A cause

by PandaAN19

Three highschool boys from three different cliques have o band together. Can they set their differences aside and help each other?

A Cause

By: AN19

Prologue:

The boys who were so different can they really become friends and prove to the school that their social class doesn't matter? That social class isn't a thing? The nerd, the loner, and the popular kid will need to work together to fight through or they might as well all get expelled. Can three different teens set aside their differences to achieve the same goal of saving themselves? Whether they make it through or not a lesson will be learned bad or good. Austin, Brian, and Alex, three seniors who's about to have the hardest years out of any kid at School. Will they fight through it as brothers or parish as fools?

Chapter 1: The Three

Alright here is one of the three boys his name is Alex Nguyen.

His age is 18 and he's a school reject if you will. He's 5'5 and 153 pounds he suffers rejection from a girl he still loves and that leads to his depression. Which is the ultimate cause of his loneliness but he'll always be kind to anyone know matter what. Even if he's an outsider.

The second boy's name is Brian Rodriguez he's a year younger so 17 years young. He's one of the smartest kids at school so he values academics over sportsmanship. He's 5'7 and 147 pounds so he's average but his social game isn't as strong but his brains will make up for it.

And finally the school's hotshot athlete Austin Alarva he's 17 as well. He's the top DB and TE in the state and dont forget he led the basketball team in triple doubles winning them the championship. He's 5'8 and 158 pounds but dont call him slow or he'll truck you into next year. He might not have the brains but he has a guaranteed scholarship with his athleticism.

Chapter 2: Austin's Story

I come from a rough family. My dad sells drugs for a living but my mom thinks he's a janitor. And my mom is a casino worker they both work so hard to care for me and my sister. She's off to her second year in college and my parents are, well were paying for her. She got into a car accident a few weeks ago and she's been in the hospital ever since. My dad passed away recently when he was shot during one of his drug trades. My mom doesn't know what to think because he lied to her for so many years. But my dad was most of our families income and now we're in debt. My mom now has 3 jobs a waiter, a teacher, and a casino worker. And she's now struggling for depression. I want to help my family I really do but I don't know how. Until a letter arrived saying "Alls well if you meet me after school in room 703." I didn't even know that existed but I love my family so I guess I need to go regardless.

Chapter 3: Brian's story

I dont remember much about my real parents because they put me up for adoption because they never wanted a child. At least that's what my new parents said. My parents are both rich but they wanted to make sure I lived a normal love before I get some of their money. So they sent me to a public school, ew just the thought of it gets me grossed out. I prefer a private school where everyone is more formal and are more polite. But I must go to this school if I even want a little inheritance of my parent's money. Things in public schools were so easy it was laughable but these kids laughed at me, calling me a nerd for knowing everything. I tried to ignore them but one day I had enough, I punched a girl right in her eye and got expelled. My parents enrolled me to a new school, I didnt want to attend it though. I wanted to go back where I belong a private school and rich life. A letter came in from an anonymous sender it read "Alls well if you meet me after school in room 703." I was still pretty new to the school so I guess I'll have to ask one of these clowns how to get there. The things I do for my future.

Chapter 4: Alex's story

I live with my aunt and uncle and they both have no kids so they decided to take me in after my parents died when I was three. And ever since they left me, I have never felt true parenting. My aunt and uncle were way to strict, I had a schedule that literally mapped out my whole day from waking up to doing homework and going to sleep. It was an easy life and I honestly hated it. Though the greatest thing happened I meant the sweetest girl ever but after only a few months her parents transferred her away because they didn't want her in a relationship. And that was the last time I felt happiness. My uncle is in the military and my aunt is a news reporter they both have busy lives so they hired a maid who would take care of me 90% of my life living with my aunt and uncle. But every night I pray that she'd come back because she gave me a feeling that no one has. But I know she won't. My maid yelled at me to come downstairs to get my mail. I never received mail so this was a first, the letter said "Alls well if you meet me after school in room 703." I knew that there was no such thing as room 703 but my emotions were stronger than my head so I went anyway.

Chapter 5: A Touchdown Away

Fourth quarter we're down by six with :20 seconds left on the clock. We're at the 46 yard line on their side of the field. Khalid was team captain he yelled out in the huddle "Alright boys. We may be down but we're not out. I want my three wide receivers to my left with my tight end there as well. Austin we're counting on you, on this reverse to the right. Alright Conks on three! One, two, three!" The whole offense in synchronization "CONKS!" Its up to me again. This defense that BC has isn't one to slack off against. We're out of time outs and if they tackle me in bounds its over we lose. We can't run the hurry up offense because coach never thought it was a good idea to rush things. Khalid lining up ready to hike the ball. My heart begins in racing I need this scholarship more than anything! This was our final regular season game and the scouts are out watching us.

"Ready? Black 73, set! Hut, Hike!" The recievers and tight end do their job and set up screens for a fake screen play to our running back. I sweep to the left and get the hand off from Khalid and run to the left. The play worked except for the safeties who were closing in. I cut to my left, the safety jumped and it was a near miss. I dashed down the sideline and saw the other safety coming in and I decide to do a back juke and that's when the cornerbacks behind popped the ball out it was a fumble. The announcer yelled out "The BC lions forced a fumble and it looks like they will get the ball and this game is over."

I walk into the locker room ashamed of myself. My teammates give off a hatred vibe and I don't blame them, all I needed to do was dive for the pylon. I fumbled at the two and I ended our season in a lost. Our first lost of the season when the scouts were watching. I take off my helmet and decide to step off onto the field and wondered if that's it. Do I not get a scholarship? Will I not go pro to save my family. A voice swept by saying "I can help you. In room 703." I look around and no one was in sight. "I'm going insane.

Chapter 6: Simple Math

The qualifiers are today. And we need to beat Saskatchewan. They're one of the dumber schools in this math division. Since its the qualifiers its only 1st through 4th grade math. So I don't think that this is going be too difficult. The smartest person on our team was Carson, he may not look smart but I'll tell you what he might actually give me a run for my money. Oh, who am I kidding he won't.

But anyway our math coach was Coach Wagner he's been involved with the math cup since he was in Highschool himself so you could call him a veteran. Carson was our team captain and was told to give a pregame speech. "Alright boys, good luck out there and don't choke! Nerds for the win on three! One, two, three!" We all let out a small yell "Nerds for the win." Damn we have no energy. But that doesn't matter we haven't gone a year missing playoffs. And I don't feel like starting now. The host announced that there will be three rounds and which ever team wins three out of the five questions will win the round.

Our first teammate really couldn't do peer pressure so he lost to Saskatchewan, Carson went second and his question was what was nine divided by three. I got so excited because I knew he'd win this but he was half a second to slow. We're down by two in round one, and next up was our idiot of the team Jose. He obviously lost and now we're down 1-0 against a school that we shouldn't be losing to. The next round our only girl on the team won against Saskatchewan. Now it was my turn and I was praying for something easy. said "Which number is divisible by 3? A. 267 B. 541 C. 707 D. 433 E. 641?"

God damn, I wanted to shoot myself how the hell am I suppose to know. I decide to guess A because A is always the answer. "Alright Brian, you buzzed in what is your answer?" I replied "A. 267 final answer." replied "that is... correct!" A few match ups passed and we're tied at 1 round each. On the final match between Me and Thomas we're tied at 2-2 and the final tie breaking question has to be difficult. "Alright, who ever gets this will qualify for the playoffs. You boys ready?" I nod my head as did Thomas. "Ok here's your question what is 1+2..." I buzzed in and spoke into the microphone and said "Three the answer is three." replied "That is... Incorrect! And Saskatchewan takes home the playoffs and Kentwood will go home empty handed after a hard season." I looked at my team they had already left and now my inheritance is gone for being a complete failure. I sat down on the edge of the stage and put my hands on my face. "Your not a failure come to room 703 and you'll see." I look around in the empty auditorium but no one was there.

Chapter 7: Broken

I'm just being me sleeping in class because nothing is interesting enough to learn. "Wake Up!" That's she's always out to find a reason to yell at me which I find completely useless because I sleep through her yelling. She slams a ruler onto my desk causing me to wake up, "What?" I asked her. She said "Sleep in class again and I'll hit you with this ruler next time!" I wasn't scared instead I got up and walked out of the classroom, "What do you think your doing?" A second later the bell rings.

The next bell rings signaling the start of next class, I decide to go to the men's room and stand at the sink. I look at myself in the mirror but I dont recognize myself. "Who are you? Who am I? What's my purpose?" I pull out my phone and go to my photos. I go back to an old picture of me and her, a tear drop runs down my face and hits my phone. "God damn it!" I leave the restroom as enters, he's our school principle. He asked "Are you alright Alex?" Me and him are good buddies because I got to his office nearly religiously. "Yes sir, I'm just a bit down." He let out a long sigh and said "Come, we're going to my office." I walk next to him and he doesn't look at me once on the way to his office.

His office is pretty nice compared to the rest of the school, it has a nice calming dark blue wallpaper with some nice dark blew carpeting. He sat down in his chair and picked up his coffee and asked "I know it's been tough on you but you have to learn things happen for a reason." I didn't look up instead I begin talking and replied "I loved her, and now she's gone. She was the happy side of me, the side of me that cared. And all of that is gone." I walk out and slam the door. I walk down the hallways the kids were gone, school was over and I didn't realize. I just want to be happy again. "I can help bring things back to the way they were but you need to see me at room 703." I look around no one was there but I knew that this maybe my only opportunity to see her again.

Chapter 8: Room 703

Austin dashed down the hallways and looking for room 703. "Where the hell is it?" He continues his search while Brian is in the computer lab downloading a map of the school. "Wait this can't be right." He leaves the computer lab with the map and walks down the hallways to room 703. Alex just wonders the hall endlessly like a ghost that haunts the school. "I need to find it. Where is it." He continues his search but isn't aware of anything else around him.

Brian is first to arrive at room 703 he reads the sign "Do Not Enter!" He slowly reaches for the door as he hears heavy breathing coming from the other side. "I'm going regret this in the morning." He opens the door and enters the room closing the door around him. An ominous fog spreads to his leg, the room is completely dark except for a small broken mirror letting in the smallest light. Then the wooden floor creaks, "Who's there?" A man wearing a hood that covers his face said "Brian? I presume?" Shaking in fear he says "yeah... And who are you?" Letting out a laugh that would haunt anyone he said "That is none of your business. Now you want to be rich again I presume?" Brian manned up and said "yes, I want to go back to a rich life not a normal life like all these losers." The man walks towards Brian and put his cold hands on his shoulder and said "Wait and all shall be yours."

Alex arrives at the room reading out the tape "Caution! Caution!" Alex reaches for the door handle as banging from the other side could be heard. Not having a care in the world he opens the door and nothing but darkness was before him. He stepped in and closed the door as a dim lightbulb was the only source of light. He walks towards the light there on the floor before him was a box. There was a note attached that read "Only open if you want to leave here." I decide not to open it and wait. A few moments later a man walked out of the darkness and said "You have patience. What is your wish?" In a bad tone I tell the man "You know why I'm here. I want her, I want us back." A reply from the man after a moment of silence "Your wish shall be granted in due to time." He walks away and I decide to follow him not knowing what else to do.

