It was right fucking late. How late, Shannon didn’t know. His watch had long stopped working and there weren't any running clocks in the manor. Only the moon and the dark told him as much, and there seemed more and more of it each day.

The sounds of Casa Loma’s halls were eerie at night, what had felt quiet and empty became full with slight creaks and distant snoring. The first night was always a little weird in a new place, nerves itching and the constant fear of attack. Maybe they missed something? Maybe not all the exits were cleared? But even Shannon had to admit the accommodations were nicer than what he was used to.

Brendan had just relieved him from the radio watch, still no response from anyone about a rescue. The only thing they'd heard all day were neurotic check in’s from the college demanding to speak only to Helena or Eric.

Shannon didn't mind being out of the loop, he preferred leaving most of the planning to others. But the veiled attempt at secrecy was getting a little on his nerves. I put my neck out on the line, walk my ass out of those concrete walls and for what? I don’t get to know what the fuck is going on? He huffed and bit his lip. If he was honest with himself, he could see why the council would be hush-hush, but there were things they didn’t get. The world worked differently outside the college and those of them that weren’t used to it clung a little too much to the hierarchy.

Shannon walked past where Ashley slept. Eric stood against the door. He nodded at Shannon, silent and stoic as ever, before going back to his watch. Man needs to relax, Shannon thought as he left the statue of a man behind. No give in him. What’s he think she gonna do?

As jobs went, Ashley’s watch was pretty easy. Stand outside her door, check every hour or so to see she hadn't run off, go back to looking bored as all hell. Rinse repeat. When he’d had first watch, he’d found out some of the rooms had more than one entrance, but the doors creaked as all hell. No way anyone could sneak around without someone hearing the wood groan.

Shannon meandered down the hall towards the only source of unnatural light: Lancaster’s laboratory. Orders were to keep an eye on him too, passed down from Evelyn Jekyll herself, or what Shannon had overheard. After his radio stint, where mostly he poked his head around the tower, pissed off the top and enjoyed the view of the city, he watched the scientist. Doctor. Whatever. Lancaster hummed the same damn song for hours on end. Shannon couldn't tell what it was but knew it by heart at this point. No damn words at all. Just that fuckin' tune.

Lancaster worked in spurts; rummaging through books, scrawling down notes, taking fifteen-minute naps. Since they'd arrived he hadn't slept for more than twenty minutes at most. In between these naps, Helena lurked around Lancaster being pretty damn secretive herself. Shifty looking, always checking to see who was near. Tish said as much before bunking down.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The good part? Helena managed to claw permission out of Lancaster for them to rummage through the supplies. Shannon couldn’t wait to get his hand on the expired potato chips, assuming Monte and Greg hadn’t demolished them already.

At the top of the stairs, Shannon leaned into the railing. The first floor was pretty quiet, as per Lancaster’s request, but above he could hear the stomp of feet. Monte, I bet. Shannon had been explicitly told Monte wasn't to be on the second floor. Threat of being left out in wendigo country had been all the convincing Monte needed to stay up there. Lucky bastard gets out of watch though.

He yawned and rubbed the tired from his eyes. Though he didn’t know what time it was, he knew his watch would be coming up on done. Then it was Greg’s turn to shuffle the halls, unnerve Helena, nod at Eric, and get Lancaster’s incessant tune stuck in his head. He chuckled a little. At least I won’t be the only one suffering.

Despite the nerves while listening to the silence, Shannon had started to at least try and relax. He wasn’t going to be sleeping on the ground, in a hole, or tucked up some tree tonight. No, a bed waited for him. And a warm one at that.

He walked back the way he’d come, past Eric and up the stairs. Sure enough Monte paced the hall, wasting the few batteries they had to peer at the cases with a flashlight.

“Shut that shit off,” Shannon said.

Monte flipped him off and kept looking.

“Where’s Greg?”

“Sleeping.”

“Yeah, I fuckin’ know that. Where?” he repeated.

“Dragged a mattress into the room with the paintings. The round one at the end of the hall. Idiot said he liked sleeping surrounded by ‘art’.” Monte chuckled to himself and went back to perusing the artifacts.

Sure enough, Shannon found Greg dozing in the middle of the room, chair and tables pushed aside for his mattress on the floor.

Shannon kicked his shoulder. “Come on man, your turn to patrol.”

He roused with a groan. “Seriously? I just got to sleep.”

“No rest for the wicked. Just walk from here, to the radio tower, to the second floor and check on Lancaster. Eric’s got Ashley sorted.”

Greg nodded but still didn’t get up from the mattress.

“Hurry up, I’m fuckin’ tired,” he said, kicking Greg’s shoulder again.

“What’s your problem,” Greg groaned as he rolled from the mattress. “Why do we even need to have a watch? It’s safe. Let me sleep.”

“Don’t be a bitch about it, just get up.”

Greg stood and squared up to Shannon. He wasn’t small, but didn’t have Shannon’s height, despite trying to make up for it in his glare. “Call me a bitch again.”

Shannon laughed. “Seriously? You wanna fuck around? Out here?” Shannon kept his voice low as he leaned in to Greg. “This isn’t some play date, and I’m not a fucking tour guide. This isn’t gonna be like the college where there’s ten guys running the walls keeping eyes out. There’s us. That’s it. No one else.”

Greg’s frown remained but he averted his eyes.

“You want to sleep through your watch? You wanna play like it’s safe because these walls are thick?” Shannon laughed. “That’s how you get dead out here. So don’t be a bitch and take. Your. Watch.”

Greg flinched but said nothing.

Shannon waited until the man stepped back. “And a little advice, steer clear of Ashley. I wouldn’t put it past her to just slit your goddamn throat while you’re walking out there on your own.”

Greg’s eyes flashed wide.

“And you know, I don’t think anyone would do anything to her if she did. After all, she’s worth more alive than you are.”

The colour drained from Greg’s face and Shannon stepped out of the room with a chuckle.