Rohan

Friday, April 29th, 2022 (38 days after the Shutdown)

Time was a funny thing. When he wrote exams, there wasn’t enough of it and now, it felt like it was dragging its feet. Days had started to blend together till there were times that he woke, wondering what the date was.

Without any motivation to continue his horticulture research, he spent every day standing in the vestibule at the main entrance, watching Sorrows roam where students once started their days. It was sad to say but he regretted not leaving with Jake.

The day after Colonel Ridges – the man in charge of the soldiers stationed at his school – capitulated to the civilians’ protests to leave, Rohan had woken up to find Jake missing. Similar incidents were reported across the school. Of the 27 who’d been trapped at the onset of the Shutdown, 13 senior-year students had gone missing during the night leaving everyone wondering how they had escaped with no one noticing.

As far as he was concerned, Rohan was thankful that Reid and Serena had left with Jake.

Who knows. If karma is a thing, the world will have two less vermin in it.

For 40 others, the students were the least of their concerns. The civilians campaigning to return to their families stood in the foyer, fidgeting as they waited for their turn. To limit the number of Sorrows they attracted, the plan was to keep them in the vestibule at the main entrance so they were separated from the rest of the school, and once a soldier gave them a signal, let them run.

Implementing the theory Rohan had proposed yesterday, soldiers used the roof to lure Sorrows to the back of the school. As long as groups of people were in a connected environment, which in this case was outside the school, Sorrows would be attracted to a higher density of people. So while they were lured to one side, the civilians would exit from the other.

Sent out in waves, the first seven were a success with all of them safely entering the community in front of the school. However, on the last one, whether it be because there were more people on the streets than they suspected or factors they hadn't concerned, Sorrows swarmed the front of the school.

They couldn’t even get past the front lawn, he noted, seeing 5 new statues scattered amongst the trees. Shaking his head, he left the vestibule.

“Had enough?” a voice behind him asked.

Raising an eyebrow, he turned towards the speaker. “Sorry?”

Laura, the president of his after-school club and the sole person responsible for him being in this situation stood by the side of the foyer. Apart from him, she was the only senior left in the school.

“Were you waiting for me? I have to say, I’m flattered, Laura,” he said dryly.

“... No, it's Mrs. Crouch. Since you're walking around fine, she wants another pair of hands helping out since we lost so many,” she plainly said.

Studying her deadpan face, he sighed. “You sure it wasn't you who said that?”

“Does it matter?”

“... I suppose not.”

Finding a broom, he swept pieces of paper and wrappers in the hallways of the western wing, passing the time occupying himself with his thoughts.

“You seem better,” Laura said, out of the blue.

Not bothering to face her, he continued sweeping dirt. “Fascinating. How so?”

“You look taller.”

Really? “That's… interesting.”

Since the snake tattoo returned to his forearm, he did feel stronger. Likely a result of the month-long coma, his bones felt denser, his skin clearer, and his physical constitution healthier. Where before he was scrapping 5'11", his transformation brought him to the brink of 6'2". Thankfully, his tattoo and the color of his eyes were only visible to him or that would've raised questions.

Shouts from the foyer saved him from Laura’s curious gaze. Waiting for the call, two short whistles blasted across the school. The scouts are back.

Of the two predictions Jake made before he left, one was proven true days later when another scouting party failed to bring back anything. Forced into a tight spot because of an unexpected swarm, they’d discarded the supplies to escape.

A shout went from the guards at the front and a group of soldiers ran to the roof to draw the Sorrows away. Well, this will be interesting. Squinting to see past the grove of trees, he poked Laura to get her attention.

“Doesn’t that seem like more than 5 people?”

Indeed, when the scouting party returned, there were two people that Rohan didn’t recognize amongst them.

“I don’t like them. They seem sketchy,” Laura whispered to him.

“That’s what you say about everyone. I bet you think your family is ‘sketchy’.”

She’s not completely wrong though. They do look out of place.

Aside from his unique circumstances, the rest of the school had been stuck in a cramped place for over a month with limited water. They had to wash with a damp cloth and when the body odor was becoming unbearable, they risked opening windows to air out the school. The people in front of him on the other hand, appeared to have showered days ago. There was no dirt under their nails, no sweat stains on their clothes, no sense of being on edge.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Definitely “sketchy”.

Noticing the two of them standing to the side, the female stranger gave them a wave which they ignored.

Why is she so chirpy?

“Richard, call Colonel Ridges. We’ve finally done it,” gushed the sergeant in charge of the scouting mission.

Secured with nylon rope, 3 boxes were sitting in the center of them. Judging by how red their hands looked, they must’ve scraped them raw from holding the ropes.

The other stranger coughed as he clutched his sides.

“That might’ve been the most foolhardy thing that I’ve ever done… and I liked it!” he guffawed, good-naturedly.

… Is he an idiot?

The other soldiers who were riding on the high of getting more supplies, joined him until everyone who’d come down to the lobby was staring at the group of cackling men.

… Nope, they’re all idiots.

When the colonel came down, he practically bowled over the scouts in joy when he saw how much they’d been able to bring back. When the lead scout pointed to the two newcomers, the colonel profusely thanked them and asked them to stay for dinner.