Austin finally arrives after running through the entire school. "Room 703, here it is. Hopefully it was worth the sweat." He read the label on the door "Hazardous! Hazardous!" "Whatever who has time for big words anyway." He reaches for the door knob as a scream from the other side could be heard. "What the hell?" He tries to open the door but it wouldn't budge. "Black 73, set... Hike!" The door breaks down and all that was in the room was a man sitting on a chair. "Where's the girl? I heard her scream. Where is she?" The man sat there not acknowledging me. He then got up and said "She's in the hospital. She's been there for weeks after a car incident. I'm quite sure you know her." Out of rage I yell at him "You D-bag what the hell did you do with her?" The man replied "I'll be her savior but you must do me a favor." I calm down and nod my head and he leads me into the shadows as I followed.

Chapter 9: The First Encounter

The three boys were blindfolded and had their ears blocked of any sound. The man walked around them and checked them for any defects and none were seen. He removed all of the equipment attached to their face and heads. Austin was first to react "Wow who the hell are these losers? I mean no offense." Brian replied "None taken. But who are you guys anyway?" Since no one was going answer Alex spoke out "They call me Alex back when I was relevant." Austin shook hands with Alex and said "Austin. Star athlete of the..." Brian cut him off and said "Yeah, one of the greatest athletes of all time choking against BC." Austin didn't take that kind of attitude from Brian and sucker punched him. Brian was unconscious for a while.

Letting out some noise from his pain Brian became conscious again and asked "Where am I?" Austin laughed with a some sort of embarrassment behind it "I kind of knocked you out sorry about that." Alex reached out and picked Brian up and Brian replied "It's alright. But the real question is why are you two here?" Alex replied "I was going ask the same thing. I'm here because of this letter." The other two pulled out the same exact letter. Austin looked over and asked the hooded man "what's the deal pops?" The man took off his hood and under it was a man who has half of his face burned. "I need help you guys are my only hope." Alex shuddered and asked "Why us?" The man replied "I was burnt alive for speaking out my opinion. But you guys need to prove them wrong." Austin stepped in and asked "Who is them?" The man pulled out an old book from a nearby shelf and threw it at the legs of Brian. "The society." Alex asked "Who's The Society?" Brian cleared his throat and said "They're a bunch of people who determine the worlds fate and how they think the world should be. But what does that got to do with us?" The man said "My opinion went against the second law of The Society. I told the world that we shouldn't be judged by who we are but instead be judged by us as humans."

Austin then interrupted and said "Look that's a really nice story and all but I just want to help my family. Are you going help me or not?" Alex stepped in again and said "Let's hear the man out." Austin shoved Alex to the ground and said "Look kid. I have a family that needs me to help them so I don't have time for this bull poop." The old man looked at Austin and said "You value your family. Brian you value your dignity and Alex you value your heart. But you all are missing one important thing and that's friendship. Now work together and help me prove the society wrong!" Austin shoves the old man and said "I'm out obviously you weren't going to help me at all." The man says "Life won't be the same for you unless you help me. So be warned." Austin exits the room, Brian runs after him and asks "Why won't you give him a chance?" Austin shrugged him off and said "Times too important to waste." And Austin storms away. Alex doesn't know what to do and ask the old man "Can you really help us?" The old man smiles and said "I will as long as you can help me." He nods his head and leaves telling the old man he'll be back tomorrow.

Chapter 10: Curse

At practice today coach called me to his office early so I stopped my reps and decided to go see what was up with coach. I opened the door to his office and asked coach "What's up, Coach Anderson?" He was still looking at his papers and said "Austin, have a seat." I don't like the tone in his voice, it sounds like he has some bad news to tell me. He removed his glasses and scratched his eye and said "Look, Austin your a great kid I really love ya, but..." I try to look face to face with him but he doesn't even look at me "But what coach?" Coach takes a deep breath and says "They took away your scholarship to MSU." I give coach a blank stare and then start giving out a fake laugh and said "Good one coach. Your such a comed..."

"Austin this isn't a joke, the drug test you took last week that we thought you passed was a fail. There were signs of steroids in it." I was shocked and told coach "Coach! I don't use steroids what the hell are you talking about?" Anderson reached into his pockets and threw out a capsule with some pills in it, the label reading "Steroids." "Kid this was found in your locker this morning." "But coach this isn't mine!" Coach turned his chair around and said softly "I'm sorry Austin but we have to cut you from the team all evidence proves that you have been abusing drugs." I don't like this feeling so I lash back "Coach! Come on man! I've done so much you can't do this to me. My family depends on me!" Anderson turns around stands up as I look up at him he closes his eyes "Get the hell out of my office kid!" I walk out and slowly closes the door. "I'm lost, I don't know where to go. I just walk out to the field one more time and watched as visions of saving my family just simply vanish. "I know what I have to do."

Sitting in math class I'm not focused whatsoever. called out to me "Hey, Brian come up and get your test!" I walk up to get my test and it was turned over. 's hand was over it and he told me "Brian, your a really smart kid but I expected better from you." I keep my test faced down and carried it to my desk and finally turned it over. "There's no way." I have never had anything worse than a 99% on a test so seeing that number on my paper kills me insides. "How did I? How did I fail?"

Written on the top right hand corner under my name was a 52% with the letter F on it. I sat in class looking around at all of the other kids papers and started getting jealous that these nobodies are doing better than I did. As soon as the bell rang signaling the end of the day said "Alright class you're all dismissed. But Brian I want you to stay after." The whole class turns around to look at me and begin laughing out of the classroom until the last kid left class. And I was still sitting down in my desk as begin walking down the middle aisle to my desk. "Brian what's up this isn't you. I know you, your the smart kid that does well how come you failed this?" I looked up at him and shrugged. let out a sigh and said "I'm sorry Brian but only wants the smartest student from each math class and because of that F you've fallen from the best kid in my class to the tenth best kid in my class." He walks away as, I leave the classroom going outside to the hallway a tear drop comes off my face. "God damnit!"

Chapter 11: A Mess

's class finally ended and I put my supplies into my backpack and left the class. Not looking where I was going I ran I'd I some kids who were blocking be door. "Hey watch where you're..." I looked up at the kids and realize it was the school's top bully. "The hell did you just say kid?" In fear I couldn't respond. God damn why do I have to be such a wimp. "So you just going sit there like nothing happened?" I wanted to get up but my legs refused to listen. "Look kid I going give you three seconds to run before I come after you and knock you out. "One... Two..." I tried to get up but I couldn't my body wasn't cooperating with me. "Three!" He put his fingers into a fist and swung towards my face. I closed my eyes and turned away preparing to get knocked out.

A few seconds passed but nothing happened I decide to take a look and Austin was standing there with his hand wrapped against the bully's fist. He said "Yo, kid you alright?" I could finally speak again and replied "Ye..ah. Thank you." I got up and cleaned myself off with my hands. The bully backed away and faced towards Austin and said "Austin! You come here to help me beat up this kid?" Austin with a serious face shook his head "No. He's with me. Touch him and I'll end you." The bully was in shock and said "Wait what? Why are you protecting this loser?" Austin told me to follow him and said "We're all human. Don't ever forget that Draco." I walked with him, I knew he was going back to see the old man. I look behind us and Draco was looking at me and with his pointer finger he did the motion of a knifing cutting his throat. "Why'd you help me?" Austin took a few steps and said "The old man said he could only help us if all three of us helped him. And by the way I never caught your name what was it?" I reply "Alex." He nods and sticks his hand out and said "Alright, Alex nice to meet you the name is Austin." I shake his hand.

As I shake his hand we hear a scream coming down from the hallway. "Let's go." We ran down to the hallway as the a trail of blood was coming out of the door. Brian was on his knees examining the blood. Looking up and finally realizing we were here "Oh, hey Austin. Hey Alex." I look back at Alex he wasn't looking so hot. "Brian did you hear the scream to?" Brian nods his head and said this "trail leads to the inside of that room so we should go in and check." I knew exactly what to do, I signal the two to back way and yelled out "Ready? Set... Hike!" I run at the door and the door goes coming down. I look back to see Brian but Alex is no where to be seen. "Where'd Alex go?" Brian pointed to the trash can as Alex begins vomiting. I quickly jog over and asked "Yo, dude you alright?" He nods his head and replies "I'm fine I just don't do blood to well." He stops vomiting and we walk into the room. The room looks deserted but then a girl in the middle of the room was tied up and her mouth was taped shut. Brian yelled "The roof is about to collapse we have to get her out of there!" I start running but then Alex was already there and untied her. The roof falls down on them. "Alex!" The roof falls down and there was no sign of movement.

Chapter 12: Amnesia

The pile of dust and rocks begin to move. I see Austin running over to the pile and moving away the debris. I decide to help him and we lifted the giant piece of the roof. "Come on Austin we got this." The piece of roof gets flipped over and a giant cloud of dust blew over. Austin began coughing "Hey, Austin you alright?" The dust settles down and Austin replied "Yep." When the dust settles down we see two bodies one is Alex's and the other is a girl. I kneed down and shook their bodies "You two ok?" Alex gets up and turns over and looks at the girl "Hey, wake up. Are you ok?" The girl is slow to get up and as soon as she does she freaks out. "Whe...re am I? And who are you guys? What the heck is going on?" I tried to tell her to calm down but instead she sucker punches me. "Get away from me!" Austin begins laughing his heart out "Oh! She knocked the living soul out of you!"

The two were messing around I stick my hands out and tell her "Look, there's no need to worry. We don't want to hurt you." She was still a little bit nervous but was a lot calmer. "Who are you?" She looks confused "I don't remember." I was kind of shocked and asked "Are you alright?" She nods. Brian got up and he looked at me and said "She might have had something hit her head. But if she doesn't know who she is I'm sure it's amnesia that she has." I agreed with him because how does one forget their own name? I decide to push myself up and lend her a hand she's probably the same height as me, Really nice straight hair that is naturally swished to her right. But her eyes was a hazel brownish kind of like me except she wears it better than I do. She waved her hand in front of me and said "Hello? You can let go now." I forgot that I was still holding her hand and let go, freaking out that she might get the wrong idea. Austin signaled me to come over, I walk towards him and he asked "What are we going do? We can't just leave her but you and I are going to see the old man." I asked Brian "Hey, what are your plans right now?" Brian looks at me and replied "I'm going to see him. What about you guys?" Damnit we all are going to see this old man and she is confused as all heck.

I let out a sigh and looked at the girl and said "Look, you have no where to go so you can come with us if you want." She doesn't respond I look at the boys and told them "Let's go." We walk out of the room and close the door behind us. She opens the door and follows us. Brian nudged me and asked "Hm... You have a thing for her don't you?" I punch his arm and said "No, I don't let's just hurry." Austin nudges in and ask "then why are you turning red?" I wanted to kill myself "God you two are so obnoxious." I told them to shut up and they did for the rest of the walk to room 703.

Chapter 13: Mysterious Ways

We arrive at where room 703 was yesterday. But it wasn't there Brian looked around heck a confused "This doesn't make any sense! What the heck." Alex doesn't seem to have a care in the world. But I don't blame him I mean I know what it feels like to be head over heels for a girl. But that's one thing and getting rejected is another thing. I had a crush on the cheerleader captain Allyssa for the longest time. I asked her out on homecoming last year and she said she had a boyfriend. God damn I didn't show my face around school for a month. "Yo, Austin you alright?" I snapped out of my thoughts and replied "Yeah, I'm fine just a little headache is all. Anyway how are we going find the old man?" The girl walks up to the wall and says "do you guys not see the door?" I looked confused and said "are you sure your ok? Because I don't see a door." She puts her hand on air and twisted it. And the door opened and it was just a door painted to blend in with the wall. Alex asked "how could you see the door?" She doesn't look to acknowledge him instead she just replies "I don't know what's wrong with you guys but it's pretty easy to see."

