The Last Guardian | Darkling Academy

chapter three | midnight strolls

The bright illuminated screen burns my waking eyes as I read over the instructions that were sent in the document.

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First, you will leave your house and walk down to the sign that indicates that you have gotten to Crescent Street. Once you have reached the street sign, you will then turn towards the forest and walk straight ahead. You will not make any turns.

Your task will be waiting for you out there. You will know what it is when you see it.

Do you understand what you must do? If you do, please push the button beneath this message that says, yes. If you do not understand, reread the message again, as we will not be supplying you with any more information.

Good luck, Miss Mikkelsen.
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My breath shallows as I clutch my thick blanket closer to my taut body. My slender finger pushes the side button as the glaring screen goes black, taking the only light in the cold room with it and leaving the darkness itself to comfort me. Shadows loom throughout my room as the sound of my breathing echoes within the small quarters.

This is a joke, right? Some sick joke someone's playing on me? That would make sense on why I couldn't find it anywhere online, but it still should have at least been on the App Store, right?

My sheets ruffle as I pull my legs from out under them and soundlessly place feet on the cool wooden floorboards. I push my stiff body from its sitting position on the bed and shuffle over towards the light switch next to my door. The darkness shrinks away as the blinding light from above invades the room.

Turning around, I stare at my room with wide eyes.

What the hell do I do now? It's not like I can just go back to sleep and pretend I didn't get that message. And what if it isn't some stupid joke someone is playing on me? What if whoever sent that message is being serious and if I don't go, something bad will happen?

I lean my back against the door behind me and slowly slip down it, letting the rough grooves dig into the skin beneath my cotton shirt.

Telling someone is obviously off the table and but I'd be stupid if I were to actually follow the messages instructions, do I have a chose though? Well, technically I do have a choice. I either tell someone and risk something bad happening, or I go and...something else happens, whatever it might be.

I huff out a breath as irritation crawls at me from beneath my skin.

I already know what Ronnie would do in this situation, she would debate about going, but in the end, she'd go into that forest to do the task. And Jason wouldn't even think about it, he'd just go. Jason's just the type to help someone in need no matter what.

A thought suddenly hits me. What if Jason got this same message? In one of the files I read, I remember the officers on his case didn't know why he went into the woods, it only had a question mark beside it, but if he did get a message like this, then that could explain why he would even go into the forest in the first place. And knowing Jason, if he knew someone else's life was in danger, he wouldn't even stop to think about whether he would go or not.

Grabbing a hold of the metal door handle above, I pull my body off the ground and make my way towards my phone that's laying on top of my pillowcase. I switch my phone on and reread the message again, making sure to take in every detail I was instructed to do while I grab random stuff around my room and shove them into my school bag.

If this will help me find Jason, then there's no other choice, I have to go.

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