"Hey, wake up, Lucian! Did you forget what we're doing tonight?" Dexter whispered, shaking his friend with an urgency that bordered on impatience.
Lucian jolted awake, rubbing his eyes. "Stop that! I didn't forget," he muttered groggily.
Dexter smirked. "If you were so excited, you wouldn't have been oversleeping. Probably wouldn't have slept at all—like me!" With exaggerated strides, Dexter moved to his own bed and grabbed a bag, tossing it toward Lucian.
"Let's get going, Luca!" Dexter's grin widened as he slung another bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.
Lucian caught the bag and stood, reluctantly following his friend. "You know we'll be back before anyone notices, right? No one's escaping anywhere."
"Always the pessimist," Dexter groaned. "You're no fun."
The two crept through the dimly lit corridors of the orphanage, their footsteps silent on the cold stone floor. Reaching the ground level, they slipped out the back through a wooden door Dexter had unlocked with a stolen key. The moonlight bathed the yard as they climbed over a broken section of the wall surrounding the orphanage.
Once outside, Dexter's excitement was palpable. "We're finally going to that forest! Took us long enough to plan this," he said, his voice filled with thrill.
Lucian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and the hardest part was stealing the key. That was terrifying. If we get caught, this'll be the end of our 'adventures.'"
Dexter laughed. "Relax, Luca. What's better than sneaking out at night for an adventure? Besides, would you rather rot in the 'Shack of Boredom' all your life?"
Lucian hesitated, but only briefly. Despite his skepticism, he couldn't deny the thrill coursing through him as they made their way toward the forest that bordered the quiet town of Denville.
The air grew colder as they approached the edge of the forest. Shadows danced beneath the moonlight, and the dense line of trees ahead seemed more like a wall than an invitation.
Lucian trailed behind Dexter, his gaze shifting between the looming trees and the distant lights of the orphanage. Why am I even doing this? It's not like I care about Dexter's dumb adventures. But… staying in that place is unbearable. Day after day, staring at the same four walls, eating the same tasteless food, pretending the world isn't empty outside these gates.
His thoughts darkened as he tightened his grip on the bag. The Shack of Boredom. That's what Dexter calls it. And he's right. It's suffocating. I'd rather risk whatever's out there than waste away in here. At least this way, if something happens, it'll be quick. Better than slowly rotting inside those walls.
Dexter stopped, turning to Lucian with a grin that failed to mask his nervous excitement. "Ready?"
"Of course not," Lucian replied, his voice flat but tinged with reluctant amusement.
"Too bad," Dexter said, stepping forward. "Adventure waits for no one!"
The forest swallowed them whole.