We were walking around the long dark hallway. We see a light near the end of the hallway it was blinkering on and off. There was another door and I went ahead and opened it. I reached for the door knob when the old man on the other side opened the door and yelled out a. "Boo!" I jumped backwards letting out a girlish scream.

Austin's such a wimp to be honest like come on son it's just a little prank like you don't have to let the world know you get scared so easy. The old man gave us a puzzled look and ask "Who is this?" I responded "She's a girl we rescued, she's suffering from amnesia. She doesn't remember anything." The girl drops to her knees and covered her ears with her hands gripped tightly around her head. She begins screaming "Stop! Leave me alone! I don't know you!" Alex runs over gets onto his knees putting his hand around her shoulder "Hey are you ok?" The girl suddenly pushes Alex away and he goes flying through the wall. He grabs onto the ledge and yells for help. I run over to him and said "Don't let go!" We were about seven stories up so if he lets go its over. Austin comes over and helps me pull Alex up and he gets up and says his thank you. The girl suddenly stops screaming and collapses. The old man picked her up and said "you boys come with me." We walk with the old man into the door.

Chapter 14: Little Answers

After a long walk we arrived in a bomb shelter like area where the old man put the girls on the bed and went to the sink and got a damp towel and placed it on her forehead. I hope she alright. "Hey, old man what's your name? You know all of our names what's yours?" The old man looked at me, at all of us and said "I will let you guys discuss this, but I will give each of you one question and I will answer it but no more questions beyond that." We huddle up and I ask the boys "I don't think his name is too important but what questions are you boys thinking of?" Brian says "I want to know his actual plan for us three." Austin replied "I want to know his powers because it's obvious he isn't normal." I don't know what to ask so I just ask the boys "Do you guys have a question I should ask?" Everyone nodded their head. God dang it's up to me to think of something to say.

The old man looked at Austin to my left and asked "What is your one question?" Austin took a step forward and replied "do you have any unnatural powers?" The man took a deep breath and said "I have healing blood meaning I can simple take some of my blood and either place it directly on an injured area or mix it in water and have the victim drink it and heal." Damn. Does that mean he's immortal? I don't know but he looks to my right at Brian and asks "What is your question Brian?" Austin steps back and Brian steps forward, I need to think of question. Brian speaks "What is your plan in depth with us?" The man didn't seem in the mood to answer but he opens his mouth and says "I want you boys to band together, infiltrate the society's base and tell the world about the lies they've been told. Tell the world that no one is superior and that everyone is equal." Dang he seems really serious about changing the people's views on the society. The old man steps forward and puts his right hand on my shoulder and ask "What is your question?" I knew what my question was, I answered "How are you planning to help us what's we do our end of the bargain?" The man looks at me and said "I have my ways. I know you won't believe me but I know that I don't back out of my deals." I don't know whether to believe him or not but I guess I wouldn't mind it if he didn't. "Alright, old timer I trust you."

The old man pulls out a knife and cuts his skin a little. A little stream of blood comes dripping down and he catches it into a cup of water. The water turns red but then becomes clear again. "Wow. How does that work?" The man didn't answer. I guess he was serious about the no more questions. He brings the class of water over to the girl and pours it down her body. The man turns around and told us "She'll be fine. Let her rest." Austin and Brian were getting ready to leave as Austin turns around and ask "Hey, you coming?" I told him "I'll be there soon. You guys go on ahead." The two of the left and the old man exited with them closing the door behind him. It was completely silent the small drips of water could now be heard. I begin talking to myself out loud "Hopefully she's ok. I really want to know her better."

After a few minutes passed by the girl opens her eyes and looked at me and ask "Where am I? Who are you?" I calmed her down with a glass of water and replied "I'm Alex. Do you know your name?" The girl nodded and I asked her "Do you want to tell me what it is?" She shook her head "No... I dont trust you why should I tell you anything?" I shrugged and replied "You have a point. I'll let you rest now." Well at least she remembers things now. As she lays back in bed I look around the mans home. I go through one of the only doors in here and inside was just a room. I snoop around and look inside a nightstand. This must be the old man's room. I looked through the drawer and found a book. I open the book reading out the entry "A girl will be brought in by the three boys and she will be the missing piece to stopping the society's cruel ways." How the heck does this man know the future? I stop questioning things and put the book down and exit the room. The girl is sitting up right and turns her head to look at me. "What's this mark on my arm." I look at it they appeared to be numbers on her arm. "It looks like the mark says 7,15,20." She looks at me confused and ask "Do you know what it means?" I wish I knew.

Chapter 15: Experiation Mission

I wish Alex would stop questioning me. I'm still trying to understand the situation. I try to listen to what hes saying but this marking on my arm is just bothering me. The door opens and the old geezer comes in and i ask him "Hey, do you know what this mark on my arm means?" The old man looks stressed. Alex stepped in and ask of everything was alright. There was no response. The old man grabbed my arm and examined the mark and said "Its your expiration date." Alex asked "What does that mean?" He took the words right out of my mouth. The old man room a deep breath in and out and said "No matter what happens your life will end before the day ends." Alex wasn't looking too well. He was shaking and then he punched the wall next to the old man and said "The society determines the worlds fate. Does that include the lives of people?" I guess it does. But why does he care so much, after all he knows I don't trust him. But what I do know is that I have to stay strong there is literally no point in getting emotional. Alex puts his arm around my shoulder and says "I known your trying to be tough but just know I'll always be there for you." Why does this guy have to be so nice? I hope he isn't like the other guy. "Ok, thank you." I replied.

Brian and I walk down the empty hallway I decide to turn and check on the old man and he wasn't there. "Hey, Brian what happened to the old man?" Brian turned around "I just looked back and he was there. What the heck?" I suggested that we go back to see if he's ok and Brian had no objections. We ran down the dark and eery hallway when all of the sudden Brian's footsteps begin to fade away. I decide to look around and see what was going on and a man in a black suit with a fedora and shades on makes it nearly impossible to identify him. The man reached for his back left pocket while holding Brian by his neck with his arm. The man pulled out a gun, pointing it to his head and said "Alright kid I know you two know where is. I want you to get him and tell him to meet me on the school's rooftop at midnight alone. If he ever wants to see this kid again." Brian was struggling to escape and with his few breaths left he said "Don't do it!" The man steps into the shadow with Brian as I chase after them. But they seemed to have vanished. "Who's ?"

I continue walking down the hallway until it hit me, "I think I know who

is." I raced down the hallway and arrived at the door. The door was locked and so I knocked, the old man opened the door and let me and closed the door behind me. Alex was sitting on the bed next to the new girl and I asked "How are you doing?" She replied "I'm fine, yourself?" I replied "Doing well. Thanks." The old old man looked over and ask "Something is on your mind Austin. What is it?" Dang this man reads me well. "Yeah. Brian is being held hostage by same guy and he wants me to tell to face him and I don't know who that is." The old man asked "What did the man look like?" I tried to remember and told him "He's in a black suit with glasses and a fedora so most of his face was covered. Why do you ask?" The old man room a seat and said "That man must have been warming for the society meaning they must know I'm still alive." I knew it the old man was after all. "What are we going do about it? They'll probably ambush us and kill us or set a trap." The old man was in deep though as Alex was whispering to the girl. A few moments pass and the girl got up and ask "look this mark on me states the date I'll die correct?" The old man nods and says "I know where you're going with this. But we can't put you at risk." Alex interrupted and said "She can't be at risk unless its the date she's suppose to die." I didnt understand anything going on but I just agreed anyway. After we talk the plan over I tell everyone "Alright everyone lets band together and lets have this mission go well."

Chapter 16: Captive

I finally regain conscious but I dont remember how I lost conscious in the first place. Suddenly I here a door knob shake behind me so I pretend to be unconscious. I hear some voices one was raspy and the other was extremely deep. "You think he'll show?" The raspy one asked. The deep voiced man replied "He'll do anything to save others." "Yeah boss I get your right." I hear someone hit the other person and then the deep voiced man said "I'm always right that's why I'm the boss." I hope they aren't actually stupid enough to come rescue me. One the men stepped on my foot and I sucked it in and tried not to show them that I'm still conscious because who knows what they'll do. "Alright Mitchell lets go." the deep voice said. So the raspy guy is Mitchell, makes sense he does sound like a Mitchell. They leave the room and I'm still chained to this chair.

Hopefully, I don't regret doing this. Why am I even helping them? I have no idea but my life doesn't seem to end here so I think I'll be fine. Alex looks over and ask "Are you alright?" I don't know if I am but if I don't answer he'll get worried. "Yeah, just thinking about somethings." And of course he wants to know more. "What's on your mind? I don't know if I should tell him so I'll just make up something random. "Just thinking about my classes." He seems to have bought it "Oh, cool. Do you go to this school to?" I explain to him "Yeah, I just transferred here, today actually." He replies "ouch, rough first day. Hopefully things will get better usually someone as pretty as you shouldn't be having this rough of a day." Is he trying to be a flirt? Because he's really bad at it. "yeah, I mean at least it isn't a boring first day." The old man then stops and tells us to be quiet. We arrive at the top of the stairs where a door lies which I'm assuming leads to the roof of the school. The old man says "Alright, you two boys stay here and you come with me." I wish I could tell them my name but I still dont think I can trust them. I nod and the old man opens the door and steps out.

Chapter 17: Society Strikes

My heart is racing, my life maybe on the line but I decide to trust some strangers that I barely know. We walk out onto the roof and two men were standing there waiting. "Who's the girl, Chan?" The old man replied "She's with me." The taller of the men walked up to the old man and said "Didn't your slave tell you to meet us alone?" I remember Austin telling us to come alone but the old man denied it "No, my friend didn't tell me to come alone, he must've forgotten." The man put his arms behind his back and walked around me and asked "What's the girl's name, Chan?" I never told the old man my name, but he made one up "Her name is Arisa." This old man couldn't have come up with anything original? The man then looked at me and asked "What's your name little girl?" I replied "As the old man said it's Arisa." God, Arisa? What kind of name is that? Whatever if I wanted to live I might as well play along. The old man stares blankly into my eyes and puts his fingers on my chin and said "Your pretty cute, how about you come with us and ditch this old man?" These guys are even creepier than the old man. I don't know whether to say no or yes. The man then looks away behind me to the door, I turn around to see what he was looking at.

Another man comes out the door, when he came through he was holding,Austin and Alex on each arm. They're both unconscious and the man behind me then puts his arm around my arm again and forces my head to turn facing him and said "You might want to think about this. I'll give these two back to the old man if you come with us. I try to look pass the man to look at the old man he was nodding his head. What the heck is he thinking? I don't know if now is a good time for a trust test but I guess it is. I look back at the man and told him "Ok, I'll come with you but those two must be returned to the old man." The man cracks a smile and said "Good girl." I hated hearing that especially coming from this creep, I hold back from knocking this old timer out. The man then puts his arm around my shoulder and said "Let us leave these losers." I turn back to look at the other man holding Austin and Alex as he drops them to the floor. At least they're ok, but the other man grabs onto the old man and carried him away. The man leads me to the door they came from and I walked in front of him as he closes the door behind me. "Where are you taking us?" The man puts both hands on my shoulders and whispered into my left ear and said "You'll see my darling."

