. She looked at Mara, her eyes filled with a silent apology that had been there since Lydia's death.
"How's the arm?" June asked quietly, indicating at the cuts and bruises from their earlier escape.
"satisfactory," Mara responded, despite the fact that the pain persisted. "thank you."
June offered a polite nod, and they worked in silence, the weight of their loss separating them. June eventually spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "It's tougher to let human beings go than I notion it might be."
Mara did not answer, unsure of what to say. She understood June's remorse and felt it reverberate in her own coronary heart. This international pressure forced them to make impossible decisions, and the line between right and wrong seemed to blur more with each passing day.
As the light decreased, they gathered in the main corridor, each body huddling in their corners, hoping to find some solace within the shadows of the fading college. Caleb kept a watch, his figure a quiet father or mother opposing the entrance.
When everyone else had fallen asleep, Mara crept away, her curiosity drawing her deeper inside the building. She hurried through the deserted halls, the quiet urgency surrounding her like a real weight. She expanded into a nook and found herself at the library's entrance, the doors slightly ajar.
The shelves were arranged in rows and covered in mud, creating a little sanctuary that had remained unaffected by the pandemonium outside. The smell of old books filled the air, a remarkable, almost pleasant contrast to the severity of the world outside those walls.
A small rustling sound alerted her, and her heart quickened. She surveyed the room, her eyes narrowing, and suddenly she noticed a girl, scarcely taller than a teenager, huddled in the a ways corner, hiding between two shelves. She thinned out, her face faded and smeared with grime, her eyes wide and apprehensive as she peered at Mara.
Mara took a tentative step forward, raising her hands to show that she was not a threat. "Hi there, it's fine. "I am not here to hurt you."
The female remained motionless, her gaze flickering across Mara as if appraising her. She eventually spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "You should not be right here. They will recognize."
Mara scowled, careworn. "Who will recognize?"
The woman's gaze shifted to the home windows, her look troubled. "They're the ones who come at night." They are exclusive, and they whisper.
Mara felt a chill from the phrases. She took another step closer, feeling a common connection to this girl, sensing a kindred spirit in her wariness and dread.
"What's your name?" Mara asked gently.
"Iris," she replied, her voice wavering slightly. "I have been here... I don't know how long. However, I know when they're coming. They only show up after dark. They each whisper something different to the other. No one believes me."
Mara's heart tightened. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the journal. She paused, then opened it to the most recent entry and showed it to Iris, pointing out the phrases: beware people who hide in plain sight.
Iris's eyes widened, and her palm reached out to touch the web page, brushing over the words as if they contained electricity she could feel. She looked up at Mara, her eyes filled with fear and an enormous longing.
"You accept as true with me?" Iris muttered, her voice full of vulnerability that tugged at Mara's heart.
Mara nodded. "I do. I've seen stuff, too. And this magazine... it appears to recognize things I do not recognize. But I accept that as real for you, Iris. "I trust what you're saying."
Relief calmed Iris' expression, but a flash of worry remained. "They show up every now and then, just outside. I can hear them muttering, as if they are hunting for something... or someone.
Mara's stomach twisted. The magazine's warning, along with Iris' words, created a picture that made her pores and skin move slowly. There was more to this than just furious wandering randomly; there was something deeper and more deliberate at the paintings.
"Iris," Mara said, her voice steady, "do you need to include us?" We're attempting to survive and locate a safe place. You don't need to live here by yourself."
Iris paused, peering around the library as if contemplating her options. But she nodded, a little gleam of hope in her eyes. "yes. Please. "I don't want to be alone anymore."
Mara held out a hand, assisting Iris to her toes, and they made their way back down to the main hall. The shadows appeared to close in around them, the silence broken only by their soft footfall. Caleb stepped out as they expanded into the final nook, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Iris' lean body and careful attitude.
"Who's this?" He inquired, his tone reserved.
"This is Iris," Mara said, her voice calm yet forceful. "She has been hiding right here." And he or she is aware of matters to which we should pay attention."
Caleb's eyes lingered on Iris, his face ambiguous. But he nodded and stepped back to let them pass. As Mara presented Iris to the middle, she was greeted with weary nods by June and the others.
Caleb took Mara away, his face intense, as the company settled in for the night. "What did she say?"
"She hears them," said Mara, keeping her voice quiet. "They are inflamed. She says they're one-of-a-kind at night, whispering to one other. And the diary... cautioned against people lurking in plain sight.
Caleb's eyes darkened, casting a shadow of concern across his face. "If they're conversing and having plans, that changes everything. We'll need to keep alert."
Mara nodded, feeling a weight land on her. The warning became plain, yet the peril felt closer, more real than ever before. As the group snuggled around, looking for slumber in the cold, empty school, she kept her hand on the journal, as if it could protect her from the unknown.
Hours passed, and the darkness outside became thicker, closing in on them. Mara's eyes drew shut, but sleep eluded her grasp. Then, in the silence of the night, a faint sound resonated across the deserted halls.
A whisper.
Her eyes sprung open, and her heart pounded as she tried to concentrate. The sound became soft and scarcely perceptible, yet it became a whisper, like if a voice was just out of grasp. She looked over at Iris, whose eyes were wide with fright, and her face faded in the dim light.
"They're here," Iris said, her hand tightly clutching Mara's.
Mara's pulse quickened as she looked at Caleb, who had also heard the sound. He gestured for silence, his face stiff and his stance tense. The whispers became louder, a deep, eerie hum that seemed to seep through the walls, filling the air with an uncanny calm.
They were not on my own.
The whispers subsided, and silence returned, but the sense of dread persisted, dense and unshakeable. Mara's
Her hand clenched across the journal, her thoughts racing as she realized the nighttime held more horrific secrets than she could have imagined.
As the murmuring faded into stillness, Mara realized this was only the beginning of what lay ahead in the shadows.