The Coding Call

Chapter 7

     Could this day get any weirder? Just hours ago he was getting beat shitless across the face with a metal rod and now he was being led by an abnormally skinny man to a dorm. For all I know I could be following Albert to my death he thought. Albert didn't seem like the type of guy to kill. But these guards do. Each one had a face of death. Their lifeless eyes would stare straight. Never give any eye contact. Yet Andrew was sure that if he tried to make a slight attempt at escaping the guards would snap and kill him. 

    Albert stopped in front of a large steel door. "This is your dorm." He told Andrew loudly. "If we are to ever catch you leaving without our permission then, well you know what happens." His skinny hands latched onto the handle of the door and pulled. The door opened with a dull sound coming from the hinges. Albert bent over to whisper into Andrew's ear. "We don't mess around here" He whispered "I'm not afraid to kill you myself." He said. Then he shut the steel door shut and left Andrew alone in the dark room.

  Where are the lights? Andrew shuffled his hands against the walls looking for some switch of some sort. Then his hand felt an imperfection on the wall. A switch. He flicked the switch on and waited for the light to come on. The lights flashed on in a flash of a second. The lights temporarily blinded Andrew. He rubbed at his eyes until it was good to open them once again. 

  Andrew got a clear view of the dorm. It was no bigger than his room in his New York apartment. The walls and floor were steel grey. In the corner of the room sat a metal bed set with black covers and pillows. The other corner featured a toilet and sink like the ones in the shower room. The room was very cool and featured no windows. Is this a prison cell? Andrew wondered. He shuffled over to the bed in the corner of the room. He laid himself down on the bed and wondered. He remembered all the things that had occurred to him today. Everything that happened these past few days. Those thoughts drifted him into a sleep he hasn't felt in a while. A sleep with covers and a pillow. A sleep in isolation with nothing but Andrew's thoughts. A sleep of peace. For once.

   The catnap lasted for about five minutes until Albert busted in with two guards at his side. "Sorry about intruding your sleep. You have the welcoming dinner in a couple of minutes." He said. Andrew shifted up from his laying position. "Are you going to tell me what this welcoming dinner is?" Andrew asked Albert. Albert walked over to the bed Andrew was sleeping and sat down near Andrew's legs. "This dinner, is the most important dinner of your life Andrew, so don't screw up." Albert told Andrew in a dark tone. 

  Albert lifted himself from the bed and walked over to the guards. "Get up and follow me. You don't want to be late for this dinner." Albert told him. He walked out the door with the guards at his side. What is with that man? Andrew thought. Something about his tone just doesn't fit. something is wrong here. With that thought Andrew hopped off the bed and followed Albert and his guards.

  The walk to the dinner was faster than the walk from the showers. With only a couple of turns they reached their destination. Two steel doors like the ones in his dorm. Albert stopped in front of the doors and turned to face Andrew. "I can't be in there with you Andrew, remember to behave yourself. You don't want to mess this up." Albert said. He shoved both doors open and allowed Andrew to enter.  Andrew's mouth dropped. Other people! A large long table sat in the middle of the dining room. Other teenagers like Andrew sat all around the table. All with scars or bruises on their face. "Enjoy the food Andrew." Albert said behind him. With that he slammed the steel doors behind Andrew. Andrew stood by the door and felt the gazing eyes of the kids. The kids that had lived through hell like Andrew himself had.