I regain conscious once a breeze passes by. I get up and see Austin to my right and shake his body "Yo, Austin wake up! Come on man wake up." Austin regains conscious and gets up he looks at me puzzled "Where are we? And what happened?" I wish I could tell him what happened but I don't recall myself. "I don't remember what happened. But I think we're still on the school's rooftop." Austin looks around he seems to be just as puzzled as I am. I slowly start to remember things that happened "Weren't we waiting for a signal from the old man? Wait, where's the girl?" Austin calms me down as said "Look we'll find Brian and all of them but first we need to know where they went. We both hear a car start in the distance and I run over to the ledge of the roof, as I get there I look down to see some men get into a black van and drive off. "Hey, Austin! I think that's them." I turn around and Austin is already running down the stairs to go after them. I decide to take the other stairs and beat him to the bottom.

Chapter 18: Infiltration

The van stops and I look at the girl, then to the old man. The men sitting were intimidating I didn't want to do anything suspicious. The the old man is calm, but I'm just as scared as the girl is. What are they going do? How are the others? A man opens the back of the van, the man in the van said "Alright, everyone out. No suspicious movement or else!" The girl gets out and the old man helps her get down, The old man helps me down as well and he gets out with another man behind him. We walk single file down what seems to be a warehouse with tons of thugs around. They all give off the "I'm going kill you" vibe. The man in front of us stops and pulls out a card and swipes it. The door makes some gear turning sounds and the door before a opens. A huge flash of light blinds us but when the light dims down a lady in a black lab coat stood there. The men all kneeled down and the leader said "We have brought you the old man." The lady then steps forward with her glasses she examined me and the girl and asked "Who are these two?" The man then replied "The boy is a hostage we used to get the old man and the girl is someone we can use as an extra specimen." The lady then shakes her head and gives out a creepy smile and said "Well done, Captain Joseph." The lady then pulls out her pistol from inside her lab coat pocket and pulls the trigger shooting Joseph right in the head. "You've been relieved from your duties." What the heck? She shot someone on her side. The lady then points the gun at me and said "Come with me." Well I really didn't want to even look at her but I had to follow her. The old man and girl stay behind and watch as I followed the lady into what I think is hell. The doors that were once opened now close.

Brian leaves us behind, but I don't blame him that lady really knows how to rule out of fear. We look at Joseph's body laying there dead and motionless. The men around us looked down at him and then one of the man said "I'm glad we ain't working for him no more." One of the men said "Alright, you two come with us we'll show you to your cells." My hands were cuffed so I couldn't knock him out even if I wanted to. Why is the old man so calm its like this whole thing isn't even phasing him? The men pushed us around all the way to the cell labeled "Cell-5" real original guys. The man in front of us swiped his cared and the door opened. He pointed us inside and closed the door behind us removing out handcuffs. The old man then sits on his bed and begins to meditate. How in blue blazes is this old man still calm? We're locked in a cell and might die. I grab on to the small bars on the cell door and tell "Help us! Someone! Anyone!" The guard on duty points his gun at my face and said "Be quiet or I'll shoot." I shut my mouth and walked towards the old man and said "Do you have a plan?" The old man ignores me. I thought he didn't hear me so I repeat myself "What's the plan old man?" This time I know he heard me but he's just choosing to ignore me. I raise my fist and he puts his hand up and gently places his hand on my fist and said "We wait for the others." The man was a lot calmer than me and seemed to know what he was doing so I decided to wait, well not really I was kind of forced into waiting.

Alex and I run after the van, luckily for us the van was disgusting and left behind tire marks to show when they turned. It was long until we arrived at a bunch of warehouses. Alex turned to me and asked "Which warehouse do you think they're in?" I look around for some tire marks to show that they turned in and surely enough at the fifth warehouse there were tire marks showing that a van turned in to it. "Well now what do we do Alex? Knock on their front door and ask, Hey can we get our friends back?" Alex nodded and I was literally about to face palm myself. "Are you serious?" He shook his head and said "No, I'm just playing. Obviously, people are coming and going let's wait for someone to leave and open this garage and sneak in while it closes." For a low life kid I actually think he's pretty smart I nodded my head and we decided to hide behind some trash cans and wait. It seemed like a life time until a car decides to come in and open the garage I jumped, but Alex held me down. "Austin, we have to wait. We can't let them see us." I waited and the moment the garage started to close the guards who were on watch turned away and Alex signaled me to go in and we both slid under the garage. "Alright, now what Alex?" He shrugs and I stare at him blankly and ask "What do you mean you don't know?" He shrugs again and says "I mean I don't know." I pick him up by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the wall and said "Look, I need to save the old man or else my family is done for." Alex has a tear run down his face "Oh come on, what is it now?" "I just want to beloved again, I want the feeling of having someone care for me as much as I care for them." I drop him, I feel terrible so the old man promised all of us something important to us. "Alex, I'm sorry." He smiles and says "Don't worry it's fine. Really." They say the brightest smiles hides the saddest heart. I probably messed up. Then we hear some footsteps coming from the left door, Alex wiped the tears away from his eyes and said "We have to go, now!" We run up some stairs trying to be stealthy but since it was made of metal it made too much noise. The guards finally entered the room and look up at us. The leader hollered at us "Hey! You stop right there!" Alex kept running and so did I, but that's a mistake. The guards begin shooting at us, but they were bad shooters so we were fine. But I jinxed it as a butler comes up and hits Alex in his left leg. He falls down and I put his arm over my shoulder "I'm not leaving you to die." He wasn't too heavy compared to the weights but he's still pretty heavy we only run up a few steps before Alex takes a breath and said "Look leave me here I'll deal with these guys. You just go and find the others." He's injured, is he asking for a death wish? He looks me in the eye and said "Austin, go I'll be fine." With another one of his fake smiles assuring me he would be fine I kept running up the stairs. As I run for a few minutes I could hear a conversation coming from where me and Alex parted ways. "Where's your friend?" Alex replied "I don't have friends." Afterwards I heard a punch and a huge splat, I won't forgive myself if he's dead. But I hope he's alright and continue running.

Chapter 19: Sacrifices

I regain conscious, "Why do I always have to be the one getting knocked out?" Hopefully, Austin escape the guards. God dang, my head hurts so much, but at least my leg recovered a little. I look around and see some other people and I decide to walk over to them and see if they were conscious. I shook one of them laying there, no response. I turn his head and jump back. "What the heck?" What laid before me was a skeleton of a prisoner who I can only assume died waiting. I looked through the holes between the bars of the iron door to see only one guard. He seems pretty old maybe late 60's. He's sitting there just watching a tv, "Hey, old timer what's up?" The old man looks around puzzled and said "You talking to me?" This guy, "Yeah. What's good?" The man then walks over to my cell and said "I'm doing might fine, yourself?" I would be fine if I weren't in a cell. "Yeah, I'm doing quite fine myself." The man puts the keys into the lock and turns the lock and said "Don't go running on me now." I nodded my head and he opens the cell door. This was my chance to run. But I couldn't bring myself to it we walk around and chat. So why are you guarding this place? The man shrugs and said "I just need a way to make some money and this was the best way. Though folks around here don't like to socialize." This man seems so nice, but footsteps from the entrance to the cells could be heard. The man tells me to hide in his closest and shoves me in there. The heck is this guys problem? I put my hear to the door and listen in to there conversation. "What the heck happened to the kid, Arron?" The old man's name was Arron he replied "Look, I don't know what happened honest to god!" Why is he defending me? I hear one of the man pull out a gun and load it, I'm praying I don't hear the trigger get pulled. Bang, someone pulled the triggered and someone got shot as a scream comes from the other side. I hear the door to this room close and I step out. Arron was dead lying there, I check his breathing, nothing. "God damn it!"

This lady is starting to creep me out. The lady then turns around and looks at me "hmm.. Brian Rodriguez? Senior at Kentwood holding a 4.0 GPA for the past four years." How does this lady know so much? It must just be a fluke. "And you also blew the final match against Saskatchewan. Which made your school miss its first euver Math Cup." Now this is creepy. She knows too much "How do you know so much?" She replies "I've been watching you very closely." Now that's just weird "why have you been stalking me?" She turns away and walks over to a control panel and pushed a button. A huge screen appears with a time like of the girls life "To help me in my quest to create, destroy, and bend people's destiny!" Now I know this lady is batshit insane. "Whats your name professor?" She turns around and replies "you can call me Lani." Lani, why does that name sound so familiar? What ifs, she walks away signaling me to follow her. I follow her with lots of questions running through my head. How does she obtain all this information? Was that girl a test subject already? Ugh, all these questions are hurting my head! She comes to a stop and says "Prepare to witness the future!" We stop in front of a huge control panel with hundreds of screens. "What is this?" I asked. She replied "A testing area of hundreds of people. We marked all of them with dates, of when they shall parish." What the heck, she's insane as all heck. "And how am I suppose to help?" She gives me a creepy smile and says "Oh, dont worry about it for now." I get goosebumps because of how she said that.

Chapter 20: A man with a family

As I run around this huge warehouse I begin to think about why Alex would just give up. He's a smart kid I'm sure he's fine, I just have to focus on finding the old man, Brian and the girl. After a while of running i begin to realize that something wasn't right. I decide to pull out my handy pocketknife and mark the ground with an "x" and continue walking. This place has lights every 50 steps so its kind of hard to tell where've been and haven't been. I look in one of the cells and see just people who are sitting at the end of their bed and mumbling the words I could make out were "Kill me, end me, what is the point of life? Is this what hell is?" I'm starting to think this is a mental institution, these people are insane as all heck. I continue walking the hallways and came to an open cell. I have a debate between my angel and devil between whether or not to go in there. The angle whispers into my ear "You know you shouldn't even think about going in there." The devil yelled into my left hear "Hehe... Go on in, all risks have their rewards." Does this mean I'm going insane if I hear an angel and a devil talking into my ear? Whatever I decide to go in and look under the bunk bed and found a flash light. Although it maybe dim at least it works. But then the cell door closes behind me I looked to see who shut the door and no one was insight. But it doesn't help that I can't see more than 3 feet away because of how dark it is.

