For a moment, an almost tangible silence filled the room. No one dared to speak; instead, they offered one another silent comfort, sharing in their collective unease without uttering a single word.
The tension lingered, thick and unbroken, until an unexpected splash shattered the quiet, snapping everyone to attention.
"Mommy?" the young girl whispered, her voice trembling as she turned to her mother for reassurance. The mother, who had been keeping a vigilant eye on her daughter, was momentarily distracted by the sound.
Instinctively, her gaze shifted toward the far right corner of the room, where a door stood, its handle turned inward, locked, and mysterious. Who knows what could be hidden inside? Richard, the old man, stood up, almost tripping.
He went to investigate with no real plan or clue as to what he was trying to achieve. The rest of the group stayed quiet until the man reached the door, where the sound came from. Everyone held their breath automatically until he reached the handle and yanked the door open with immense built-up force. The boy winced. He didn't expect the man to open the door that roughly. The man stood high and mighty in front of the open door, not quite sure what to even expect behind it, but he slowly relaxed when he scanned the room filled with various resources.
He frowned and took a step inside.
"What the heck is this?" The old woman stood up, following her husband to the room. "What is it, Richard?" She reached the door and narrowed her eyes as she looked inside the room. "It seems they plan on keeping us here a while..." The woman commented. She could feel the man in front of her losing his temper by the second. "Like hell they will."
Meanwhile, the young man tries to stand up when he suddenly gets stopped by the young mother. "Can I ask you something?" The boy turns to face the mother. His hand reaches for the back of his neck, like it usually does when he's nervous. He doesn't answer immediately but lightly nods after a moment. Before the woman can ask the boy, the old couple calls for the rest of the group. The boy turns his head away from the woman. "Maybe we should check out the room, too..." He offers, and the woman nods. She stands up and takes her daughter's hand in hers.
They walk to the room and find the couple already investigating the resources. "Whoever put us in this building plans on having us stay here." The woman says while holding canned tomatoes. The boy scans the room. It's filled with food, clothes, water, and anything necessary to survive for a couple of weeks.
The group moves out of the room. "Let's get something clear, I don't trust any of you." The old man already exclaims. "Come on, Richard. Right now, we're all we have." The old lady adds. The young mother frowns. "To me, it seems like you're the least trustworthy." "What did you just say?"
The boy chimes in. "Let's not argue. It seems like we all arrived here the same way. In those sleeping bags." The old lady nods. "The boy is right. My husband and I woke up in that locked room in sleeping bags as well." The group tries to discuss all the information they have gathered from the few hours they spent on this floor. "All we know so far is that we're stuck on this floor, with no outside contact and just a few resources to keep us alive for a couple of weeks."
"This is bullshit. I'm not fucking staying here." Richard practically spits out. The old lady tries to explain to her husband that all of the windows and doors, except for one, are locked. "Maybe they'll let us go after a few weeks have gone by." The boy tries to conclude. "Until then... Maybe we should start by introducing ourselves." The old lady nods. "Well, you've heard me yell my husband's name already. He's called Richard, and I'm Chastity."
The old man groans. "I'm Mary, this is my daughter, Ivy." The little girl shrinks when her name is mentioned. "Nice to meet you..." The young boy says before introducing himself. "I'm Sol." "Spelled like soul?" The old lady genuinely asks. The boy smiles lightly and shakes his head. "Without the u." "Ah, interesting." The old man turns his head to the boy. "Isn't it suspicious how you're the only one here who's not related to any of us?" The boy is caught off guard by the question. "No? Then maybe we should talk about it," Richard presses further. "For all we know, he could be fucking with us." "I'm not," Sol stammered. "I promise."
Richard stepped forward, towering over the boy. "I am not to be messed with, you little shit." Sol backed away, heart pounding. "Richard, calm down-" Chastity began. "SHUT UP, WOMAN!" he roared, turning on her. She fell silent. Richard then picked up the boy by his collar, again.
Before Sol could even respond, a new sound echoed through the floor behind him. Slow and taunting footsteps. From the shadows emerged a tall figure. His black coat swayed with each step, boots clicking against the floor. He had tousled dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a lollipop tucked between his lips. His expression was unreadable, somewhere between amused and dangerous. He stopped just in front of the curfuffle, surveying the group with a cheeky grin. "Well," he said, voice smooth and playful, "looks like the party started without me." And just like that, the room fell silent again.