Laughing as they went into the cafeteria for an early dinner, he and Laura trailed behind the crowd all of whom were in a festive mood. Shrugging at each other, they entered the cafeteria, hoping for extra rations.

***

It had been a while since he’d seen so many smiles on people’s faces. The exhaustion of living their lives enveloped by fear and tension had drained the happiness out of them, leaving a bitter shell. But with renewed hope of their food supply being sustained, people were more animated. And leading them were the two strangers who were cracking jokes and spreading tales about what they’d seen.

While the other students had immersed themselves in the MREs that had been scavenged, Rohan was listening to the newcomers’ conversations. Earlier when Colonel Ridges asked where they’d come from, the newcomers had smoothly redirected the conversation like it was a practiced line.

“Hey, how are you guys?” a voice behind him called out.

The tall female stranger was walking towards them. Thanking the students as she moved over to give her a spot, she tucked her auburn hair behind her ear and sat down in front of Rohan.

“How has it been, living in the school? When I was still in school, I couldn’t imagine staying in this place longer than I need to,” she chuckled, looking around the cafeteria. “What do you guys even do, day to day?”

Whomever she asked, she always got the same answer. ‘Nothing’.

When it got to him he glanced up from his vegetarian tortellini, his spoon halfway to his mouth.

“Me? I read books about the local flora and fauna,” he told her, shoveling the pasta into his mouth.

“That’s… cool. So things like flowers? How about farming?”

Setting down his MRE, he shook his head. “At the start, yeah. The school had plants growing in the science department but they wilted when we couldn’t spare the water. So no, we can’t farm.”

Should have told her that? No, it’s not as if she’ll be able to do anything with that information.

“Mmmm, I’ve heard beans do well in droughts. They shouldn’t need much. But you could try making a garden in your lobby. I saw there were large windows that you’ve covered up. Using some of the soil, you might be able to grow a few fresh vegetables, but divided amongst you all… yeah, I guess it really isn’t worth it,” she stated matter-of-factly before realizing the table had gone quiet.

Blushing, she covered her face. “Ahh, I’m sorry, that was so embarrassing!”

Rohan wasn’t paying attention to her. Beans, huh? That’s a good idea. The colonel might deny the project but the science wing should still have enough resources for me to get a couple of plants growing. But it hasn’t rained in days so it wouldn’t last.

Finishing his tortellini, he watched the other kids talk to her. Laughing along with them, she smiled at him. Blinking, the tips of his ears went red.

***

A sound from outside jolted him out of his blissful sleep. Having gone to sleep hungry every night, half a pack of the MRE was enough to put him in a food coma.

Which asshole is using the washroom?

The doors were locked from the inside at all times to make sure an intruder or a Sorrow didn’t slip in like before.

Thunk. THUNK.

There it is again! he remarked, squinting around in the dark until his eyes started to sting from staring.

Beside him, a soldier grumbled in his sleep. Taking inspiration from the soldier’s mentality, covering his ears Rohan lay back down on his gym mat. Screw it, I’m wasting sleep.

“Don’t drag it! Someone will hear you, you idiot!”

His eyes snapped open recognizing that voice – it was the female stranger. What is she doing?

Against his better instincts, he got up and traced the noise until he was in the hallway in the southeastern wing when he realized the noise had stopped.

Did they notice me?

Deliberately raising his foot, he tensed his muscles to cushion his stride but his foot never reached the floor. Something had tripped him up. Toppling backward, his head cracked against the tiled floor, breaking the silence.

His heartbeat slowed and the night air became sharper. On his left arm, the snake tattoo that had been dormant slowly uncoiled like it had woken up after a long nap. Slithering up his arm, its trail exuded heat, burning a path up to his face but it felt like ecstasy. As it stopped around his eyes, his sockets began to sting again. Grunting as he was tossed between a whirlwind of pleasure and torment, a viscous fluid leaked from his eyes. Rubbing at them as the sensation receded, he caught a whiff of iron as it rolled off his chin.

Ahhh gawd, this bullshit never stops, does it?

Propping himself on his elbows, he flinched at what he saw.

Instead of pitch-black, a mirage of colors assaulted his vision. Finding his way to his feet, he stared down at two orange figures blocking his path. Kneeling down, he probed them when his fingers and stopped when he felt flesh.

Soldiers. They’re out cold. If these are their bodies, the snake must’ve given me… thermal vision.

The tiles were dark blue, his footsteps behind him were green, and as he raised his head to look down the hall, despite how granular his vision was, he saw another two orange silhouettes fumbling with an exit door.

W-What? Who is… the fucking newcomers.

A flashlight blinded him.

“It’s you,” the man sighed. “Why, man? Everything would’ve gone smoother if you just pretended that you didn’t see us.”

“Dale, shut up... I’m sorry about this, kid,” the female apologized, pulling a white stone from her pocket.

Holding the supplies they pilfered, they opened the door to the outside.

“S-STOP!” he screamed but it was too late.

Completely ignoring the two of them, hazes of dark blue entered the building. The Sorrows had started pouring in.