A hear a feint crying somewhere in the cell and looked around with my flashlight. In the corner of the cell behind the beds was a little girl who had her knees to her face and arms crossed with her face down crying. I get on my knees and put my hand on the girls shoulder and ask "Hey, are you ok?" The girl cries and tries to talk "No, they told me big bro was going be fine. It's been 10 years and he hasn't returned!" She continues crying. False promises, why? How could they have been so heartless to the point that they can take away someone who matters from a little girl? The girl cries and I then ask the girl "What's your name?" The girl sobs and replies "My name is Jazz, short for Jazmyn." I know what I must do, I ask the girl "Do you want to see your brother again?" The girl then jumps up and says "Yas! More than anything in the world!" I squat down and said "Hop on. You and I are going to find him." Hopefully, I can find my sister while we find her brother. The old man told me before he stepped out on to the school's roof "Your sister has been kidnapped from the hospital." I need to find her, but hopefully mom is ok. Ever since Dad's accident and my sister's accident she hasn't been the same. The little girl ask "What's your name Mr.?" Oh, I haven't told the girl my name yet, "Sorry, uh my name is Austin. Please to meet you Jazmyn." The girl laughs and said "Austin, hehe that's an old man's name." If she wasn't so small and innocent she might be dead. Now we need to think of a way out. The little girl jumps off my back and pulls out a paper club that was holding her hair together and opened the door. "Is this what you were looking for ?" I knew this girl was good luck "Alright, Jazz hop on." She jumps in my back and we run out. I go to my left because I came in from my right. After running for about five minutes Jazz asks me "What's that "x" on the ground mean?" I completely forgot about the "x" mark that I wrote on the ground. This means that I'm going in a circle, but how? I told her "it's a sign that I made to help me remember where I've been." She nods and then replies "then why have we pasted it so many times?" Dang, she's really good with detail, I told her "Don't worry I'll find a way out." The girl then asks me " what about your family how are they doing?" I sighed and decided to tell the girl the truth "my dad died recently to an accident, and my mom is suffering from depression because of it." Jazz got quiet and jumped off my back. I turned around and she asked "Get on your knees." What the heck is she going do? I got on my knees and she used her pointer finger and pushed my forehead and said "You told me to stay strong so you gotta stay strong to!" I smiled and she hopped on my back and said "Let's do this !" Jazz's optimism is something special I'll admit that much.

Chapter 21: Hear that Jazz

I start falling asleep on Austin's shoulder, he's a nice guy kind of like big bro. I miss my family mommy, daddy, and big bro. I miss the good old days, 10 years ago before the incident with the society. I was just five at the time and my brother was seven it was Christmas Eve so we had a huge dinner with mash potatoes and gravy, chicken, garlic bread, soup, and a bunch of other good stuff. After we finished eating we all went to sleep, when midnight struck the old grandfather clock downstairs rung and the door to my room creeped open. I woke up and looked at the door as it slowly opens a little more. I asked "Who's there?" No response, the door opens a little more and I see a black figure standing there. Then the door opened completely and I screamed, but then a hand covered my mouth and when I looked up it was my brother he said "shh..." I closed my mouth and whispered "what's going on big bro?" My brother didn't reply, I thought he didn't hear me so I asked him again. This time he replies as he reaches into his left back pocket he pulled out a box and said "I just wanted to give you your Christmas present personally." He gave me the box and I got excited and opened it and inside the box was a silver chain necklace with a heart on it I asked him "What is this?" He replied "just open it." Inside the heart was a picture of me and him when he walked me to school on my first day of pre-k. He was late that day but he told me it didn't matter because I was more important to him than school was. He helped me put the necklace on and I replied "Thank you big bro. But I didn't get anything for you." He smiled and said "Don't worry Jazz, all I want is for you to sleep. And if anything happens don't worry everything will be alright. He gave me a hug and tucked me in and said "Goodnight, Jazz." He closed the door and I went back to sleep.

A few hours later I hear our front door break down and a few men run through our house. I decide to get out of bed and open my door, my brother is standing there and tells me to get in bed and don't get out of bed. I go back to bed and my brother runs downstairs and I get right out of bed and open the door. Sneaking downstairs I hear a voice it wasn't my dad but instead one of the men who said "Your coming with us and your family as well." They were talking to big bro and my bro said "take me and my family fine, but do not harm them in anyway shape or form! You hear me Mitchell?" The men grinned and said "No, promises but we'll try." I ran back up the stairs but being clumsy old me I trip on the stairs and Mitchell said

"Who's there?" I hear big bro say "No, Jazz!" And a man came running up the stairs and picked me up and brought me down and placed me I front of my big bro. "Who's this?" Big bro sighed and put his arms over my head and said "She's my sister Jazz, leave her out of this please I beg of you." The men walked up to him and punched big bro he went cold my mom and dad were terrified. "Big Bro! You monster!" I try to punch him but he picks me up and said "He'll be fine, promise." And they put us in the back of their van and took us away, to their warehouse where the professor took away my big bro and the guards separated me and my parents. I wake up and asked Austin "Are we really going find my big bro?" Austin stopped and said "I know we will, he matters to you so he won't give up so neither should we." I smiled and gave Austin a kiss on the cheek and said "Thanks ."

Chapter 22: Misdirection

After running for this long with Jazz, we still haven't gained any progress but she's getting heavier or I'm just getting tired. We arrived at another light bulb and I looked down to see that stupid "x" again. "God dang it!" I accidentally said it too loud and woke up Jazz she asked "what's wrong?" She wouldn't understand but I told her anyway "We're back at this "x" again." She gets of and examines the "x" and asks me "why don't we run backwards?" What goods that going do? If we cant proceed going forward than why go backwards? I didn't have any better idea so I just agreed and told her "Alright, Jazz jump on lets go backwards." We run the opposite direction and I already notice a difference its already darker and the lights are more spread out. Jazz's grip gets tighter I can tell she isn't a big fan of the dark so I told her "Hey, Jazz don't worry about anything. Everything will be alright." She losses her grip and whispers "Thanks Austin." Suddenly as I was running I notice a wall, "this must be the end of hall." Jazz looks over my should and said "Not it isn't." What is she talking about does she not see this wall? "Yes it is, there's a wall preventing us from going any further." No response, I turn around and she pulled out her paper clip again and opened the cell door and said "over here ." I walk over to the left what Jazz was and she's in a cell with a two doors inside of it. "Good work, Jazz. Now which door should we go through?"

Logically we should go through the right door because that would held us go forward but Jazz thought other wise. " lets go through the left door." I asked her "and why do you recommend us go through there?" She was silent for a few seconds the replied "My brother told me to." Now I know this girl is crazy "how did he tell you?" The girl replies "I heard his voice, he's my guiding light." I nodded and got down so she could hop on and we opened the door to our left and went through. As we took a step through the door shut and I tried to pry it open, but it was no use. Jazz tugged my collar and I turned to see what she wanted "yeah, Jazz?" She pointed to a huge stone wall with an entry. We walk into the entrance and before I knew it were in a gigantic maze like the ones in the movies. "What now Jazz?" I was always bad with mazes or puzzles in general, so I might as well ask her for some advice. She replied instantly "follow the right side of the wall, we'll make it out eventually." This is about to be a long day judging by the size of this maze.

Well Aaron is dead but his death won't be in vain, I have to go find the others. I ran out of the cell room and looked around. I hear a few steps coming from around the corner, I hide behind a crate and prey that whoever it is won't catch me. The guards turn the corner and were having a conversation, I eavesdrop in. One guard was a guy and the other was a girl, the guy asked "So I was wondering if I could take you out on a date sometime." The girl replied "Psh, as if, John you know its impossible for us to be together. The society would kill us if they knew about us." John sighs and said "your right, sorry Jocelyn. I just wish we could be more than friends." They walk past me, I couldn't take it i got and said "Hey, John and Jocelyn they both turned around and pointed their rifles at me. John yelled "Hands up!" I put my hands up and said "Look, I mean no harm honest to god." Jocelyn put her rifle down and said "Then why are you here?" I replied "Thats not important what is important is you guys. Look you guys care for each other you guys want to be together correct?" They both nodded as I continued "Look, me and my friends are here to defy the society to prove to the people that they can make their own life decisions and chokes their own destiny." John put his gun down and said "Really? If that's the case I want to help. I want control over my own life." Jocelyn nodded and said "I do too. Its not fair that we don't get to choose who we call our own."

Maybe these two can help, I tell them look "I have four friends somewhere here can you guys look for them? One's a girl the other two are teenage guys who are just a little taller and an old man with a hood on almost all the time." John and Jocelyn nodded "Ok, John you look through the cells and find them if they're in cells and I'll go to the security room and look for them through the cameras." John replied "Alright, becareful but kid what's your name?" I replied "The name's Alex." Jocelyn cut off John and said "Where are you going?" I reply "I'm going find my friends as well." I turn away and get ready to go and John said "wait!" I turn around and said "What is it?" John asked a favor of me "Can you please go with Jocelyn? I don't want anything to happen to her because if it does I won't be able to forgive myself." He's a respectable man I admired that so I agreed and said "Yeah, ok but be careful yourself John." Jocelyn and John hugged and then Jocelyn said "Alright, love you John. Lets go Alex."

Chapter 23: Reality

The professor is laughing at these people on what I thought was a simulator, I asked her "Is this real?" She replies "Of course. These subjects were placed in her so we can monitor their movements, reasoning, motives, decisions, and actions." Can you even monitor things like that? Even if you can what do you do with the information? Professor Lani replied "You have a lot of questions, yes we have developed a computer chip that we can use to monitor their brain waves that informs us on everything. And we use this information to place these highly chemicalized marks on babies to decide their fate and so on. Now your wondering how I know that these were the questions you were asking. We the society know all remember that." How? There's no logic behind how she can read my mind. But if she can I have to warn the others. "Hey, professor may I use the restroom?" She smiled and said "No, Brian dear your not going tell anyone about this." Two guards came in and grabbed a hold of me and said "Alright, kid you got two choices either work for us as the professor's assistant or be used as a test subject." I told them "I'd rather die then help you crooks!" Professor smiled and said "You should watch your mouth Brian." The guards pick me up and take me into a lab where the test me. After all the test and exercises were complete they inject a needle into me. I became weak and fainted out of sudden exhaustion.

Me and this old man have been stuck in this cell forever god dang. No offense to the old man but he's making my this really boring because he doesn't talk much all he does is meditate. "Hey, old man, you gave the three boys questions to ask you right?" The old man nodded and said "And I presume you have a question to ask?" He's a smart guy I'll give him that "Yes, my question is how much do you know about all four of us?" The old man gets up and says "You five have been on my radar since the day you were born." I know math isn't my strong suit but isn't there only four of us? "Me,Brian,Austin and Alex who's the other?" The man replied "We'll meet he or she soon." Who the heck is the fifth person? Now he's got me wondering even more. A heard a few cells open so I go back to the cell door and look to see what's going on. A guard was opening and looming through the cages looking for something. The guard looked into our cage and opened it up and said "you two know an Alex?" The old man got up and looked at me and said "See I told you it'd be fine." And then I replied to the guard "yeah, Alex's is our friend." The guard looked relieve and said "The name's John. I'm helping you guys out follow me."

Could John be the fifth one? We followed John and as we were walking down this long hallway I asked "So how do you know Alex?" John let out a kinda feint laugh and said "Funny story, we were on duty and we found him sneaking around." That must mean Alex is around here and was looking for us "Who is we?" John looked at me puzzled and then had an aha moment "Oh, yeah you guys haven't meant Jocelyn yet. Me and her go back to toddler days we did everything together we were the best of friends. I thought that was all we were going be but Alex said he was fighting with his friends to change that." Alex that's a huge shoe you need to fill, hopefully you can follow through on it because John is a nice guy and he's doing this cause he wants to be with Jocelyn. "We're also helping him to defy the society's ways." John smiled and said "I'll do anything in my power to help you guys." The old man put his arm on John's shoulders and said "Your a good kid, we won't let you down." Is everyone here making promises they can keep because I'm not so sure about these words being spoken. "Alright, John where we heading?" John said "Alex said there were four of you so we're going to find the other two." Looks like Alex is actually going find everyone and get us back together before proceeding. As we're running down the hall we hear other footsteps that dont belong to us. John quickly pointed us into a cell "Get in here quick I'll cover." We get in the cell and he closes it behind him. The other guards approach John "What's up Johnny boy?" John tried to remain calm "Whats up Kay?" Kay replied "Yo, where's Jocelyn? Aren't you two suppose to be watching the east wing?" Lets see how good John is at coming up with excuses. "John replied "Oh, yeah my shift just ended." Kay nodded and said "Oh, alright where you headed?" John said "Just going to the cafeteria." John is a fast guy at coming up with excuses. Kay replied "Oh, alright nice talking to you Johnny boy see you around." Kay walked away John opened the cell and a gun was pulled.

