Free Minds

Chapter 97.

"Touching as this moment is," Mr. Speck boomed with an obnoxious sniff. "But that's enough distraction. Let's not forget we have an antidote to find though. And the more you resist, the more useless you become to me and believe me, you do not want that for your own sakes. So don't even think of slacking off."

   No one in the room hid their frustration. While the rest of us released sighs and groans, Rav, who was leaning against the wall, raised his head, only to slam it back into it was an annoyed cry.

   Camila rushed to him before he could repeat his actions. "Stop that!"

   As she dragged him away, my eyes stared at the back of Rav's head before moving to the spot of the wall it had just come into contact with. The force he used to carry out that hit made me paranoid enough to check for any bloodstains.

   But that feeling was short-lived when I saw nothing but a plain white tile. Just like the one next to it, and the one next to that, and the one after–

   Hold on.

   That tile wasn't white. Not entirely, anyway. It wasn't long before noticing what appeared to be a smudge of soot on the tile that could've easily been mistaken for a design that I saw tiny curved holes at its four corners.

   I left Dorian and everyone else astonished as I got off the floor and ventured toward what was too weird to be a coincidence. At least I hope it wasn't. I wasn't sure how I would explain that my sanity was intact to the others if I was wrong.

   Coming closer gave me a better view of the stained, chipped tile. As my hesitant fingers reached forward to touch it, a thousand and one thoughts won't stop telling me why I was just wasting my time and how I was only making a fool out of myself.

   Until I touched it.

   The ear piercing shriek that my throat released was the final straw that sent everyone rushing toward me with visible worry.

   With my eyes never leaving the tile, I pointed toward it, exclaiming, "The tile. It m–mmm!"

   I gave Rav, whose hands over my mouth were the reason I was cut off, the dirtiest look as his grip got only tighter with each fight I put. When he gestured upwards and pointed a free finger to his ear, however, his action didn't seem so insane anymore. After I stared at him with a nod and understanding eyes, he released his grip. I took a minute to calm myself before dropping my voice to a volume I was positive Mr. Speck wouldn't hear.

"When I touched this tile," I whispered, still pointing, "It moved."

"Are you sure?" The look on Cami's face as she asked reflected everyone's disbelief.

   Rather than respond, I grabbed her hand and placed it on the tile. Sure enough, it shifted from the pressure exerted and reverted to a standstill when Camila yanked her hand with big eyes.

"It–It..."

   I shot her a 'told you so' glance while she continued to fumble with her words.

"Guys," Dorian's soft call came from far away.

   All the excitement made me miss the moment he'd moved all the way to the other side of the room.

   My heart skipped a beat when I saw the bewildered look as he pointed towards one of the tiles next to him. One which looked exactly like the one we were just freaking out over.

   Swallowing down my rising hysteria at this strange turn of events, I turned to Rav, Camila and Landon, talking in an undertone, "I'm positive at this point that we'll find more of these if we keep looking."