He still wanted to enjoy his walk, but looking at this letter it was clear to him that his mind could not be at peace. Underneath the cryptic text, there seemed to be a map of some sorts. Trees were drawn on the map, and a few buildings. One of them was marked, with some cryptic text beneath it as well. What if Woodfield had given him false freedom, only to come up to him and tell him: “Hey, this was a TEST, and you’re stuck here forever.” The thought of such a TEST had arisen to his mind, especially after seeing the type of TESTs they were conducting upon him. He took the letter, and he put in into his pocket, making sure that no one was watching him. As he had decided to continue his walk of freedom, many thoughts had begun to rise inside of his mind, which to him seemed to be wiped of every happy memory he had ever had. The birds and the pine trees, the fact that the sun was shining upon him, all of this gave him a sort of happiness in this specific and lost state of mind. Sure, he was trapped, but inside of his mind, he found peace. If you really think about it that’s the only place where you can find it – true peace. While walking, he took note of the layout of the outside making sure to check the other trees, for all that he knew, this could be something good, something that saves him from this place. His white shoes, which he had not taken off himself for the last couple of hours, started to become a hindrance to him but taking them off and walking in socks across the dirt path didn’t sound like the brightest idea. “I’m trapped here... I really don’t know anything about myself currently. And when I do remember, it will all get lost inside of my mind again. Is it true, what they say.? Will I remember my life ever again, will the scenes of my childhood appear before me even once more? This is still, though, a life worth living, because I have a hope very dear to me: that I will make it out of this alive.” – Urien liked to dwell upon his optimism inside of his mind a lot. The situation in which he was, he completely accepted, he became content with it. And this letter, this cryptic letter that he had found, was sure to be the key to his freedom. “You never really realize you’re free until you get sick, until you have to stay at home sick, and its those moments, those are the moments which tell you that you were once free to do as you wanted but not even a second have you spared in that freedom to be thankful for it.”
“I agree, Urien.” – the voice of John could suddenly be heard. “Did I just say all of that out loud...?” – Urien was startled.
“Yes, you did, Urien. Now, look, of course we couldn’t let you walk freely as you wanted, I was over here watching you closely, from behind the shadows of the trees. Now, about that letter... I put it there, sure, but not for the reason you think. Listen to me very closely now.”
This news was no surprise to Urien as he had grown used to the ways of these TESTs, especially after cutting out his own skin just to obtain a simple puzzle piece. “Can I just enjoy my freedom, for a moment?”
“There is no freedom, Urien.” – John had replied.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Knowing that he was at no place to argue with his, as it seemed, captor, Urien came closer to John and listened intensely to his words.
“That paper and the map on it... It isn’t a TEST. Someone is lurking inside of the building, around it, on it and under it. Someone has infiltrated our grounds. I only recently found that exact paper, but you will be surprised to know that it isn’t the first one me and Woodfield have found. Its all so... cryptic. There is a message trying to be portrayed, and we have had no luck in deciphering it.”
“All of which we have puzzled out is that it is by an individual going by the initial of “D.” ... Take it out of your pocket, and look. Thats the only clear letter, down there where it looks as if it is a signature.
Urien took it out of his pocket, and it really was there.
John continued: “The gender of this person, their age, and how they look, its something we simply don’t know, for we have had no luck in catching this individual. Sure, we have cameras, but only a limited amount, and even when Woodfield and I had on multiple occasions stayed awake through the whole day and night together, watching the cameras and the surroundings of this building, still, its a dead end... As if we are being played with, as if it is a dead end...”
Urien knew that this paper he had found was special. He was in some way even happy that this paper wasn’t a part of a TEST, but a puzzle made by an intruder, who is toying with the building’s workers... John went on, talking about the history of these notes and papers: “How these papers have came to be, we seriously don’t know. It is a hindrance; it is a problem we need solving and getting to the bottom off.”
“After all of this that I have told you, I wish to make a deal with you. Me and Woodfield have absolutely quit on deciphering the letters, but I ask you now: if you wish to decipher this letter for us, and tell us exactly what it says, for an equal exchange, we will spare you of your next actual TEST. This will be something we don’t usually do, but seeing as you are a smart fellow yourself, we can only think to ask you for help. So, how does this sound to you, Urien? For a simple deed of helping us, we will spare you of the next TEST. And guess what, you’ll only have one more to complete. Do we have a deal, Urien? After all, you are a worker here...”
Urien knew what to say. “I have nothing to lose from trying. Count me in, John...” – Urien had agreed to this deal that John had proposed to him. The sun was already setting, so they both went inside, and after going through all the corridors and hallways, they had finally made it back to the hallway on the second floor. Here John gave Urien some more currency, so he could get something to eat from the vending machines. After getting a chocolate bar and eating it as quickly as he could, Urien went ahead to his room, disposed the wrapping and after making sure to return the improvised knife made from the soda can to a decent look, he squished it by jumping on it. He disposed it as well. Knowing that John wasn’t looking at him while he was cutting his neck open, the chances of John even knowing about Urien making a knife against the rules were none. While Urien went back to the E.R. and fell into a sleep so sound it was as if he was dead, John went ahead and met with Woodfield in the main room. The next part of this story is to be the secret conversation between the two masked workers, John and Woodfield...