John was shot right in the left leg. "Johnny boy don't at me for an idiot. The cafeteria is in the east wing you moron." Kay walked up out of the shadows and said "Who are you two?" John got up and said "They're with me." Kay scratched Josh head and said "Aren't they the new imports?" John pulled out his gun but Kay already pulled the trigger shooting John's left arm. He drops his gun and the old man rolls and picks up the gun and shoots Kay. The old man yells at me "Lets go!" I ran down the hall the old man isn't behind me. I stop and run back and see that Kay is dead and the old man is injured. He drinks his blood and heals and I ask "What do we do with John?" John was lying their motionless, he turned his head and said "Go, here are the keys go to the security room, meet up with Alex and Jocelyn." I begin to worry "What about you?" John pulls up his sleeve and the numbers marked were 6,2,20. "My time is up." His hand goes down and he lies there with no pulse. The old man says to me "Let us go." I get up slowly, asking myself how can someone else's life be in the hands of other people? We walk away, as I saw my prayers to John. The old man slowly gets up and follows me.

Chapter 24: Jocelyn and John

Jocelyn and I are walking and we enter the security room with only one guard inside. He gets up and pulls out his gun and says "Who are you guys?" Jocelyn pulls out her ID and says "They want you guarding the east wing." The man puts his guns down and says "Phew, I thought you were some bad guy." The man leaves the room as Jocelyn goes over to the chair and sits down. I begin to wonder about John and Jocelyn and decide to ask "How do you two know each other?" Jocelyn turns her chair around and said "We got time so I'll explain the story." I take a seat and Jocelyn starts talking "Our parents both signed us up for the same daycare back when we were just toddlers toddling around. John has been at the daycare a whole year longer than me, but the day I got there the other kids didn't like me. I was different I was the girl with ginger hair, but John didn't care he toddled up to me and said "Hi." Later that day my mom came to pick me up but I refused to go. My mom let me stay for a little longer and after awhile John's parents came to pick him up. Our parents talked and after an hour we it home John's parents called my mom and they invited us over for dinner. And ever since our parents have been really close and so have we, we did everything together we went to same school, had same friends, went shopping together." It sounded like they were perfected "How does the society get involved." She takes a deep breath and sighs "They marked him on his sixth birthday. And his fate was sealed. They told him that he would die single, and they said they were going mark me as well. But John stepped up and said he'll do anything as long as they don't mark me. And so at the age of six we left our family and worked for the society as body guards." I kind of envy these two the things they do for each other is brings me back to the old days. That's it I'm done with the past its time to move on if she was meant to stay they she would've stayed. "Ever since that day you two have just been working here for the society?" She nodded. "How old are you guys now?" She replied "I'm 22, John's 23." These two fought through 17 years of their lives and the society said they can't be together what kind of messed up dog poop is that?

As the old man and I walk down the hallway to the security room the old man is holding an old journal in his hand that I'm pretty sure he didn't have when he first entered this warehouse. "What's that in your hand ?" The old man looked and said "This is John's Journal. I mean that's what he calls it I call it his Diary." I ask him "Can I see it?" He nods and hands it over "Be careful with it." I take caution and open up to the first page and read it to myself "Dear Diary, it's our first day working for the society and it's horrible. They don't feed us enough, they have horrible places to stay, and the smell reeks. But I don't mind any of that because Jocelyn is what matters most she's safe from the influence of the society even if I'm not she is. And that's all that matters." I scroll through all the page and don't think I saw a single one that doesn't mention Jocelyn except this one. "6-2-20 Dear Diary, It looks like my times up. I'll try to help Alex but I don't know how long I have to live. I pray that those kids can do something about the society because it isn't fair how they can shape our lives. My life is perfect but if the society marked my death date I must accept my faith. But I believe these kids can do it, God please help them. I don't want our future generations living like how I lived. Thank you." I look over at the old man and said "Why? Why do the good guys have to end up getting hurt in the end? Why can't they just get paid with the happiness they deserve?" The old man sighed and looked at me "It's because of our division." I was puzzled "What do you mean?" The old man stopped us and he opened and cell and slowly closed it making sure it doesn't lock and tells me the story about what division was.

"Division is what makes us all unique in good and bad ways. Your asking why good guys get hurt. It's simple because whoever hurt them thought that they weren't in the same division as they were in so they were more superior leading them to treat the guy like they aren't inferior to them. People who click aren't those in the same division but those who are in different divisions willing to put asides there differences and become one. If mankind can not accept differences then the cycle continues. The high division people will go after high division people competition for superiority. The loser becomes less superior and feel weak and helpless which makes them feel the pain they do feel inside. Divisions are good for those who understand and can set it aside but it's bad for those who can't accept it because they don't want it to be true." This is wise I'll give him that much "How do you know so much?" The man got up and said "I've experience a lot so i know a lot."

Chapter 25: Reunion Quest

Jazz and I have been walking through this maze for what seems like years. Jazz is enjoying her self skipping through this stoney old maze but my legs are just killing me from the soul of my shoe to the burning feeling in my thighs. Jazz just skipping around "La, La, La, La, La." She's probably only a few years younger but dang she has a lot more stamina than I do. "Hey, Jazz can we take a break?" Jazz turned around and said "No." This girl actually had the nerve to say no, "And why is that?" Jazz pointed behind us the maze was shifting as though it were alive. "Ok, I see your point Jazz let's keep going." And away she skips "La, La, La, La, La." She's an interesting one that's for sure. As we continued walking there seemed to be no end to this maze, and I was beginning to think that may be there wasn't. Jazz stopped all of a sudden and I asked "Why we stopping?" She grabs me by my shirt and pulls me around the corner." She put her finger on her lips telling me to be quiet and I did as told. We waited and then I saw the pebbles on the ground beginning to move. What the heck is coming? After a few moments Jazz turned back and grabbed on to the wall Abd closed her eyes. I look and then I knew what she was scared of, it was a man who I wouldn't consider a zombie because literally it was just half a body moving on its own no breathing, no eyes, no nothing really. I keep looking at it as it walks pass us and I take a step and step on a branch. The body turns its head and runs at us, for what it is its pretty damn fast. Jazz hopped on my back "Giddy up!" Does this girl think I'm a horse? Well no time to think about it I got to run, I don't want to know what that thing eats. We take a few turns some right, some left but with every turn we take the maze moves. Where's the old man when you need him?

The old man opens the cell door "Ladies first." And I take a step out the door and we continue walking down the hallway. I wonder how the others are doing. Last time we heard Alex was looking for us which is good that he's ok. But what about Austin? I haven't heard from him since the man carried him and Alex were carried out unconscious. Brian is still probably doing worse though, that professor just gives off the vibe of anything you do I will use as a reason to kill you. Hopefully Brian's still alive but I feel bad for Jocelyn, how are we going explain to her that John died? So many questions and no answers anywhere. The old man put his hand on my shoulder without me realizing and said "Don't worry the others are fine." He's good at reading your mind I'll say that much. I smile and said "I know it's just the doubt in me that worries me." The man looked up and said "Doubt is nothing more than the absence of faith. Have faith and doubt shall not exist for you believe and know what you have faith in." This old man has to be a monk his words are wiser than the internet a answers to my math homework. The old man stopped and said "We're here at last." A room labeled "Employees only." This could mean a lot of other things not just a security room. The old man slides John's card and the door opens, inside wasn't the security room. But a self working factory that is pulling human bodies out of chambers and cutting the bodies in half and putting them in separate water filled capsules. "What is this?" The old man looks as puzzled as I did, that's a first. The old man hesitated and said "This must be the expired human's chamber, the one spoke of in urban legends." I think I knew what he meant but I asked him anyway "What is an expired human?" The old man replied "It is when a human marked by the society lives pass their expiration date." Sending chills down my spine I pull my sleeve up and look at my expiration date, "Great another reason for me to stress out." The old man assured me "Don't worry once we deal that the society that mark will not be of significance." And what if we didn't stop the society? Am i going die? Or become expired. The old man turned around and said "Let us depart this evil place." Best idea i heard all day we walk out and the old man closes the door, as he does I hear a slimy noise coming from the hallway we came from. We see one of those half monster things come after us and the old man yells "Run!" I replied "No need to tell me twice." We sprinted down the hall but the monster didn't seem to be getting any further away." Where are the others when you need them?"

Chapter 26: Test Subject

"Wake up! Wake up!" Ugh... Who's calling me? "Five more minutes" I replied. And turned on to my side. The voice called out again "Wake up! Wake up!" I get annoyed and turn to my other side "I said five more minutes." The voice disregards what I said "Wake up! Wake up!" I'm just done, I sit up and said "What!" There before me was a bunch of kids and teens who were in rags and loose pieces of cloth. A kid stepped up and gave me a flower and said "Here you go." And ran back into the crowd, "Where am I?" An old monk walked up to me, he seemed to be these people's leader and said "What is your name?" I replied "Brian, and where exactly are we." The monk rubbed his beard and said "Brian, you say?" These people really don't listen do they? I asked him again "Where are we?" The monk replied "We are in Yisotce (Ee-so-tis-ee)." I've never heard of this place. The monk continued on "We all came here the same way you did, unconscious and not remembering a single thing but our names." It's true, I remember my name but nothing else before. I ask the monk "Who are you?" The mobk relied "I'm these peoples Laoshi or as most people say teacher. My name is Ken. And we are please to welcome you to our village Brian. For now you may rest but tomorrow is a day of work, later on in the day when you feel better ask for Karen she's the towns manager she can show you around and what you're doing." A girl walked up to me and said "Hello, my name is Karen." I replied "Nice to meet you, name is Brian." We shook and then the monk yelled out "Alright, everyone back to work." The crowd spreads out into the plains and worked while I stayed in their hospital hut to rest. "Hey, Ken?" The man looked and said "What is it Brian?" I asked him "Where is the sun?" We both looked up at this huge dome with just lights but no entry for sunlight. "Brian, even I can not answer that question."

Later that day, I wake up and decide to go and talk to Karen. "Hey, Karen right?" Karen replies "Yep, you ready to go?" I nodded and she begins walking and said "There ain't many rules here, so you got to follow them. Rule number one, never try to escape." That's a weird rule "and whys that?" I replied. Karen turned around and said "Those who've tried has never returned and we assume they're dead." Well, I ain't going risk my life if no one comes back alive. Karen continued on "Rule number two, do your part. You have a job do it right, we all work together here so do your part and everyone does there's and we'll be fine." That's an understandable rule "And what's the last rule?" Karen replied "And finally the last rule is when the lights in this here dome go out, you run inside and dont get out until morning." That's got me curious "Why's that?" She didn't respond for a minute then replied with "They will get you." That helps "Who's they?" Karen shrugged and said "I don't know but just follow the rules and you should be fine." We walked to the garden and said.

