Status: Redo of my old story

Silence Falls

Chapter 25: Stop Caring About Living

Bert only smiled in amusement as he raises a hand between Otep and Alexis to keep them from starting a bickering match that would distract them all from the mission at hand. “Alright you two, let’s get going now before we allow you two go at each other til dawn.”

As his quick as smile faded, his somber tone came right back as he switched from friend mode to becoming their leader once again. He presented each member of in his group with their first order to pursue. “Alexis, I want you behind me for now. Otep, you can come up next after her, and Bam or Cris either one of you two can be last.”

Without waiting around for a chorus of consents, Bert went on ahead deeper into the vent and down the two slides before easing back as the end of the vent that leads to the cafeteria came near. Bert twisted around to whisper back into the vent to the two males he’d ventured through this mission with last night. “Bam and Cris, the plan is the same as last night, okay. Wait for the coast to be cleared before coming out.” He then turned his eyes to Otep who was calmly waiting for the plan to move into action. “Otep, when the guards started running toward the elevator everyone needs run to the shower room and get inside as fast as you can. You still remember all this right?”

Otep gave him a mute nod of understanding.

Bert tried to peek through the darkness of the vetn to check on the newcomer, his voice expelling much more gently than how he addressed the others. “Alexis, hun, you need to stay with Otep and follow her every lead, you got me?”

“Y-Yeah, I got you.” Alexis whispered unevenly, her entire body trembling with dread for what she was about to do. She couldn’t imagine what possessed her to agree to join this comradery of friends on this risky adventure that very well mean the ends of their lives! Whatever pushed her to make this decision seems to have more control over her than she did herself because she currently sitting in a vent outside of her cell room.

With a weary sigh to himself, Bert turned his attention back to the vent and easily popped it loose, but before he slipped out and disappeared into the darkness of the cafeteria, he turned to glance at Otep with paranoia in his eyes and begged. Traveling down here and risking his life was no big deal, but unlike him Alexis was new to all this and naturally frightened with what they were about to do. Her fear was eating at him and the risk she decided to take tonight was breaking his concentration which he needed to have access to 100%. “Goddamnit, Otep, could you just…just…hold her hand or something just so I know she'll be fine? Help me out here, man!”

Otep groaned and rolled her eyes. “Fucking fine, man, whatever! I fucking knew you were going to ask anyway, you big old softie.” Reaching behind her, Otep snatched up Alexis’s soft hand in her pale tattooed and slightly calloused one. Alexis jumped as she felt a spark the second they made contact with each other, but didn’t say anything about it because she was too caught up with what they were about to do.

“Thank you.” Bert replied back as he took an opportunity to slip out from within the confinement of the vent to slip under the cafeteria tables closest by. Everyone else in the vent waited for his signal to abandon their hiding place and seek shelter in the showers nearby.

Bert listened to the heavy footsteps thudding down the floor as security patrolled the cafeteria floor the same way they’ve been doing every single night since he’s been locked up there. One by one, Bert magically glided under one long table after another whenever he felt the coast was clear for him to be undetected.

At the very last table left to hide beneath in that column, Bert took his time viewing the open areas to his left and right for anyone patrolling. After checking five times to be sure, he expertly slipped past their weak defenses like the wind by scurrying over to the elevator and sliding the keycard he had right down the key pad to access the elevator before diving back beneath the table. Bert didn’t wait around for the elevator to activate to make his way back the way he came, he didn’t even stop when it made a loud ding that echoed sharply throughout the cafeteria, alerting everyone it’s activation. All the guards stopped what they were doing in a heartbeat and all turned to aim their flashlight beams at the elevator door just as it began to screech open.

The other kids in the vent were listening in closely for the signal and not too long after did they finally hear the ding of the elevator, the screech of its neglected doors and then the stampede of patrol men’s boots heading across the cafeteria to the elevator.

“Go go go!” Cris urged harshly to the others in front of him since he was carrying to rear. It took only a second for them all to come forth spilling out of the vent and racing for the shower room as quiet as they could make themselves. The security guards were too busy to notice them while they tried to piece together what was going on with the malfunctioning elevator. With them distracted, Bert was also easily able to meet up with his friends in the shower room soon after they just snuck in. He mutely pulled the door shut behind him as the security began to conversate over the haunted elevator with a mind of its own.

“I don't get it. Why does elevator keep doing that?” One giant security guard spoke out loud to his co-workers in his state of confusion.

“Uh...I don't know.” Another one answered while scratching his bald head.

“Maybe it's a ghost!” The one next to him exclaimed, dead fear in his eyes as he looked from guard to guard.

One of them rolled his eyes. “It’s probably broken. We should inform the boss about this.”

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Everyone but Bert and Otep caught their breaths as they all eavesdropped closely to the muffled voices of the guards outside the shower room but were having difficulties being able to piece anything they were saying to one another. Could they be plotting a plan to search all the rooms on that level, because if so the they would be discovered soon enough? Whatever they were possibly discussing with each other out there didn’t seem at all to be alarming Bert or Otep in the least which encouraged the others not to worry as much about it either since the duo has committed these crimes dozens of times before them.

“Good, they didn't think to chain the doors up this time.” Bert conveyed to the others as he walked over to one of the stall doors and opened it up, so he could lean casually against the door to give the others a visual reassurance that everything was going to be okay and they could calm their frazzled nerves down. “They probably overlooked the option for some reason which will make our way back much easier.”

“Oh, my fucking god, man, how in the hell do you EVER get used to doing shit like this all the time?” Alexis complained to Bert from where she stood trembling with her arms wrapped around herself.

Otep looked to Bert who merely gave Alexis a shrug in response. Rolling her eyes at him, she shook her head before speaking up. “You just stop caring about living in general, I suppose. If you cared for your life all the goddamn time when you’re down here doing the shit we do you'd be caught by now. You wouldn’t take any risks because they mean your life would be put in the balance, but the answer you’re seeking for might need a bit of risking to find at the same time. Am I right?”

From the dimmed darkness in the bathroom, Bert gave her a nod. “I should say you’re pretty spot on, babe.”

“But how do you suddenly not care about living anymore? I mean, it sounds like you might as well be…dead yourself.” Alexis whispered that last part to herself because she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but Otep heard her loud and clear.

"You can try living down here for years, for starters. You might start understanding us better that way.” Otep suggested nonchalantly, earning Alexis’s big brown eyes flicking over to her green ones.

Bert stood there for a moment as they two stared at each other, before deciding he needed to step in before a discussion could start to manifest itself over their lack of self-supervision. “Alright my lovely ladies, how bout we all just move on from this conversation and climb on into vent #2. I want the same order as before.”

One at a time everyone got up and began all filing into the second vent of the evening. Even though the security guards hadn’t caught them yet, they still kept silent just in case they could still be heard crawling throughout the underground facility.

Alexis was refusing to glance behind her because she knew she’d shoot a glare at Otep in disapproval for what she had said back in the shower room. Unfortunately, her words continued to bother her as they made their way along through the vents. How could you give up on life that easily and at such a young age as they were? It didn’t make much sense to her. You need something in life to keep you going when it feels like you have nothing else left to hold on to...right? It made perfect sense! Or maybe Otep and Bert somehow lost that too, and now had nothing to live for which was why they ventured out of their rooms every night into places they shouldn’t be. But that can’t be, they were two incredible people! Incredible people can’t just have nothing to live for all of a sudden, especially not Bert and Otep who has done so much for every one of them since their arrival.