Gunner's Paradise

A Darker Turn Part 3

"What do you mean Evil?" Sheldon responded not quite convinced , thinking to himself The School didn't have the best accommodations but everything was fine was this girl mad? Great, knew we should have left her behind. Besides, even if what mad girl said was true he thought they had nowhere else to go.

Standing back on her feet with the help of Natalya, "I get premonitions and the one I am having right now is strong. We must not go there, please let's leave." With that she began to walk in the opposite direction.

"Wait," Natalya said, "maybe your premonition is wrong. At least let's stay the night. If you believe something will go wrong, we could position ourselves to be able to leave as easily and quickly as possible."

Cindy looked at her long with a pleading face and then finally gave in. "Fine, but I am telling you something bad will happen."

At the school, they had managed to claim a spot where Sheldon believed would be the safest for them to escape if need be. The two girls lay near each other. Sheldon kept his eyes opened, with his back against the wall. He glanced around the room and those that occupied it, looking at any sudden movements. Everyone at this point was either sleeping or their eyes were open just like his and quietly minding themselves. They were many children in this room of various ages. He could see the weight in their eyes and as hours passed and nothing seemed to happen, Sheldon's eyes grew heavy and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Run, don't look back," the voice said to him, as he saw his house burning his mother pushed him onward.

The surroundings changed as he felt the breeze hitting his face in the car as it sped onward and the impact as it crashed. He looked to the driver's side his mother looked him in the eyes, "you can't stay here anymore you have to live..."

"Run Sheldon, I will be right behind you, don't look back just keep running."

He tripped over the branches as his feet took him at full speed through the forest. Barely any light seemed to enter it, and he was only able to make out a short distance in front of him. He was exhausted, scared and alone; He bent over as he tried hard to catch his breath.

"Mommy, Mommy?" he called out but no one was there. The trees swayed in the cold breeze. All seem to be watching him, mocking him, waiting for him to slip and his own shadow seemed to be moving on its own. In fright, he ran some more until he saw the ending of the forest. As he exited, the light hit him.

His eyes opened and he gasped for breath to see Cindy holding him tightly in her arms and covering his mouth. "Look." as she gestured with her eyes.

Sheldon followed her eyes to see that some of the people in their room were gradually being taken away starting from the entrance by people in robes with some of their faces covered with masks and some revealed.

Who are these people? He thought and before long he saw her face, the woman from this morning, the woman he despised. They slowly walked out of the room and Sheldon made the motion to get up to follow them.

Cindy held him by his hand, "We must leave."

Sheldon tugged her hand away as he got up and peered outside the room and saw them walking down the hall, he followed them slowly.

He had to know what they were doing. He saw two persons guarding the door to what looked like an underground basement of the school and a man being taken in. He wanted to go further but couldn't as he realized this part of the school was very guarded.

He was positioned in a squat hidden in the shadows, Why were they not waking up and why were they not struggling he thought.

This answer came sooner than he would have like as he heard inaudible chanting and a piercing scream that resonated through his body. It was then drowned out swiftly by the dull playing of music. A piano? It sounded extremely eerie and offkey.

Sheldon's expression changed as the shocking realization hit him; he had heard this piano being played before. It was like this almost every night, he had discarded it as an amateur playing.

However tonight it was far more ominous since it now dawned on him why this music played at this particular time. The sound of the screaming felt like it had not been fully drowned out and it sent a shiver down his spine. From the shadows, He recognized what seemed like a patrol that was shifting towards him. Realizing the danger of being spotted, he hurried back cautiously to where he left Cindy and Natalya knowing that he had to make haste to leave while making sure to be as quiet as possible.

When he got there he found Cindy looking at him with a sad face "I told you didn't I?"

How did you know? He wanted to ask but there was no time, he woke Natalya shaking her vigorously.

"We have to leave," he said to her whispering, when she finally got up he took her hand and looked at Cindy as she put the bag on her back and they left as they had planned before.