"Alright, Brian your job here is to just tend to these crops. If you need any help go ask Angelica she's the head of the agriculture life around here. Any questions?" I shook my head and said "No ma'am." She walked away and said "Good luck tomorrow." I'm left alone not knowing what to do. I look around at the green pasture as a ball hits me leg. I look down and picked it up, it was made of animal hide and animal things. A guy came running over and said "Hey pass the ball here!" I kick the ball to him as he put his toe under the ball and flicked it upwards and catch the ball. He walked up to me and said "Not a bad kick." He stuck his arm out and said "Names Jason. Whats yours?" I stuck my hands out and shook his hand "Names Brian." Jason placed the ball down and kicked it back to the field where a few others were at. "Hey, Brian you don't seem busy come on and join us for a game of soccer." I nodded and followed him.

Jason seemed to be leader but besides him everyone else is pretty young. Jason blew his leaf whistle and said "Alright kids you know the drill separate into two teams." The kids instantly knew which side of the field to go on, "Alright, Brian you going to go on the white jersey team." Jason lined up across from me in black jerseys, Jason blew the whistle and the games begin. The kids kept passing it to Jason and he kept scoring. As for our team the kids kids kept passing it to me and I just passed it to another kid. The team got frustrated with me, half time came around and we were down 7-0. The leader of the kids huddled us all up and said "Brian, why ain't you doing anything?" I replied "Look, this is a team sport and we have got to win as a team. Be calm, work as a team, and it dont matter whether we win or lose." The guys all took a deep breath and the referee blew the whistle signaling the start of the second half. Jason got the ball dribbling it all the way down the field and sends one in, a kid on our team came from behind and stole the ball. He passed it to an open kid down field and he sent one in.

The game continued like this and the final score was 8-7 whites. The kids all came running up to me and started crying and they all got into a group hug with me. I asked all the kids "Whats wrong." The team leader stepped up and said "This is our first time feeling victory." Wow, this win must be important to them. "I didn't have anything to do with it, you guys as a team did." Then Jason walked over and stuck his hand up, I squirm up and he said "Good game." I looked like an idiot so I just stuck my hand out there and shool his hand. "You to." Jason and I walked back to my hut where I was staying, "Alright, Brian you and I are officially roommates." Nice cozy house or hut. Small wooden beds on each side, and a closet with a nice rug. I realized I was drenched it in sweat so I asked him "Where's the shower?" He pointed to the door in the back of the room "Right, out there." I walked across the wooden hut as the floor creaked. I reach for the handle and turned in and I saw a lake. "Yo, Jason!" I hollered "Where's the shower?" He walked over to me and put his arm on my shoulder "your looking at it my friend." On second thought maybe I can hold off on that shower. "You know what I'm exhausted maybe we should go to sleep." Jason smiled and said "Thought you might say that." We went to bed all tired and exhausted until late night when a knock was heard.

Chapter 27: Teen Trouble

Jazz was holding me back, I can't out run this freak with her on my back. I have to preserver otherwise we're both dead, "Run, Run, Run !" Man, I want to see her try and carry me around and see how she likes it. She tapped on my shoulder, "What is it Jazz?" She pointed to my left a wall was closing in. "Run through it!" There was no tine to question this girl I ran for the closing wall. The freaky monster thing hot on pursuit, the wall has closed so much "I don't think we're going make it Jazz!" Jazz jumped off of my back holding onto my sides and kicked the back of my knee and I tripped and slid through the closing wall with Jazz surfing on my back. "Weeee!" This girl is insane, the wall closed and the monsters arm was sticking out of the small gap that it made. I walked over to it and tore the arm off and looked at it, Jazz was looking as well, she asked "What is it?" I tell her "I have no.." Jazz collapses. I went down to my knees and tried to shake her away, "Yo, Jazz! Hey wake up!" No response. I don't know what to do I usually slept through health class. God dang it! I picked her up from her legs and 'neck. I continued walking look for a source of water. Every now and then I checked up on her, "Hey, you alright?" And everytime no response, I walked corners and straightaway but no sign of an exit. I laid her down and sit back against the wall to rest. "What have I got myself into?" As I begin to close my eyes when all of a sudden I could hear a water stream. "Where's it coming from is the better question." I looked to my right nothing, I look to my left nothing. I sat back down and heard the water stream again. This time I put my ear up against the wall as it could be heard a lot clearer. I picked up Jazz and walked down the right wall where the water source was loudest. As I continued walking down this long narrow straightaway in the maze I begin hearing unusual noises. "Grr.." Something growled at me. And that's when I realize I haven't eaten anything in forever. I walked a little longer and saw a berrybush growing out of the cracks in the maze wall. I sat her down and picked a few, I put them in my pocket until they filled up. I picked up Jazz and continued listening to the wall for the water source.

After a long walk following the wall i finally came to a left turn and at the very end of the straightaway I saw some light. "Maybe that's the exit, or the water source." Jazz shook awake and said "Where.. Am I?" I put Jazz down and checked her forehead, it was still extremely hot. "Look, Jazz just rest. Don't talk." She nodded and went unconscious again, I picked her up and we went down the long straightaway. As I got near the end the light got brighter, but I couldn't see what the light was because it was just that bright. I finally made it through the lights dimmed down and we saw a waterfall with a hole at the top letting in sunlight. I put Jazz down and ripped off some of my shirt and washed it in the water. I folded it up and dried it off a little, still keeping it wet and placed it on Jazz's forehead. I sit next to her and waited "I won't be leaving until you get better." I whispered to her. And then I got up and pulled the berries out of my pocket and washed them. I took a bite of one, the outside was crunchy but the inside was extremely soft with a blast of black berry exploding in my mouth. I decided to eat some but leave some leftover for Jazz when she wakes up.

I look over at Jazz and she's sitting up, but with her arms crossed placed on her knees and head in her arms. I walkover to her and place my arms around her and said "What's wrong Jazz?" She cried as tears begin dripping down her face "I don't want to be the girl that needs to be helped all the time, I want to be the girl that helps other." She's basically calling herself weak but I know she isn't "Look Jazz, you can only be what you believe you can be. So cheer up and believe that you can help others. Even if others help you it just means they care enough about you to help you." Jazz wiped her tears off and got up, I got up with her she wraps her arms around me and said "Thanks, Austin." I was kind of surprised that she didn't call me , I was kind of getting use to it. "No, problem Jazz." I checked her forehead again and the extreme heat has cooled down she's back to normal but I tell her "Let's rest a little more and fully recover." She shook her head and said "No, we have to go. We need to get out of this maze as soon as possible." A feint growl sound was made and Jazz was holding onto her stomach. "You sure you don't want to rest and fill up?" I pull out the berries and she giggle and said "Ok, fine." We sat and rest, as it grew dark the whole letting in sunlight, let in nothing but darkness." Jazz was shivering, it was pretty cold. I took off my shirt, I was wearing a tank top underneath. I handed my shirt to Jazz "Here, I know your cold." She said "No, I can't you'll get sick." I handed her the shirt saying "Don't worry about me. Worry about yourself, I'm just watching out for you." She put on my shirt and stopped shivering, I sit against the wall closing my eyes, Jazz leans on my shoulder and said "I don't know how long we've been in here Austin, but I've enjoyed every second since you've got me out of my cell." I put my arms around her shoulders and said "Me too." She leans off of me and turns her head, I turn my head and she slowly leans in towards me as I lean towards her, we had a small kiss, but something wasn't the same. Maybe it's because this wasn't decided by the society, Jazz backed up and smiled saying "Thanks Austin." She leans on me again and goes to sleep as I lean on her head and close my eyes. "Goodnight, Jazz." I whispered.

Chapter 28: Split apart

The old man and I run from this monster thing but we seem to be slowing down as it begins to gain on us. We approach a wall and without thinking the old man runs towards the left and I ran to the right. I take a couple steps and turn around and sure enough the monster decided to come after me, "Gosh, darn it!" I kept running but I'm getting kind of worn out after all this running, it feels like I've been running my whole life away from my problems. "Please, help!" I hear a feint cry for help and look back but the monster was chasing me so I decided not to check it out. I run down the hallways the monster is only 5 feet away from me at this point and I might be done for if this chase keeps up for any longer. I see a door open down the hall and decided to go in it and shut the door quickly behind me and the monster runs into the closing door. Splat, the monster was probably dead but I decided not to check. I sit against the door with a sigh, and relief. Then I see a girl, and I think Alex?" The guy turns around in his chair and sure enough it was Alex, "Hey! You're safe!" I get up and said "Yeah, though I would've been dead a few seconds ago." Jocelyn stool her hand out and said "Name's Jocelyn, You friends with Alex?" I nodded, even though I don't know if we were friends or not. "Alex, the old man is out there me and him split up when we were running away from the monster." Alex got up and walked past me and opened the door "What monster?" I go to the door and check not a monster in sight, "I swear he was just running after me." I place my hands on the door and touched something slimy, it was a slime that was covering the monster. "That monster that produced that slime." Alex examines the slime and said "What kind of monster was after you?" Jocelyn got into the conversation "Expired humans is what they call it. They're people who manage to live pass the day that they were marked to die. They then get brought to this facility and cut in half and experimented on and then resurrected as a half a human." Alex touched the slime and said "Well whatever it was its not after you anymore." Obviously it's not but I bet it went after the old man. "Let's look through the security camera and find that old man, I feel like the monster is coming for him." I suggested. Jocelyn ran over to chair sat down and looked through the camera but the old man was no where to be seen. "I can't find the old guy you guys are talking about." Why do the cameras here suck? Alex suggested "Alright, I'll go right and look for the old man and you guys go left looking for him, whatever happens just come right here." Jocelyn said "Ok sounds good lets go." Jocelyn tapped my shoulder and signaled me to follow her and I did.

And here I am alone again. The girl and Jocelyn are together so I'm not worried about anything happening to them but still Brian and Austin's status is still unknown. There's more that meets the eye to this warehouse, monsters, the society, and I don't know what else. I walk down the hall as I walk my feet get tangled up on something and I trip, the floor opens up "What the heck?" I fell into the floor as the doors close up again after I fall through. I yelled out "Ahhh!" I hit the ground and go unconscious.

