It's time to go on an adventure

Chapter 1: The beginning of the end

I was feeling bored out of my damn mind. 'At this point I kinda wish something bad would happen. Imma die of boredom soon if something doesn't happen' I thought while feeling increasingly exasperated with this job. It was my turn for guard duty this month and I got stuck in the damn night shift. At least in the day there would be people.

Instead here I am standing guard outside a bloody laboratory with nothing to do. 'Why couldn't they automate this? They should just build turrets or robots to stand guard. Like in fallout 4 settlements!' I thought. I began to lose myself in my thoughts as I began to think of ways to make it possible to automate guard duty. 'Hmm. Should we go with fully autonomous robots or should we instead have sensors in place to detect intruders and turrets or something similar to attack them. Robots are more mobile and less likely to be hacked if they each have their own internal mainframe with preprogramed orders that can only be changed via entry of a pass...'

"DHAREN!" A voice suddenly yelled. Yelling in shock, I looked towards the other guy that got stuck with me, private Johnathan. "Yeah?" I responded.

Shaking his head "Pay attention man. We have a duty to protect and guard this place with our lives." He said angrily.

John's kind of a patriotic guy. Like really patriotic. Like hangs the country's flag on top his bed and worships the damn thing like Jesus, patriotic.

I rolled my eyes and replied dryly "John, it's the middle of the night. We've got straight well lit arrow straight corridor smack in front of us with the only cover being the 2 benches on both sides near us. The only way anyone is gonna sneak up on us is they are invisible or the bloody batman. And if that happens we're as good as fucked." Grumbling about my lack of responsibility but seeing I had a point he kept his mouth shut.

For the next 2 hours we stood in silence watching the corridor and listening for any footsteps. I observed John to see what he would do when the boredom eventually got to him.

While I was tracing the patterns on the bench for the 6,789th time, John asked "How long more until our shift ends man?"

Looking at my rather old, yet in surprisingly good condition, watch.

"2 more hours until the shift change then we're scot free."

He nodded in agreement. Thinking that was the end of the conversation I went back to tracing the patterns on the bench when John asked "Dharen what do you think goes on in there?"

As patriotic as John is he has a good head on his shoulders and doesn't have that blind obedience that comes with that much 'love' for one's country.

Pausing my tracing, I thought for a second. "We're in the R&D labs right? So I think it's safe to say that they are probably developing weapons or some new shit. I am guessing it's not guns because this place looks a little too high tech for that."

Nodding his head he countered my theory. "Yeah but what if they are making laser guns or guns that can disintegrate people"

It never ceases to amaze me as how a guy as childish as him ended up in the army. I thought he would have ended up in the education sector.

Feeling my chuckle rumble through my chest I replied sarcastically. "Yea or they might be developing the super soldier serum and next thing you know I'll will be the next captain America!"

Frowning John forged ahead with his explanation. "But you gotta admit it might be possible man. There's lasers that can through steel..."

"At point blank range bro. Technology is not nearly advanced enough for lasers to be effective at anything longer than a few meters" I said as I cut him off.

"So? This is the military man. They will try and weaponise everything. Everything is a weapon and our enemies fear us. We hit the enemy with curveballs man. We think outta the box. That's why we win."

Getting bored I just responded with a "Hn" or a short "Yes" while I thought 'Bruh do I look like I give a fuck.' Feeling bored I decided to focus my senses on my surroundings.

I let John's chatter fade into the back ground. I let my eyes drink in every detail of John. From the way he moved when he spoke to the way his hands twitch just as he begins to move and how his brown eyes appeared to light up with curiosity and excitement. How his smooth brown skin stretched and bent, making it seem as if he had smooth creamy chocolate for skin.

I made myself become hyper aware of my all the sounds I heard. The way my heart beat a heavy and steady rhythm. To the faint scratching sounds my uniform made as it brushed against my boots. I listened to, not what John was saying instead how he spoke. How he emphasised his words the subtle black accent that seemed to underlie his words. I listened to faint howling sound. "Wait what? Hang the fuck on" I thought, curious as to where that sound was coming from. I turned to John and said "John shut up I think I hear something" tersely.

"Wha?.." he responded while his mouth hung open comically at being interrupted so suddenly. I swiftly put my hand over his mouth as he was about to reply and closed my eyes.

There it was that howling. 'What the hell? We're underground! The fucking hell?' I thought curiously. I followed the sound to the metal door. Placing my ear to the door, there it was. That howling. Only it didn't sound like the wind or a wolf's howl. It sounded like a person screaming. It sounded wrong. I felt shiver travel up my spine as that feeling got stronger.

My instincts began to go off. They told me to run. Instead I turned to John and said "Call for back up now. I think something went wrong."

He simply went "It's only another hour until the shift change wait for abit man."

"Dude I am serious something is wrong. Don't you hear it and don't you feel that wrongness" I insisted.

John looked at me incredulously "Yeahh no. I think the lack of sleep might be getting to you."

"John I am not fucking around. There's something wrong and..."

Before I can finish my sentence we hear a dull thud from the other side of the door.

We are instantly on guard. Drawing our weapons, John tries to radio in for back up only to get a loud screech from his radio.

Meanwhile the feeling of wrongness was getting stronger and stronger.

"It's probably Anbu he probably slipped and fell" John said. At first glance he appeared calm but the tightness of his shoulders and how his grip on the gun tightened told a very different story.

Ignoring the wrongness, I laughed and said "Pshh. What are you saying knowing him he probably knocked EVERYONE down went he went down." While giving him a carefree smile.

Chuckling John went to unlock the door trying to appear fearless. But the slight hesitation in his normally sure movements gave away his fear.

Patting his shoulder reassuringly I said "Don't worry dude .Worst case scenario something exploded and a few people got injured or killed. What, do you think they summoned a magical suuuppper demon?" in an Indian accent.

Laughing he opened the steel door.