Jazz finally wakes up and gets up I feel her getting off of my shoulder so I wake up to. "How you feeling Jazz?" She stretches and said "Wonderful, yourself?" I get up and replied "I've slept better but anyway let's eat some berries, drink some water and continue. She nods and walks over to get some water and drinks some, I give her some berries she eats ten and then sad "Alright, you ready to go?" I replied "Ready wen you are." She jumps on my back and said "Giddy up!" This girl just said giddy up. Looks like I'm a horse now I play along "neigh!" I cried out and begin running. The maze seemed darker since we weren't running towards the light. Jazz begins humming a song, I ask her "What song you singing?" She replies "It's a song my brother use to sing to me called "Never Be Alone." I could get the sense of what the message of the song was but I asked her "And what does it mean to you?" She lets out a sigh and said "To me it just shows that yes, the world is messed up, and yes there are bad people but there should never be a lonely person. Everyone should have someone who understands them, someone who's always there for them." I try to think of who was there for me, but I can't think of anyone "I'm guessing your someone is your brother?" She nodded and said "you catch on fast. So who's your someone Austin?" I don't know, I wish I had someone "Jazz, I don't have a someone." She looks at me and said "How come?" I reply "Now that I think of it, I was usually a one man team, a popular kid that had a bunch of friends but not one solid friend." Jazz jumped of my bag and signaled me to get down on my knees. She whispers into my ear "It'd be an honor if I could be that special person." I smiled and said "That'd be great, thanks Jazz." She gives me a peck on the cheek and jumped on my back as I continue walking. We walk down a hall as Jazz looks leans forward and said "Wait! Who's that?" I look ahead and a guy was lying unconscious I sprinted down to check on him. Jazz jumped on my back, and I turn the guys head around, "Oh my god." Jazz looked at me and said "What?" I looked at up at her and said "It's Alex." He's unconscious and I picked him up and said "We have to find a place to rest." Jazz agreed and walked in front of me. Jazz turned around and said "Who's Alex?" I looked at him and said "He's one of the three guys that the old man united to stop the society." Jazz said "oh. Then why where's the third?" I replied "Last time I saw him he was being put into a van and that's how Alex and I got here." Jazz continued questioning me "How did you guys separate?" I think and said "We were running away from the guards and they shot him in the leg and he decided to just turn himself in and let me keep running." Jazz nodded and was quiet as we walked looking for a place to rest.

Chapter 29: The Visitor

A knocking was heard in our hut Jason was fast asleep so I decide not to bother him, the door kept getting knocked on, I try to go to sleep. After a while the knocking stopped and I finally got to sleep. The next day, Jason woke up and woke me up with him "Yo, B-Dog wake up." I turn to my back facing the bed and said "The sun isn't even so why should I wake up?" Jason pulled out a knife and said "Wake up and get out its time to wake up remember the rule do your part here." I woke up and went to pond out back and washed my eyes out and dried up and stepped inside. Jason was already dressed and said "Alright I'm off to work with the animals of you need anything just holler." He closed the door behind him as Karen steps in and said "Ready for your first day?" I know I wasn't ready but I decided to just tell her "Yep, ready as I'll ever be." She opens the door for me and said "You know where to go right?" I replied "Yes ma'am." She nodded and said "Have fun at your first day of work." I walk over to the crops and pull out the house and water them a little, making sure there isn't too much or too little amount of water. After that I rolled the hose back up and turned off the water and went into the barnyard and looked for the fertilizer and found a huge bag and pulled it out. I fertilize the plan and step in some mud. I try to get out of it and can't somethings was tugging on my shoe. I use all my force and finally got out of the mud and saw an arm out of the ground. I ran into the hut near the farm and saw a girl sitting at the desk and I asked her "Where's Angelica?" She took off his glasses and said "Your looking at her, you must be Brian what's up?" I feel so dumb, "There's something in the crop fields. It had a hold of me but I pried away from it." Angelica it up and immoderately ran out the door and said "Show me." I led her to the crop field and inside the mud where the object had a hold of me was a hole. Angelica said "Alright Brian your works done for today." I guess that's good but I decided to stay and help "What's going on?" Angelica sighed and said "Look there is, something going on, in all my years of working nothing has ever gone wrong." I hope she doesn't think because I started here that it's my fault "Is there anything I can do?" She shook her head "I'm going get the explore team and go down there and see what the heck is going on." She walked away as she got out of sight I decide to jump into the hole. I fell a solid few feet and landed in soft dirt, underground was a bunch of skeletons, coffins, and a bunch of weapons with blood markings. This is a underground war zone, I look around and saw a shadow of something moving and run after it. Its so dark I trip and step over all the bones and weapons down here.

A few minutes of feeling my way through the dark I found out some of these dead bodies were recent, they still had flesh on them. I hear an echo coming from the direction that I came from it sounded like there were a lot of them. "Hello?" A man yelled, I didn't bother turning around instead I kept running. I don't see anything moving ahead of me but I kept heading forward and see a split in the underground. I close my eyes and listen I heard a bone crack from the left side and decided to head through the left tunnel. I feel my way around the moisture, bony dirt to make sure I don't run into a wall. I finally see some light and ran towards it and almost fall off a cliff. I looked down to a huge fall with a a monstrous wave that would eat me alive, I hear a bone crack behind me I turn around to a little kid with a devilish smile. I said "Hello." He ran towards me and said "Goodbye." And shoved me off the cliff. "What the.." I fall down, is this how it ends? I close my eyes and let go of my body.

I wake up in a huge white room with light coming from all four sides that looks like it runs on forever. "Is this a dream?" A man walked up to me it looked like, "Dad?" He smiled and said "Brian, you know your stronger than this." I begin to tear up and choke on my words "What? Why?" I run up to him and hug him and he said "Brian, I maybe with you spiritually always and I'm sorry me and your mother left you and your sis up for adoption." I back off of him and said "If your sorry ten why'd you leave us?" He sighed and said "Brian we did this for you twos safety." I got upset "What do you mean our safety?" He replies "The society said they'd kill you guys if we didn't put you up for adoption. We hated ourselves for putting you up for adoption but we'd rather see you alive than dead even if it's not for us." I give him a hug and said "I'm sorry, it's my fault if I hadn't exist you Gus wouldn't have gone through that pain." He puts his hand on my head and give it a soft kiss and said "I love you, but please be strong you can't die here." He begins to let go and float away and said "Be strong Brian!" He disappears and the white room begins to vanish I yelled out "Father!" And the. I wake up I was still falling and looked around and grabbed onto a ledge with one hand and put my other hand up and climb up. I finally reached a proper cliff and rest on it, "Thanks dad."

The kid from earlier walks up behind me this time I was ready for him, the kid said "You Brian?" I nodded and he smiled and said "Well sorry about earlier then the name is Allen." This kid says sorry and thinks that's it? He almost got me killed it if weren't for my dad. He smiled and sticks out his hand I shake his hand and said "How do you know me?" He replies "I've been keeping a very close eye on you ever since you got here." Maybe this kid knocked on my door, "We're you the one knocking on my door last night." He nodded and said "Yep, I've been trying to get you down here." That's weird why would he need me? "Whys that?" He signals me to follow him and we arrive at a wall he digs a small hole and I try to crawl in and I manage to squirm through and looked around, a bunch of kids were down here that all looked sick. "What is this place?" Allen replies "This is where all the people who fell down these caverns live we take care of them and they decide not to leave because they don't have have medicine up there." That's great and all I replied "Then why do you need me?" He replies "Your smarter than everyone, you probably know a lot about medicine." I shrugged and reply "I only had 2 years of medic school what kind of sickness we dealing with?" I look at the people and they had holes burning in their tongues, skin falling off, and huge craters forming all over their bodies. "What the heck happened to these people?" Allen replied "There are mosquitos up there that bite people and once the people are bitten they usually left for dead and down here we're working for a cure and trying to help them live longer." I nodded "Alright, I'll do what I can."

Chapter 30: Girl Time

Jocelyn and I walked down the hallway and we were pretty quiet to begin with. I asked her "What's up?" She shrugged and said "Usually nothing much but today has just been so much fun helping you guys out. What about you?" I reply "Yeah, it was my first day of school when this whole thing happened so it's been an exciting few days." She seemed confused "What do you mean?" I forgot she wasn't there when we listened to the old man's plan. "I was kidnapped and placed in a room that was ready to break, Alex rescued me and I suffered short term amnesia. I later wake up and Alex is next to my bed as the old man came in and checked on me. Austin canes running in and tells us Brian has been kidnapped and that the old man needed to meet the men at the top of the school roof. The old man thought of a plan to have me and him go to the meet and there because of this marking on my day which has my expiration date. Since I wasn't due to die he asked me to go and I went. Austin and Alex stayed back and we meant with the men and they knocked Alex and Austin out. Then they put he old man, me, and Brian in the back of the van and ran off. And that's how it all started." She was actually surprised "Wow, isn't that kind of much for your first day?" I shrugged and replied "It's a lot more fun then going to classes." Jocelyn laughed and said "True. Hey what's your name?" I don't trust her much either so I just said "My name is Arisa." She nodded and said "That's a nice name, you have a story behind it?" I shook my head "Nope, just a name I got what about your name Jocelyn." She replied "My dad thought I was a boy so he named me Josh but later he found out I was a girl and my mom just said it's fine we can name her Jocelyn. I guess they wanted a J name." I giggled and then we just talked.

We walked a while before we arrived at one of the cell rooms and we looked through the small holes and looked inside each of them for Austin, Brian or the old man. "See anything Jocelyn?" She backed out from looking in a cell and said "Nope, yourself?" I replied "Nope." But then we get to the back of the room and saw a cell, but this wasn't an ordinary cell. The cell has been slashed in the middle and pried open to the sides "What do you think it is Arisa?" I replied "I wish I knew. What kind of person could do this to steel?" Jocelyn didn't reply and looked away "I don't know." I'm still looking at the cell door and then a water drop hit my shoulder, I looked up on the ceiling and saw a creature it had 3 foot claws, with chainsaw teeth. The creature walked on its hind legs and had no tail or eyes, it was a dark green but in the dark it was a black color." Jocelyn, she looks over at me and said "What?" I pointed to the ceiling and she held in a scream. And whispered to me "What the hell is that?" I don't know but I slowly walked away as it came falling down, it led out a high pitch screeched and had its tongue out that was moving in a smallish patter. Jocelyn passed me a gun "What am I going do with this?" Jocelyn signaled the monster "Heck no. I ain't shooting that thing." The monster ran towards me with its claws ready to slash me Jocelyn shot it and it simply blew it off and she ran for the door "Let's go Ariza!" No need to tell me twice I tried running and it was so fast but Jocelyn was shooting and trying to slow the monster down.

I get through the door and she slams the door shut behind us and we kept running. I hear a loud screeching noise I look back and the monster was cutting down through the door it cuts the door down the middle and prices it open just like the cell we saw earlier. "Don't look back Ariza or we're goners." I kept running the monster was out of sight and I wave at Jocelyn to get into a cell in the next cell room. We got in and she whispered "Get under the bed." I got under the bed with her as we waited. We hear something slowly creeping around the metal floor, it opened the cell next to us and screech from the monster as we hear slashes cutting through things. She whispers to me "What the heck is that thing?" I shrugged and said "I don't..." The monster busts down the cell door I remain silent with her. We watch the monsters feet it had webbed feet with huge toe claw a it's drool hits the ground leaving saliva everywhere. It ripped the bed opposite to is, Jocelyn whispered "Oh, no we're next." The monster then backs out the room, me and Jocelyn both let out a sigh of relief and I asked her "We should just stay under here for a while." She nodded her head and laid down and said "I'm going asleep." I decide to rest to but not sleep, my heart was pounding way too fast I couldn't calm down. I was so close to death, how can she just sleep like nothing happened? Jocelyn nudged me and said "I can't sleep, can I ask about your past." I shrugged and said "Ok, as long as you're fine with me not answering what I don't want to answer." Her first question was "Who exactly do you live with?" I guess that wasn't too bad of a question "I live with my aunt since my mom and dad divorced and my aunt took me in because she believed I shouldn't be going through an experience like that." She said "That's it. I just wanted to know why you are the way you are." I didn't know what she meant but at least she won't ask me anymore questions. "Goodnight Arisa." I replied "Goodnight Jocelyn."